[Holiday]

I'm afraid there isn't all that much information about what is called an "empath." I found that About.com had this article and also this site, all about empaths.

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Empaths are people who don’t “read” the future, or predict it they “read” people, and their energy although sometimes it depends on the person being read, too. They are the psychic sponges of the world, soaking up all the psychic and emotional static that other people give off. Being an Empath is one of the most common and most challenging of all the psychic gifts.

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In general an empath is non-violent, non-aggressive and leans more towards being the peacemaker. Any area filled with disharmony creates an uncomfortable feeling in an empath. If they find themselves in the middle of a confrontation, they will endeavor to settle the situation as quickly as possible, if not avoid it all together. If any harsh words are expressed in defending themselves, they will likely resent their lack of self-control, and have a preference to peacefully resolve the problem quickly.

Some empaths will struggle to comprehend any cruelty, and will have grave difficulty in expressing themselves in the face of another's ignorance, closed-mindedness and obvious lack of compassion. They simply cannot justify the suffering they feel and see.

People of all walks of life and animals are attracted to the warmth and genuine compassion of empaths. Even complete strangers find it easy to talk to empaths about the most personal things, and before they know it, they have poured out their hearts and souls without intending to do so consciously. It is as though on a sub-conscious level that person knows instinctively that empaths would listen with compassionate understanding.

What else do you know about "empaths?" Do you believe that it's something more psychic and mystical, or that some people are simply more intuitive or sensitive than others?

I think we do impact the world with our energy, thoughts, attitudes. It makes sense that some people are more sensitive to the energy and emotions of others, and more intuitive. You can learn to be more aware and intuitive to others. Read up on psychology and sociology, and learn how people behave, and you could be a sort of "empath."

People in helping professions experience "compassion fatigue," which is a sort of syndrome where they begin to feel negative, hopeless, etc. It's also been called "secondary traumatic stress syndrome." It isn't really too difficult to believe that we are affected by the emotions of the people around us. Which also means that if we all start thinking more positively, we'll affect the world in a positive way!

This post has been edited by Holiday: 29 December 2009 - 01:40 AM

[misan]

I do think some people are more sensitive to body language and inflection in voice. I doubt it is anything psychic. What I do think is that the brain is capable of much more that we understand and that some of the "supernatural", "paranormal" or "psychic" things that happen are actually quite normal things that we don't understand as yet.

[Eirian]

I think anyone can be an empath. You just need to be able to tune into your own intuition, making you more open to other people's energy.

Everything is energy. You put it out and you recieve it. That's how you pick up other people's feelings, emotions are energy.

[8LKPHX]

I don't think this in anything supernatural or specifically out of the ordinary. Some of us are more sensitive to others and so we can pick up on the subtle energy changes and fluctuations...

I've had this ability since childhood; it's not something you can turn on or off either. When i'm in a place with a negative atmosphere I will pick up on in it immediately and it makes me uncomfortable. the same thing with people; Meeting someone for the first time I am able to 'feel' what kind of person they are. It's not that I'm judging them but my 1st impressions are scarily accurate.

That's all i remember for now.. Sorry I don't have any more information...

[suicideXlover666]

There's a definite difference between empathic abilities and being able to read someone. Anyone can just ask Dhamien some time, he would definitely agree with me.

I believe this personally though because frankly, I'm horrible with first impressions I'm not very good at reading people at all, but if someone in the room is not doing well (anger is very easy for me to pick up on. It's rather irksome) I can tell right away. I don't always know who it is or why, but I can tell.

Example, I'm very close to a guy I've quoted in the epic quote forum, JohnTheAlmightyBlackManWhoIsActuallyNative. I'll pick him up for school, won't see him most of the day because of differences in schedules, see him at lunch, back to school in the afternoon then hang around with him usually until 9 or 10 pm when i go home shower and go to bed.
After I leave, there are nights I have to call him and tell him to calm down because even from my home across town I'll pick up on his anger and want to start punching my own walls, I'll be depressed about a relationship (odd thing when you're single) or I'll feel uncertain about approaching a problem that isn't even mine.

Same for positivity. I'll be having a bad day, I'll be angry and short-tempered, then out of nowhere I'm in a good mood and shortly after I'll get good news from him.

Call it what you will, I believe in Empathic ability.

