7 Signs You're An Empath
86I’m writing this article because there just isn’t enough information on the internet. The most common returns on the subject are related to online gaming. So, if you’ve come here looking for tips on RPG – this ain’t it, sorry! Today we’re talking about real lives, real people, real psychism. Before I continue, let me just say Empath is not simply another name for a Clairsentient, though many Clairsentients are indeed Empaths. I’ll get into this more later. That said, if you feel you’re a clairsentient looking for similar information on whether or not you are one, most of these signs will apply to you as well – but be aware those born into clairsentience (as opposed to those born as Empaths, who later harness it and become clairsentient) often can discern what others are feeling but do not actually SUFFER – which is a good way of telling which you are. Once you've figured out that this is what you are, you can then learn how to deal with, and eventually prevent, this kind of thing from overwhelming you.
(Update: A lot of people have asked for tips on dealing with this kind of thing. You can click here to read my tips for Empaths and you can also check out the Conscious Living blog, maintained by a Clairaudient/Clairsentient/Empath.)
When in public, do you constantly feel overwhelmed with inexplicable emotions for which you can’t determine the reason?
Example. You drop by the mall one Saturday morning. You feel great. You get into the mall, walk past a crowd of people, and start feeling a bit strangely. It can be anything – you can feel very down, very angry, very sad, very excitable – the key word here is VERY. And you won’t have any explanation for it, you just feel it. In other words, you’ve suddenly gone Bi-Polar without actually having the biological deficiency that causes it. And what’s worse, you can’t turn it off. You can carry on, trying to ignore it, but eventually it will be overwhelming to the point you just want to go home and be alone.
This is the reality of an Empath – one who hasn’t yet learned how to block other people’s emotions out. Being around other people is such a harrowing experience, most of them prefer to keep their own company, living the life of a hermit. And they usually find it very much worth it.
Do you experience other people's physical ailments?
This is most common with those you have an emotional connection, but can occur with anyone. A very good example of this would be suddenly feeling very lethargic and fatiqued, for no reason, and having to remain in bed for a day or two. You’re not sick – not really. You’re not ill. Yet, you feel that you are, profoundly. You later find out that your “illness” coincided with a lover’s or family member’s sudden fatigue (resulting from legitimate illness)– even though they were in another country at the time and you had no idea until after the fact. Symptoms can also manifest in the form of chest pains, cramps, migraines, etc – you basically experience it all, without contracting the actual illness.
Do you feel overwhelmed when watching something horrible in real life or even on television?
This one sounds silly, but viewing the news or depressing commercials designed to induce sympathy and open wallets, can debilitate an Empath for several hours. While most people get upset over homeless dogs and cats, an Empath will often feel like their hearts have been lanced. That’s a literal definition, by the way. It’s not something as shallow as sympathy or even regular empathy. It’s a feeling of guilt and moral empathy that cannot be easily assuaged. Crying is very common – and not just during that time of month when all the emotions are out of whack!
Do you ALWAYS know what someone really means?
In other words, can you always, always, always tell what it is someone meant to say to you? More importantly, can you tell why they didn’t? If an Empath is in person with someone and they’ve just been lied to, they will know. And they will know why. They will know if the other person is trying to spare feelings, they will know if malice was involved – in other words, they will know the intent. You cannot lie in the face of an Empath and not be caught out. While they will not usually be able to tell the specifics of what you’re hiding, they will know if you mean them well or not – no exceptions. This is more than good intuition. This isn’t a hunch, this is knowing.
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Do you feel compelled to care for anyone in pain, no matter who they are and what they’ve done to you?
A true Empath cannot walk past someone suffering and not feel a need to stop and help that person. Homeless people can be particularly difficult, as they are everywhere and little can be done to help them unless the Empath has an occupation related to this. A true Empath feels compelled to go to anyone they feel pain from, be it angst or something physical. And a true Empath's compassion will usually be accepted on the spot – people in pain, no matter how they would normally react to strangers, will receive an Empath with open arms. They know, instinctively, that their pain matters to them.
Do people open up to you – even if you don’t want them to?
Some Empaths are the new-agey peace loving types – but many just want to be alone, because they have difficulty processing everything they absorb from other people. (This is usually because they have yet to realize their abilities and haven’t learned to deal with it yet.) For an Empath, however, putting on a grumpy face doesn't keep people they barely know drawing near and seeking compassion and empathy from them. The ill, the suffering, the weak – they are all drawn to the unconditional understanding and compassion an Empath emits. And Empaths emit it whether they want to or not.
That’s not to say Empaths can’t be mean and nasty people. They surely can be. But it’s usually those Empaths with the most profound sensitivity who have simply broken down inside and have no other way of keeping other’s emotions at bay. Again, these are Empaths who don’t know of their abilities.
Can you heal?
Most Empaths have the ability to heal. Yes, that means physically. This isn’t about Reiki or any other alternative modality – though they may seem similar in concept. An Empath heals instinctively, usually by drawing the pain or ailment out and accepting it into their own bodies. For obvious reasons, this is not recommended for anyone who doesn’t know how to keep from becoming ill in the process.
In today’s day and age, everyone seems to want to be psychic to some degree. That’s probably due our evolution as human beings. Assuming we’re evolving, and not regressing.. Therefore, many people reading this will likely think themselves Empathic. I cannot stress the following enough – there is nothing fun about being an Empath. It’s often a very draining and miserable existence in which you feel like you have to be entirely alone in order to survive. It is not glamorous, it is not exciting, it is painful more often than not.
My point here is this is not something one aspires to. If you’re an Empath, you will know this is you, you will not be saying “hmm.. maybe… hmm…” If you feel (without hesitation!) these apply to you as I’ve just described, then also know there are ways of coping, and I’ll get into them in future articles. With a little self-awareness you can turn your curse into gift, especially when it comes to being able to ease the emotional and physical pain of others. And I'll get into that in a future article.
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Comments
Interesting response, Mr. Fret!!! It does not surprise me, of course, as I know you don't beleive this kind of thing is possible. And I have to admit the possession remark made me smile! :))) I will not try to convince you otherwise, but I would ask you - do you believe in evangelical faith healers? And if so, where do they get their ability?
I do not believe in evangelical faith healers -they are predators that feed on the week.
Actually, I don't believe in agressive evangelism -one should merely respond when asked.
Hi Isabella,
Very interesting hub!
I will be back later to read more of your hubs.
Fret - Ah.. I see.. So tell me.. if possession is the work of Satan.... and if Empaths are possessed... if they are able to heal someone, what does Satan get out of that? Seems to contradict his usual meanie ways, doesn't it? ;)
Perfumer - Hello! And thank you, I'm glad you liked it!
"what does Satan get out of that?" -good question.
It's a distraction from God's truth, a deception -which pleases Satan greatly.
So God doesn't ever heal through people??
No longer. In fact He warns us that the anti-christ will perform such "miracles".
We can thank God for all the medical technology he has blessed us with.
So now empaths are the anti-christ, too?!?!?!?
Nobody who spreads love and peace is a person of the devil. The world looks like it is sufferring from a deficiency of love! Don't believe what religious heads say. Ask God Himself.
You're killing me, Isa.
Kenny has it right. Each person is their own communicator with God.
I am an empath - and yes, I agree that it certainly isn't fun - when you go on emotional ups and downs throughout life. But, I see it as a gift now and learning how to use it in ways I can heal.
Empathic abilities are beautiful actually. I'm sure you can resonate with me on this, Isa. We feel the world around us in differently - we see nature sparkles and illuminates itself - green isn't just green, notice that glow around every leaf? We hear music with our hearts - they aren't just notes and tones - they carry the emotions of the composers. We look at art, not just seeing colors and forms - we gather concept, and possibly a glimpse of that artist's complex view of life. Around people, this gift is even more pronounced - you'd know when they are happy, sad, angry - no body language needed. Sometimes physical proximity isn't needed as well - you just know. Friends often call me an emotion eavesdropper!
Developed to its height, the gift of empath has the power to heal. We can move energies with our mind, directing love and comapssion as a healing source to another. Thoughts can be directed to manifest intentions. And we can be a source of light for people - lifting up moods instead of absorbing lower vibrations. We are spiritual alchemists, transformational manifestors, and energy healers.
Here, I'm not talking about bending spoons and such, that's just show. Neither do we have to bow to every whim when someone says "If you are an empath, then read my mind." The point is we don't have to prove ourselves. Knowing deep down who we are is already bliss in itself.
Non-empaths will always be non-empathic of course - so let's leave them be. Until they are ready to develop their empathic side, they will always make excuses for their innate abilities - ie, it's demonic woo-woo, it's forgery, it's self delusion, etc. For one cannot understand what one hasn't experienced, can they? :) And it's a shame, because I cannot emphasize enough - being empathic in a very physical world adds more dimension to our being.
Frettbuzz - Well, I *am* the antichrist, remember..
Thanks Kenny!
Lily - Gift is a relative term. Whether or not its something to be enjoyed depends on your life. Specifically, who is in it and what you have to experience on a daily basis. if you grew up in the ghetto or just had a rough life in general, being an empath wouldnt really be much fun.
I am so glad to see such a nice article on empathy. Empathy is definately NOT a fun gift, and for lots of us it is a curse until something snaps us to the realization that some of the "feelings" or emotions aren't really ours. I am incredibly sensitive, and I, like you say, have to keep to myself more often than not just to stay at ease. Do you also pick up the big "waves" that come off the collective? Or only from individuals? I am getting better about dealing with the individual feelings, but I still have no defense for the emotions that come from the collective "soul" or unconscious. Any suggestions?
Through an intuitive and lifes latest lessons, I have come to see that I am too an empath. The Intuitive I met said she has never seen such a strong empath, and luckily have been able to handle the stresses that our lives lead...But the more I read about empaths, the more I understand more of me. I literally live in a round house on a hilltop house. I have lovingly refered to it as my hobbit house since I love to hide away. I could easily be Dr. Dolittle allowing every creature to come to me. They are my solace and at times saviour, but also my albatross when nature comes full circle and I am without them. My path lately has been very emblazened. I let myself fall for someone, but let him go and I have been very obsessive about what I perceive to be my biggest mistake in life.thoughts & actions that are not normal for me..There has been a lot of death around me that I have, until recently not been able to deal with, not even wanting to go to my own home where the deaths occured..Thoughts so intense that I thought about just driving into a tree..but regained myself and now am learning why these thoughts come to pass and how to handle them. It is a relief to understand why I am the way I am. I can accept my "freakness" with grace and understanding. So the next time a stranger walks into my office saying he just needs $5 for bologna and cake mix for his son, I will understand why the tears flow.
Alyson - As a singer, I have learned to block it out from the collective, a bit, but just when Im onstage. I cannot do it the rest of the time, and I think the only reason Im able to block it *some* onstage is because Im expressing so much it outweighs whats coming in. Sorry.. no adivce for blocking it out, otherwise.. :(
Smartdawg - Yes Id imagine many clinically depressed people are just empaths who don't know what they're feeling isnt coming from themselves. Sad, really. Lots of medicated people walking around who probably dont really need it.
I like this a lot! Thanks so much for sharing!! I am going to check out your other hubs and if they are this good, I will be fan soon! :)
Isa I kno after reading several different articles that I am an empath. I have always felt the need to keep to myself and as i read a book or watch a movie i cry at sad parts or feel anger at angry parts. i cant even watch tv nymore cuz it gets so bad. People open up to me that i hardly kno or dont even kno at all.And im able to isten and make them feel better about themselves. the only thing is is over the past few years ive turned into some1 bitter and jealous on the outside but on the inside ive fet the same caring loving person ive always been.so i dont kno what to do. empaths from what ive been told r supposed to be lving ppl. and i am just when i dont feel threatened. do u see what i am saying? well thank you for sharing your article with me. maybe u can leave a myspace friends request and help me learn to turn my curse into a gift? also drop me a couple lines at my email if u want. blessed be
oh sorry my myspace is www.myspace.com/rockmusicequalslife and my email is ethanleach@comcast.net
I am appreciative of your explaination to people what an Empath really is. I have been an empath since I was born. I am just in the past few weeks able to put a name to what I do. I foind myself as a teenager and begining to work, really disliking people and it was because of the pain I felt from them. They disrespected others, they put hurt peoples feelings etc and I found myself more and more withdrawn because of how nasty I felt the world was. It was painful emotionally. I find myself cornered in bathrooms by complete strangers wpilling there guts to me about this or that. I smile, listne and engage. I wouldnt dare hurt their feelings and rush off. I know a mood when I walk into a room. I get negative and postive energy from people. I am cautious to watch the news and even hear storries of things that are currently happen to children. It can bring me to my knees and send me into a depression. Since I was young I would spend hours in my room alone. I also have to have a certain distance of personal space around me at all times or I start to panic. I find going to sleep troublesem and have never been able to go straight to sleep. I have to pray for all the things I saw that hurt me and give it to God. Again I did this as a very small child...4 or 5 at the least. The one thing I dont know for sure about right now is if I can take on the pain of someone who is ill. Its not something I have paid attention to before but will start. I have always believed I had the gift of healing. I have no idea why. I have never really tried to heal anyone except my oldest daughter when she had pnemonia. She was very ill. She woke up the next more so much more inproved. I had a daughter who was born with 3 heart conditions. I prayed over a 2 year period. On her last check up with the doctor they told me that heart conditons were barely noticable and that the life threatning condition they diagnosed her with at birth didnt show up on any ore the test they ran. They want to keep monitoring her. I didnt give a second thought to the fact that I had healed them. I do know however that my God did. If I could be used as his conduit for this sort of healing though I would definily be interested in doing so.
Many psychics show/have empath ability and don't think of it as seperate from their other psychic ability- surely?
Just because someone is psychic, or empathic, does make them an Empath.
Interesting to see you write this; I relate to much of what you have shared here. I could write much about this, but will spare you the dissertation... :-D
I have a question for Fretbuzz I believe it was. What if you are a Christian empath? Does that mean that God will does not care for me? God says that if we believe in Jesus Christ and that he died on the cross we will be saved from our sins. I do not believe empaths are bad and I cannot believe they are evil in any way. I believe in God the father, God the son, and the Holy Spirit. Does being an empath mean I will not be saved? Who am I hurting, other than myself? I am the only one that is hurt by my abilities. What about the fact that I can see Auras, is that a bad thing too? Perhaps you need to think about us too because then you will see that we aren't hurting anyone. I don't believe God will mark me as evil for trying to help people, friends, family, people I don't even know. In fact I think He gave me this power for a reason...
Sorry that I didn't mention any of you. I was a little ticked off at Fretbuzz. i appreciate everyone elses comments too.
I am two days into 'googling' empath to learn as much as I can. Everything I've read makes me wonder more and more if this is me. I wouldn't consider myself 'into' psychism (i've never even heard that term before!), but I swear, it's like reading many of my experiences word for word, my whole life. Ever since I can remember, as a child, I was considered 'moody', I found it hard to make lots of friends, just a few close friends - as I've grown it's only intensified. I am very uncomfortable in large groups of people, getting overwhelmed. I have had panic/anxiety attacks, 'phantom' illness, and find watching other people in pain/embarrassed either in real life or on TV unbearable (I have to turn the channel and only watch comedies, no news). I often get either extremely angry or sad for apparently no reason, my first impressions of people are almost always correct, and I can feel when friends/family are angry or lying to me even if they won't acknowledge it at the time. I don't know-I had started to think I'm depressed or paranoid, but now I wonder, could I have empath tendancies? If so, my question, because of feeling things so strongly, I think I've tried to 'turn off' my emotions. While I know I am strongly affected by emotions from others, I think I unintentionally distance myself to prevent getting hurt or feeling the despair/guilt/anger/pain - however, this goes against what I've read of empaths, you say they cannot help but help others. Is this something an empath who does not know or understand it, could do, turn off their own emotions in an attempt to protect themselves from others? If so, it has not worked or made for a very happy life for me in the past few years, however I would have to idea how to improve things, as I said, I'm not 'into' this type of stuff, but I have found your topic entries very interesting. Thank you.
It's something that can be filtered with skill, but I doubt it could be turned off. Its like being linked straight into the tap of human emotion, theres no closing it. Not really. Thats why most of us like to be alone. That said, there are a number of other things that sound like what an Empath goes through, but arent, so you may want to exhaust those possibilities before deciding youre an empath. Best wishes to you.
I know I'm not an Empath, but I can certainly relate to some of these things. I think, in a way, it comes from other things in my case, and not empathy, but for people who are Empaths, it comes from that. Although I have to wonder, since there are people out there (like me) who have some of these signs but aren't Empaths, is there anything else similar with these signs that aren't Empath? I'm sorry for rambling (especially if this makes no sense) - it's 3:45 AM and I haven't slept yet. :)
Great hub, I enjoyed reading it.
Very interesting hub! I have personally turned to Buddhism as a way to deal with my empathic nature. I discovered as a teenager that trying to block out the emotion doesn't work and sometimes can do more harm than good. You have to let it flow through you and then back out into the universe. There are many Buddhist meditation techniques which train your mind to observe and acknowledge the emotions and then process them and let them go without causing the debilitating after effects. In my own opinion it is not feeling the emotion but difficulty in letting go of the emotion that causes Empaths the pain.
This is not a quick fix solution by any means, it has taken me ten years of study to get to the point where I can actually cope and begin to enjoy life. But it most definitely helped me. Also, compassionate love for all sentient beings is a major part of Buddhism so I find it compliments an Empaths natural leaning. Just my personal experience. If it helps anyone else then that's great. Can't wait to read your suggestions on how to deal with it Isabella. Cheers!
To christian empath ad fret buz. I'm a Christian empath as well. I know what I believe, but I also understand my gift. It's easy for Christians who've never experienced it to write it off as demon possession. Christians do that for things they don't understand. It's not divination, it's a God given gift. For example, I had a friend who, in the middle of the night, had broken down in the middle of nowhere. He couldnt' reach his parents and didn't know who else to call. I woke up and felt his panic, and called him on his cell. He was grateful and I was able to help him. THAT'S empathy. I've walked through a crowd and been able to tell that someone was distressed. I search for her, found her, and helped her. Tell me that's not Christian.
i'm not sure whether to cry in happiness or depression. I'm glad to see there are so many who are just like me but oddly enough that doesnt particularly make me feel allt hat much better about being an empath... see along with empathy I have borderline personality disorder so I am REALLY screwed up and I have absolutely no way to handle my emotions and feeling like i'm a constant emotional punching bag to every single person on this planet I meet yet I cant stop myself from helping or wanting to or even needing to help someone in pain.. I hate feeling it myself but I'd rather i feel it then see them in pain... it's so completely and utterly confusing.. i'm going through enough changes at 20 years old and I have no idea what to do or where to turn next...talk about a curse....
Mr. Fret, even though I am also a Christian, I must disagree with you. Of course empathy CAN come from demons, it can also come from God. Go to 1 Corinthians 12:10. God gives some the gift of discernment.
As a Christian empath, I have never felt demonic influences like feeling someone else's physical pain. For me, it's completely mental. And some people don't open up to me until I give more of an indication that I am an empath. However, I can read many people like a book. There is only one person in this world that I can't read: my friend's sister. She is a rock shell, probably from their abuse from their father.
Oh, and yes, being an empath is NOT that much fun, I agree. Whenever I pass into someone's "air of influence" I have to deal with added on emotions: worse when they are experiencing a hard time in their life. I share the burden. Embracing someone I know going through a tough time actually helps us BOTH, unbeknownst to them.
Hello, For the past few months I can't tell wheither I am depressed of not, but i have been feeling really strange. And now that I have read your passage above i can relate to all of those topics. thanks now i can research and learn.
Talon
Very well said, Isabella. I just feel like saying "ditto" because there's not much I could add and if I added my own personal experiences it would be like preaching to the choir -- hey, you and other empaths would already understand so why state the obvious.
The one thing I will say is that I do disagree with nearly all absolutes so I can't agree that empaths "can't" be lied to although I will say it is the exception rather than the rule. For example, I've known some people with rather fractured minds from things like drug use. I found I kept associating with them because I just HAD to come to an understanding of what I was feeling from them. They were good liars at first mostly because of the confusion coming from them. In time I could tell lies from truth (with truth being very rare), but at first it was like trying to look for a single ray of light when I was being deluged with a dozen conflicting rays from their fractured minds.
I've only had a very small experience with the healing aspect you talk about so I know at least for some people there's at least something to it, but since my own experience is so limited that's the one area you talk about that I have to remain mum about.
Anyway, thanks for the summary you posted. I read your profile and I'll look for your work elsewhere. Hmmm, I notice that your profile picture make me feel like you may have a chip or two on your shoulder. I'm not complaining, I just wanted to let you know it might convey something you don't want to others since you're obviously such a very sweet, caring, docile woman...
Yes I'm being somewhat facetious -- I just saw the recovering feminist comment in your profile and couldn't resist. The beauty of the Internet: I can make a snide remark without worrying about getting your knuckle punched into my shoulder in return.
LOL, Greg. Very good.. and very right. I should say that there are exceptions, if only a few. The lying thing, for example. If I'm attracted to a man and have some degree of feelings for him, there's always something that prevents me from realizing he's lying his arse off to me. I know it, deep down.. but it's a fuzzy feeling and I always think I'm just picking up something from somewhere else. Very annoying!
As for everyone else's comments - thanks! Your comments were all spot on and lovely!
I really enjoyed your hub, Isabella, and some of the other things of yours I read today. Great sense of humor - very saucy wench! Yay! Long live the witches!
isabella the post was perfect ive scaned through some of the feed back and i wouldnt know what needs to be said to the negative responses to make them realise that this is very real and confusing and debilatating, but trying to explain to someone who has no understanding of this is a chore in itself,
being sat with loved ones having a nice time then getting this dreadful fealling that something is wrong with someone, personally i have to go through my little list of people close to me that i have "read" before and see if its coming from them if it is fine i'll get in touch chat about it and the anxiety goes away, if i dont know where its coming from, well it will stay with me till i find out who it is or untill they feel better themselves, im very new to finding out that something is different about me and im trying to study as much as i can, so coming across this posting was a like a breath of fresh air, thank you again angel x x x x
I am a Christian, born again, saved, bought and paid for by the blood of Christ. I am also an empath. I do not find this gift pleasant and I'm seeking other Christian empaths. It bothers me that Fretbuzz feels this way. I'm not even checking the date.. I could be very late here.. forgive me. I do not believe that empaths are possessed by demons. I do believe in evangilism.. as Christ commanded us to go into the world and preach the Gospel. But what got me the most was when Fretbuzz said that he/she doesn't believe in healing.. that God no longer heals! The Bible says that God is the same yesterday as He is today and will be tomorrow. That said, God still heals! God still speaks and moves in our lives. It breaks my heart that anyone would fail to believe in the healing powers of my living God! If anyone knows of a place where I can find Christian help to deal with my curse/gift, please let me know.
Very nicely put, Isabella. Very. Nicely. Put. :o)
hello Isabella.
i like the information your bringing to the web. i've been digging and digging all over the place for [keyword] empath, empathy, clairvoyence, guidence to empathy--etc etc... though i have yet to completely understand it all. all searches have led me to the same dead end. alot say this or that---but theres not really any solidarity to much of it.
the reason im here today is to ask you for advice. n__n
im 20 now. but since i can remember i've always felt so much more than my peers or family. everyones always labled me drama queen, baby, etc.. but im not! i know im a happy person---but i feel like whenever im in the room with someone close or someone i've never met---i just feel---different. sorrow or anger..excitment. just a few to name. i cannot understand this so i ask: is there really a good way to tell? if i am an empath---i want to help people. i want to develop it you know? ever since i can recall i've always loved helping others. My mother would describ me as a peacemaker, caring and creative. i try to stray from hurting people, though i am human and i make mistakes---the thought of putting someone in pain at all just burns my soul i cant describe.
is there any advice or information you could give me to help me on my quest for answers? thank you for your time.
lovely hub.
xoxo
This just discribed me and I know I am. I am A completely christian girl but my youth leader explains its real. the ability to know and feel others emotions. my friend and I never could explain how we felt but this just did. amazing article:)
I wonder if there is a word for the opposite of an empath. If there is a range of skill like you can be VERY good at feeling what others feel or VERY closed to it, I am toward the very closd side. Is there any new age writing that can help me use that trait (whether it is a shortcoming or an advantage probably has a lot to do with how I treat it).
being a empath is not fun nor is it welcomed at time like walking into a hospital and knowing and feeling who is not going to make it :( but being able to feel what is wrong with your children i found as long as you can keep your heart light and love yourself as well as those around you you can get through the energy people send your way . thank you for your artical made me realize more what i am and how to help my self and those around me :) god bless
First of all, I too am an Empath. I have always known this. But I have to tell you that I believe the thing(s) inside of me that make me this way are also inside each and every one of us. The power that makes you sensitive and healing and all of those things has many names. What it really is though is God. God, or a little piece of him lives within all of us. Some folks have this a little more on the surface and easier to get at than others.
I have studied Religion of all kinds. From Jesus Christ to Allistair Crowley. From Muslim to Hindu and everywhere in between. We are all connected by the power of Love or God. Empaths are gifted in that they help others discover things, healing things about themselves that end up bringing us all back together. God Bless Empath's..... scottmoriarty@hotmail.com
I am a Christian who through a few events have found out that I may be empathic. I can't begin to explain the emotinal roller coaster I have been on trying to figure out if I an nuts or not. Isa, I would like to speak to you more on the subject.
thanks a lot Isa. you have given me a lot of answers. im greatfull!
Hi,
I feel very happy to have found here. I am a clairsentient and have developed my ability to be equanimous around other people, animals, plants or elements. I have been practising meditation since 2004 almost everday. The last years have been quite strong in terms of rising empatic abilities. I was overwhelmed when in public with other people or with just being with people. Could not look at people, I already felt so much about them so I did not want to know more by looking. It was just too much information coming to me than I could manage or bare, really. There were times that I cried and asked for the reason why was this happening. I knew that this was a gift but I did not know how to use this gift for self development and for the benefit of others. As I went deeper with my meditation and became more and more equanimous with my own feelings and know my feelings and its roots, I started undersanding people and their behaviours. The source comes from love of course self love and love for others. So now I feel very good about this ability. Now I can feel people, see thru them and read their mind and I just let this be. I become transparent, I let these emotions, thoughts pass thru me. And during this pasing if I am equanimous with what I experience than often there is a very creative way about doing things. It s again with love. At that moment I look at myself, if I am total and feel in balance and harmony with my feelings, than I can act with care and help this person see what he/she experince in a way that she/he can undersand with my best intentions. It can be as simple as a smile. Sometimes you just be there for the sake of being and do nothing. Compassion can travel very far. When you are compassionate, all your being resonate with love and wellbeing and can fill all around you and have a transforming effect. Sometimes silence is very powerfull. Stillness carries certain bliss which can be stronger than words.
The question is why we have this gift? There must be a reason. And there is. With this gift we can know our innerself and unconscious behaviours. We have to know our feelings when overwhelmed by someone elses feelings in order to distinguish them. If you can know that it is not your feeling than you can help. But when you dont know if its your feeling or others' then it can get confusing and disturbing. The key is this: if the emotion you get is confusing the reason is that you carry that same emotion in you and this emotion has a certain effect on you. The other person might have lets say 80% of the emotion and you only have 10% it is enough to triger that 10% in you as if it is 100%. This is how you can understand yourself and work on that emotion. Because if you were free of that emotion you would still feel that person's pain or confusion but you could not take it in. You could stay with the fact that there is something happening in this person and you dont know what is it except that it is not a happy state. You can not know it because you dont have the same emotion. When you have the same emotion than you can know and understand this person. And at the same time you can look within and see if this same emotion effects your own being or can you stay in balance with it. It may be that you have healed this emotion so now you can only observe.
Helping others is a rather delicate subject. You need to be very carefull not to develop certain ego or speciallness because you have high empathic abilities. Instead you can share love and understanding and it is the most powerfull healing and helping for both you and others. After all we all are connected and one. With love..
i think i might be an empath but its just a hunch whomever wrote this is a genius. i've seached everywhere trying to conferm it but everything i found wasn't as helpful as this
Thanks for the post. I am so glad to read and have the information about empaths and how to handle the emotions. I did not realilze there were so many. Any information on this and how to handle it are a big help as I do not go around discussing this with people.
I found the information very helpful. I did not know I was an empath. I have a tendancy to be able to pick up very intense negative emotions kinda like a magnet, and I had no idea of how to clear them out. Rather confusing to say the least.
If I can pickup such intense emotion, can I also send positive emotions to people. When I was very young, I had a friend that I talked to with single words, but we conveyed whole thoughts to each other. His mother asked if we understood each other, and she would ask us to explain the thought we received or communicated, and we were spot on with each other. That brings me back to my question of can I relay postivie emotions to others?
Good hub, Keep Writing!!
I have been an empath forever, when I was younger I was totally overwhelmed all the time, depressed, always needed space, thought i was the problem, always feeling others pain, but so so confused as to why, whose pain is this. I did a personal growth counselling course and i did not need to learn empathy, it was there, what I found i learned the most on was seperating from the group. I remember going into the group and feeling all these emotions. I love my job as a counsellor and now seperate when I need to, you need the awareness and to keep checking whats going on for you and asking whose pain is this if your not sure, I still struggle sometimes and find myself needing my space which i honour, otherwise i give on empty. I have a few things that help me which is breathing in someone you want to help but upon leaving them breathing them out, also shaking them out of body which leaves me clear.
I had one experiance where I was in my bathroom and suddenly felt like I was being strangled and broke down in sobs, really really sobbed. Then i met up with this lady who i had been working with and she told me of her experiance in the bathroom, which was just like what I had experianced. this women was able to live her life after that. I have had loads of differnt experiances, trust yourself, look inside yourself, stop look and listen cos its vital you give yourself the energy you give to others.
I really like this web site and I thank you for putting your energy into it
Dawn x
I'm an Empath and I am here to say that it is extremely difficult being one. I have always been able to pick up other people's emotions and never knew why. I figured it out a couple of years ago when my then 16-year old daughter was going through severe mental health issues. Right now, I am going through a very very bad time at work and actually have an ADA claim against the company. I haven't said a word to my co-workers but I think the management has and I can feel everyone's emotions and they are not kind towards me. People who were friends are no longer and let me tell you, it is hell. I know I am right and I am trying to make it better for everyone and get justice. I go to the bathroom and cry when it bets too much. I know I have to see this through the end to get the justice that is needed but there are days it is way too much and I hate being an empath. The worst part is that what I feel actually is what it turns out to be. But I have been lucky that I have received the strength to continue and I look to my angel and guides for guidance. Believe me, they help.
I'm a Christian and a skeptic. Not of you and of your article, but of myself, I should say. I've had...supernatural issues, to put it lightly, ever since I was little. Dreams of the future, no matter how dramatic or mundane, symptoms that are very close to those of an empath, healing abilities...and, I will be frank, it stinks. Completely. Plus, considering that the range and control over these "abilities" changes rapidly, I feel like a rejected X-men character.
Please don't get me wrong. They have an upside. I am able to calm down my friend, a bipolar individual, when he has not had his medications. I am able to give good advice to the crowds of people who ask me for it, because I can see both sides of a problem rather well and have a level head. I've even lifted some "burden" from people, whether or not they were aware, so that they were better able to handle situations. My issues tend to deal with me being able to control the "abilities."
I have issues even touching some items. I'll touch something, and I got swarmed with emotions. Sometimes, my intake of emotions from touching something or just being near people has gotten so bad that I may literally be reduced to gasping for breath, kneeling on the floor. And since I plan on entering the field of psychology, possible in a forensic aspect, I'm very concerned about my ability to control my empathic abilities.
I suppose, in short, my question is fairly simple: am I empathic, or something else entirely? And do you have any ideas on how to control my...whatever it is I have?
Hi, To lifted shadows - I do some holistic therapy work and think i'm beginning to tune in and heal people - i have absolutely no idea how this is happening as its a new thing but a piece of advice a friend gave me might be of use to you. She said that rather than build barriers to stop energies entering my body that I should think more along the lines of "think of yourself standing in the desert and a swarm of bees comes towards you, if you run around, shout and scream you will be stung, if you stand completely still and just watch them, then they will fly straight past you" in this wee story, the energy, feelings etc that you are picking up (whatever they may be) might pass through you if you stay neutral. You will be able to feel what you need to to know whats going on but won't pick up the negativity if you stay neutral. Hope this helps a bit, its all a bit new to me but it might be useful.
Has been interesting to hear what you all have been saying, hope you all progress through with all your issues really positively. bx
Isabella, you've just gotta read Blessings InThe Mire, a book of "True Stories and Recollections." It's NON-FICTION and filled with current day "miracles."
Thanks for this great hub. One of your best yet!
Thank you Deelstra, I'll google it. :)
Isabella, hi. i had a question. due to personal reason, i'm not going to reveal what's going on, but can an empath be drawn to a thing or person someone else desires. and can emotions be running haywire even if an empath is alone? see, my whole life, i've had this problem. a lot of friends say that i'm empath, but i'm not sure. i do have all the signs that you described except i can't physically heal anyone or anything, but i'm pretty sure that i have spiritually healed a lot of people cuz i walk into a room, and according to my friend, everyone's energies shift in a good way. but i make all this difference, and yet, it feels like the life force inside of me gets drained away. i even find myself drawn to things that i hate. i guess what i'm asking is, how can you shutout people's emotions because so many times i feel like i'm dead on the inside nor do i truly know myself at all.
Phil -- Most empaths have no idea they can heal, so I wouldn't use healing as a major indication. But, yes, if other peoples energies suddenly improve, it can be because you sucked up all the negative stuff. I'm not an expert at blocking these things out -- but I can tell you how to get rid of it once you absorb it, and that will make a big difference. I cant tell you if youre an empath, only you can know.. but try these tips and they should help some.
Thanks, Isabella, I will look at these as soon as I can! I can't believe I finally found a blogsite where the speaker on empaths actually knew what he/she was talking about. I was getting tired of the wannabees. I know that sounds harsh, but everyone makes it out to be a fantasy world that exists. Sometimes it gets irritating.
HELLO,,,All,,,, firstly would like to stay isabella ,,,, WELL DONE !!,,,great post ,,love it ,,,, fretzzzz,,, u need healing ,,,
to everyone else that is or thinks they are an empath ,,,RESEARCH ,,,
you can only do good ,,, never evil ,,,, it is worth the effort to find,,deal with ,,and understad within for ur well being and own soul,,,just release the negative keep the positive ,,,smile ,,,, ur blessed ,,,,
the holy spirt is and dose work in mysterious ways ,,,
love ,,,light,,, and purpleness to all ,,,,,
Thank you for this article,this helps. I was at a coffee shop feeling so good and then it felt like a sword went into my heart I looked up across the room and the woman sitting in front of me facing me from across the room was practically in tears and she looked really upset. I felt it before I saw her. Unfortunately, I had to move because it was so uncomfortable. Any suggestions on not picking up on this stuff?
Click on the link to my other tips. :)
Isa;
You speak well about transgression and empath channeling. We should talk sometime.
R. Martin Basso
I'm an empath and thanks to you i've realized why I get sick alot and everyone else seems to be perfectly healthy after I've been around them. I honestly did not know that empaths could heal. THANK YOU!
I am an empath.I am also a Christian.I don't believe I'm an anti-christ.People enjoy being around me when I'm happy.It sometimes feels like they are trying to feed off of it.I will get sudden moments of rage or depression when I'm in the happiest of moods (but this is only when I'm around people) and I usually cannot tell where it is coming from.I am pretty young and have not tried to develop it.I thought I was crazy at first.I'm happy that I read this because these things have happened to me.A lot of the time it is not fun to be empathic.I even wished to get rid of it for awhile because I was tired of feeling so many different emotions and I couldn't sort them out.It has gotten better,but I do still wish to be alone when I start feeling strong emotions.Thank you for writing that.It did help me understand more.
SilentWhispers, you're comment touched me. I may be wrong, but I feel, although you do NOT concider yourself an anticrist ; Mr. ( or Ms.) Fretbuzz and others of the like make you question where your gift has come from. First off, remember it is a GIFT even when it doesn't feel to be. Secondly, and most importantly: this gift IS from GOD. He gives everyone different gifts although not everyone is in tune to it (or them) I do have a question to those like Fretbuzz.... Was Christ Himself not the ultimate empath while he walked on Earth? To that fact is He not still an empath today? Plus, if the definithion of christianity is to be Christ like, then how can you rationalize your comments? I do not know if I am an empath but I do know God gave me empathic tendecies and now my journey of what he expects me to do with this gift begins. Love in Christ to all
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All the information on this website is wonderful and very helpful. I am an Empath since i was born and it is very difficult and painful to have this ability. Sometimes i feel very tired and sick of it because I feel as if i am responsible to bring solutions to the issues that are currently happening in this world and in my family obviously i do know that whatever i will do will be by the Grace of God but its just that how much can i do. I cant go and feed every homeless child but i feel that I am the one who have to take the first step. My question to all Empaths is that- Has anyone ever felt good deep down inside your heart in a situation which might seem to be upsetting. What i mean here is that you feeling good about a situation which in real should make you feel bad. The positive feeling is not going away even when the situation does not seem like a positive situation. The excitement is not going away. I do not want to get involved in false hopes as i have recently discovered that i am an empath any help will be dearly appreciated.
I don't beleave in false hope. Please be greatful. It is rare to fell so positive with so much going on. Maybe its God helping you though this season in your life. Or maybe your going to receive a huge blessing. I have found that I can feel a blessing coming. Its funny, I tend to get more excited when God tells me about the blessing than I do when I acturally recieve it. Good luck and God bless.
I understand very well just what it means to be a heavily empathic person... and its not what I would call an easy thing... its often hard to tell what I personally am feeling when surrounded by people with strong emotions of their own... its almost frightening how without a single word I know how my friends are when I see them for the first time in days... it sucks me in, and I have to resolve the conflicts somehow or I cannot even function... For the sake of critics, I am an atheist with an abundance of doubt for anything spiritual or metaphysical.... I can't explain how I "read people"... I just know... simple as that...
I have always been an Empath, though I seem to have developed some deeper trends as of late. I wasn't aware of what I was I just knew I had what I believed was a God given gift to help others. I achieve many levels of picking up these emotions. Before I knew exactly what was going on I had spend an unmeasurable amount of time crying when I had no personal reason to cry, I later learned the day I was crying was the day the man I have been in love with for far longer than I am willing to admit, his brother was found early that morning dead of natural causes...
It isn't easy being an Empath, it really isn't easy being an empath in love. I don't know that I will ever rid myself of this man he seems so deeply embedded.
Any suggestions?
hello this is my first time here i have been having dreams about me having a heart attack and dont know if that is a form of empath or not i know iam clairvoyant i was even told that by some psychic from california psychics.com but i know i still have alot to learn
Thank you for this article. It has helped me to confirm things that I do know and learn things that I didn't. I have been an Empath since I was in my mid-teens (I am 38 now). I consider being empathic both a gift and a curse. Now I have found that my abilites have extended to the Internet which makes things more difficult when my job is computer related. Meditation has been a great help to control my abilities. Carrying a piece of Rhodenite helps a little as well. My current spiritual path has opened my mind to new possibilities and has helped me to better control these gifts. Thank you for posting this article.
thank you for this. i was born an empath-- ever since i was a baby i had such painful reactions to sad music or animals being hurt, etc. i would physically and emotionally just beocme so drained and sad. over the years i found that i was a healer too, which, as you say, is NOT fun at all. i'm so alone b/c i have to be. people drain me. situations and the pain of others drain me. the only thing that seems to bring me back around is music and animals and nature. otherwise, it's just hell. i dare not tell my shrink this, because no one understands unless they are one. i used to think i was just a depressed baby and child, until i came across the term "empath" around 2000. then i knew-- it just all fit. but still... that doesn't help me out. i'm still so sad and need to be alone 95% of the time (with the exception of my dogs). i hate always *knowing* peoples' motives. i hate always sensing what they feel and think, as well as mirroring it to them. it's so difficult. i can't fake any of it. i really have just wanted to die the past few years. it's the only way i feel i can release myself from everyone's pain.
Wow, I actually read all these comments, and all of it is fascinating. Great hub! And so useful. I love that you made the distinction between clairsentience and being an empath. The first really can feel fairly detached, but to be an empath can be very painful if you don't know how to take care of yourself.
I know I have both gifts or qualities or whatever you might call them. I have a job in a phone center, and it's the absolute worst job in the world for an empath. I soak up everything and come home exhausted and overwhelmed every day, and yet, the most common thing I hear from people on the phone is "You are such a kind person," and I think to myself, how do they know? They can't see me! I could be a raving puppy-eating bitch for all they know. I'm not a raving puppy-eating bitch, but I mean, it's just weird.
One really good book I read on this topic that gives lots of useful tips for learning to live with this kind of disposition is called "The Highly Sensitive Person". I liked it because it approaches it from a purely practical standpoint, none of the New Age hype or anything, just, OK so this is how you are, this is how to cope with it.
Thanks for all the excellent information.
1st, thanks Isa for this article. 2nd, a question - can empath's sense eachother? if so how? what happens when that happens? etc. Also, would you consider this something people who might be suffering from social anxiety disorders might actually have? I've actually gone to doctors to see if i had nervous disorders, or social anxiety disorders, or depression and they would always say i didn't even though i thought i did.
So I think i'm an empath, what now? The miserable existence is ringing pretty true for me. I used to be very sociable and had a lot of freinds, and I get along with ppl well wherever i go (usually), but over the last few years, the symptoms you described, besides the healing, have been getting worse and worse and I'm finding myself slowly turning into a hermit. Even though my friends and family worry and are constantly looking for me because I avoid them, I don't know what to do since I'm always feeling overwhelmed. Also, this post for me is pretty much my first dab in this kind of stuff. I'm not particularly interested in being an empath nor proud of it, if the case is that i am one.
actually another question then: if a person is an empath, regardless of whether they do know they are or not, can a social anxiety disorder develop from it? and if so, what then? how do we deal? I read your tips and will try them, but as someone who isn't a strong paranormal believer or is jsut too new to it, I guess I'm wondering if there are more clinical or scientific ways of dealing with this.
In any case, many thanks for writing this...you have no idea how much its helped me understand myself a little better...
I cant help thinking that if Jesus was the son of God with great wisdom and the ability to heal the sick and to teach us that we are all the sons and daughters of God and to teach in a word love. We all have abilty to do the same. Unfortunately greed and closed mindness stops most of us. As for Frettbuz your brainwashed by organized religion and closed mindedness. I am an empath as a few of my cousins as well. I am also a gay man too! Oh my my What would poor Frettbuz have to say about that. Frettbuz I will pray for you. You need it. God loves you and so do I.
already did this. help!
I can't believe I found this site. I can't believe I found this word.
I am absolutely an empath. I see that so clearly now that it makes me want to laugh out loud with relief.
I knew I wasn't depressed, but I had all of the symptoms. But then I found that the symptoms of depression would come and go depending on where I was, who I was with, the weather, the music around me (if any), the colours myself or others were wearing and most importantly, depending on what fears or pretences people were radiating. I could feel them like these big waves that seemed to go unnoticed by everyone except me.
You put me in a room with someone I have never met, let me observe a conversation they are having with someone else...like in a pub, or at work or something like that, and within five minutes I can tell you so much about them. What they are feeling right at that momment, why they aren't talking about it, or if they are talking about it: why they aren't telling the whole story, what they are trying to conceal in their words and body language, if they can lie naturally or whether it's difficult for them, whether they think it's important to be good, or whether they have potential to do bad things, whether they have a lot to learn or whether they are pretty together for their age.
I can tell what they think of the person they are talking to, what they want to get out of the next few hours, how they want to be seen by others, what they hoped to achieve by the way they dress, and sometimes I can even picture what they want out of life, how they want it to play out, I get visuals, strong ones, and because of that I can always always always think of the right thing to say to them, I can make a comment and I can make it in a way that completely validates them. I have always been able to tell people what they want to hear, make them feel like the little things have been noticed, that they are indeed on track.
Because of this is have many many friends, and I don't say 'friends' lightly. These are all people I have properly connected with if only in short periods. I've probably got a hundred people who would ring me, ask me for my opinion, call me at an unsure momment, and they can't quite be sure why they like me, except that when they leave me they feel substantially better about themselves.
I however, find myself tired, angry, drained, embaressed, annoyed, and feeling very mean about humanity. I find myself jealous at their ability to feel better. Even though I actually helped them reach that point. It feels like I drank their wine for a night, and now I have their emotional hangover, because I made them feel that they don't need to have one themselves.
Because of this, I can really only muster the energy for one person at a time, and usually after I have had this social interaction with this one person, I will avoid seeing anybody else for another fortnight or so. Till I can shake it off.
I hate being out in large groups, there's just too much flying about, and it's funny, because I always thought everyone felt the things that I felt, but that they were just happier people than me. (hence thinking I was depressed)
But the thing is, I am a happy person, but I am just too aware of how everyone else wants their day or night to go, and it feels selfish of me to do anything that might steer it off in a different direction. So I have become a people-pleaser. They get whatever version of me best suits the occasion. It has been truly exhausting this last couple of years.
I am such a hermit now, and if I do venture out, I absolutely have to go home to my own home when I'm done, because I absolutely cannot sleep in other peoples homes, around their possesions, staring up at their walls, feeling the fabric of the quilt they gave me to sleep with, the smells, the light, the way the rooms are spaced out, my stomach curdles with this indescribable awareness of their inderviduality, of their life, and I am aware of them breathing in and out in the next room, and I can't stand it, it suffocates me, and I can't turn it off.
I thought maybe I was crazy, or depressed, or anxious, or maybe I just wasn't a good person. That I will never truly be able to enjoy myself or my surroundings because everything else always speaks so much louder than me, because there is something wrong with me. But now I can see what it really is.
It feels like I can now forgive myself for the way I've been living, for the way I have become. It feels like there is this chink in the wall and I can see that on the other side; it's gonna be ok.
When I found this site last night, I cried for about 10 seconds and then I laughed and shook with this feeling of release, of validation.
And I know this is long, and I'm sorry to go on and on, but I just had to spill it.
I wanted to be selfish for a change :)
So if anyone has any advice on how I can harness this power that I have so I can be happy with myself, I am open to any suggestion....
wide open :)
Holy Crap, All my life I thought I was crasy, I have been fighting with something deep inside that does not rest. My only wish since as early as I could remember was to have peace of mind. I even tried doing claivoent readings, I seemed to be ok at it but was an emotional reck because of it. I want to say so much here but I am getting lost in thought again. At any rate I want to know way more. I need help controling this.
I just realized what I was a few days ago. Not even kidding. I started becoming paranoid when I was in large crowds a few years ago and thought nothing of it.I also had trouble sleeping and recieved frequent headaches. Over the summer I attended church camp as usual (I am a strong Christian. Fretz or whoever you are, think before you speak. Or whatever. My "gift" comes from God and not Satan.) The last day, always very powerful, we had some bad experiences at camp. Our pastor informed us that Satan was working against us. I thought little of it until I left the chuurch. I was hit by a horrible feeling of sadness and I couldn't breathe. When I got home, I became very withdrawn and almost depressed. I went back to schoool and when I sat next to my best friend I always got a headache. I asked her if she had one and said yes. Now I get headaches near other people with them. I can also feel strong emotions such as anger and have extreme mood swings. One of my friends mentioned her abilities and I told her about mine. I am currently researching this topic. Thank you for posting this hub as it has been the most helpful so far.
I am of the Wiccan faith and lately have been wondering if I am Empathic as well. I have been told by many I have "healers hands" though that does not mean that I am empathic. I seem to know when others are in a bad mood, whether they realize it or not. i realize they have things on their mind, they feel like they can discuss anything with me, I can give insights into things and help in that way, plus in my stuying of healing, my study of martial arts(with studying Tai Chi) I have found with the learning to control and heightening of my energy i can impart healing this way as well. Havent had an experience where i can take anothers pain, be it physical, mental or spiritual and take it as my own. Nor has it ever been to the point to take a physical wound of someone else and it disappears, reappearing on my person and then healing itself. I have often wondered if I may have some hidden talent in these matters that just need the proper instruction to bring it into its fullness. Any feedback would be appreciated and perhaps, some guidance into what I can look into. To perhaps see if this may be the case.
On another note, I have seen miracles, in healing in one way or another. By Christians, Wiccans and all the like. I believe in one very real truth. God doesn not wish for us to suffer, some of us are gifted by God to help and heal others. When ever it comes to something imparted to a fellow human being for good. With no personal gain and no expectation of gratitude or praise. This is condoned by God or which ever deity to whom you give praise to for the blessings you have in your life. The devil cannot soothe pain, cannot heal, cannot in any manner do anything like that which the Creator or the Goddess has granted a person or persons. He does nto create, he destroys, he plunders, he twists, he perverts all things that he touches and offers. If you wish to believe that these gifts of healing are of the devil then so be it. I pity that you would rather listen to the preachings of those whom you think know all and are God's mouthpiece. The truth shall be granted unto you. If you take the time and effort to ask for your self and no one else. That you ask God of these things, that you truly wish to know. Unjudgemental, unbiased and completely open to receive his word on it all. If you do this, i think you will find you have a very different answer. As it is said," Let he who has no sin, cast the first stone" It is taught to not judge, to love your fellow man and to not speak ill of things which you do not know. Keep that in mind and mind your own teachings before you choose to go against the very things you are taught.
hello, i am an empath as well, i have been for the past four years, going on five now. i just seem to not know anything about what i am. sometimes, i have really wondered if i am more human then supernatural, or the other way around. u r quite right, it can be such a burden more often then not. sometimes, i just dont know what to do. it is so overwhelming at times. and i never ever feel like i belong anywhere anymore. so is it true? are we just a more evolved species of human? or is something supernatural going on?
I, uh, feel a broad sharp pain in my legs that renders them almost completely useless when I see or know that someone is in pain. I am fine when I watch a surgery and I'm ok when seeing blood. But hearing a story about how someone got a bruise will almost always hurt my legs. I know I have some sort of supperhuman understanding of people. Yes, I NEVER misunderstand anyone. I feel what a person is saying rather than hear it. I know what person isn't saying and why. This article brought tears to my eyes. Are there others? What does this mean? How can I gather 500 of us for experimentation? Oooh, I can't wait to stick needles into us freaks!!!
I'm empathic and I'm a christian. My God and Saviour is the Lord Jesus Christ and He is the only reason I've made it this far as an empath. (to those out there who say being a Christian prevents one from being an empath)
Anyway, I've been able to block the feelings most of the time in crowds. Sometimes I can't though and that's bad. I can never block people I care about. Which can be bad since I tend to attract 'needy' people. Then they begin to rely on me for their emotional state.
I agree with you. Being an empath isn't fun and isn't something you should lie to yourself about to make it sound like a truth.
Feeling others emotions can really wipe you out. I know for a fact. My mother has a bunch of illnesses, so she is pained a lot. So everyday, especially on those bad days of hers, I keep myself in my room. Baring those emotions of hers isn't easy.
As for my dad, he tends to get depressed a lot. So taking in that is also hard. To otp it off, my little brother is extremly emotional when it comes to my mom in bad shape. Taking in all this is very difficult to get out. Because once you've felt it, it never really leaves.
School isn't easy either. I go there and feeling their emotions is even worse, expecially a guys!
Not many people know this about me, but its true. And if they do not it, they don't really believe it.