[Kaddam]

Actually I personally Empath is a natural thing among the human race passed down generations worth. Humans arre known for alot of things, but none of it natural.

This topic might give a hint at least what natural ability humankind has.

[Hellarchy]

Being an empath myself, when talking to someone from any distance away for only a short period of time (often just after the hello), I can sense their emotions. I've proven this time and time again when people have tested me, I can usually accurately describe their emotions, or at least the nature of their emotional energy. That being said, I can feel the emotions as if they are my own and that is why I can identify them so well. It's like when you are in a crowd and depending on the general mood of the crowd you'll either feel hyped up, angry, mournful, or something of the like... Just on a much more refined scale. It only takes one person's happiness to light up my day, as I can feel it as my own and embrace it. On the other hand those who have this "gift" are also dealing with a double edged sword. If you don't learn to filter other's emotions and control your own, it could be dangerous for you and your mental state. In a way this can be compared to psychic vampirism, which I'm sure you all have at least a basic knowledge of, if one can feed off of the emotional energy he can receive from people and utilize it.

In my experience, being an empath gives a more acute sense of other energies as well. Though I'm more of an observer than a manipulator of these energies, reading them is something I've been able to learn to do quite well.

There is another thing I'd like to make a note of though... when an empath reads the emotions of others and feels them, one who is adept in his/her skill would be able to skillfully manipulate the emotions of the person they feel. Not just magically changing them for better or worse, it takes effort. For example, knowing the feelings of someone and how they work allows you to have a better understanding of how to change them (like psychology, only working with energy as well). Knowing what actions and movements and words will appeal and help change their mood and the nature of their emotions often will come more naturally to a skilled empath. If said empath is skilled at controlling his own emotional energy, sometimes they won't even need many words to put out just the right feelings and energies to soothe or anger another. This is somewhat of a warning. Then again, MOST empaths will not enjoy using their empathic talents in a sadistic manner simply BECAUSE they are able to feel the emotions and energy of others so vividly (Unless they enjoy feeling other people's suffering as their own, or can block it out when desired).

[Kaddam]

Hellarchy I want to ask you a couple of questions:

Q1) Are you interested in Energy because you consider yourself a Psi-Feeder?

Q2) Are you using the ability to read others to judge their personality or how you should transverse when they are present?

[Hellarchy]

Kaddam,

"Q1) Are you interested in Energy because you consider yourself a Psi-Feeder?"

That is not my only reason for interest. Energy has many uses. I do consider myself to be a psi-feeder.


"Q2) Are you using the ability to read others to judge their personality or how you should transverse when they are present?"

Both and more. As with my interest in energy, the ability to read others has many uses.

[PsychoCoon]

I don't think it is anything supernatural. I'm exceptional at reading someone's emotions, even through the internet. Their manner of typing will change, the general "feel" of the conversation will be off, punctuation is a big indicator as well.

I dunno. A lot of people are exactly as described as in the first post, but aren't 'psychic', rather, more in tune with their feelings and more observant.

[Hellarchy]

PsychoCoon, on 05 January 2010 - 12:41 AM, said:

I don't think it is anything supernatural. I'm exceptional at reading someone's emotions, even through the internet. Their manner of typing will change, the general "feel" of the conversation will be off, punctuation is a big indicator as well.

I dunno. A lot of people are exactly as described as in the first post, but aren't 'psychic', rather, more in tune with their feelings and more observant.

Good point. Not all empaths are "psychic" and not all "psychics" are empaths.

Supernatural or not, empathy is real. And those with "advanced" empathy are real... Hence empaths. None of what I said I would truly consider supernatural I might add (except the psi vamp bit). Emotions are chemicals in your brain doing this and that, yadda yadda science stuff... but from that, energy is produced that you give off and that energy is what can be sensed and used.

This post has been edited by Hellarchy: 05 January 2010 - 01:34 AM

[egoratis]

http://www.psychic-j...-abilities.html
I thought I'd put this link in here. Some of these are really bizarre! Others are really interesting.

[MzKat]

Empathy is a curse.

[FallingSpider]

Holiday, on 28 December 2009 - 10:38 PM, said:

I'm afraid there isn't all that much information about what is called an "empath." I found that About.com had this article and also this site, all about empaths.









What else do you know about "empaths?" Do you believe that it's something more psychic and mystical, or that some people are simply more intuitive or sensitive than others?