Anyways, I think everyone should gain control of their power of empathy, if they have it, and use it for good. Not to tease some one. Take me for an example, I plan on being an SVU cop. Cause if I know what my victim's emotions are, I can comfort them in the way that they need it. And I can always tell when the perp is lieing.
Hello Everyone....I am so happy to have found this community. This is my first posting and I'll be uploading my photo soon. I have felt "different" for almost everone else from my earliest memories. I have always "known" things without ever learning or reading about whatever it is at the moment that I "know". I accepted this at a very early age without ever telling anyone, because I also knew that they wouldn't have the ability to even remotely understand my abilities.
I have suffered greatly my whole life from feeling the hatred, the vengence, jealousy, anger, resentments, and every othermanner of negative feelings. I've always known if someone was lying to me or withholding somethiing, and if it was to protect my feelings or if the cause was some sort of negativity against me.
But, along with the "knowing that I know that I know" I have experienced a lot of self doubt. It is only within the last 15 years that I have accepted that I am a true empath and a modern day prophet. And I am now very comfortable knowing this. But life continues to be such a struggle because I am constantly aware of the evil projections which people send my way. But really, what is worse, is feeling the awfulness of the race consciousness. Sometimes I hate the fact that I chose to re embody on this earlth plane.
As I have grpw older, and as our planetary society draws closer to the darkness, I increasingly feel the weight of the world on my shoulders. I feel like I have taken on the pain and suffering of the entire planet. Lately, I have experienced many health crisis. I have broken out in rashes, sores, and eruptions all over my body. Teenage acne was nothing compared to this.
But, I feel that I am finally comming into my own, ie: that I came here to take on the pain and the suffering of the world, to always speak the truth boldly, and in some way to help to raise the race consciousness.
I need the help of this community to learn how to protect myself from somatacizing the emotional feelings which I experience. I don't want to be sick. I can't be sick. I have a lot of work left to do on this planet. It took me a long time to accept that I am a modern day prophet because I was so afraid that others would believe I was insane. But I know its true and I am finally free from worry about what some psychologist might think. It is a science in it's infancy anyway. They really don't know much about the human mind, and even less about the esoteric experiences that many of us go through.
So happy to be here. I bless you all and send a pure stream of energy your way.
LostInIndy
Wow. This is me. Ever since I was a kid, I've hated being around people - I take in their energies, their feelings, their sickness. I've been diagnosed with everything from social phobia to extreme hypercondria to being a compulsive liar. Yet, for some reason, people always felt the need to share their life stories with me. I know things about people, even without them telling me. It's so miserable - I'm only 16, I want to have a life, but I can't even go to the mall.
I finally trusted one of my friends enough to tell her, and she told me what an empath was. It makes me so happy to know there are people like me out there.
thank you so much for writing this. i've felt this way for so long and it's nice to know there are others out there. this certainly is something i've been struggling with and knowing there are so many others out there makes me feel less alone. thank you again.
i have a sort-of friend who has told me he is an empath as well as a Christian. Being a Christian myself, I've had doubts and worries about it but dont want to fully disregard it. How far does being an empath go from just having empathy towards others? It seems more supernatural but i dont know where to draw the line. I am a very empathetic person but I dont think its to a supernatural degree. But lots of people can be empathetic without a need to put a name to it or assume it is supernatural. They can still 'feel' music or nature or other peoples feelings to a higher degree but I would not be quick to label them an empath, as it does take it to a whole new level, involveing the whole supernatural quality. Also, how does Christianity relate to being an empath, I'm not sure what to think. Thanks for the hub though it was an interesting read.
Excelent, and verry professional article. I found myself in almoust every, single word.
Though it can cause much trouble ( did for me! ) , it isstill a blessing.
About what that guy, Fret said, Adverssary has better things to do instead of giving ~positive~ abylites to people, he doesent nead that to confuse us. Unforunatly. He`s not invincible though.
Hi, from what I've read I'm an Empath. but this is no fn for me. I've been clinicly depressed for almost 4 years nw, because I feel so much pain. I can't watch the news or hear a certain song without feeling all this sadness and pain.
So if anyone here could tell/teach me how to controll this I would really appreciate it. I'm 23 and I feel like I can't live my life the way I want to because I don't know what feelings are mine and which are from others, I hate that everyoe I know or don't know just feel like talking to me will make them feel better. WELL IT MAKES ME FEEL WORSE.
So pls anyone, how do you controll this.
First of all Jules, dont assume you are an emapth or any other label of understanding based apon what you have read. Know that your level of conscienceness and the awareness that comes with it is unique to you. Once you connect with the universe on deeper levels you can really achieve a positive understanding of all things, but in this instance, based on your few words which just happen to ring of depression, my advice to you would be to stop and rediscover beauty. Take the time to notice the simplest things. Take the energy from these things and look inside yourself to find acceptance in the things that bother you, for if you cannot accepet them you cannot change them, and finally,. try not to "hate" anything. even the utterance of negativity will regress you connection. Introspection is key and acceptance will set you free. Learn to love and know that every situation that comes to you is an oppurtunity to learn that you asked for simply enough because you are there...so go with it.
Hi. Well, I always knew I was different, and friends I've had since childhood now tell me that I was the "oldest six year old" they ever met. I've found out recently that friends I was drawn to (or were they drawn to me?) when I was little were being abused by their parents. One little girl said she broke her arm falling off a swing, but I never quite believed that, and a few years ago she told me that one of her parents did it.
Fastforward to my adulthood...I always knew I was different and I was (still am) sick all the time. I'd go to the dr and go to the dr and they'd do test after test and find nothing wrong. One day my hand swelled up, as if I'd been stung. Well, the next day I was talking to my mom and she told me that my nephew, who lived nearly 2000 miles away from me, had been stung by a wasp on the back of his hand...same spot of the same hand where *I* swelled up!
That's when I started searching. I knew there was something *wrong* with me! I knew what empathy meant, but had never heard of an empath.
Sometimes I feel like a disabled person. I work in a grocery store now, and I am bombarded with bad attitude all day long from co-workers and nasty customers and it's all I can do NOT to go running out of the place, pulling my hair out by the fistful! BUT, there is something about me that seems to turn most of those bad attitudes around...to get a smile out of people who look like the top of their head will come off any second. I've been there long enough now to notice that these same people keep coming back to me over and over and over. Sometimes I'll have a line of customers when there are other cashiers with no one in their lines! It's very, very strange and it makes me feel uneasy and even just a little bit stalked. LOL!
Anyway, I knew something was going on with me a long, long time ago. Just didn't know what it was called. Now that I know, it's easier for me to discern what feelings are my own and what aches and pains are my own, and somehow, I am able to block things out when I need to without all this shielding stuff that I have read about. No surrounding myself with golden light or whatever. I am more straight forward, I guess. I just basically say, "KNOCK IT OFF" when it gets to be too much for me, and it helps.
hey my friend is an empath but does not know very much about it. no matter where i am at (whether it be in our home town,germany, or iraq-everywhere i have been) she always feels when something is wrong with me and when im completely happy. she says i am the easiest person for her to feel. so my question is, why does she feel me easier than nanyone else? please email me the information at privatenutt04@yahoo.com. i would greatly appreciate it..
I am an Empath and to some extent I wanted to deny it because i never really thought that it could be real, like they say forsight is a lbunch of crap. ive always picked up other emotions, and untill lately i have been able to block them out pretty good but a good friend of mine grandfather recently died and i cant look in his eyes without completly breaking down.
I am not sure if i am a strong enough Empath where i can heal, or even if i ever will be that strong. i wish i could help my friend but sometimes i cant even move because of the pain.
I have a couple of questions. Am I feeling this pain more stronger then usual because this is a person so close to me or is it because im getting stronger as an Empath?
Also, how can i develop this abaility without feeling so many different emotions that i cant function? p.s. i'm a college student so the ability to function is vital.
Please expierenced Empaths send me a e-mail with some advice.
Would an empath become so overwhelmed by a childhood wrought with arguing parents that he became a sex addict? Would he be diagnossed as bi-polar but the medications don't really help with the feelings? Would he find it so easy to read other people that he never looses an argument unless it is one waging within himself? Judging by what you've written I am an empath, one who has spent most of his life isolating. I would love some advice.
I am a true empathy no bs and I have spent my life trying to feel nothing staying alone. I have spent most of my life in hiding or drunk. I have to drink just to keep others distress out. I cannot even go to Wal-Mart without being overwhelmed by others distress and I have to be pissed just to go in the door. I have my own anxt to deal with. I have searched for help but never get any reply (i guess no one is going through what I am) and I have tried with every part of my being to block this crap out. I want to live but I am at the point of thinking what the use is. Can anyone help me block this out without drink? I want to allow myself to feel.... do you have anyone that can take this curse from me! I need real help I cannot continue like this I am almost 45 and alone cause I cannot take all the emotions of others... If you believe in Christianity it is called discernment. if anyone can help please contact me at afreemailbox@gmail.com. i will pay at this point
let me add that i have been tested at NYU and several hospitals in NYC yet no one could help or stop it. Does anyone have a clue of how to stop it with drink? please i don't want this anymore i want to have a real relationship without all the real bagage ever women caries.
To Freetbuzz: I'm an empath and do not pretend you to understand how this work and how my relationship with God is but I do want you to start respecting others the way you want us to respect your faith. I don't believe Satan has anything to do with my gifts since he is just as great and powerful as you want him to be. I don't believe he has any power over me, besides temptate my body because my SOUL belongs to GOD and it is through this soul that I feel what other souls are feeling. I FEEL you're afraid of being wrong, so afraid that you rather follow the crowd than to even try to see the world by what it is. You feel safe IF you do what your pastor or priest say because is easier to follow the instructions than to follow your heart.
We know how to go back home, this information is embeded in our soul and you know it. Is not the priest nor the pastor who can give you HEAVEN but yourself. Try to open up to the world and don't look salvation in other mortal for that's the real evil.
~M~
I am an upper middle class mom of three boys and work in a very professional career. My entire life I have known something was different about me. For years I worked in a High School with troubled children and I think that helped me develop whatever it is that I have. My kids think I am a psychic. Ha! Not even close. I tell them that I can "read people". I can pick up a lot about someone in the first few seconds and sometimes large crowds are horrible because I can feel everyone in the room. People...especially people in trouble...are drawn to me. Honestly, I would prefer to NOT have this and wish it would go away some times. I am hoping that as I get older, I will either learn to use it or to just leave it. I do not tell anyone about it. The bottom line is that it is real...whether I want it to be or not...and it doesn't mean I am evil or that the devil is involved in any way. It is just part of who I am and thankfully I, just today, have discovered that there are others like me!
If there is anyone out there like me, I would LOVE To hear from you. I am a "normal" 43 year old working mom with a lot of animals who was given this "gift"...nothing crazy, demonic or evil about it!!
kc
I am sorry you get the hatchet too when you go against the establishment. I am an Empath and I do feel feelings from other. Those who believe in deamons need to read my hub on deamons and mental health. Good grief!
I find it hard to read hubs about the animals that have died or have to be put to sleep. I feel the owners pain. When I learned what it was that I was eperiencing I would sit in my living room and all of a sudden I would feel a heavy saddness and the urge to cry--for no reason. Then I found that there was car full of people who had passed by our area with kids that their friend had died that day.
Anything that goes againsst the church is called evil and satanistic and full of demons---why---because they are filled with fear of the unknown and that is perpetrated by those who want control of the masses.
Being and empath is not easy and I had to learn how to control that in me.
Thank you for posting this. I was googling Empathy on the internet in search for answers. My mother is a healer, a Reiki healer to be specific. And also a Phychic, just as I am through heritance. But there is a difference between being a Phsychic and being an Empath. I'm a phsychic that can see aura's and that can Astral Travel without dificulties. Mother thought it was possible that I may be one. Any time she would describe them, a fauge definition of what you wrote. Without her saying it I was sure I was an Empath. But regardless I wanted to make sure anyways, and I wanted to try and find some answers. Like one you've brought up is how exactly do I heal someone? How do I block out people? Any time I go to a foot ball game or a marching band compition I'm at an edge of curling into a ball and screaming at everyone. Extreme excitement that turns into panic for me. If you'd like to contact me my e-mail is Kyrsten1992@yahoo.com.
Thank you.
I want to know what I am. I dont think I am an Empath after reading your definition, but (I am a happily married mother of 3 young kids) I think Im weird because to make myself feel "good" I day dream and fantasize about being the one everyone wants to come to for a shoulder to cry on. Its usually with male friends who are single and good looking, but I never feel anything sexual toward them, I just want to comfort them when they are going through tragedy, and the tragedy is usually dramatic like their child or parent or girlfriend has died and they want to cry on my shoulder! I have to emphasise I do not feel that I want to cheat on my husband with them but somehow I want to feel like maybe a mother figure to them. Any comments would be apprecated!
I have gone through most of my life (I am 30 now) thinking that something is really wrong with me. It was just a little while ago that a friend of mine said to me, "Gigi, you are an empath". I am not sure if this is true, but I do know that I am so tuned into the emotions of others that I cannot even watch the news without going through a myriad of feelings. I have always been the "shoulder to cry on" for family and friends - even strangers on airplanes! While I never thought of myself as crazy, many family members treated me as such, because it seemed that my moods could change so rapidly and for no reason! I am very glad that you posted this, as it has made me feel tremendously better about myself already. I want to read more so any more info you have to point me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated! Thanks again
I've been an empath my whole life, but wasn't able to put a word to what I was feeling and sensing until I started doing some research about a year ago. Reading this article, and the comments others have posted has definitely given me some much needed comformation about my abilities!
I've found that the closest I've been able to come to turning this off is when I'm by the water for some reason.
I have experienced on occasion feeling the density of human emotion as a sea of filth. By using white light, the power of the divine through angelic contact (phooey to you self-absorbed Christians) and a couple layers of saranwrap (gladwrap) over the solar plexus chakra will calm a person down while recuperating from the assault of these unwanted and foreign emotions. Once a barrier has been obtained, I feel much more rested and able to assist others in seeking their spiritual awareness.
Before those Christians who have taken offence at my comment toward them, I am a Christian--but one with an open mind to spiritual abilities. There are many things unexplained in this world, and this includes spiritual abilities in humans.
Besides myself, I have friends who find they have strangers who seek out their company because they can sense an empath just as Isabella has said. There is also an inner awareness of a compatible spiritual level. Everyone is at a certain spiritual level, and when they grow out of the old one they turn to new people whose level matches theirs, thus creating a comfort zone. And as Isabella states above, not every intuitive person is good, so you have to pick your comfort zones carefully. I have fallen into that trap, and thankfully escaped without any harm being done.
Isabella, thank you for an informative post.
I have to agree significantly with Lilys "Empathic abilities are beautiful actually. I'm sure you can resonate with me on this, Isa. We feel the world around us in differently - we see nature sparkles and illuminates itself - green isn't just green, notice that glow around every leaf? We hear music with our hearts - they aren't just notes and tones - they carry the emotions of the composers. We look at art, not just seeing colors and forms - we gather concept, and possibly a glimpse of that artist's complex view of life". Like lately Ive been reading a lot, not because I like to read that much but because I can see where the writer "is" in life. Or when I listen to good music with a lot of feeling, Its exactly as she describes it.
I have been to many doctors and they are stumped. Blood test tell them there is a problem but they can not find it. Headaches and sinus pain at times can be overwhelming.
Recently I came across a work collegue who absolutely dispised me which I might add doe's not happen very often. I know that sounds cocky but it is true. She made me so ill just being around her. It has taken 2 years to be able to fade her out. I believe she is very sick I'm thinking cancer. I tried to talk to her about it like 'how are you feeling you look abit peaky maybe you should have a check up'. Of course she wasn't impressed. Everytime I am around her a get a lump in my neck and it is very sore and yes I have been to the doctors and they can not explain it.
Best way to feel better is to hide away in my house for a couple of days and avoid contact with anybody. In doing this I can at least feel a little bit normal and all of the symptoms go away.
Sometimes I am so desperate that I wish I could die. But I can't even take that serious because then I get overwhelmed in thinking that I can't do that what will that do to the close people around me.
Yep is definitely sucks being an empath.....
Please, write more. They tell me I'm bipolar and that I have social anxiety disorder. This past year, I've started having panic attacks. I don't like people so much anymore. Please, help, cuz none of this stupid medicine does.
I googled empathy and stumbled upon this site. I am seeking help. In my case, people target me everywhere I go. It seems that they sense i have healing, loving, peaceful energies and then seek me out and tap into me. I end up feeling so drained. People even get aggressive about getting into my space and wanting a connection with me, which I positively despite. If I try to politely shut them out, they get more angry and aggressive. I end up just shutting down and being grumpy or at least adopting a persona as such in order to keep them at bay. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
UsuallY i visit a coffee shop. Doesn't matter which one I go to -- the dynamic is the same. Recently, an old man and his wife decided I was the kind of person they wanted to befriend. The old man began began sitting at my table talking at me, thinking I was a good listener. He then demanded my phone number. By the time I left the coffee shop to the time I got home, he had left 30 messages no my machine. When I finally picked up, I had to tell him not to call me any more. I even stopped going to the cafe. That was a year ago.
I finally came back and the man and woman were still there. When he saw me, the old man jumped for joy adn began singing and dancing around the restaurant. He then looked for opportunities to hug me and strike up conversation. I had to tell him several times that I would like to be left alone, thank you, but he wasn't deterred. He then began following me around, aggressively and angrily trying to intercept me until I had to just literally dart away from him. I suppose he felt rejected and was determined to be my "friend" anyway. Sick people are this desperate.
I finally had to quietly ask management to intervene and it did. Privately, I shamefully admit, I kept thinking, even wishing for tihs couple to get sick and die. I hated them. I know hate is a strong word, but when yo are at the receiving end of people tryitn go attach to you and you end up absorbing all of their chaotic, angry, hateful, clingy energy, you just want it to stop. I began to feel angry all the time and that my light was flickering. I felt I coudl no lnoger afford to be light and happy as they would just be an invitation for more people to approach me.
ANyway, the next day, the couple stopped coming. When I asked about them, I found out the old lady had died. The old man is now crestfallen. As an empath, i now feel overrun with guilt, even though I am relieved to be free of them.
Would appreciate your thoughts and feedback. Being an empath is a double edged sword. What do you do with the people who just seek you out...I swear, everywhere I go, people watch me, want to approach me, touch me, fixate on me, become obsessed...To me, its like these people see the light within me and instead of connecting to God, they want to connect to God, through me....
I end up getting angry and aggressive just to push people back. I would never impose like this on other people. It amazes me that they think nothing of doing this to me.
Chey: I have bipolar too. I also have OCD. I don't like medicine eather but my mom tells me that it will help me though life and if I stop taking them, well... life isn't going to be the best. And you need to furfill it as best as you can. when you have these meltdowns, go somewhere quiet and think about all the good things in life. I take several pills and I have switched to alot too. Keep trying. There is always something good out there for you.
Isabella: I am an empath too. I just found out and i am starting the "craft". I am a believer of all the supernatural and I think your advice will really help others. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING. =-)
Hi Isabella,
i am an empath also, i have known for a couple of years now and have met others like me. . .i used to be wiccan (writing that down just sound funny) but now i don't follow any certain religion laid out for me. . . anyway i was trying to explain to my brother what it was to be empathic the other day and i just had a hard time putting it together and i found this article it really helped me understand how to explain it all and put it into words other could understand with out making me sound crazy. . . so thank you . . . and also i still have a hard time controlling myself on an airplane any suggestions?
Ryno
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Hey everyone! I wanted to share with you my struggles with being an Empath. I have always had strong reactions to other people’s emotions and most of the time I couldn’t understand why. When people would come to me and share their experiences I would get nauseated with their emotions. when I would go to bed I would think about them and their situations and get so into it that I would have to make myself realize that it was someone else’s problem and not my own. I guess since I am an Empath it actually is my problem. I have always wanted to help people and I always have. I was the kid who would play with the kids that no one else played with in the playground, I would get made fun of and I could never understand why I would want to play with the loners instead with my classmates or friends. I always felt like they needed me. And they probably did. To this day I see myself befriending the kind of people that are not really "like" me and my social circle. It has never bothered me. Now thought that I am in college it has been extremely hard to deal with emotions. I grew up in a small town and where I lived our closest neighbors were like 5 miles away. Now I am in a dorm building with like 1000 people in an area less than a couple hundred feet, and it is exhausting. I can’t sleep well when I am here. My moods are always changing and I don’t even know who it is that I am feeling for. I can have my back to the door and when my roommate walks in after a rough day my neck automatically tenses up. I don’t even have to look at him to say, "Bad day huh". He is always perplexed when I do that, and it often relaxes him a bit, (I don’t think it is because it’s comical but more because he dumped some excess emotions on me). After being in a mall or more than two hours I have to get a coffee and sit a while to not be moody. When I went to a Pentecostal church one day, the preacher asked all who were going through tough times to walk up to the alter for a prayer, I walked up, not so much to pray for myself but to pray for all the people that were going through hardships, (that’s an Empath for you) and as soon as I walked up behind this short,, modest Hispanic lady, I felt her pain, and I knew her story, I couldn’t contain myself and I cried for her thought the whole service. It was an exhausting experience. The life of an Empath is fulfilling but rough. It is hard to keep oneself life intact. I find studying in the library impossible during finals, the amount of stress and apprehension is too much to handle. I have to find a secluded area and avoid people. I like sitting in a big area by where the coffee bar is because people that walk from the main lobby of the library to the coffee bar are having a break and I can feel their adrenaline from the walk and their enjoyment of getting coffee. It is hard to keep up my grades and try and not miss class when it’s just unbearable to get out of bed and go into the public. I hope that I can learn to better block out people’s emotions to the degree that I can put my studies and social life first one day, without interruptions.
I have been wondering about this...I have my whole life seemed to be attuned to peoples feelings, but its gotten much much worse as I've gotten older, the other day I was in the mall (of all places) and was talking laughing with my friends when i got this overwhelmingly strong feeling of saddness, like I really needed to cry, but why would I feel that way? I am with my friends having fun. I've had my best friend and others comment on how I "mood swing" very fast, I go from fine to sad, to happy, all in what seems like a few minutes. I do prefer solitude mostly because of the feelings i get when i am with someone.
I also notice that after going out in public that I have major headache, I wonder if its from this bombardment of peoples emotions?
I'm grateful that I found this hub because its good to be able to talk to people who are like me and understand. I went most of my life not knowing why I always felt so strongly and its only been in the last six months or so (I'm 38 now) before I knew what I could do and a name to go along with it. It does often seem like a curse because its like you feel the weight of the world so much of the time but I like to think of it as a Gift and hopefully in time I can find my niche in the world so I can do good with my abiiity. I haven't told too many people, in fact only my best friend knows, because I'm not sure how to explain it to people without them looking at me like a freak or (for those certain religious people out there) think I'm somehow demon possessed or evil. I still seem to have very little control over it and its still confusing to sort out my own feelings from everyone else around me, with the exception of when I'm alone. I actually realize its probably the reason I avoid malls around the holidays, because even on the best of days when I do go to a mall I go only to get what I'm looking for and then leave. Now during the holidays its a thousand times worse because its like I've gone from the shallow end of the pool to the deep end and barely know how to tread water much less swim. Anyway, hopefully I can learn a lot from the others here and find my way..my "destiny" (for lack of a better word).
Hello! I'm a natural born empath and my mother and grandmother are both empaths though they both are stronger with projection then with empathy. Anyways, yeah you're right and I agree with everything you said. Being an empath isnt fun and empathy can be a real b*tch but in the end, its awesome knowing that I can always help people using my empathy cuz it allows me to sense what they really need and what they desire. In the soon future though all sceptics will suffer and pay the price for their ignorance and all shall suffer and only the specials will live...uh....sorry vision moment....anyways empathy isnt fun most of the time since i am prone to sense pain and sadness easier than i am to sense the good stuff. But i like my empathy, its so much better than being a stupid close-minded normal. I cant wait for my empathy to be even stronger though cuz then it will be even more fun cuz then i can finally turn it on and off and i can also absorb the emotions of others around me and turn it to power to benefit me and stuff. I just love being an empath, it means God loves me and he blessed me with this powerful ability and I am very honored. I'm also a healer and I love healing people whenever i can though i'm still a beginner at it, with practice i'll be able to heal anyone =]
I think I understand what has been happening to me. One thing that I would everyone's opinion on, is these dreams I have about people I don't know personally but have met there family or friend. My neighbors brother died about 9 months ago. I never met him because he lives in another state. After a month I stated having these dreams about his life and things that happened to him. These are things I couldn't possibly know. When I asked my neighbor about it, everything I dreamed was true. She have never told me a thing about him. I have had several and continue to have them. This has happened with countless people I have never met. Can someone tell me what this is?
As a christian I want to say I agree with the belief and have been saved yet I've felt these feelings since I was a young child. Everyone thought I was just over emotional-- which is a possibility. But now when I talk to people I know exactly what they are thinking and feeling without even knowing them. THis isn't a sort of DEMON possession-- Listen here. I was born a very sick baby- congestive heart failure... but somehow I survived. The doctor gave me experimental medicine for the birth defect and I survived. Honestly I believe Im still here for a reason. Now I dont know if this is a gift from God-- because I've managed to help so many people that I know because of it-- and my own father said one day I would realize I was special... I just dont know. But there's my defense. This isn't demon possesion- and although sometimes painful-- is still a gift.
Me again. What I found helpful is to keep your own counsel. Like isntead of being open, friendly, and loving, i calmly set boundaries. Usally I place I go to, people bound over to chat with me as soon as I walk into teh door. i feel like telling them, "please. go away. you're too emoitional. You're draining me." Today, I just cut them dead in their tracks. They bounded over to me-- and before they could impose on me, I just said calmly and quietly, "I would appreciate it if you would please stop x." I said it matter of factly but firmly. And they just understooand left me alone to find someone else to suck off of. I now saw all the parasites who use to gravitate around me leave me in peace and circle around other empaths, who politely indulged them whiel the parasites sucked on their energy. However, I left with my energy and self intact. Instead of feeling angry and imposed upon, I felt happy, whole, and secure -- the kind of frame of mind I need to be to live out my purpose in the world and to discriminate about when I help people and whom. I think I may finally have learned to control my empathy.
I am 56 years old and only in the last couple of years did I realize I am an Empath. It feels good to finally have a name for it. I come from a rather dysfunctional background, as do many people. I was lost and unhappy. It took me a long time to realize I needed professional counseling. I had few social skills or practical life skills. My life was one big emotional turmoil after another. Counseling (with the right therapist) has helped me figure out (among other things) just what my stuff is, as they say, and what other people's stuff is. In other words, some things are just not my problem. But once I got some of the dysfuntional garbage out of the way it seems my empathic traits really started to come out. We empaths just have to put into practice some defenses and take care of ourselves whether other people understand or not. We cannot afford to allow ourselves to be at the mercy of every feeling that floats our way. I have some methods of self-preservation that work for me. But I still have to take cover and hole-up in my room with my cat sometimes. Nothing works one hundred percent so far. I rarely watch the news or read the paper, not because I have my head in the sand, but because it has a very bad effect on me. And I know that somehow the information I really need will come to me by other means, and it does. I try to limit TV and movie viewing to only the most uplifting and positive stuff. The same with the books I read. I usually have a sense that someone is "bad" for me, whether it's a stranger or a person I know. I steer clear of them at all costs. If I have to be in contact with them I begin praying for them daily. Just praying (even if it hurts because they are mean and/or offensive to you) for their highest and best good. This works even with people whose behavior is extreme. Get yourself as strong as possible. Get counseling if you are unhappy. Get out of a job that isn't really right for you, even if it takes a while. Start investigating getting into work that has meaning for you. Get into support groups or social groups with people who share your views and interests. This is enormously empowering. Eat right and get enough rest. This advice may sound simplistic but we often overlook it because it's so obvious. Find something positive to do with your time and your life. Don't be a doormat, psychic or otherwise. Learn to be assertive and you won't feel nearly so helpless. Learn to stand on your own, not out of weakness but out of strength. Make personal growth a priority. You will still be an empath but you will be an empath with skills to deal with the world in a healthy way. I am still learning everyday. By no means do I have all the answers. Mostly I'm still a big kid, and an Empath. Hey, we're special, not posessed by demons. Let's be proud of who we are. Begin to develop the habit of listening to your inner knowing for guidance. It will serve you well. Be kind. Love and empathy to you all.
I am both a devoted christian and an empath. Altho ealier comments seem to protest this cant happen it can. and i do not disagree at all to the commets about how painful it is. Some people have nervous breakdowns because they cant deal with their own problems, an empath will most commonly be thinking about the whole worlds problems, or at the very least the problems of the people their close too. i dont really believe empathy is psycic, but rather a developed emotional response to other people in pain.... you learn to read slight expressions subconsciously. to me empathy just seems to be deeper human understanding and nothing more. the heaing i believe is an adaption in the mind trying to parralel how it might heal an empath emotionally (as empaths are constantly in emotional pain) to how it heals the body physically. The demon possesion stuff really actually offended me, empathy is a curse to the person who has it, but a blessing to those around an empath.... usually. Ill admit the pain it causes the empath themself is more terrible than most people can imagine..... but myself using this curse have saved 2 sucidals in my life. it caused enormous pain in me... but once they were totally rehabilitated, for while anyway i felt at rest. im only 15... so if ive saved and brought back joy to 2 people who are suicidal... what can somebody older and wiser do??? for all empaths out there.... despite the pain use your gift to help others. you make a big difference
Thanks for the great article. It has been most helpful to me and has helped me understand that I'm not suffering from some sort of mental illness which is why the traditional methods did not work to help cure the feelings I had. Plus all the physical feelings of lethargy, pain and aches. I will be using this article, plus others to help myself.
Isa, thank you so much for writing this hub. You're right, there's not nearly enough reliable information available on the Internet.
As a child, I would cry whenever someone else was hurt or upset. I was accused of trying to compete for attention.
I will sometimes walk into a room and within seconds experience and express the current or most recent strong emotion experienced.
I can hug someone hello and know instantly if there's something wrong. If I ask about it, I am often the only person they'll feel comfortable confiding in, even though we're not close friends.
A young teen walked 4 miles and landed on my doorstep wanting to use my phone. I live in a neighborhood and my house is NOT the most inviting one around, but she chose my house. Long story short she didn't just need the phone, she needed someone to step in and help her to do the right thing in a difficult situation. The situation needed a distrustful teen to trust a stranger, and that stranger to really care about someone she was not responsible for. Did she choose my house because of my empathy, or did God lead her to me? I don't really care.
I am a Christian and have had trouble for YEARS reconciling empathy with my faith. This is the first place I've looked where I'm not labeled psychic. I have a personal problem with that term, no judgment intended.
I have witnessed and experienced miraculous, or faith, healings - yes Fret, some faith healers are fakes - everything God created, the enemy has perverted.
During group prayer I have "just known" I should reach out and touch a certain person's shoulder. Sometimes they turn to me afterward, and tell me they felt a spark/warmth/shiver/whatever when I touched them, and something that had been weighing them down had been lifted. I felt drawn to pray for a (pregnant) acquaintance at church - I didn't know her very well but still knew just what to pray. A depression that had plagued her with each pregnancy was lifted and never returned.
I get more reclusive as time passes, and aside from my husband don't have any friends. People are drawn to me, but I am too easily overwhelmed to really get close. It seems the only time I don't feel lonely is when I'm alone.
I used to be easy to lie to because I didn't know what that hinky feeling was - I thought I was being paranoid, or maybe had eaten something I shouldn't have. I'm starting to trust these feelings a little more, and the more I trust them the more trustworthy they become.
I've had dreams that either came true, or warned me of danger. One dream literally saved my son's life.
I think being empathic has nothing to do with spirituality - even in this conversation we've heard from wiccans, Christians, a buddhist and I'm sure there are many other faiths represented. I think empathy, as discussed here, is more innate - like some people have a gift for art, some are great at math, some can write well - I've seen it called a gift and a curse, maybe it's more of an attribute?
Sorry this is so long, kudos to anyone still reading. It's just such a release to find a place I feel I can express myself without worrying about picking up on the negative reactions from the person/people I'm addressing.
Oh - and I also struggle with severe depression and have been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. Medication has made a world of difference for me in staving off suicide, but has not quelled the emotional impressions I get from others. Just so if you're reading this and have a similar experience you know you're not alone. :o)
I am completely surprised to see there are so many empaths out there. Its nice to know I am not alone.........
Wow this is awesome!!! I thought something was wrong with me for so long and I stay so overwhelmed with heartache. I read people very well, feel and know things but when I go to some gatherings, in stead of feeling good and enjoying myself I feel pain, anger unhappiness to the point that I have gotten physically ill. People are always drawn to me I tend to be a loner. I was Wiccan, then became a follower of Jesus Christ and even at church i feel and see what others don't. Some I approch and others I pray for. I am so happy to know I am not crazy!!! You feel very alone when you try to share this with others. Lucky for me God sent me to a church with some people in it that encourage and support me and will listen to me when I explain some of the things I experience. Tonight I was really struggling and I ran across this.... Wow
I am glad there is a place where people can share what is going on in their lives. I have been having difficulties adapting to environments for a long time. I am naturally a very happy and fun loving person, but in certain environments I am just not myself. I know whether I like someone or not right away by a feeling I get and I have always tried to give the person a chance regardless. I see certain things in people or feel certain things about people that others do not see. I have criticized myself constantly for being too hard on some people and assumed I was the one with the problem, but today I thought what if I am an empath. I can be in a perfectly great mood and get around someone and become instantly angry, sad, depressed, anxious, etc. You name it and my emotions are off of the charts. I don't know if I am an empath, but all the things described by Isa sound too much like me. I have nothing to do with the news because its effect on me is excrutiating, like my heart is being ripped out of my chest. I do prefer to be alone and the older I get the worst I am getting. I feel like running away all of the time, but I feel like I can't keep running.
Hey there,
I kinda stumbled upon this just trying to learn more about myself. Im an Empath, my mother's an Empath, and my Grandmother is even one too. I always felt like I knew what other people ment when they said something, and how they actually felt. To me this really isn't a curse anymore. I finally "learned" how to block out "negative" emotions if you would. I've actually used this "sense" to become closer to my friends, tho, some people seem just so hateful, it's really hard. I dont really understand this so much. I know what I am, what I can do, and I felt alone. But like I said, I stumbled upon this, so it's nice to see others out there, I never expected an actual site. Is there anyway that I can actually cultivate this or do I just let it slowly expand on it's own? It's still so awkward from time to time.
I'm relatively young and I believe I have Empathic "abilities." I think I've had them my whole life but they are just starting to truly develop. I have all the signs and more. I can not well read minds, but just the feelings and emotions and i don't know intentions behind them. Its strange and weird and painful. I have a friend whose also my age and he is a different type of empath. He feels the pain of people he is close to and can dream about the future. He is a lot more "controlled and developed" than I am. We found eachother, and well I'm very lost and confused and seeking answers. Any help is appreciated. We are both sort of lost.
This is to Frettbuzz
I do not look down my nose at you either but i will educate you :-)
the Holy Spirit does not stop anyone from getting possed!!
God gave people feedom of will and he dont cross that!
the flesh can be possed and the sprirt untouched.
if you ever wanna know the source of the power look at whom it glorifies!
Born agan christians can feel peoples energy ...no possesion to it!
this is a great informative artical ty isabella :-)
if you continue to look for the works of the devil i grant you will find more than anyone cares to ...i suggest you dig the truth a lil deeper....
i have always been a person people open up to very easily and they always tell me they dont know why they do. they say im just easy to talk to. im 23 and that has been my story since the day i was born, well for the past year i have taken up meditation, it seems to be the only thing to calm my mind. the other day a soldier was talking to me about some of the things going on in iraq, and like a lighting bolt to my mind i started getting images of things he saw, it literally brought me to my knees. now i dont know if my "ability" is getting stronger or what. i was hoping there was a way to shield the mind, so this wouldnt happen to me again. i love talking to people but i seriously dont think my mind can take brutally attacks like that on a daily basis. please is there any advice or anything you could tell me to help with this.
Hello. I need help. I have always known I am an empath. This just solidified it. I am extremely sensitive. Unfortunately I can not block other paoples feelings and I often accidently take them on as my own. I am especially susceptible to pregnant women. There energies are so strong. It is torturous to go to a store and know the person next to you is having a bad day. I do feel physical pain though. I need help blocking because as I have gotten older I have become ultra aware. I think it has to do with hearing so many peoples storoes and I remember their pain when telling them to me. I have noticed I can not pick up on my bf's emotions though and it is very awkward because I am so used to just knowing people. I think this might be because he has a little sensitivity as well.
I had a psychic reading last night, and all he needed to say was one word, and everything makes sense... empath. I just want to cry, because I finally understand why I am the way I am, and God has answered my prayers. I thought I was just overly sensitive, but there is no question after reading your article and others that I have found.
And through the Grace of God and prayer, when I was 18, I healed a very sprained or broken hand, and it manifested into me for about a day. I had a feeling that this gift, when used incorrectly could cause illness to transfer not only for a short time, but for good, and it scared me, and I haven't used the gift since. I am now 29. I would like to learn how to use the gift without fear.
It's so nice to know that I'm not the only person out there that feels the weight of the world on their shoulders, but now that I know it is a gift and not a curse, and what it is, I believe I can make my life so much better.
HOW DO I STOP IT! PLEEEEASE I am an agorophobic. I cant go outside havent in years. I have a two year old son who stays inside with me. I try to go out but when i do i suffer! I am so sensitive and sensitive to what others think of me too. I try to "take it" from them but look funny being in a meditative state to do it hehehe Sometimes i can clear a room and change it around but sometimes i just cant and its horrible. HOW DO I STOP THIS I HATE IT! I was always the child that took on the loner friend at school because i could feel the distress- its just always been me to be that person but i suffer in so many ways its just rediculous! can you help me?
Ok. This is great info. But I meet all except the first sign"When in public, do you constantly feel overwhelmed with inexplicable emotions for which you can’t determine the reason?" I felt this way as a child and a teenager, but I have learned to filter most of it out. Does that seem possible?
Oops, posted to soon. Also, I'm not reclusive any more, although I did go through that stage as well. I surround myself with people all the time, often administering help to groups of people at a time. It brings me great joy most of the time. I do run into groups and people that are so negative that I cannot tolerate their presence and I just have to go in another direction, but usually I push through. It seems normal to me now, but it kind of wears on my family a bit.
This is amazing. It describes me.
A.N. - Are you referring to my comment or just the hub comments in general? I'd be interested in talking with someone who could relate. I feel like an alien most of the time. But I have a son who is showing signs of similar characteristics and it is quite amazing, but I'm concerned for him. He's very sensitive already at five. Nature versus nurture???
Does anyone know if this ties into Indigos? I keep ending up at this site (global oneness) when I do ANY kind of research for health, or kids, or art or nutrition... even today looking for graphics for a website I'm developing. Seems an odd coincidence.
This does not tie into "indigos" which many "conscious" people are beginning to speak out against, citing it as a scam intended to attract people who are lost and seeking direction, or people who want to believe they have extraordinary children. For those of you looking for more advice on this or Empath related topics, I would encourage you to visit Conscious Living, the link is at the top of the page.
Sorry but I have to address April who wrote about seeking Satan and this is all Satan--you are totally being mislead. You need to seek answers within you and not outside in a church or clergy. No man has another man's salvation but the lord God and Jesus. Jesus is total unconditional love and most of the people here have always had those "gifts" so you cannot state that they are seeking Satan when Satan didn't even enter their minds.
Isabelle, I for one are with you and not against you. Jesus shows his love in many ways and definately not through Church Doctrine or Dogma. You cannot keep his love in a box and treat it like a 2 year old as in Mine, Mine, Mine and you can't have it only if yu do it the way my church says. Those who do are the ones who are being mislead by their own FEAR.
Off my soapbox now. Sorry...
hi,i'm wondering if someone can help me. I am simply in confusion. I have emotional ups and down, i feel others pain, and it brings me to tears. I believe i have many of the above signs of being an empath, but i am having trouble believing i am really different, or an empath. I do believe empaths exist, and i am simply wondering if someone can give me some definites, besides the above to justify if i really am an empath.I change emotions frequently, and this is often related to others pain (unknown to me at the time), especially with a close friend of mine. I feel sick when she is, and i know exactly how she is feeling, sometimes what she i thinking.The emotions are not always overwhelming, however i have become acustom to having a milion emotions at once, and this may be why i am doubting myself, or if i really am an empath.Also, if i am, why are all the emotions not always overwhelming like i have heard? I am a very social person, and it is not completly overwhelming. Does this mean i am not an empath?
Can someone please help me. It would be greatly appreciated.
Wow. I just discovered this site. You've hit my nail right on the head! I've been like this all my life, but I didn't know that all these specific things are shared by other people. How nice not to be alone with all this, though I wish I'd known you when I was trying to figure out how to separate my own stuff from that of everyone else around me. No worries. I figured it out. Thanks also for your tips about how to deal with being an empath. Good thing people are more respectful towards this kind of thing nowadays. I've been ridiculed all my life - by family members in particular. Thing is, I think the ones who ridiculed me the most were the ones who were themselves empaths, but trying to suppress it. Oh and yeah, I'm clairsentient too. Thanks so much for this page!
Excellent hub.
I've always considered myself far more empathetic than others, though I can honestly say I never knew quite *why* I was so different or experienced things so much more/more deeply. I cry uncontrollably during even slightly sad commercials (there's one particular one about animals that I can't even watch, nor can I listen to the song they play throughout the commercial without my heart breaking anew), I've always FELT other peoples' pains within myself, I can tell when people are lying and their intent... My emotions are often overwhelming and without specific reason, and it gets particularly bad when I'm in a group setting (even worse still when it's with people I all know and/or am close to), though I believe I intrinsically learned to somewhat control it over the years.
Reading this has really prompted me to look further into this and harnessing the potential Empath abilities I may have. Thank you very much for posting this!
very good hub...I particular found the television response interesting as I've always sort of been terribly embarrassed by having such an overwhelming and sometimes even tearful response to things on such an impersonal medium such as the television. Good to know I'm not that crazy and there are others out there who are as strongly empathic. I've been in control of my impulses and awareness for quite some time but its wonderful to see and understand other empaths experiences and understanding.
Thanks again for posting this! : )
i know what i have, i just don't know how to control it..help
Thank you so much iv been wondering what has been going on for some time and now i know. I am empathic. My partner dropped it in a coversation the other day as he gets very annoyed that i can read people in a second of meeting them. I cant explain it but i know if they are good or bad even tell what they will do next. For years iv had the ability to read people and know instictively what they really mean, i feel pain, sorrow everything. I can relate to your comments you are 100% spot on.
well , i know this guy and me met, wanting to make music ( i sing he does music) and ever since we first started talking something wierd happins, and we talked about it and he can answer questions with out me even asking, and i can like sense what he is thinking and, im super emotional. to the point where i cant even shop, ill barf lol, i just get so overwhelmed. and i cry so easily. i also get these wierd random vibrations.. TONS more of wierd things. cant explain this. what do you think?
Thank you, Isa, for a wonderful post. For the past 25 years I've been trying to explain what was happening to me. I never knew it had a name. Fortunately, my inner being knew what it needed to *heal* itself. I've learned to let the feelings run through me. About the healing process, I would have to say very empatically from my experience that an Empath does not always know he/she is healing. It takes place with or without his/her awareness or consent. When a person is so overwhelmed with grief/guilt / fear/ etc. It spills into the Empath and keeps that person from breaking down.
On the other hand, I feel like an idiot because after years of trying to figure out what was wrong with my daughter (physically) it suddenly occurred to me that she was also an Empath. Now that I've asked all the *right* questions I am certain this has been her problem. And yes, it did take a toll on her phsycial being, but at least now I know how to help her.
As for the Christian thread of conversation I have to laugh. Because if there was ever an Empath it was Jesus Christ. Now that we have the language of 'The Empath', we can translate what it means to "take on the pain and suffering of mankind". His death was the grounding of that energy and from his pain a new energy emerged. Slowly it spreads, teaching love and tolerance.....until someone kidnapped his name for a whole new agenda.
Peace to the great Teacher, Isa.
Rachel,
"In the Arms of the Angels" Sara McLaughlin for the ASPCA.
I know exatly what you mean. Me and my daughter simultaneously scream
'TURN IT OFF' when it comes on.
Then I send them my money. LOL
Emphatic people are fine tuning forks....they are born this way,as a christian myself i am able to tune into gods word and understand a little better then those who do not posess empathic qualitys....it is a natural gift much like being an athlet or an artist.
I have lived my life with a constant headache, although today everything suddenly makes more sense. I'm not going to give you my life story, I just want to say thank you, not only to Isa, but to everyone who has shared their stories and comments. I am completely indebted, whether anyone reads this or not, to those of you who have helped me put a word to what I've been experiencing my whole life. Hopefully I will be control these feelings and use them to help those who really need it. Thank you, again.
Wow, I am so overwhelmed right now. I have been diagnosed as clinicaly depressed most of my life. I have also been told I am a very very highly sensitive empath.
I recently became Christian - I believe God sent Jesus as our savior because he loves us. I am struggling with what is said about this being the work of the devil or a gift. I can't possibly imagine I would do anything to hurt anyone in anyway but maybe that is the plan. But them maybe God gave us this ability to try to help people and our free will determines what we do with it...maybe the Devil tries to influence us negatively?????but we have free will to refuse and use this ability for good.
I just don't know. What I do know is that I cry everyday. I am completely beaten down and uncomforable around people - however, in my younger days, i was always very senstive but could be the life of the party too...now not so much. I am tired of feeling like a freak...but I don't know how not to.
Thanks for the article.
I agree that being an Empath is a curse and a blessing. For years it controled the way I lived. Yet when trying to egnore it, made it even worse. I've to except it at this time of my life, but it's a struggle everyday. I know regret that I didnt try and learn how to control it when I was younger, because it is harder know. How you explained it is pretty good. The only thing I'm surprised about is that you only explain it from people to people. Maybe you should explain a little about the connection between animals and nature it self. For example when a tree is sick or poisoned by pollution to the point that one can feel the struggle and pain the tree gives out. Just a thought...
Ms. Snow,
I'm an eighteen year old junior in high school. I to am an empath and I find it difficult to live with is certain... gift. I have friends who find it strange that I know exactly what they are feeling or how I know when they are lying to me about something. Once my teacher was angry at the entire class and I felt it. I was so angry I stormed out of class because his feeling were so strong. And the issues with the class had nothing to do with me at all. My question to you is will I be able to control this "power"? Will I grow to be strong enough to control?
hi, i read your article. i'm 13 years old and my mother just told me this is common in my family. i talked to my brothers and sister and they agree. i never believed in this, i only saw these things in movies. i guess you could say i was a non-believer. but now so many new things are happening. i feel things, no one can ever lie to me. people tell me their darkest sesrets when i don't think i wanna know. i feel sorry for the popular kids who are so mean to me sometimes, when their hurt or sad i feel sorry for them. my best friend asks me how i could feel sorry for this person, i just shrug, because really i don't know why. maybe know i can come to terms or i can just eccept this and move on wiht my life. any adivce.
Okay Ms. Snow. (I like the name by the way ) I've Come to the conclution that I'm an Empath...
The reason why I say this is because…
The one thing I hate is when people try to understand me, I don’t know why… but when ever someone says they understand me I get all like ‘grrr, you don’t know what your saying’ And I’ve realized that I do this because I’m different.
They don’t know me because I feel pain, confusion, hurt, all those feelings when they don’t even relate to what’s happening in my life. They don’t understand why I sometimes cry for no reason. They don’t understand that I feel Everything but nothing at the same time. (Cause I’m Empathic)
There are a few people that when something is wrong, I feel everything they do.
I Love helping others… I love giving advice and I find it rewarding when I am able to help and solve their problems… Its one of the most rewarding things in life.
I find that being an Empath is like the best gift in the world.
The down side to it is that when ever I’m in school or really when every, I hardly ever feel only my emotions… And Yes, sometimes they are overwhelming; but I’m always able to handle it.
But I’m not totally sure that I’m Empathic.
Because I don’t think that it is possible to get this gift.
I’m starting to wonder if its possible for one of my family members to block me from this gift. Do you have anything else that could help me? Cause i'm trying to figure out what is going on.
Thanks!
i believe im an empath and i dont want this "blessing" or "curse" because its pretty much tearing me apart emotionally, there was a time when i thought of suicide many times and that i knew it wasnt me im not that kind of person and that it would mostly (all the time) happen in my home, and that now i've realized its been my mother that been depressed and it terrifies me knowing that i felt what she felt (depresion,anger,neglected: my father) and it almost lead me to attemped suicide and for a while i always would cut myself when they had an arguement and that i knew it wasnt me feeling it im stronger than that (emotionally) and now i dont know what to do, i would feel "safe" in school because i would be away from them, but now i've been feeling many mixed emotions in school.
there's this girl, shes my friend and that shes very depressed and haves low-self estem issues, i try to help her one time when we were having this self evaluation thingy and the comments to her were negative but truthful, she didnt like it, she became quiet, then all of a sudden i felt a whole bundle of emotions that made me feel overwhelmed and that it made me question her because i knew that she was gonna cry and when i did, she cried and started yelling so i try to calm her down by rubbing her shoulder telling her to calm down and that they were saying their honest opinions and it wasnt supposed to hurt her, and so she did.
it freaked me out because i was feeling depressed,angry,alone, neglected, and i knew it was her because she is a very sensitive person and that she had a tough life and that in intervenes with her growth in the program(that self evaluation thingy) and that its tough for her to grow up because she doesnt want to face her problems. 9i'm still trying to help her) but before i do i need to help myself and i dont know how!!!!!
It is awesome that this is something you write about, there is in fact a lack of information out there about clairsentient and/ or empath form of psychism . Life can change so much when you finally realize that this is what you are, that these emotions are what you experience. I have been an empath as long as I can remember and yes, it can be very, very confusing when you simply don't understand how can you experience so much physical and emotional pain without warning and all of a sudden. I truly applaud that you are writing about this, expand the knowledge. Once one finally understands and realizes this is what we experience, it becomes the stepping stone to continue to grow and control it much better.
thank you once again
blessings!
I get really angry with so called christians who think that anyone who has empath qualities are born of the devil. Its only a lack of understanding to say these things....if we take christ as our figurehead and example.....we can read many passages in the bible where christ himself has used empathic qualities....he not only knew the thoughts of men.....he felt the pain of them to and set about helping, he knew there anguish and there fears, to do this he had a great love of people....their is the key word "LOVE".....empaths have a great love and willingness to help others in need....they can`t help themselfs....its in there nature!
People who came across christ knew who he was before he spoke....an empath quality....we are all born with this gift.....some are more sensitive then others as i have written previously being an empath is like being an athlete.....it takes training ....fine tuning ....if you have a desire to help people then these things will come into play.