I think we do impact the world with our energy, thoughts, attitudes. It makes sense that some people are more sensitive to the energy and emotions of others, and more intuitive. You can learn to be more aware and intuitive to others. Read up on psychology and sociology, and learn how people behave, and you could be a sort of "empath."

People in helping professions experience "compassion fatigue," which is a sort of syndrome where they begin to feel negative, hopeless, etc. It's also been called "secondary traumatic stress syndrome." It isn't really too difficult to believe that we are affected by the emotions of the people around us. Which also means that if we all start thinking more positively, we'll affect the world in a positive way!

I think am I am one, and I can say that most of the time the interaction is not psychic or mystical. It's mostly reading body language, facial expression, vocal intonation, things like that. However there have been times when I have sliped into the emotional state of some one I'm thinking about, reading about or otherwise not physically with or interacting with at the time. Also I do not deal with negative emotions in large groups at all, I've only attended a couple memorial services but in both I left so overwhelmed with the collective grief that I had difficulties recovering.

[empath girl]

There are different kind of empaths.
I know those who have to touch, to sense someone.
I just look at a person a bit and sense what kind of person he or she is.
Some people are harder to read then others.
Empaths are really sensitive to other people's feelings and emotions, don't like to see someone sad or upset.
touching empaths pick up on people's past too, that is really hard on them, they pick up on things they really don't want to know about a person.
I know one who gets really bad headaches because of the things he feels in people.
It's extremly hard to be in a small crowded place, you pick up on so many people that you feel really exhausted after a while.
@ noble
I know what you mean, I fainted at a memorial service once.

[empath girl]

Empathy is the ability to read and understand people and be in-tune with or resonate with others, voluntarily or involuntarily.

Empaths have the ability to scan another's psyche for thoughts and feelings or for past, present, and future life occurrences. Many empaths are unaware of how this actually works, and have long accepted that they were sensitive to others.

Empaths are highly sensitive. This is the term commonly used in describing one's abilities (sensitivity) to another's emotions and feelings. Empaths have a deep sense of knowing that accompanies empathy and are often compassionate, considerate, and understanding of others.

There are also varying levels of strength in empaths which may be related to the individualís awareness of self, understanding of the powers of empathy, and/or the acceptance or non-acceptance of empathy by those associated with them.


Heinz Kohut: Empathy is the capacity to think and feel oneself into the inner life of another person

[Vore]

I can get odd links to people. Where I can stop what I'm doing and run to the front door to open it for someone I'm expecting just before they arrive without hearing a thing on the other side of the house. That and predict people's actions and comments but I can also do this with TV action where I shout out what is about to happen before it does. Like in one series where I said aloud to my friend 'If he takes a gun out of that filing cabinet and shoots himself in the head with it, I'm psychic ok?' The guy then took out a gun from the cabinet (made us both gasp) but then he pointed it at the other person in the room. I was about to shrug it off when he then aimed the gun at his own head and pulled the trigger.

My logical answer is that I have a good grasp of human psychology, notice patterns very well and have applied this to predicting human behaviour in life and in fiction. Subconsciously I may also be able to keep much better track of time than I think I can in order to predict when people will arrive, but as I don't often know their start time it seems odd to get things so close.

I'm open to the idea of a greater subconscious awareness but I'm still sceptical of my desire to see something in what may well be sheer coincidence.

[egoratis]

Dhamien? Dhamien Zygote? Someone I know quite well told me some interesting things about Marilyn Manson. She's dating Dhamien. I wonder if Marilyn Manson is an empath.

[portia]

I was told I was an empath in a dream by a woman or someone who has helped me out a lot.

Bit of backstory, I was struggling to figure out just what the heck was wrong with me. I would mimic people's emotions. I had a healer work on me, his wife walked in the room and I felt immense love for her. I even said so. He just smiled at me.

A few days later I realised I only did that because I felt his emotions as though they were my own. And, it happens with everything. I pick up energy imprints, entities, other's emotions and really had to visit this healer about every 3 months to clean myself out, but now the healer has helped teach me to do this myself and I'm progressing.

I've been psychic ever since a near death experience as a teenager. I died and then was resurrected, like my spirit poured back into my body and it decided it didn't want to die yet. Over the years, this habit of picking up stuff has been an absolute curse. I'm sure other empaths know what I mean. You wake up one morning and can feel something is wrong, more than the normal sad inflections in someone's voice. You feel something on your back, in your energy as though you are living their lives now.