Bef
Before i became a christian i was always aware of my abilities....some how knowing things i should`nt of known but would put it to the back of my mind until that something would pop up and i would be left woundering how did i know?....i thought everyone could do this!....as years past some times it was a blessing some times a curse.....but in time i learned to live with it calling it intuition...when i became a christian later on in life i had to smile at my pastor because every time he would prepare a sermon for that sunday i had already had the bascis written in my note book from the night before....like i already knew what he was going to say to the whole church....lol...he would tell me that i must really be in tune with god.... but give me a side ward glance as to say....how did he do that?....he`s only been coming to church for three months?...its because i would pray...meditate...before i went to church and then somehow i knew what was going to be the topic that week in church.....like i say ...fine tuning, as the months went by i was told i would have to have prey against this gift as it was not right....says who?...says the church!!!the fear of or lack of understanding caused me a lot of sadness because it felt so right!....i did have prey against it but it did not work.....so i keept it to myself.... and very disheartened after thee years i left the church . That was some years ago....and i still have my faith but can`t help feeling anoyed at some christians who feel that having empath abilities has no place in the church!...like i have said before the Bible is littered with empathic stories in the scriptures....the word of god inspired by man.
i wonder can u help me, i have been trying to find more info on clairsentience i have the strong feeling that i have this ability everything i have found seems to describe my experience, and yet this info on empaths quite describes me too, i feel i have something more to give but im at a loss for finding real help to understand an develope, there is no help that doesnt require credit card details lol.is there any body that u know of that can genuinly give me help or info on clairsentients i hav looked so much that i am tired lol,
Genna
Thank you for this wonderful empath site! I just learned I am an empath a few days ago and have been doing much reading on the subject. I see that many choose to feel it as a curse or burden, and I feel sad that it is seen that way. I understand why, I have been judged harshly in my life for the way I am, many wanting me to change who I am. So many people simply do not understand our "ways". No matter, I choose to see the positive side of it all. I like that I want to help others without thought of who they are or what they think of me, I like my kindness, my ability to sense the emotions in others and how I wish to offer my ear or shoulder to cry on, I like that I can use this for animals as well, and help them heal from emotional wounds, I like that it allows me to be aware of my own emotions and see what is going on in myself and my environment. Many hugs to all the empaths out there, whether you feel cursed or blessed.
...I can't believe there are so many empaths in the world. It's nice to know that I'm not alone. Thanks guy, I'm so reassured.
I have to agree with the comment that lily made up there, im also a empath and i didnt know until this year and im 18 and i went threw hell not totally understanding what would a;waus be happening to me. I used to honestly see it as a curse and somedays i still tend to but more then not i see it as a gift because i know im a empath for a reason but it is still hard because i am just trying to figure out how to tell others emotions from mine. Now to mr fret i just would like to say that many of the people i met didnt believe me tell i would talk to them about everything they were feeling and tell them why the thing about being a empath is simply this, we just know.
I am not a member here but I will say that this is a great article yet it leaves me with even MORE questions about what I am. I am a christian as well and I cannot believe that i will be damned for having this....ability.
I sent you an email Ms Snow. I hope that you can answer my questions because quite frankly....I am feeling lost and very confused.
Bookmarked.
Afternoon Ms. Snow,
Not sure where to start other than to tell you that reading your article brought me to my knees. Then I grabbed the phone and called my mom. She is one of the few people that share this "gift/curse" with me. And yes, my stomach is tied in knots writing to you. I've had this "g/c" since I can remember. It was worse for me as a child. I had migraines almost every day from the age of 7 to 12. After a slew of doctors and every one of them telling me that there was no medical reason for them I was put on medication. Then of course I had children. Between the dreams, gut feelings and flashes of what is going on at the moment I have become a mess. I stay at home with my youngest and try to avoid everyone I can because I just can't take it. My husband noticed actual physical changes in me in the past couple of years and he took me to a doctor himself. I couldn't explain to the doctor that my symptoms weren't my own. They were of other people's highs, lows and everything in between. Amazingly, my husband and I had just bought a house in HUGE neighborhood at the almost exact moment of the start of the problems. Before that, we lived in a house at the top of a mountain, surrounded by nothing but woods. It was one of the most peaceful times in my life. After buying this house I have been thoroughly traumatized. The past echos of the other people that used to live here and my neighbors has literally destroyed me. My doctor and my husband can't understand that I don't need mood altering medication. I need to learn to block it out again. I just don't remember what I did when I was younger to do it and living an exclusively hermit-like life on that mountain for over three years DID NOT help any. I have actually gotten to the point that I will take the medication at the end of the day because I'm bombarded by my family and neighbors. It's sick and sad that I resorted to it. This "g/c" is destroying me as its never done before. My doc and hubby both think I'm nuts and both are one the verge of placing me in an institution. The one place that will destroy an empath utterly. How do I make them understand that I'm "fine" mentally? That I just need more time and effort on my part and understanding from both of them? I hate the meds but it keeps them off my back until I reign in again. I know I can keep my "walls" up if I just put them back in place. I just need some advice on getting the doctor and my hubby to leave me alone until then. Both of course think I'm crazy. Sorry to pass the buzzing of frustration and confusion on to the empaths that read this. Truly I am. I just need some advice and as I'm sure some of you can tell, the medication fractures my mind and will. Can anyone help me? Has it somehow gotten stronger without my knowing? Or have I let my defenses slip so sadly around me that I'm just an easy target? Oh and btw, I didn't read what ya'll have written about yet. So if I find my answer when I do read it, further apologies.
I need help with this empath-not and empath problem of mine.
Just this week I'd learned that my mother saw auras. She'd seen one on some investor at a presentation, and told us about it. Later that night, I'd asked if any of us had auras. She said that she only sees them sometimes, and that she honestly doesn't know why, how they happen, and if me or my brothers did have them.
But she did say that many people have called me a healer because I was extremely empathic. Since then I'd been researching it, and I'm not sure if I am an empathic or not.
I remember, as a child, seeing a group of very little kids telling another child that they couldn't play with him. Immediately I felt strange emotions that I couldn't discern <<i was just 8, remember>> and I explained to the group of kids "how would you feel if everyone was playing, and you wanted to play, but they wouldn't let you even tho they don't know you?" yet I tried to explain in the nicest way possible because I didn't want to hurt anybody's feelings. I didn't want to make them feel really guilty, I just wanted everyone to be happy and painless.
I'd done similar things, trying to help everyone that I could as a child, and as I've grown older. I often had mixed emotions all the time, even alone. I couldn't let go of any of the emotions, but the dissapeared randomly only to be replaced with a different emotion.
I'm confused, because I don't know if these emotions come from other people. I don't think so, but I can't find any other explanation for my horrible moodswings.
As of late, of been extremely depressed, yet when I'm with a specific two friends I'm suddenly expriencing some happy emotional high, or at least I don't feel the sadness i felt before. It happens with other people too, but I mostly hang around these two friends because for some reason my mood changes (most of the time) rapidly around them.
But, only sometimes I can tell when people are lying to me. It's made me excessively paranoid, and I always think people are lying to me. I'd had the hunch that my best friend and boyfriend were starting to feel something for each other, and a strange emotion went through me. It was really strange because when they said it wasn't true, I thought they were lying and broke up with him.
And she does like him, as it turns out. I don't know if these are all just coincidences or things that are painfully obvious to everyone--or if it actually means I am and empath.
I do feel excessively sad and guilty when I see people that are having trouble and turmoil and things like that, but I'm very confused now.
Any advice or ideas on if I am an empath or not?
About the whole Christian Empath thing ... well, being a practicing Catholic from a very early age, i was kind of used to "supernatural" happenings (although i'd hate to use the word supernatural). I've seen and witnessed the power of God and the Holy Spirit.. and all that jazz. Some time last year, my friend discovered her Empath abilities and asked what my take was on it. As a Christian... i didn't see it as out of the blue or demonly or abnormal. If anything, i think i always knew the prescence of "Empaths" only back then, it didn't have a name. But yeah... i suppose this is something that only you make it. Empath abilities can probably be used to serve God if that hasn't already happened. Empath or not, you're still human. And as Christians, we believe that God loves every single person in spite of their faults and imperfections. Why should being an Empath be any different? ...So, a Christian Empath doesn't seem like such a farfetched thing to me.
Thank you for this article. I have been researching empaths for quite some time now, because I was convinced that it had to be more than just something found in fantasy novels.
Since I was very young (5 or so) I've had people of all ages confide in me, and come to me for help or advice. I did nothing to attract these people, they just came.
I eventually withdrew from social circles as when I hit puberty my abilities seemed to explode, and I could suddenly sense everyones true intentions, and it was depressing how few of them were good.
With the invention of the internet I found ways to interact with people from a distance...then to my horror I discovered my ability to read and attract people was evry bit as strong via cyber space.
It had gotten to the point where I couldn't go grocery shopping with my husband without becoming cranky and angry with him. The collective emotions of those around me would bring me down into the sludge of negative energy. We eventually started going to walmart at like 2 in the morning, because we enjoyed it more.
Then I contacted a psychic. And she taught me a trick, that I will share for your readers. When in public, visualize yourself wraped in a layer of <insert your indistructible substance here> (mine is latex lol) and tell yourself that as long as that shield is up, no emotions but your own will be allowed. It sounds reediculous, and it takes some practice, but it does work, and in time you can learn to allow certain emotions through.
I would very much like to learn more about the healing aspect. I have never healed physically, but I have healed spiritually/emotionally, and found it to be so rewarding that I continue to look for damaged people to heal...despite the fact that it makes me miserable in the process.
From one anti-christ to another, I look forward to reading more from you :-P
I really liked this article, i found it insightful. I am proud to be one of the many empaths in the world, there will always be the many who do not understand and do not care, and yet we still feel compassion for them in times of need and this is not because we choose to but because we were born to. The gift to share emotion through the air is priceless, I believe there is good in any given situation, even the most trying ones. The Intent is good and the intention to change/help is also good.
Some good advice for any empath finding it difficult to control thier gift is to try not to take too much of the other persons thoughts and feelings personally, our eyes and hearts were made for healing but healing ourselves is very important also, everyone else comes before us, we will always be last in turn to be healed in our minds.
Blesed Be!
Hello, everyone, thank you very much for all your experiences. It helps a lot to know there are different interpretations fo empathy.I have tried to look for a place where I fit in. I LOVE God! I tried religion, buddhism helped, meditation helped most of all. I learned that religions don't contradict each other when it comes to the gifts that people are born with. When my daughter was born, I felt like she and I were one person. She and I communicate without words, and to her it is really natural. As a baby she would wake up crying when I had nightmares. I have had a pretty rough life, but since her birth, I felt like she was the only one who really understood me, until I met this other person online. I live in Germany, and he read me like a book from the US. He gave all my "symptoms" a name. So I began to research on being an empath. I find that all of the signs have been there all along, but after a really bad experience in my life, I DID block all emotions. I was an emotional zombie for years, until my daughter was born, and since then I have strange dreams. For example, when the Irak war started, I dreamed that a good friend of mine had been shot. He is a solier, and I had not seen him in some time. I woke up from that dream, and my chest hurt for like a week. I had no marks, no sign that I had slept wrong, or anything. I just felt panic, and pain, and I knew it didn't come from me. I kept having flashbacks when I was awake, and I couldn't take it anymore. I wrote my friend, called him, and when nothing came back I just knew that something had happened to him. He had, in fact been shot in the chest by an iraki soldier during his patrol, at exactly the time I had had this dream. This kind of thing happens to me, in my dreams. I feel people, most of all in my dreams. I know when things are wrong back home, and if my sister or my good friends are in distress. But when I am awake, I can't say I feel like running away from crowds, or that I am constantly depressed by other people. I do get depressed, anxious, sad, incredibly happy, without having any event occurring to me directly. And I hate to be touched, because I feel like I can zap directly into the other person's energy. I have known intuitively that its not MY emotion. My family has always been open to speak about extraordinary undescribable experiences, so I have never been afraid of this gift. I have been hospitalized for phantom pains and illnesses that come from nowhere. HATE to go to funerals, because I feel too much pain, and sometimes I also pick up on things that I cant name, evil would be the best description. I can also tell that a person is lying, and I hate to watch TV because I do cry at commercials, and feel sick when watching war or scary movies. News about children getting hurt can leave me struck for days. Music changes my mood a whole lot, and so does art. I feel like I#m another person for a moment, when I am exposed to them. I have learned to not second-guess myself when I feel things for or with other people, because sometimes the way they look is incongruent with the way they are inside. My question is, am I an empath? Could my daughter be one too? She seems to pick up on people before they even say hello. Could I somehow learn to use my gift to heal people? I know I can do this, but my fear blocks me from doing more. I would like to know more about all this.
Blessings to all of you who have written, and thanks Isa for the great hub! I look forward to reading you again.
Im 14, and I am an empath. Its not a horrible ability but its sure as hell not fun.
Ever since I was little, eg. If someone was sad about something happening that was out of my control, I would feel enormous guilt, even if it wasn't related to me.
This is still like this to this day. I can sense the emotions of others and my emotions are like a rollarcoaster, going out of control when im just walking through school.
one day im happy, one day im sad, one day im overhappy, and one day im depressed.
no im not bi-polar . I can always sense the true intentions of others and I know when someones lying to me.
At the same time, I have, over time been able to block some of these emotions around me out, my logic is that when new emotions hit me from others, dont think about it, I dont let myself think about it because although im already feeling their emotions, when I fully let them in, trust me, its chaos.
People always confide in me, i have some ability that comforts people to tell me things, things they wouldn't tell anyone else. Some people have told me things that they have told no one else in their life, yet they choose to tell me.
Trust me, being an empath is nothing short of annoying, but at the same time it can be useful. Don't think its some paranormal wonderful gift, because its not.
It's an enormous responsibility to hold on your shoulders.
I really want to thank you for your article. I was wondering if you know of anyone who specifically works with empaths to help them block negative emotions? I've always been really sensitive, ever since I was a really little kid, and my parents made me go to many doctors who proceeded to tell me that I was either bipolar or had some kind of anxiety disorder. I was put on anxiety meds that never worked. It wasn't until recently that my aunt confided to me that she is empathic and thought that I was too. I work at an animal hospital and can definitely feel the emotions of the animals that come in...especially the really sick or nervous ones. Usually I can handle it and just end up feeling really tired and drained by the end of the day. But recently I noticed that if I come into physical contact with an animal, the feelings are overwhelming. I was holding a dog the other day who began to hyperventilate - and I knew instinctually that he was panicking and not just panting - next thing I know I've fainted dead out on the floor and there are people waking me up. It's been several days, but I still have this horrible ache in my chest and I feel terrible. This is the third time this has happened. I don't know what to do...none of the doctors believe me (obviously)...please...any help would be useful. I love working with at the hospital, but I'm afraid I won't be able to continue if I can't learn to block the negative emotions. The worst part is, the animals always seek me out wherever I am in the room and proceed to get themselves as close as they possibly can to me, and all I want to do is help them, but I'm so afraid of having another episode. The other problem I have is when people have to put their animals to sleep. Even if I'm not in the room, I get this uncontrollable urge to cry and I usually have to go sit alone somewhere for awhile to let it out. I'm afraid the doctors think I'm really unprofessional, but I can't help it, it's like I have no control. I'm totally desperate and just looking for someone who understands. Thanks in advance for any help you can give.
I am United Methodist clergywoman and have finally put a name on this "bane and blessing" thing --and I am an empath. In some Christian tradition, special gifts are called "charisms" and I see this as a gift from God, made sense of by the unconditional love of Jesus Christ. I have to learn how to develp[ my shield better, but this article, along with others, has really helped me to see what is going on with me, especially in decisions of grave importance, which, in my position, I do make....SKCJ
I've almost cried as I've read one comment after another. My daughter is an empath. It's making her life unbearable to the point of physical illness. An insightful therapist pointed this out and i've tried to do some research. She can't handle public school and has dropped out. It was overwhelming. Her anxiety level is at a critical point. She is extremely difficult to live with because all the frustrations are taken out on myself and her little brother. She says she wakes up at night paralyzed and can't move. She sometimes feels as though she is burning hot, can't breathe and is anticipating a panic attack at any time. I understand this on a cerebral level but I'm sure I have no idea empathetically what she is going through. For the anxiety I was hoping meds would help but now I'm not so sure. What can I do to help her? She has been different from day one, edgy, unhappy, moody, volatile. I've always wondered if her prematurity caused her to be lacking in a spiritual "skin" .
Being an Empath is not necessarily a good thing, particularly when you're just figuring out what's going on. My earliest memory of my parents is the unbelievable happiness and sorry my parents seemed to have in the early years of my life; they were happy I was born, but for some reason the idea brought them sorrow. I didn't learn until later that I had had an older brother who died shortly after being born and that was what explained this, but it certainly didn't make any sense earlier in my life.
The empath issue has also severely negatively impacted my social life. when I was younger I withdrew from people as much as possible and in many ways cut off all feeling. I repressed all feeling, mine and anyone else's just so I could survive. Even now at school I have to eat lunch alone just to get a break from other people. It's getting worse because I'm trying in large part to figure out how to deal with my emotions as compounded by everyone else's.
More proof? Today I knew something horrible happened. What news ended up coming up later? My great aunt died, and I started feeling sorrow, anxiety and sickness when my grandpa found out his sister had died. It's not fun, it's distracting and can be debilitating.
In some ways it is a 'gift' since I can help my friends when they need it (like when one of my best friend's dad died) but at the same time it makes things worse (like last year when I missed school for a week because everyone around me was stressed and tired and it was multiplying my own stress and fatigue and making me sick). So it's a mixed bag. I hope it will get better and that I can learn to live alongside my own feelings on top of everyone else's.
Charlene, my heart goes out to you and your daughter. Having gone through simmilar things when I was her age, I'd be happy to talk to her and give her what little advice I do have.
Feel free to e-mail me. ScorpioVampiress@yahoo.com
I've just read this artical, Its taken me many years to understand myself and put a finger on what I do, but I've come to realise I could be an empath then read this and wow some of it is spot on!
I just know how someone feels at any given time.. even if they show no outward signs.. I dont have to even be close to them because I can kinda put myself in their shoes at a distance and even unrelated things come to mind.
I feel an affiliation with people.. often making excuses for bad things because I see the distant past that brought them to the act this way.. even when I know nothing about the person.
I can also find myself withdrawn because of the way people use each other on a daily basis and lie.. which I always spot in an instant and know why too.
People seem to talk to me more than usual about emotional problems because I've an ability to understand and be open minded.
there is far more but at 48 years of age I've always been aware of these things from as long as I can remember. I've just always said "its what I do".
Certainly I am very eager to find out more and develope this, now i have a word for it!
I was talking to a lady who told me that I should look into seeing if I was an empath because I am a very sensitive person. All of those signs apply to me except for the healing and feeling illness. I've never tried to heal anyone, and the most I feel is a bit of a pang when someone is ill because I just feel like I understand what they're going through.So, I'm thinking that I'm probably not an empath, but I am someone who feels extreme empathy. There was a scene on-screen with gumballs raining from the sky that made me cry. And every time those commercials with the children come on, it kills me with sadness.
Soooo this might come across as offensive, and I definitely don't intend for it to be, but um, it seems that these signs can apply to most everyone. Maybe I am wrong, it isn't like I talk to more than a handful of people regularly, but it seems like a valid point. I experience all of the above signs, ALL of them, and I have for as long as I can remember, and yes, I feel separate from most people because I seem to feel and know things too intensely, but I'm not religious AT ALL. Aside from my fixation on nature, I don't know that I have all that much spirituality in me either...how can you distinguish, between personality characteristics and being an actual...empath?
i think i may be an empath..i mean i just always thought i was emptional and caring but after reading this...how can i be certian and how can i test them?
hello i have just recently found out that i am indead an empth and i would just like to say that it explains so much at this point but what i came here to find was what to do next i wont to find some peace and know what to do if you could help me i would be forever thankful
This has been a very helpful article. I have been aware of my Empath ablitites since I was in the third grade but I have not known what it was or what it was called till today. I used to think what I could do was rare. I have over time learned to control some parts of this. I have learned to keep my emotions surpressed so they do not overwelm me. Yet, there are some people whose emotions are so strong I cannot control. This only happens if I am close to this person though. When something bad happens to someone close to me, whether it is human or animal, it brings great pain to me before I even know it has occured. I am able to use these abilities over great distances with the same ease as if I was right next to the person. Though I does not chose to it comes to me when the person needs me most. I believe the way to control this is through yourself. You have to learn to control it in your own way. Educating yourself is how to start the process of contoling it. You cannot control what you do not understand. The healing part will probably the hardest for me to take control of. I have used it before and it took alot out of me. I hope this little bit has helped at least a little.
so if anyone could just tell me what the next move is it would be nice becasue it i wont to know how to control it
Hi All -- A good place to start learning more about Empaths is Freya's Conscious Living blog. This link will take you there http://freyasden.blogspot.com/
Being empathic has nothing to do with what religion we are - or are not. Someday, someone will discover why some people are empathic (different brain chemicals?) but for now all this talk about empaths being Satanical or whatever, is simply a non-issue. Some people on this site are really hurting and have sincerely asked for guidance. Let's not give them lectures. Many people, myself included, have had difficulty dealing with some of the basics of living. We have had doubts about ourselves. Because we're empathic we can be ultra-sensitive sometimes and when we have doubts about ourselves they are usually deeper, wider and more painful. When we feel - we really feel! When we have emotional "problems" they can stop us in our tracks. As I stated in a previous post, I am a proponent of professional counseling, therapy or whatever you want to call it. Trying to go it alone with your problems is going to keep you stuck. However, not all counselors are right for all people. Find one you trust and who seems to understand. Most cities have places where you can get counseling for free. And there are support groups like Adult Children of Alcoholics, AA, NA etc. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the number of sensitive people you find there. Or maybe just talking with a trusted friend could be a good start. As empaths we tend to hide away and keep all our pain to ourselves. As backward as it may sound, talking about your fears, doubts and pain can set you free from a lot of misery. It won't make you less empathic but it can help you to become stronger, happier and more empowered. Let's believe in ourselves and invest in ourselves because we are worth it.
i'm an empath and it drives me crazy at school your right it's not easy when i was a kid i got migranes and knew somebody was hurt, and i can heal...well could, i had a friend bind those parts so i could live abit without them, but i've had people talk to me and wheni ask them why they just say cause i'm a good person i ask them how they know they always say they've got a feeling
hello i no for a fact i am an empath, i am only a 16 year old male and i am stuggling very hard with it. plz if you could help me it would very very apresiated. my email is darkfairyprince666@hotmail.com (im not satanic a friend gave it to me and i accepted since i need one right then and there) thank you so vary much.
I have some abillities the best way to describe it is the ultimate adrenaline rush and i have a 3rd person view of myself i have used this to save lives i have also learner do convert it to phssical power and io have done things that are said to be impossible. My triggers are pain and anger i have learned to manipulait pain and controll it to some degree. I use my "Power" during fights and the people watching can not believe what they see eze. I git jumped and took on 8 guys bigger and older than me. This ability also comes with grait pain such as ADD,Migraines,Depression. i have found a girl and she is helping me through this. Unlike most i do not want to get rid of this i am embracing it and learning to controll it i have gotten this far on my own. I am currently working on stopping pain altogether rather than absorbing it although i do have a high pain tollerance. If you can help me you may email me gunman353@aim.com i am also very Christian i think of it as a blessing and curse from God.
I am very happy to find this site. I have always told people I have a strong gift of discernment. I have never referred to it as a gift, it is more of a curse. It is draining enough to deal with self but factor in a room full of people carrying emotional baggage. My favorite show is charmed and several years ago one of the characters became an empath it was then I learned the term and started researching. I have found this page both interesting and helpful and I plan on learning as much time as can...please feel free to comment if need be. Magnatism5@msn.com
I am so happy to finally read something that has this right. It is such a relief to have it explained so well. i found out a few years ago about this. I always thought there was something wrong with me until my boyfriend at the time explained this to me. since then i have learned so much on how to control it and cope with it. I look forward to reading what else you have to say.
i'm not gonna pretend that i know what all these words mean... because i dont. i simply was trying to find answers to some of the stuff i have been going through. its been very tough for me i am in highschool and do not seem like the typical guy that would be going through phases where one minute ill be completely fine and the next overwhelmingly drained. i thought i was a head case. i even went to the doctor to see if i could take medicine for depression and was examined for bi-polarism. i wont announce that i believe i am an empath, althoguth i do believe in the existance, but i will say that after reading you "7 Signs You're An Empath" article that i relate in almost everyway. so who knows i'll have to just go on with life with the thought that i is a possibility. i know my brother is one it has become very obvious to me, but he tries to tell me that i am one too. little by little it makes more sense to me but as of right now i am not completely 100% that i am. i am not looking for you to tell me yes you are, or no you're not. it just makes me feel better knowing that i may not be crazy and that this may be something i can develope. just writing this took a load off..
I have found some good info for empaths. Quiz farms has a test that can help tell you what type of empath you are. Also The Book Of Storms is full of info and a course to help
I really do believe in it I have had all those symptoms since I can remember walking. Can anyone else relate please email me and lets talk. I can feel ya.
I can sense so much sometimes in the past It drove me to drink so much to numb the feelings but they would come back the minute I came out of my dunkedness....
wow... this probably explains my mood swings whenever my mom comes home.throughtout the weekend i fell happy and excited then when my mom comes home i feel exausted and angry. i can also feel my aunt's migranes. they arnt pretty. i can also tell when my firend's boyfriends just broke up with them. even if im not close to them. i feel heart borken and i start to cry and cant stop. my friends look at me like im crazy when im able to tell what they are feeling even when they are hiding it. thats why my friends text me when they are feeling down or angry so i will know why in the world am i angry or sad or even depressed and sucidal. dont worry about the sucidal person im helping them out right now. thank you so much for actually pointing out what is the matter with me. i really apperciate it. Now im going to figure out how to controll it so i can get back to school.
I believe that instead of fighting who you are take the time to get to know your self. Find ways to express your gift. Buy a deck of Tarot cards. The Gilded deck is the best one I have used. It can really help. I found the book of storms on the net, and so much of what my cards have told me are in this book. It is worth the 40$ to get a deck that speaks to you. I have 4 decks and I can feel more calling to me. Educate yourself my dad always tells me!
Wow!! I did something pretty cool last night. My niece asked me to do a card reading for her. We were talking on msn. She wants to know what to do about feelings she has for a guy she use to go out with. Make a long story short. I focused on her and the guy for a few seconds, and the waves of feelings I got were unreal. My chest was tight, but at the same time it was as f something was pulling, but my heart felt so restricted. I told her how I felt and she said I was dead on right. This is what I assume is called a remote reading. I was sooo excited. I am bound and determined to master this gift. I have read a good part of the book of storms. It is pretty cool to take my education and apply my knowledge. Embrase who you are and learn. Do not fight it or it will make you crazy. Blessed be!
I too, just recently realized that I am an empath. I'll never forget that night, each sentence I read gave me a new sense of belonging...one I've never felt. I am a 31 year old nurse and single mom of 3. I have worked in long term care for about 10 years now and so much is becoming clear to me because of what I'm learning through this research. I am able to connect with others in ways most caregivers can't/don't. We recently had an elderly woman come into our facility that every person that went in her room basically flew out of the door within seconds with an exasperated look on their faces..."No WAY!" they would yell. There is no way we can handle this lady. I calmly and confidently walked into her room and without a doubt...I could tell why they felt that way. Others could not look past the cursing and stripping behaviors to see the abuse this woman suffered at the hands of her daughter. I knew within moments of just sitting and watching her attempt to interact with me in such rude tones, that she was exactly where she needed to be and that she would come to fit in in our facility just fine. Of course no one believed me. But now when I walk in in the morning and greet her, I can't help but light up on the inside as she smiles and politely addresses me back.
Over the years I have also had incredible experiences with death. There are times when I can sense that someone is going to be going soon. We had a married couple in the facility who truly could not live without each other. The man went on hospice as his disease process progressed and the woman was able to walk around and care for herself pretty much independently. A few weeks ago, I mentioned to a coworker that I felt we would lose her before we did him, which made no sense to them. That night I came in to put in some extra hours in the middle of the night which I rarely do. I was not at all surprised to hear one of our aids report to the nurse that this woman needed a nurse because something was wrong. I went to her room and held her hand. I knew she was going...within just moments, she drew her last breath. She and I had a connection and I am so glad that I was able to be there for her during her passing. Interestingly enough, as other staff members cry at the loss of their beloved patients, I experience a feeling of release and a feeling of gratefullness that their suffering is now done.
On this board so many have spoken of the negative aspects of being an empath. And I have experienced, and still do experience them also. Throughout my life so far, I have been at the depth of despair more times than I care to mention. I've been treated for depression and was at one time convinced that by killing myself and giving my children to my mother (who was verbally abusive to me growing up) that they would be better off. I have had only one true friend that knows my soul since I was 15. I have longed for companionship over the years, only to feel shunned by others time and time again. It is just a feeling that I am different than others and don't belong. I have spent years of my life with a desparate aloneness that is difficult to explain and haunted by feelings of despair and self hatred that I cannot shake. It is only now that I know and understand what a tremendous gift all of this has been. Knowing I'm an empath doesn't not make me feel sorry for myself. It makes me feel empowered. I know and believe in my heart and soul that there is now a purpose for the pain that I have endured. If we have been given this gift, it is not so we can suffer...but so we can help those that suffer and are unable to find there way out of it. People need us and our gift. I know that so many of you reading this are thinking...I am so sick of being needed...what about what I need!? I understand. I too, am just beginning to learn about this. I have been overweight for years (I read that often ancient healers were overweight as they felt they needed it to buffer the negativety they take on), I often struggle just to get out of bed or do basic daily self care tasks that should be routine. I have sat my own needs aside in life because I take on the needs, emotions and wants of others. If we have been given this, then I honestly feel that there must be a way that we can do it to help others without letting it destroy ourselves.
Love what Lily said about nature and music/art. Never in my life did I think anyone else would ever understand how vividly nature and colors and music resonate in my soul. When I have gone to synphonies, I don't just sit and joyfully listen like others do. I lean back in my chair, rest my head, close my eyes and let the beauty of it, the essense of it seep into my soul. No one has ever understood it, they just look at me as if I'm a complete idiot. I can feel a certain energy from art. It too, can be so incredibly heaing. But so far, nothing is as healing to me as nature. To sit on a rock in the middle of the stream with the sun basking down on me brings me a bliss that is undescribable. The sound of the flowing waters, the sparkle reflected off of it from the sun, the smell of fresh air and how it feels whisping through my hair. It's like I am home. And every question I have ever asked when I am in this environment, I have received a wise answer to. Maybe this is the secret for us. To use what we have to help others. But also to take time to center ourselves and lose ourselves in the joy of sensitiveties that only we are able to feel. This cannot just be a burden or about experiencing the pain of others. There must be something special for those of us who are burdened so deeply by the emotions of others.
Something that I experience on a daily basis when I'm functioning optimally is Psychic attack while driving and/or feeling others energy while driving.What I did was, if say I was driving and switched lanes and started feeling some negative energy,followed by a psychic attack wich I actually feel as a sharp pain in the Subtle Body and the Physical Body,well what I then did was look around at my enviornment to detect where this negative energy has come from.Usually it was the person driving in front of me or to the side of me.And all that I would do is move the energy out and away and off of me.Just by puttin my hands in the air I can usually feel where its coming from.Then I'd utilize a form of my Loving energy to push it away,ptocessing it and transmuting it,was something that I did at first but that was tiring,no doubt it was at a certain time,I learned alot from doin those functions.Now however,I've found that when I sense the negative energy and start to move it out or block it,while driving that was bringing more attention to what I was doin to the driver in front of me,and that led to more psychic attack and me utilizing more energy to Psychicly defend.And I still have a blemish in my hand from the last time I did this and it hurt for like a week.So in my experience the less attention that I bring to what I'm doing the better off I be.Found better ways to do this.Crystals and The Beings of Light that are with them have Helped me tremendously in this event.Another type of feeling that I'd get was a feeling like there are worms or tentacles drilling into my head.There are many techniques to dealing with this and I'm still learning every day.Choosin to keep movin forward.The reason why I did this is cause I Feel the right to protect mysSelf within in my space wich I deem my aura.I Feel I have the Birthright to defend my space Cosmicly,protecting and defending with the energy of Love,has been a learning experience.Ive'found it of most benefit to do this in a way that assists in showing UnConditional Love to the other
I am a 21 year old college student and am 100 % positive I am an empath. The only way i can explain how i feel is in waves. Literally when I walk into a room i can feel someones emotions hit me in the chest. I can look someone in the eyes and know what they are thinking sometimes even down to the exact words they are going to use. I do not think i am a mind reader, I do believe i am ridiculously intuitive. I had an especially hard time in high school , i credit this now to the emotional ups and downs of my peers. I literally have people spill their inner most thoughts to me daily, people on the street, people that come into my work , classmates, and my roommates are especailly hard on me. I have one roommate who i am so intune with I usually answer questions before she asks them, suffer from her physical ailments and have slight panic attacks. As I have grown older I am learning more and more ways to filter out feelings I also sometimes have the ability to make premonitions but have no control over this ability and at times it can be extreme disconcerning... I have an incredibly hard time being mad at anymore even when they do wrong to me, but I have a very strong personality and speak my mind, so i dont credit this to fear of rejection.. Reading between the lines and body language literally screams at me... Music is usually my escape So thank you for everyone that has posted and makes me feel not so alone. ,
thank you for this article. i noticed about a year back that i was picking up on peoples emotions and that it was the reason for the constant mood swings my girlfriend gets worried about sometimes. it was only late last night though that i discovered there was a word for it. so i googled it tonight and found this site. i was wondering if there was a way to help control the moodswings or atleast lessen the severety of them.
i'm new to all of this. i was wondering if there's a way to lessen the impact of oncoming emotions. my girlfriend always wonders whats wrong with me cause i'll constantly change moods and i always end up telling her that i don't know why i feel like i do.
THANKS so much for this article. I've been going nuts lately trying to come to terms with 'what' or 'who' I am. I experience all these on a daily basis.. my poor boyfriend lol I don't know he puts up with me! Anyway, I go through all except for the healing part... I have healed my grandma a couple times from illness or heart attacks about to strike but when I healed I didn't absorb those things into my body. It's possible to be an empath without that part, right? I don't think I want that anyway..
As I was reading your article, it brought me to tears because I felt several ways that you've described an empath as being. I have so many ups and downs- I'm not sure, maybe I'm actually bi polar- but I really feel like I'm a punching bag to the world sometimes. One time, my boyfriend was depressed about something and I just started crying my eyes out, and it shouldn't really have affected me as much. I am Wiccan and I believe in energies and stuff like that, so I think it is definitely possible that empaths and stuff like that exist. Sometimes I get a really nervous feeling especially when I get near large groups of people. For example, I go to a lot of my boyfriend's shows that his band plays in, but sometimes I just feel this whirlwind of emotions, I just breakdown and don't usually have good experiences there. I have always tried imagining myself as people and reading people when I was younger. I don't really want to be an empath just because i'm sure some people find it cool or something, it's just me trying to find the right explanation for all my emotions and how I sometimes go from extremely depressed to extremely happy, to very nervous. I am alone most of the time. It's usually not my fault that I am alone a lot, since my friends and I don't go anywhere a lot in our spare time. I feel loneliness driving me crazy, but yet I can't bring myself to make friends with anyone else. Hmmm... well I don't think I'll ever be sure if I'm an empath, but you wrote a very thorough article anyways. <3
Everything in your article made absolute sense to me. Thank you for explaining why I feel the way I do. You've helped me a great deal!
like i have said in a previous post that i know i am a 16 year old empath and a sophmore in high school, but resently the empathic side has becomeing alarminging stonger, its not like it use to be when only a very powerful, stong emotion could get to me but now im feeling EVERYTHING. i have not left my house in 3 weeks other then school becouse just being around anyone drives me crazy, i drive my boyfreind (im gay) crazy becouse in a matter of seconds i can go from very happy and gitty to depressed and sad. at one point last week i was on the vergue of suicide untill a freind i met on this page helped me out of it. i am wiccan and i have tryed so many wiccan spells, potions, tecnikes but none work. if anyone can help me with any ifmormation at all it would be grately apreshiated, since i can not stand being outside from the feeling i am always on MSN and you can reach me at darkfairyprince666@hotmail.com (i am not satanic like i said im wiccan but i needed a email right then vand there and my freind gve me a old one and i just felt to lazy to get difrent one) plz add me on msn, yahoo, aim or anything and help me, thank you so much
omg. someone who understands the way i have to live just to survive. i prefer the company of animals and other non human life forms, but unfortunatelt i am trapped in this existence where I have to live with human company and its excrutiating at times. I, personally, am quite happy with myself and how I am, but getting whacked with others emotions and negativity is draining and debilitating. Till i read this i often thought i was nuts, but only because its the general consesus of opinion. for the first time, I have some hope of being able to help others without getting damaged in the process. Thank you.
I, as a young girl of only thirteen am finding it hard to control myself when the emotions of others threaten to take hold.School, I find is the hardest place to be, around every corner there is a new emotion, a new feeling and it is hard to cope!I find that as soon as I am alone all I can do is cry.No one I know understands how this feels which is why i have succumbed to google-ing the term 'empath'. You were right about the nuber of articals focussed souly on video-games, If more empaths understood their abilitys hopefully there would be more articals like this around.Thi brings me back to what i origianly wanted to say, I DO understand my abilitys I just don't know how to keep them under control.one moment I can be feeling so happy, so very excited and cannot stop smileing, the next moment I have my mothers PMS.I get so confused, I find it hard to tell which feelings are my own and which are other peoples.I do,as you mentioned in this artical,suffer other peoples illnesses without even realising it at the time. Take a few months ago for example, I was in agony, The cramps in the side of my stomach were bad , then they just vanished.A few hours later we get a phone call, a friend of mine whom I have since i was born but have not seen for about 4 years, had to have her appendix out as it could of turned cancerous if left untreated, appariently a few hours previous she had just come out of theatre. think about it what else happened a few hours previous of that phone call...The pain i was experiencing stopped!I do not just feel others emotions, I tend to pick up on how they feel as well. Its like I can sence if someone is bored of what someone else is saying even if they look interested in the conversation. do you know what I mean???A particular intrest of mine is reading fan-fiction online, I tend to create an emotional lin with one of the carecters in the story and if they experience pain,I do to...if they cry in the story then i do to...if they laugh i have this strange sense of happiness wash over me!Its all so confusing. Please if you or anyone reading this knows how to control this then please can you give me some advice. As of late it seems that everyone I know is either upset or in some other form of emotional pain.thanks to anyone who gets back to me.Leia x
Wow, Wiping away the tears here. There truly is nothing fun about being "an empath". Its overwhelming, draining and most of all isolating. Most people hate that they aren't as mysterious as they think and others that want you to lighten their load are leeches that suck you dry. thanks for the article, best one i've ever read on the subject.
I am an empath and I don't like it because I spend most of my life alone by myself (it feels good and comforting and my family says it isn't healthy but I like it and rather it be that way) I pick up on the slightest emotions and I love watching reality shows because I know how a person really feels and why they really act the way they do. when I am around a crowd I feel very uptight and in discomfort but I get a different feeling when I feel that people have a good spirit. I am a christian and I can not help being a empath, it comes natural, i wouldnt do anything that is not of God so I use my ability to help people. Most people who know me will usually come to me when they are feeling down because I know how to handle there emotions, people who are not empaths can probably relate in some way and say its nothing but unless you are like us empaths, you will never know exactly what it feels like becuase you are truly dont have that gift.
I forgot to add if you are a christian, they like to call it discerning rather than being an empath which is a gift from GOD because my moms friend is a prophesy and she told my mom that i had a gift of discerning when I was two years old and I reacted in that way like I had a gift so it was noticeable to my mom. empaths are not bad just like you can be a prophecy and use it in a Godly way or be a pyschic/fortune teller and use it in a demonic way. Its how you go about using your gift. Empaths as of myself love animals because my dog is my best friend. If you want to email me with questions are comments you can email me at quackruffmeow@yahoo.com I check my email all thoughout the day. When I am in public I try to deal with other people emotions by looking straight not looking at nobody and keeping my mind occupied with good thoughts, when I pick up emotions I usually become angry with that person if I know their intentions are wrong but I am a nice person and I am a christian. It helps me in choosing my boyfriends and friends so It isnt all bad but it is hard living life as an empath and like i said if you are not an empath you cannot relate... this is for those who do have empathy feelings but it is nothing like being an empath, nothing.
hello everyone, i am grateful to learn so much from the experiences described here. it is very late. i like the wee hours because it is a quiet time with much less swirling emotion out there on the roads. my companion, she is in her own room and i know she is awake and that the roof of her palate is sore. this morning i gently cried her tears for hours-most of the day, in my room even when not noticing hardly-just tears rolling down. last week she was talking to me before i was fully awake and all at once i felt the full force of her anxiety and fear in my stomach but now i am feeling what is beneath the fear.
up till the anxiety i mostly felt others physical pain-my mothers left hand was numb last week and that stayed with me. and as so many of you say, being in malls is not the greatest at all. i have been looking for rv's and she said that it was to abandon her. it was said in a hurtful way even while i was crying her tears. and when i wrote her a note and sent a poem she did not reply. so for now i have her pain and a mixed bag of emotions that i cannot sort-just an uneasiness.
but wait heres one--DO YOU EVER HAVE THE THOUGHT THAT AFTER THIS LIFE, THEY WILL SEE THE TRUTH THE FULL TRUTH OF THE BLINDNESS AND HOW MUCH THEY UNDERESTIMATED YOU OR SEE HOW MUCH PAIN IT CAUSED AND HOW THERE WAS NO WAY THAT YOU COULD EVER CHANGE THIER WAY OF NOT SEEING OR FEELING. BLESSINGS
Fretbuzz, I have been a very faithful christian woman my whole life. I am not possessed and I have endured this my entire life. Don't even begin to tell me that I am possessed or involved in something evil. This is confusing for me. You sound like I'm evil for something I can't control. You believe that miracles existed so many years ago and God could work through people to perform miracles what is so different about being an Empath? God works in mysterious ways. Maybe the world is too evil to see the sea parted at this time. Do you understand what I am saying?
I just read your article and it described me to a t. I can definately relate to the part about homeless people and now understand why I have such a strong urge to help them and have been doing so for 2 years now in a homeless shelter. No one could understand why I would do this for free, and I could never convey the feelings I have inside. I can sense peoples energy immediately, and sometimes would take on their pain as my own, and soon they were feeling so great, while I wanted to cry my eyes out. I always can see through others masks and tell if someone has ill intentions towards me. Everything in the article is me to a t. Thank you for writing it. Now I understand it and I dont feel so alone.. and strange. Thanx
Wow. Here's another big 'thank you' from a newbie. This morning has been a transforming experience for me. I'm realizing what I've been telling and fighting myself about my whole life. In grade school I cried after school everyday and knew it was because I was a "sponge" who soaked up others' pain and anger and agression.
Does this energy we feel, come from others' history of unreleased emotions or simply what they are feeling at the time?
I know that I am certainly an empath, but I've followed a slightly different path. I am relatively outgoing and friendly, and I am a peacebringer and unifier. I form alliances of people around myself by unknowingly helping and comforting them during crises, and I seek out people who need help bearing an emotional weight, partially because I feel it's my duty or obligation, but moreover because I'm innately drawn to it.
My life is usually quite hectic and dramatic simply because of the web of people I immerse myself in. I also normally see this web of chaos as fun and as an adventure, because they are people I have selected, but over the last few months, I've gone into a very dark and paralyzing depression (for the second time in my life).
I know for a fact that the emotional burden of the world is very heavy at this time in history, but this depression is coming to an end for me for finally. *hooray springtime* In retrospect, though, I am trying to identify the source of this depression...
I never knew what an empath was, or that it was real, until about an hour ago. To be honest, I don't feel like I'm good at reading people's true intentions, I give EVERYONE the benefit of the doubt - to a fault. I feel like I'm too suggestible, in that I'm easy to manipulate.
What I just realized about this suggestibility, though, is that I'm sensing another's disappointment when I say "no" or that I'm sensing someone's fear when I challenge them, and this is why I don't do either of those things very often. I see myself as a pushover or a servant because I'm always trying to make everyone around me happy.
I have a lot more to say but I'll keep going all day, but thank you for the information and *hello* out there to all my fellow empaths. I hope you enjoyed or identified with something I said, and I just sent you all hugs; I know you got them.
I didn't read everyone's comments, but I would like to comment to the person who said empathy is a gift from the devil.
I am an empath, and I have connected to "God" in the senses I was one with God. God most definitely gives people healing gifts and the gift of empathy. A human made book has blinded people to God's gifts and miracles, which makes God so terribly sad. Part of my gift is speaking to God and letting others, that have been brainwashed by humans, know that he is still talking to people, loves and cares for people, and isn't planning on sending everyone to hell forever. I find it funny that so many religious people believed God just stopped talking after the last chapter of the bible was written. Do you think he doesn't see all the destruction Christian has caused? But most Christians stopped listening to God hundreds of years ago, and they wont listen to the ones sent to them by God, cause they don't believe they exist and that it must be the devil. Stubborn.
I know this gift seems terrible at times, but because of you the world is healing.... Have faith and find solitude.
I am a confirmed Christian and dearly love going to church but I also identify with all the points above. In my confirmation lessons the first question I asked was how can I be a christian if I believe in evelution and the answer he gave me was 'you can' I was so shocked that we then spent the next hour discussing it. It made me realise that just because I believe in god doesn't mean I can't also believe in other things. I am now very relaxed, attend church regularly and don't feel I need to dress like a hippy or be part of some cult to fit in. My friends (of which I'm blessed with many) accept as I am, they know I know how they feel and even what they're thinking and they just except it because they love me for me :)
It was lovely to read this, I won't be doing anything with this thing I can do but it's just nice to know I'm not a weirdo freak that I alsways thought I was.
Thank you.
This is funny, but not ha ha funny. I was told when I was younger that I was an Impath by my now deceased Mother, she told me that her father and her grandfather were as well, my life? it has been (for the most part) miserable as I can not hold back how I feel to others, more then once I have been asked not to touch someone cause I felt they needed me to touch them, I feel their pain , I can not handle the emotional side of death it scares me more then death itself , I can not guess the card your holding or tell you how much you weight by looking at you , but if you are sad, truly sad and are anywhere near or around me I feel it ...and it depresses me , for years I thought I was just crazy and then later I thought bi polar but nothing seemed to fit until I run into this blog..I have all 7 signs and others too, I see my future in my dreams if it is horrible or traumatic then I dream it I saw the end of my marriage , the trauma of being accused of a crime I did not commit and the drowning death of my two year old son...all before I was 15 teen and I passed them off as deja vus as some of us do, I would not wish this state of being on the worst of my worst enemies or even yours, or would I glorify these feelings I have to a park bench I am just glad I was able, in my life time to put a label on what kind of freak I really am my mother was right...thank you.
I've been an empath my whole life, but it wasn't until I got into my 20's that I learned the term and started to learn how to deal with it. I don't consider it to be supernatural becuase that would indicate that it is outside of nature, which is simply not possible. Every person comes into this life with certain gifts. Being an empath is no different that someone who is gifted at music or painting. It is simply a natural talent (whether you want it or not).
Yesterday I attended a meditation workshop. During the workshop I got an intense pain in my neck. First I asked God (Spirit, Source, Universe, whatever you want to call it) if this pain belonged to me or someone else. Once it was identified as someone else's I "felt" my way around the room until I was certain whose pain it was. During the meditation I energetically reached out to her and tried to ease the pain. After the class, she turned to me to tell me something. Before she could start I said, "I know your neck hurts, let me help you." I laid my hands on her neck and sent her healing light. I didn't stay with her long, just enough so that we both felt better.
Sometimes I think the healing is more self preservation than really wanting to help other people. Maybe it is a selfish way to look at it. I help people becuase it makes me feel better.
One tip for others who are learning to cope, before going into a crowded place like a mall, concert, or bar visualize a mirror all around you reflecting out so that you no longer need to reflect other people's emotions, the mirror will do it for you. (I sometimes think of the children's saying..."I'm rubber, you're glue, what ever you say bounces off me and sticks to you."
At the end of the day scan your body and brush off whatever does not belong to you. If it is sticking, ask your guides, angels, God for help. You don't have to hang onto other peoples' crap.
I discoverd I was an emath a week ago it suprised me because i was diagnosed with cleptomania as well I wanted to ask a question without sounding crazy are empaths supposed to here a voice not voices a single voice that gives me advice like when im shop lifting one second ill be on my way to slipping i something in particular that I want up my sleeve but a second before I do it the voice will tell me not to do it and i wont and five seconds later an employee will turn the corner and would have caught me if I hadnt stopped. Also can fell others emotions and Have been testing it And found ways to use it to my advantage.I not a bad person by heart Im just sick of the emotions and glimpses I get off people most are selfish and disgusting but I want to change this. I refuse to use violence tho and will try different ways.some one help me Icant always control it and some of the feleling are getting stronger and out of control cant some one plez help advice any thing darthbong@rocket mail.com
i have been looking for an awnser and a friend told me he read this post and he recomend i readit i did and now i know what is wrong with me tnx it helped me alot.....but the real problem is some time the moments i get nervous or exited i cant touch people with out seeing imagery of what i think are memories if you are for real help cause its getting worse
Try testing it and its bouderies can do you see flashes of memorie or a whole scene? Find tips on how to relax and see if you can do it while relaxed. Most of us are in this alone but I hope I can help you with your problems maybe it will help me with mine. Good luck friend.
its kid of like a scene but with a gaps
tnx for the advice
im afraid of it cause sometimes i feel like im not miself like im not in control
Try to bridge the gaps try doing it on some one close some who you can predicte what their next choice or decesion will be leearn to read people pay attension to how your physical reactions to certain situations. try to pay attension to the little movments people make eventually you should get better at reading body language maybe that will help you bridge the gaps. And finally try to create a self assesment or self view of your self. And relize when this is happening that you are you not them. Remember every one is an individual and have something unique and special about them. Try to remember what makes you who you are.Good luck.
When it happens clutch to your warmest feelings remember who you are
Wow... I'll be honest, I didn't read all the posts. Two plus years worth is a lot to take in. But I guess I have a number of thoughts to express... or others thoughts to request.
First... i see the big conflict on here in peoples opinions of christianity vs psychic ability. I have a Christian Bible College education, yet at the same time I have delt with this my whole life. However, I haven't expressed that to anyone really. For fear of listening to the damnation. I call it Bible College brain washing. Not that I don't love and adore my bible college education. But they do adhere to the belief that these abilities are demonic. I simply can't accept that. Really? I was possessed by demons as a child? I think sadly, there are some things that people who do not possess the gifts just can't explain and don't know how to deal with it.
My other thought is... FINALLY! I get so tired of people thinking I'm strange because I won't watch the movie Titanic because I know the emotional affect it will have on me. It's so nice to know I'm not abnormal... or at least not crazy. As I said, I've always felt these things (minus physical healing) but never knew what it was. But reading this article... I have NO doubts. The quesion is now... what to do with it.
Thanks all for the posts!! Perhaps I'll try to read through them all!
Fretbuzz. Read your bible. Jesus healed. And when The Lord took him up Jesus told the first Christians that they too will be given the power of the Holy Spirit and will be able to perform the miracles Jesus performed and much greater things too. Read your bible before you decide to be the mouth piece for God. Even Satan knew his scriptures. Your ignorant but not hopless. You will know them by their love, not, you will know them by whether or not they claim to heal. Stop being so fearidden. The bible say, not to think twice about the evil one or his ways.