So, I've tried ignoring it. I've tried accepting it. Professional help with a healer was the best thing I ever did as I had some crap to bring out of me and make me stop being afraid of the terrible darkness I saw. It's not unusual for me to hear exactly what is wrong with someone. A person will come up to me and I'll hear what is wrong with them, sometimes the voice is so low I can barely hear, othertimes, it will be a picture or a reel like in a movie. I see the medicine to help in pictures, the problem more heard in words. The healer believes this is their spirit communicating and because I'm so sensitive, I pick it up.

When I ask a question I get answers. I see my own aura all the time, especially just before I'm about to fall asleep. I have consciously known myself as spirit outside my body and my body at the same time as well as ego, a three part being in sleep. I felt an entity move in my empty body and I went back down and pissed it off. I am in total control of this dimension and it has to respond to me and if it doesn't I can send it somewhere where it will never return. The healer taught me how.

Hellarchy, you did a wonderful job of describing just how like a chameleon empaths are. You are moody, we can feel it and will change our stance, tone of voice, word choice, facial features to go along the most harmonious route. Yet, again we can control others quite easily and know what to say and how to say it. To be honest and open about what we want, once we realise what that is, I find a challenge. Me, writing this now, I'm not trying to be anything other than honest.

I have chosen a life built around something else that I enjoy more. It's no fun being possessed by something. Even stuff that is alien. Not as in a skinny naked thing with funny eyes. But ET energy.

Sometimes, the sensitivity makes me more frustrated because I'm living picking up people's stuff but not living my own thoughts and emotions. For months I won't know what's happening and try to get out of it without thinking much about it, then I'll realise it's not me at all.

My dreams are pretty wild when I choose them to be. When I want to ask something etc. The woman who told me I was an empath also told me to go to the skin doctors and get my skin checked for my moles. I had one removed that the cells had changed and it was so tiny. Caught it before anything happened. She wears a doctor's jacket and at one stage I think she was trying to train me into helping people. I do help people. When I know someone is suffering, I show compassion and give them money to get help. I tell them what I see and hear (some will never believe me no matter how normal I am in real life) I advise them on medicine to take. I talk to them about the evolution of the soul. How to change bad circumstance and choose another experience.

I found a link a while ago that was interesting and described being an empath for me. Can't seem to find it now, but it talked of an empath's emotional intelligence and that the world we live in runs on logic/ ego intelligence. It was saying emotional intelligence is light years ahead of logicals. Emotion is based on the truth of feeling and that will guide you to your ultimate truth. Empaths are sensitive in other things as well, like they have sensitivity to food and are normally good cooks and can't drink milk from the fridge unless it's icy cold because it picks up odours from the fridge. They do well when younger in school, but as they age, they start going bad at academia because their emotional intelligence is their compass. The know the answer and have to backtrack every logical step for others while, empaths intuitively know the answer. Most of them work their way backwards from answer to problem so they don't get bad marks. It said how empaths are prone to weight gain and negativity because we start to not trust our emotions and learn to value what they tell us and when that happens we lose confidence and confidence in our emotions is the one thing that saves us.

It's good to meet others who know what's it's like. I try not to focus on it anymore unless I have to or unless I hear something where someone is sick or needs my help. I can cure myself and have done so many times after trusting what I saw. My family also try my remedies and they work for them too.

I think that's why the doctor in the robe appeared to me. She was a very busy woman, too. It's like she had many spirits there to talk to. She sat down at a desk, I asked the question and she wrote it on a piece of paper and turned it around to show me. I woke up.

[Archangel]

Being one myself, I can relate to people who find it extremely uncomfortable to be in large groups because the mere presence of so many people can overcome one's natural balance. It took me a long time to learn to center myself and keep myself relatively sane.... especially being that I grew up in a family with 7 kids AND being the middle child. I refused to acknowledge this gift, if you will, until I was well into my 30's.

I consider empathy akin to a copper wire - a conduit - for energy. Too much can cause severe distress (wires can melt if too much runs through them) but I can also channel and manipulate it. I've discovered a natural talent for healing based on my own empathy. (Some of you here have seen it in action, even).

Anyhow, I think everyone's experiences are different with this particular talent... everyone does seem to agree it's a double edged sword for the most part, however.