I am an empath and it is almost dabilitating. I find myself channelling at work and it is exhausting trying to go through the day and not struggle to feel normal and rational. i always thought that i was in tune to feelings because i grew up in an ambusive environment and was constantly trying to guage the mood of my parents. i can detect an arguement at one hundred paces. It is more than that and i wish i could turn it off. i have spent my life trying to "let it run off my back" as i have been advised time and time again. How can i have a normal life and enjoy my own emotions independently of others. i cant even have a bad day at work because when i detect how my behaviour is effecting others i try to lift their spirits at the cost of my own. i know how ridiculous this sounds as i read it but i have long had the ability to effect the mood of people around my and heal merely by speaking to them.
i am getting married soon and i want a family. i don't know if i will be able to be a good mother until i can do something about this. at least harness it in some way.
I think I am an empath, or at least once was. I can meet someone for the first time and pretty much pick up on their idiosynchrysies and past events in their lives. I think I am a dumb empath because I do pick up on those traits, and then not listen to what I just absorbed, and always get burned in the end.
I've also had times where I can feel someone's physical pain from miles away. There was a guy I was once madly in love with and he would always put me in agony, because I could literally tap into his mind on many occassions. I could "see" him with a girl. I knew he was at a bar, I knew she had dark hair, and I could sense her intelligence. I was so sad. A few days later, he admitted he did meet a thin dark haired nurse at a bar. Sometimes I will get an obscure song pop in my head and know the lyrics and I might call him up and sing it to him and he would have confirmed that he was listening to that song just minutes ago. That's the closest I've ever been with someone in their mind. I haven't spoken to this person after many years due to an ugly seperation, however recently I just had a dream about him, or he was in my dream. I don't know if he's trying to assist me or if he's thinking about me, but I had to push him out of mind. Its toxic to know someone's thoughts like that.
One time I got a psychic impression of someone. It was like x-ray vision and I saw a black heart and got the psychic voice of "predator" a word that was not in my vocabulary at that time. So I asked a friend who knew about this person and she told me that he's been accused of harassing women before, like stalking. I don't know why I got that impression, maybe it was to warn me or my friend.
Now, my "gifts" aren't so promising and that's because I keep myself busy and plus my job is stressful. However, it comes around every once in a while where I get a jolt or sensation and usually that's when I've penetrated beyond what is on the surface of an issue and hit the point. In the past, when people were lying to me I would get a suffocating feeling in my throat.
For me, becoming more artistic makes it worse. I guess drawing, etc. makes me more relaxed and more open to anything. For the longest time (years) I haven't had an empathetic impression till last week when I went into a bookstore and I was just picking up on a lot of energy and I knew I was being too receptive.....
I haven't used it for healing because I don't know how. However, I wouldn't mind healing a few of the nutty people at work.
i'd also like to add, i've found that being an empath can be a very lonely experience
So many people here are focussed on the negative aspects of being an empath. I haven't read one comment about how wonderful it is to feel the joy of those around you, or the way we experience nature, can communicate with animals, or travel through a country without knowing the language simply because we understand beyond the simplicity of the sound of the language.
I've found a way to survive using my skills and gifts, and have found that any rejection or lonliness experienced in the life of an empath is due to others' misunderstandings of how it works and their own insecurities. When you speak with confidence and respect yourself for who you are, others will react with the same amount of respect and acceptance.
i juss found out that me and my friend Alex are empaths :) its kinda kool.
Fretbuzz...you're dark. Please don't EVER speak for God thinking you know his intentions. How dare you label people as evil. I wish all of you "religious" freaks would hone your energy at the real evil...How about the pedophiles, murders, the people that prey on others, leave the psychics alone. Think about this... God created man in his image...powerful and misunderstood. Stupid negative humans. IMAGE IS EVERYTHING ABOUT A PERSON I'm highly empathic. I've always seen other before myself and frankly I do amzing good things and acts for people all the time. I use LIGHT WHEREVER I GO. I'VE SAID NIGHTLY PRAYS TO GOD, JESUS AND THE HOLY SPIRIT EVERY NIGHT OF MY LIFE. I ALWAYS ASK GOD TO HELP THE WHOLE WORLD AND EVERY LIVING THING. IN MY PRAYERS I TELL GOD I LOVE YOU WITH MY WHOLE HEART, BODY AND SOUL. You people who speak for God really should wake up. I forgive you. Remember God puts us all here and ONLY GOD JUDGES. God, I feel sorry for you and afraid. BE careful what you say and think, and who you say and think it for. Wake up Fretbuzz and quit judging. It's not your job.
I to have this and i've come to find out it can be used for good or evil.(positive or negative). anyway is it normal to have premonitions from time to time ? oh yeah, and fretbuzz, i was born and raised roman catholic, i have saved peoples lives when putting my own life on the line, if that makes me evil you have some serious issues. why don't you quit being so damn narrow minded and realize all people were put on this earth for some reason. i actually dated a girl that was into wicken and seen dark spirits, I watched them take over her because she opened up door ways that couldn't be closed. there are real evils in this world but i highly doubt any of these people are it.
I much prefer staying in my house enjoying the pure clean energy of my children, but I do have to venture out and go to work. I work in a spa, and I have a job where I physically touch people all day. Sometimes I come home trembling, other times I come home and cry. There is a large staff where I work, and with that comes at times the usual drama and negative energy that I find difficult to shake. It feels overwhelming and debilitating most of the time.
On a humorous note, does anyone else get cases of TMI? (Too much information) Like, I feel for you, but I didn't really need to know that much. :-) I'm thinking of the gal sitting across the room at the doctors office recently. It wasn't overwhelming just sensing a little anxiety coming from her, but also that she felt comfortable in her own skin...and was feeling a bit smug that day.....and that she was actually a HE. You see? I didn't particularly need to know that, but I didn't have a choice. Stuff like that happens to me alot! :-)
Anyway, I don't really know if I am an empath or not, but my sister is. She moved to a remote town with a low population, and is as happy as a clam. I was mad at her for moving at first, but that was before I started to realize that my own overwhelming emotions were probably not coming from me at all, but from others. I get it now.
Hugs
I have a few questions I how someone can answer. First off, I've always had an overwelling sence of others emotions and the need to help the whole world. This is the main reason I became a nurse. I never thought these feeling were anything unusal but a few years ago my now husband told me he thought I was an empath. I've also been told this by others that have a belief in the supernatural. While these feelings sometimes help me with my job, families and residents (i work in a nursing home) open up to me, I know when something is wrong with a resident even if I can't tell what it is at the time. I've often told the nurse following me to keep an eye on someone because them seem "off" (can't very well them them I just know something is wrong) usually within 24 hours the resident will have had a stroke or a heart attack. There are no outward signs beforehand but I'll just know something bad is building up in them. Unfortunatly these feelings can also be horrible for my mental health. Residents who feel like no one loves them, the pain of when someone dies. This is usually not so bad if I don't see the family, with most of my residents that have been suffering with a drawn out dealth, finally dieing is a form of release, they are no longer in pain and scared. If a family is there that loved the resident, I almost always end up in bear hug with them with the both of us bawling, and sometimes I didn't even really like the resident. Families that open up about the gulit of putting a loved one in a nursing home will also end in the same hugging and crying thing. So here are my questions.
1 You said empaths can learn to block out others feelings, HOW? There are times when these emotions are unbearable and it would be wonderful to be able to block them out for awhile.
2 I also have what I have come to describe to my husband as "moments of clarity" in which I have a brief but absolutily detailed and clear image of who someone is, their hopes, feelings, why they do the things they do, how they see themselves, everything about them. They only last a few seconds but in those few seconds is so much information and the memory of it is lasting. I can't control them either to bring them on or to block them out. Them come on like a slap in the face, and the images are not always flattering. Is this part of being an empath or is it something else? If it is something else, what is it and does anyone have similar experiences and or know how to control them.
Also a word of caution for those that want to take someone elses pain away from them-you might get way more than you bargained for.
Frettbuzz needs to read 1st Corinthians chapter 12....
This was a very well written article, and I'm glad to see it. Being an empath can be a double edged sword; it can make doing every day things more stressful, but can make dealing with people one-on-one easier a lot of ways.
It's interesting to read the responses to this (though I was unable to read ALL of them), and I think that the sheer number of responses you have received are a testament to your writing.
Hi,First of all, great hub! I know that I am an empath and I was born this way. It was only in the past year(ish) that I started to look up the name for it.
I feel physically sick when something is wrong with a loved one, no matter where they are. I call my mom and ask her what's wrong or who's sick. If she doesn't know, she will call around to find out. She has learned to believe me! :-) My times always coincide with the illness or whatever is wrong.
I find that people open up to me all of the time. I remember, specifically, when I met someone and he was telling me about his troubles (very personal) minutes after I met him. When I found out that my friend knew him, she told me not to get offended that he didn't talk too much... being surprised, of course, that he talked about EVERYTHING! This happens a lot, but that situation sticks out because of what he told me and what my friend told me after.
I love that I can take on the pain of others (both people and animals) and make them feel better, but I hate that making them feel better makes me feel worse. Once again, I often get physically ill. :-(
One other problem I find is that people are always "falling in love" with me. I'm not convinced that it is love, but I'm not sure what is making them so attached. I'm assuming that this is part of being an empath, but I can't really find something on the net about it. Is it a usual problem?
And, by the way, I am a Christian empath... no possession here... ;-)
Is there a way to get rid of this!? Everytime i go out i get so confused with emotions now i just dont go out anymore i stay in my room all day to hide it off! When i go to school it sucks can you just email me at magicalme2006@yahoo.com so we could talk more?
Isabella,
Thank you so much for providing this hub. I have stuggled my whole life to understand who I am, and just 2 weeks ago saw a therapist for EMDR Therapy in hopes she could stop the emotional feelings and pains I get from certain subjects in the news or even shows on television. She simply said, "no I can't do EMDR therapy on you, you my dear are an empath and it would be a diservice to you, but I can help you control and shield it." She has opened a door that leaves me in tears as I type this. I must say I agree with fyrfly I have had more marriage proposals and I can't think of a person I dated that didn't "fall in love with me" right away, like two dates. I am curious as to your answer on this as well. I do have a personal reason for contacting and thanking you as well. I have had since I was 5 years old, very and I am talking very vivid dreams, I was terrified to go to sleep til in my mid 20's. About 6 years ago I mastered lucid dreaming and it makes things easier. I have a theory that I "help" others cross over while sleeping. I have a gut feeling this is what is happening. Is this common for empaths? Everything I have read tells me I am beyond a shadow of a doubt highly empathic, without any control of it such as shielding, yet instinctivly I have developed it to a accepting level by embracing the harshness of the feelings I am subjected to and turning it to love. It's not easy though, and I hate to admit I lose my temper and self composure at times. I also feel something inside of me that says this is just but one of the talents that lie beneath, I am so lost, but so found at the same time. Is this possible to forsee your path and fight against it out of pure exhaustion and not wanting to do what you know you are destined to do and to have "life" push you on that path til you walk it willingly? Does this make any sense? I would love your input and thank you again, this hub thread has been a real enlightenment not to mention the energy in general is positive coming from it. Thanks,
Michelle
A few years ago this would have been a heaven sent, yet today it is simply something to vibe to as I desire to learn more. I enjoyed how it was clarified that picking up others energies were healing in itself, beyond the New Age e.g. Reiki etc. I was looking to mainstream my abilities. So, that truth increased my clarity, thank you very much.
Yet healing like the Christian guy might figure is nothing new. I had some Christian issues and understood that I am to learn more about my gifts, seek after them and surely commanded to develop them. What I was searching for is I have learned that people with such giftings can project their feelings outwardly. I had not known this. And it can be a trick in a way. I also learned that not everybody is ethical, spiritual or well meaning who has gifts.
I know I have learned that I am a happy person who enjoys life. Yet, because I have learned to distinguish and disregard unwanted thoughts and feelings, I can go out in public no worries. Ironically, I am working on my own issues, and in therapy all these walls came crashing down etc. and I enjoy being in my home and going places infrequently. For the first time I am dealing with my own!
I do however pick up on people's heart pain, and am not clear on how to discern whose it is. Even hanging out at home I feel it! I can easily clear it so it's not bothersome at all.
I also realize there are people more evolved than I and don't take at face value what I do pick up on. Meaning, I'm discriminate. I learned some really good practices to clear unwanted energies which are so so awesome!!!
What I would like to know is to discern and stop persons from tuning into my own vibrations and reading me, without my permission. It feels like electricity. Depending on how good they are depends on the feeling. Ironically, once in Time Square and another last month, the men were not able to break through. They tried and I simply said my special prayers. The latest guy faught hard and it was like I was entering battle as I felt shaky afterwards. He was trying to figure something out and read me. This was disrespecful and since we were in a "mental" setting I made sure to tell him I was on to him yet in a light fun non-combative way.
I get offended when people are trying to keen in on me. Once in the copy shop, a woman was trying to gaze me and I could sense it. So, I went up to her and started talking. She felt embarrased.
It's been awhile since I realized going out is not for me, and before I did this one bartender at a restaurant constantly tried to gage me and i felt those electric-y sensations. Why is she so interested in me? Why not just be direct! Perhaps I don't fit her bill. She almosts feels as if she should think I am so cool so she's fishing for why and who I am so I can fit into her schema.
Kimme,
You have so much to hide it's very natural for a person with mild perception to see that. Perhaps that your need to protect your secret is the electricity feeling you get, or guilt. Either way I sense you have no idea when you are actually read in full view. I truly wish you the best and just wanted to make this observation in hopes that you will forgive yourself and work this out, so that you don't feel like everyone else is judgeing you. Trust me it's not as horrible as you think, and your not the first to have done so. Take care of you.
"Chelle
I found out I was an empath by being told I was by an aquaintence in Art school. I have a lot of "issues" dealing with it so I stay in my home most of the time. I'm not sure how to "get better" at blocking energies, figuring out what each symptom I have means (difference between getting a temporal headache to "cramps" to chest pain, etc.) and I really don't have any friends that can help me with this. If anyone can help, recommend which book is good to start with, mentor me in some way, or just be someone to chat with that knows what I'm going through. Please e-mail me! mmartin1082@yahoo.com
Empathy is what you make it, as with everything else in this world. As an empath myself I have learnt to love the ability to connect with people on such a personal level. I do admit, I am uncomfortable in large crowds, and empathy CAN be a pain in the butt, but I feel it is also a gift. It lends the ability to heal emotionally, physically, and psychologically. Nothing in this world is normal or to be taken for granted. Everything is beautiful in its own respect.
some great points here. being an empath (which is more common that people might think) can have it's major down points. i remember when i first started to feel the sensations, it was a rather rude awakening. imagine a business that's been notified that it's closing... now, imagine all the people getting angry, fretting for the future, worried, frustrated and all those other lovely negative emotions. I thought i had some sort of brain tumor or something.
i do find that it's not always on full strength all the time for me though. i have times when it's easier to block out other people's emotions, i have times when i'm particularily sensitive. not sure why. have you felt things similar and have you noticed anything about it?
I actually believe that i am an empath, I am constantly feeling what other people feel, emotions wise, and sometimes physical. I however dont think i am able to heal others, maybe not physically, but i am very good at healing them mentally. They always come to me with their problems, and due to my personality, and my want to help others, i usually listen. i feel the pain in other people, especially in a crowd. I would call it a vibe that i get. I also get headaches alot after these mentioned vibes. I will also admit, that i do cry alot, mostly due to me feeling these vibes. I am very upbeat, outgoing, and i tend to make others feel good by giving off my good feelings, but the feeling that i sometimes get in return is not always good. The reason i cry is because as i mentioned before i am very happy all the time, and when i get these feelings, i get very depressed. I could also say another reason why i sometimes cry and feel all alone in the world is becasue i sometimes feel like it is too much sometimes. I also know what others are going to say before they say it, dont know if that counts, but its what i feel. My last comment is to everyone who is curious and reads these things, everyone has a gift. As humans evolve more, we tend to get gifts that can better us, and sometimes hurt us and others. How these gifts are used, depends on the person, and how they want others to percieve them.
Weell.. im 16 (just turned it on the 10th) and ever since i could remember I was always sensitive around others and thir emotional and physical pains ,destresses and other problems. Recently i have been... becoming more moody because of various reasons and that I take their feelings in... ( i dont even have to be looking at them... you can say a name or be talking to me over the computer and i can tell.sometimes). this has come to overwhelm me as now im havign to go to counciling for dpression anxiaty problems (both sever) and other things. ii even broke down twice inthe middle of school last year from the overwhelm-ness within the area and in public places it's very hard to go when crowded . I have recently *for the past 2 weeks) been trying to center my feeligns out, but it isnt working :( Most of the time, when i get the feelings over something is wrong or good.. i'll ask them and as they tell me this i am able to pick up other feeings even their tone of voice as well as their movement. and then ill ask them.. taking what im feeling at the time.. and ask them one by one if that's what they feel as well..Not everyone I do that will tell's me why they are like that so it gioes unsolved and i can't usualy cope with it as easily.
i was woundering, if you could like.. help some way with this like if you know something that can calm my mind enough to listen to my feelings and sepereate them, and to help cope wiht the ones that are not mine wihtout knowing the reason why the other person had them.
yes this is not fun and i am an empath ppl may say oh cool that is awesome...Ha they have not no idea wat i am goin through my head nor my body half the time i am sad and in pain wanting 2 cry i hate the one that hurts especially if it's my love ones...i just want a normal life but this is wat i am born with and i can't change that fact at me
God made us the way that we are, for anyone who beleaves this is the work of a demon, you are wrong. I have been able to understand and manage my empath abilities. Just like Leslie says its a great deal of daily pain that we have to go through. How ever i have found with a great deal of meditation and understanding i have been able to separate my own true feelings from the feelings of those around me, doing this does not turn off your gifts but rather helps to manage them. With this i have been able to help friends and family with problems that they have with out there add stress onto me, i know that they dont mean it to but its just the way things happen. I have been dealing with empath abilities for as long as i can remember, and there has never been a day that i regreat having it. Its just taken some time to control the emotions i feel from others. Have hope In your selfves, this is not a cures nor a gift but rather a way to under stand those around you, from friends, nature, and so on. My mom tryed to help me raise above it, i beleave that i have done this, but i lost her when she couldnt take it any more, and this hurts allot. Dont give up on your self and dont fall victum to your own abilities,
I'm glad I found your article. I've recently been serching for answers to my life, because I can't go on any longer the way I am. I've become a hermit crab like you said. I hate it, though it's better than dealing with the recovery after dealing with large crowds. I said yes to every topic. And to be honest, it's freaking me out! I always knew that I don't think and feel the same as other people. But to have a name for it and not to be thought of as evil (my parents are hardcore religious, they tell me I am damned.oh, well :( ) I have read other people's responces and they seem so awear of what they can do. I really have no idea how to control or seperate these feelings. It's wearing me down so much that I am calling off work constantly, and pushing my family and friends away. For example, my employer assigned me with a new co-worker. As I got to know him he opened up very easily with no coxing from me and in sharing his life stories, I learned that he beat his children and abused his girlfriend. As that made me disgusted and my stomach turn, literally repulsed by him at this point, I could not shake the feeling of pride and almost like it was a humorous situation. Now for the past couple of days I've been obsessing at why I had those feelings. Honestly I feel disgusted at myself. But after reading this I think I can understand myself better. I will be reading the other articles you have posted in hoping that you can shed some light on being an empath.
I'm not really sure if I'm an empath. I am overwhelmed by other's emotions, and am extremely caring, of people and animals. A friend who is an empath says that she thinks I am one, but I'm not sure. I was just wondering if anybody has any answers.
THIS COMMENT IS FOR FRETBUZZ: I AM A STRONG CHRISTIAN, AN UNBREAKABLE CHRISTIAN AND I AM AN EMPATH AND SO ARE MANY OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS.... IT IS NOT ABOUT POSSESSION NORE DOES IT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE DEMONS! FOR YOU TO PUT A COMMENT ON HERE SAYING THE THINGS YOU DID JUST PROVES YOU ARE NOT AN EMPATH AND SHOULD NOT COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT. IT DISTRUBS ME THAT YOU WOULD PUT SUCH A THING....A HORRIBLE COMMENT LIKE YOU DID IN A PLACE WHERE REAL EMPATHS HAVE TO READ SOMETHING THAT WAS UNTHOUGHTFUL AND RUDE AND NOT VERY WELL EDUCATED, PLEASE REFRAIN YOURSELF FROM LEAVING FUTURE COMMENTS AS THEY ARE NOT WELCOMED HERE.
Im so glad I stumbled upon this.. for the last 4 years this is what i been going thru.. everyone just kept telling me I was highly intuitive but I new it was somthing else.. I used to have all kinds of social groups but now i spend most of my time alone cuz it really sucks the life out of me.. Im so happy to know that there are was of working with it then hiding away from it.. thank you so much Isabella
OMG, I cant believe this has been my problem my whole life! It is killing me, I have never been able to make friends my whole life, I cry uncontrollably at happy moments like a wedding I went to when i was 16 and didnt know a soul at the wedding, not even the bride or groom, I cried harder than anyone there including the family members and couldnt figure out why, I cry uncontrollably even at the commercials where the people have won $10,000,000. I cry uncontrollably at sad things like a show I tried to watch about a guy with a hereditary disease, I had to walk out of the room and told my husband to turn the channel then proceeded to cry for 45 minutes not able to stop, I have to stop myself from crying at very little things all day long and am not always able to do so. I cant go out in public because I feel bombarded is the only word I can use to describe it, even tho nobody even notices me, I try to save every animal I come across and when I cant I feel like it kills me, just last week a cat had a litter of kittens under my house, they were about 6 weeks old and 1 had a swollen up eye, they are feral but I sat outside and coaxed it out so I could grab it, it was scared at first but I was able to find a foxtail had gotten under its eyelid so I pulled it out and now the eye is normal and within 4 days the kitten was tame, I dont know if that is healing ability or not but I have the healthiest kids on earth lol, I am in the process of trapping the rest and am going to tame the other kittens for adoption even tho I am not supposed to have any other animals besides my dog in my house (dont tell my landlord lol) but I cant call animal control and have them put to sleep. I always wondered why I was so good with animals and they always seem to trust me and love me. I have come to a point in my life where I feel like I hate everybody and now I see I am not the only one to feel that way, I feel like people are always hurting people to get ahead or that they dont have compassion for anything or anybody, ( dont take it wrong I know there are people out there that arent like that ) but to me it is the vast majority, and I hurt just as if it was me. I havent had a friend in the past 10 years except for my husband and when I did have a friend now and then before that it never lasted. I stay away from people because I feel like they are just going to hurt me in the end, it is just easier for me to stay away from people. I have always gotten what I call "vibes" from people I know and people I dont know about what kind of people they are and how they are feeling and have never been wrong, just sometimes I dont listen to it and find out I was right all along in the end. I can always tell when someone is lying and always thought it was reading body language, but I have never studied body language or could even tell you what certain postures and stuff mean, it has just always been instinctual, I feel when they are lying or trying to spare feelings, or angry, etc...I always thought of that as a kind of skill of mine, even people on tv. I dont always find out if I am right, but when I do find out, I usually am. In the last 4 years or so I have wondered if I am an empath, only knowing what it means, I only heard the word and what it means from star trek the next generation lol. and only today reading this article and peoples posts do I see that it really explains me to a tee. I have always thought I was unsocial and weird, I cant go to any functions or public without balling up on myself because of the "bombardment" of feelings I get when I am there, I will just find a nice quiet corner and turn into a ball to block everyone, and when I get home it takes days to feel kinda normal again. I am really freaked out, I dont know what to do, I know the way I am is ruining my life, but I never knew that is was really something or what to do about it to make my life better, I cried the whole time reading the posts by other people because it was like I was writing those posts and I thought I was the only one in the world who had compassion ( that is what I call it not knowing any other word for it but I knew it was much more than that) and felt that way. I can tell by a glance what people are feeling with what I always called "vibes" ( also calling it that because I didnt know what else to call it) in the last few years it has become much much worse and I feel like my life is going down the drain, I have to force myself to go to the store and wont go anywhere alone because I cant handle it without some kind of support. And really I am always alone except for my children and husband because being around people is like standing under a highway overpass and being bombarded with sounds of semis, the loud sound of traffic, horns, so loud I cant even hear myself think, but it is not sounds, it is feelings, anxiety, scared, angry, sad, even happy, I always thought they were coming from me. when this article said, "If you’re an Empath, you will know this is you, you will not be saying “hmm.. maybe… hmm… " I already knew I had not even read that yet and I knew it was I was always wondering about myself that made me different, I cant believe there is even a name for it. well this message probably doesnt make sense and I know it is a little rambling, but I am really freaked out and I feel a little manic right now lol. So here is my question to anyone who might be able to help, How do I help myself, this has never been good for me all my life, I would love to be able to help other people, I always try when I encounter other people which I make sure is rarely. I remember when I was 18 I liked this guy he was older like 25 or something and married but he and his wife were split up, we went on a date and spent the day together mostly talking about his situation, I really liked him but kept finding myself trying to make him see where he and his wife went wrong even tho I didnt want to I couldnt help myself, the next day I got all pretty for when I saw him again and didnt see him all day till that evening when he and his wife walked up to me to thank me profusely for helping their relationship and they were back together, I was crushed lol, but I did do it to myself, but I couldnt help but to help him even tho I wanted him to myself lol. well maybe I am crazy, I have thought that many times, many many times. but all I have read here is like I was writing it so maybe there is hope. ok I will stop rambling now lol, sorry if it is hard to read but it is exciting, it is like the last piece of the puzzle and now I can see the picture and I am excited that there might just be hope, I was just about out of hope. Well, I would appreciate any advice or help on the matter, I am really ( I hate to say this ) tired of feeling for everyone else, it is exhausting. Thank you all for listening.
My twin sister and I are both empaths. We have an acute understanding of the emotions and thoughts of each person we come in contact with and we both suffer because of these uderstandings. My sister has ,with difficulty, learned to suppress her "abilities" enough that she has learned to "tune out" others. We are both highly intelligent and educated people and we both are successful in business and in our careers. However, I have always had more enhanced empathic and other (unexplainable, strange) abilities than my twin. But I am desperate to discover some kind of beneficial application of my abilities. Due to my strong empathic abilities, I am overwhelmed in a corporate environment and suffer physically as well as emotionally when I am in close contact with co-workers - since I am aware of every emotion arouind me. Please, is there some application of my abilities that could be of benefit, rather than a hinderance?
hey everybody im back
well i been hospitalized for the last month and a half this tnx to brain tumor and it all was discovered cause i had vision of a horrible fire that killed children and well .. my family had me checked to se if i was unbalanced or something like that and they discovered i was sick chemo sucks but it did inmpared me i couldn feel, see or sense anything at first i said to my self its a miracle but after a week i missed it i felt disconected from the world i feared that my ... empathy and dreams were gone but just a week of the meds and im like newand im glad im still an empath i love feeling life and every one i meet
i know that not everyone here is for real but those who are and are afraid or confused and wish u were "normal"
you are normal and even if its hard to deal with these abilities trust me they are a blessing just need to clear your heads and live
I'm an empath, I've lack control since high school. I've made friends with people whom I have nothing in common with just because I could subconsciously sync myself perfectly to them. I know that now and I try and form genuine bonds with people. I have obssesive tendencies when my empathy becomes attuned too long to one person. I can be around drunk people and be drunk. I can be around high people and feel just as muddle headed. I know when people are haboring ill intents against me. I know what people are really feeling. Sex is a disaster...I've only just recently found myself and my emotions and it's sad to say I'm a boring person. lol
in my personal opinoin relating the the first couple of coments i beleve that empaths may infact be works of god and it may be a gift he uses to try to get people to help others and inspire others
I thought I was just going crazy.. I couldn't figure out why I can't watch certain movies anymore or stuff on tv. It's like you feel everything they are feeling times a hundread. I can tell what you're feeling by looking at you it's like reading an open book. I read cards and do readings as well sometimes it feels very overwhemling. It helps to know it's not just in your head and your not crazy and your not alone.
It is nice to know that there are people out there like me and that I am not alone. I am a manager of a 100 person call center and when I go home at night I feel so drained from the roller coaster ride of people's emotions. It sometimes is debilitating. I have learned to endure and filter it effectively but still it is draining. When people come up to me they want to pour their hearts out as if uncontrollably. I have found touch to be a very sensitive thing for me. It has affects on people so I am very careful to those I touch. I cannot read minds but notice I can almost put word for word what someone is thinking by their emotions alone. Thank you Isabella.
okay i have read many articles on empaths. but my problem is my "empathetic" abilities kinda are off and on! like some days i cant use them and other days i can. am i really an empath?
Hi, I have alway's wondered why certian things bother me and yet others don't. I seem to know when something is wrong or that someone is thinking about me, for I too think about them for a few days before either I or they call or we see each other. I also have had problems with feeling others emotions and either feed on them or I defuse the situation. and then too there was this oncany ability to know things, but I can't tell you why. I cry at many things that I personally have no attachment to, but still I feel strongley. these things have caused problems in the past for me especially when my personal state is hi.Dr's have stated I'm depressed, but I knew that wasn't it. I have now noticed that I can't watch things that I have seen before, if it is someone making a fool of themselves, or someone is going to be hurt, I tend to want to watch things that are syfy and funny, but not stupid. cartoons and many kids shows, but sometimes they too I'll find myself leaving and going back when things are different. anyway these feelings are starting to be stronger, and more often, but I can't always know when something is wrong with those close to me, my family or that they need me. what is the deal? I feel others emotions at funerals, even those that have passed, and that is another story, but if I can feel some people, even movies, and know what is going to happen, even without the music, why can't I feel my own family's emotions or when they need me the most? my sister and mom both have this uncany ability and seem to be better intune to it. whats wrong with me?
confused to say the least.
dear Isabella,
Thank you for this article.I have recently realized that I too am an Empath.I believe that Empaths will be able to harness the vibration of the universe,or our planet and lift the consciousness for whats to come.The prophets,shaman,mesiahs are or were Empaths especially sweet Jesus.I'm sending you good vibrations.
How do you turn it off or filter it? Loud sounds make me jump out of my skin, and I pick up anxiety, and angry words echo in my mind before spoken by the person.
I believe that I am an empath. I choice to go into nursing and I am in my last semester of school. Recently, especially after my incounter with an bipolar woman who said she was an empath I have been feeling my future and past patients' pain. I will get an ache, scratch or bruise or something and within one to three days I will meet someone with that pain or who has a condition that causes that pain. Once I relized this I can think back to my past and recall moments of unexplained sadness and happiness. I also cry almost everyday because of small things even. Thank you for this article it helped me find a reason for my aches and pains which by the way go away after I meet the person with them.
Late last night, I clicked something on MSN about some sort of psychic thing. I don't know what exactly happened, but next thing I know I'm crying --BAWLING-- while reading about Empaths.
I've been crying for a few hours, on-and-off (not that that's not normal). I'm terrified, and I don't know what to do about it. But I am happy that I found the information and know that I'm not just going crazy.
As soon as I delved a bit deeper into how an Empath feels, acts, what have you, I knew that was me. What you've written was just amazing for me. I'm going to read your tips now.
Bless you.
Isabella, I have a question.
I have a friend that is Empath and I wanted to know if it is possible to store the emotions taken up by the empathic person and able to convert it into energy. My friend, He said he used the gathered anger and made an unopened can explode. Note that there was no other way it would have, it was room temperature, unshaken and everything.
My email is Ryuuzakl-san@hotmail.com if you need it.
Oh, and do add on to that, when he did it his eyes looked as though in a rage, Bloodthirst-ish.
Doubt it very much.
Thank you, You have described everything I have known since I was just a girl. I still have a lot to learn. Especially about blocking certain feelings, ailments etc. so that they don't disrupt my life to the extent that they have....You are right it is a difficult life, living as an empath. i do believe we are natural healers and that is what I am focusing on right now. Thanks again.
This is definitely not me, I'm not even very normally empathetic. But your article is making me looking at one of my sons in a new way, it would explain an awful lot. Boy, the things parents have to look out for!
I am somewhat entertained by the first post that says this is a gift from Satan. Being a christian myself, I always wonder why so-called christians choose to think so differently from Jesus himself. It's truly sad how we can misinterpret the bible and then try to become God ourselves by passing judgement on anyone who doesn't fit in to our "perfect" little picture of christianity.
That being said, I was raised as a christian but have continued to grow spiritually. So,Mr. Fret, no sermons, please. I just believe that God is willing to come to us in any way He feels the need. And sometimes it's in a way that most christians are too close minded to accept. If we open our hearts and minds, we can find truth in so many religions.
I have spent a lifetime suffering these feelings you speak of. I get angry out of nowhere or depressed or suddenly so shaky I could pass out. I feel sick for no real reason. I have even gone to the doctor when I was younger to try to figure out why I was so tired and sick all of the time, only to have them find nothing physically wrong. Over time, I have come to live with the discomforts but some days it can still be debilitating.
I now work in a hospital again, and I find it really hard at times to work up on the floors since I pick up on pains and stresses of patients and family members. I have days when I can barely function because I feel so "upset" but can't understand why. I have learned to pray to God for the ability to either "shut it off" or understand who it is around me who might need my help. I too believe it is a gift but it's useless and confusing if we don't understand how to use it.
It sad to me that so many well-meaning christians don't recognize this as something from God. Too many people go though life so misunderstood. "Burn the witch" It's easier to shun a person that it is to try to understand and accept our differences I guess.
God loves us so much more than we know. :)
I am an empath I'm 25 and just starting to understand how to control it. I am writting here to say I messed up, I've used drugs to deal with this most my life to numb out the feelings I get from others and to make me feel good it's the only way I could go out and live my life go to concerts malls etc. Stupid reason I know to do drugs but when you have empathy its a burden. I've quit drugs and now trying to regain my life and dealing with my gift is a day to day struggle I hope to not hide out at home anymore and not be sush a loner. I don't know what blogging on here is going to do for anyone else maybe someone else that is dealing with this reads what I write and will find out there not alone and it can be tough hang in there you can control it don't be like me and use drugs to numb out the pain the overwhelming pain you can control it but does take time. I'm still learning myself but each day is getting better. Take care
Hello I'm very glad to have found this~
I'm 17 and an Empath, and I have learned to deal with it as best I can, But recently something strange has happened. Normally I feel everything around me, and I have to concentrate very hard not to react to it, but in my freshman year of high school I found someone who seems to negate this.
Any and every time he is within an arms reach of me I stop feeling from anyone but myself. At first it was like being kept in a container, and I did any and everything possible to stay away from him, but eventually I came to crave this. The absence of everyone's pain, fear, anger, happiness, love, hope but my own has become a very powerful addiction. I was just wondering if you had an explanation to this~
You can Email me at lord.argentine@gmail.com
I know what you meant by feeling as if it were a curse. I grew up in a very abusive environment and in the ghetto. Let me tell you having these emotions from no where when you are already experiencing your own intense emotions is horrible. I could not go to an E.R. without feeling peoples loss, pain, fear, hatred, and etc.... I let most of the emotions out by writing poetry, but even then it would just come right back. It hurts to know when someone is lying to you. Especially if they are very close. I've always known about people and my family thought I was paranoid until recently we have seen those peoples lies exposed. Knowing when your mother or father is lying to you and knowing the intention or emotion behind the lie is something I wish I could have blocked. But atleast now I know others have suffered as I have and I am not crazy. Although I knew it all along it is nice to see someone say it too.
Uhm..I'm a Christan, and i find myself to be very emphatic...I don't see anything besides it being a gift from God...
I have known for awhile now that I had a little "something extra" going on with me. I've also known for awhile that it is empathy but I didn't realize there were so many others with the same "gift." I say it that way because a lot of the time I don't consider it one. I spend a lot of my time attempting to stay away from people. Panic attacks were almost an every day thing for me and I am currently taking medication for them. Not cool to be driving around your children and almost passing out.... That's why I started taking medication. I can't be in a largely crowded environment as I start feeling as if I'm in a vortex, being sucked down....too many emotions swirling and I can't get a grip on anything. If there are too many people in my home and it gets loud.... same situation. I get very angry about it. I tried "numbing" myself by putting myself in situations where I was exposed to it on a constant basis (i.e. working at Walmart) and it got bad..... the aisle would get crowded and I would have to leave until it cleared out. There's one particular person I know I refrain from being in the same room with because after 5 minutes I am completely drained and have to take a nap. I call him an emotional vampire. He literally sucks me dry. I don't know how to block it and feel sometimes that life is passing me by. I currently have someone living in my house who is very depressed and I am having issues. I want to help but being in the same place.... gah!!! Just glad to know I'm not a complete nut case. LOL And....btw..... I am Christian and can guarantee I'm not possessed or the anti-christ in any way shape or form. I always try to do the right thing.
i have trouble contolling it......i feel all this negative energy and like the world is such a harsh place where people want to destroy each other. i tend to get overly paranoid and see the racism and fakeness between poeple. Its not just people's energy that i pick up but energy from the light bulb, t.v., computer anything that emits. i have been made loved to by spirits....felt spirits enter my body and make me completely numb....The only thing i can do is continue to fight and the fact that i am not alone helps....
Well....Im only 12 but...Im cerain im an Empath....iIt could just be regular hormoan stuff but everyone of these sings well....all of the sings are true for me, im highly sensitive and when i see someone in pain it makes me miserable and i just want to run up and help them, i think i can feel what there feelings, im not sure its confusing and the amount of sympathy for them, i mean like i have seen homeless people and it makes me cry whe i walk by them and i see them lying in raggs on the floor and it just makes me cry oratleast try not too, it hurts and i hate that their pain really really does matter to me, and when my teacher was really upset because her son was away doing something for college and stuff and she missed him she had been crying and suddenly tears just came to my eyes and i was really really upset, when i watch sad movies or read sad books i nusually burst into tears and i feel really emotional about it, and when im reading something or watching something with love in it i feel all lovlyy dovy and happy that soemeone is happy and is in love it makes me feel so happy and im usually in a good mood for a while. If i watch something scary itll hunt me for weeks, i can never get it out of my mind. this happens with adverts as well, also if someone is in phsyical pain i feel i feel it too and it hurts when i think of it and i end up running over and helping the person. When im with near crowds of people i usually have head aches or its anoyin and i feel like theres so much preassure on me and its really overwhelming and when i come home im drained and i get changed into my pjys and goto my room alone and stay locked in their for a couple of hours i become very anti-social and i have ALOT of mood swings, i find myself in drama ALOT! and the feeling of injustice makes me mad and so i go up and help the person and often get into fights because of this even though id rather stay far away from any fights or drama, i like to be invisible/ just in the backround but of course that doesnt happen for me. Sometimes though when im with a large group of hyper people, i feel really hyper and excited and i cant calm down i try but i cant and i run about and be really random and i get even more hyper, same with sad and angry people, its annoying sometimes, but i cant do anything about it, and if i am a Empath then im gunna have a ruff few years of high school with all th4ese teens, their hormoans are every where, ugh! Oh yeah also im attuned to nature and i usualy seem to know alot of things and i can read people like a book. Can you maybe....comfirm my assumptions or anything? if you need more detail i can give you that but im not sure im certain i am but their is always doubt their if it could just be hormans or if i am an Empath. What do you think? Please reply ASAP! Thxx
Oh yeah i also have these sort of break downs alot because im so depressed with preassure and stuff...and i say and think horrible things about me they come and go when its to much.
This article was very helpful to me. I have been an empath since childhood, but now it feels as if there is something more. Earlier today, I wanted to change my profile pic to an open hand with my right hand palm facing out. The photo that is in the article was the exact same image I imagined, except that the color was green and blue. I need help to protect myself from the emotions of other because I have always been there for others and have taken retreats in the past to recharge. I haven't been able to take a retreat in almost 2yrs and feel like I am this()close to going crazy. Thanks for listening.
Being an Empath is torture, I have always known what I was because it was obvious where the emotions were coming from. and when people are around me... they feel it like an intrusion and do not respond well. I have no control over it and no defense, but most times I can manage to remain outwardly calm though it is difficult. most people carry around so much tumult its hard to cope, so many emotions at once... I personally want to die, and I look forward to the day that I do. (pity angers me so do not bother, it is a selfish emotion) so many dark hearts and so few truly kind ones...
it is hard for me to believe that anyone would want this.
humans are cruel fools and I despise most all of them for torturing me. if I ever had the balls to speak to anyone around me about this (Im not stupid) and they ask me what it was like, I would say "Please kill me,god damnit, kill me now."
so um...can anyone anwser my..comment...please im pretty desperate to know what you guys think, and bearing not all human beings are like that, they both have a good side to them....most of them....in my school i kind of feel the same...there are some though and i stick with them and there was anexcericise that is supposed to help you so i do it alot, maybe you should do it too. Imagine a big bubbler just visualise a big bubble circiling around your body and your inside it, its portotecting you from all of the energies and youe safe inside, try and visualise that. it works with me sometimes and the headaches calm down and i dont feel theres much preassure there anymore. Anyway good luck
Way to go pixie! Staying positive by putting myself in positive environments, like the park or beach by myself seems to help relieve some of the angst and trauma I feel around humans. Going to the aquarium by myself is next! Whatever I can do to help myself and still be able to help others does feel good. Be Blessed all!
I had an issue here recently where my daughter and my best friend for into an argument. I knew it was coming. Was hoping it wouldn't but it was just a matter of time....when it started I just groaned.... of course then I'm caught in the middle, understanding both sides..... so, I blocked... but in doing so, they both then thought I didn't care how either felt. So no matter what I did, I felt screwed. Everyone is so used to me being there for everyone.... the problem is that in giving so much of myself, I feel as if I'm losing myself. And in that, I sometimes feel as if I'm becoming selfish because of it. Gah!!!!
Hey Cath....you will find that whatever the mood is around you, it will effect you. Whether it be positive or negative. I can't even drive by a dead animal without feeling horrible and god forbid if I hit one, which I did almost a year ago. I was hysterical. I have to tell this story quickly..... talk about kharma getting you. LOL There was a funny ending to it all. I am following my hubby back to the house and I'm watching him, thinking "Man, you are driving way too fast." when I look back at the road and there's a deer there. I swerved but hit it anyway....I was broken. Poor baby. I get home, hysterical, and my hubby goes out to look at the car after realizing I'm "ok" physically. He comes back with this little grin on his face which instantly tells me he's going to make a not-so-smart comment. I warned him..... he walks by me and whispers "Deer killer" which sends me into a tizzy. He runs, of course, and as I give chase into the house I see him in the kitchen. As I run in there he's spewing liquid out of his mouth and I realize he's got the bottle of mountain dew I'd been putting my cigarette butts out in. All he said was "yeah, yeah....I know.....I deserved that." hehe I didn't have to get him back at all. kharma took care of that for me. :) I hope everyone got a smile out of this little story. LOL
I don't think I am an empath, but I am too empathetic?
When I hear news, good or bad I don't just feel sad. I feel like I am living it. I am not sure how to explain it otherwise. A good example is that just the other day my mom's friend 'casually' mentioned that her husband had passed. My mom just kept talking but I heard more than casualness in her voice. She had lost the love of her life. I immediately started crying and had to leave because I put myself in her place and started grieving the loss of my own husband, who was at home very much alive.
I called later to apologize and explain and she said she knew what happened and was actually glad that someone saw past her cool exterior. We chat regularly now but she knows not to bring up her husband else I start in again.
This happens all the time. Especially in crowds. If anyone mentions anything sad I feel like I am living it with them. Even if they are a complete stranger. When I say "I know how you feel" to someone, I really mean it.
What does that make me? Besides a bit crazy.
TerBear, I can relate to your experience with the kids. I had twin girls, and when they would argue, I could not tolerate the high pitched voices, and I would freak out if they were fighting. Know what? Over time, they stopped fighting with each other, (I was the bad guy at quarrel time). To this day they are close with each other and do not really ever quarrel with each other.
The experience with the deer and hubby definitely is a Karma in action. I'm glad I found this blog, because we wont lose ourselves with all the over caring persons who read what we say and empathize with us.
Katie,
It was a good thing for your mom's friend that you were there to show the emotions she was holding back and couldn't express. You helped her on her way in the grief process. There again, your giftedness helped another, and you didn't choose to do that, it just happened. I feel like crying, and have to catch my breath when I hear or see an ambulance flashing because I know somebody is hurt or sick. Do we need a shrink? As a Christian, I am not really seeing anything in Scripture, or ever hearing in Church, anything we can do to stay off the emotional roller coaster, due to the fact, I guess, that this is uncommon. I am hesitant to start doing the things like Crystals, etc, but I am considering it, just to see if it helps me build a shield around me. It would be nice if I could choose when and where I will care so much, and how much I am willing to give, However, at least someone out there can recognize the problem, describe it, and offer some solutions. I tend to believe it is a Psychic issue. I am just very new at trying to address this. I am also sure we make it a disproportionately big issue. What do the rest of you think is the best way to keep the overcare in check?
Coming across the word Empath a few days ago started my little google search, and I am very glad to finally have a word to explain why I'm so sensitive. Being 16, I really have no control over what I feel at all, and I'm sure, like most empaths, I never will. I enjoyed the hub, Isabella. Very reflective.
I have a question. Have you ever come across a person you *can't* read, at all? It's happened to me twice, and both times I've been scared out of my mind. I don't know if it's because I'm so used to 'feeling' people that an abnormalty in that really freaks me out or what, but I was anxious to see if anyone else had the experiance before.
And also, any tips on how to explain this kind of thing to your parents and friends? I'm constantly told I need to see a doctor because I get tired from being overwhelmed most days in school, and I've said I was fine before, but they still insist. I know why I'm tired, but I'm not sure if they will understand if I tell them it has more to do with psychism than an inherited thyroid problem (which I was already tested for, and being phobic of needles doesn't help in that sort of situation).
Once agian, great hub. Thanks!
I am 15 and might be an empath. This article was very helpful but I am having trouble to get people to listen or take me seriously... anybody got any advice.
To Anne, i dont know wether im empathic or just clairesentient its something im going to look into but i can read people very well - ive always had this gift and only consciously been able to use it recently but i have come across one person who i became very close to that i could not for the life of me read - no matter how close we bacame i just couldnt do it i firmly believe that some people can block out our abilities to some degree its like they become a black hole of emotion and i can intuit nothing so i can relate to you. I hope that helps you feel less alone any questions u can reach me at sean__rose@hotmail.com.
Shine on guys!
I've always thought I was an empath. Though based on this page I'm not sure. See, with me, I'll randomly, sudden' feel a wave of emotion (usually depression) that I can't think of why I'd feel that way. The last two times it's happened, I felt depressed, and later found out that an online friend (yes, someone I barely know that I only chat with) was feeling depressed because she had been dumped after being with a guy for four years., at around the same time I was feeling depressed, I felt heartbroken. The second time was another online friend feeling down, I don't remember his reasoning. And just a few minutes ago I suddenly got the urge to rip someone's head off. No clue why as of yet, because nobody's done anything to anger me (not like I get angry anyway) so I'm guessing it's another connection to someone else.
Am I just grasping for straws or is this legit?
That friz guy or what ever in the begining of this convo has it ALL wrong!!! I can not believe that someon ewould think that we are EVIL!!! That is completely insane! GRRRR! I am an empath and I have found very many ways to cope:) I help people! It is like my "drug" if you will. Every time I help someone, I become happy to the extreme! So, in other words I am pretty much happy all the time now... But I gotta tell you that part about the home less people is COMPLETELY true:) Every time is see one I start to cry!!! And when ever my mom is having a really ruff day I practically lock my self in my room! I am only 16 so it is really hard for me sometimes:) I deal though and I am NOT EVIL!!!!!!!!!!!!! jeeze! That gets me really really mad! My uncle is a pastor and he thinks that this stuff is evil too!!! did you people ever think that maybe god gave us this gift so we can help him help others??? sheesh! Any way, really nice artical:):):)
I want to say THANK YOU! This has helped seal what I have felt for many years. I knew I had the gift (curse at times)and I still struggle with blocking. The only time I am "safe" is when I am working. My mind if focused and less apt to receive unless someone is in turmoil.
I have been known to walk out of a bar and walk home because it overwhelmed me. I have always been able to heal through touch, and know what a health problem was well in advance of the individual themselves knowing, however I could not quite place who I just knew what and thought it was me, Until I was drawn to that individual, compelled or forced to that person then realized it was them with the health issue.
I am not crazy, I feel this and when someones feelings are so intense its hard for me. I need to know how to control this more, how to be effective in its use, not let it control me. Please help someone?! I love this gift and have faith that someone will help put it into more perspective for me and I can regain some control from the people who let their energy just fly around for me to catch.
I just came upon this website doing a search on empaths. I experience such extreme emotions for no apparent reason. Most of the time I can barely cope. I could see someone turning to drugs or alcohol to try to get rid of these overwhemling emotions/feelings. I notice it even more so when I'm in a relationship with someone and get very close to them - I feel every single thing they feel, so if they are upset, anxious, sad, happy, I feel it all. It seems like I can't be happy unless they are. Why is that? How can I stop that from happening? I don't know anything about this. I have no idea what to do. I'm going to keep looking thru your website & hope I get some answers. I feel it with animals too - it's really overwhelming with animals because there is so much cruelty, suffering & sadness everywhere. I am just so confused about what has been going on with me all my life. Any suggestions on how to cope?
It feels like this was written for me... I found it tonight while yet again staying at home avoiding all human interaction, often crying at the tv screen struggling to breath with emotion.
Thank you x
I am an empath. I have always been an empath/intuitive and honestly, I don't like it. I am tired of being bombarded with other people emotions. It causes me great anxiety, its exhausting and more and more, I find myself being secluding myself because I have almost no abiliy to tune it out. I hate it. Help.
I agree with kirsten, that friz guy really got me angry and upset i was concerned up to some level but i just got mad, i mean how can someone who we dont know and we've never met and he has never met us, judge people just by what they are, or how the react? He doesnt even know us!! It's like judging a book by its cover! And friz if you are upset and mad and think that Empath is a negative word well bad luck for you because believe it or not every single person in the world has it, they just dont know it, its not very huge not like the mine and the people on this website and others, but they have it in a tiny ammount, its just part of what we are, same goes for any psychic ability too. So youre just going to have to learn to accept it and accept us too either way you think being an Empath is Evil, and if you hate them so much why did you comment on this website? Just to upset people? make them mad? Its sad, and cruel, and you call us selfish! DO you take pride in trying to make people feel selfish and evil? Its horrible, if you dont like us then keep it to yourself! Instead of broadcasting it on here only to make people feel worse. Shame on you. Anyway also celeste yeah i have the same problem, I want to get it all out and just tell someone who will listen to me and not think I'm insane, i told my friend the other night and she didnt believe it, she came up with what her 'aunt says' because her 'aunt knows everything cause her friends a psychologist' or whatever, she says no one can make people feel anything and i tried to explain it but she didnt listena and stormed away. She's my best friend as well, and that made me really upset, and your right being an Empath is both a blessing and a curse, no one really understands you and you often feel really lonley. I keep all these emotions inside and i usually kind of break down alot although i dont show it on the out side buy inside i call myself the most nasties things and i diss myself and everything that people have called me in the past i just say oh yeah they were right i am that. It makes me feel more depressed and it drains me, it happens alot and i know its unhealthy but what else can i do? It usually happens when i get to overwhelmed and feel too preasurized, like it happend on saturday at the ice rink, there were hundreds of people there and i couldn't enjoy myself even when i really wanted to go. Nope instead i had to go off the rink sit down and indure it for 1 hour in silence and tell my friend i was fine it was just a soar head. =/ it was horrible. So anyway i just wanted to get all that out =] I hope it didnt bore you too much...lol anyway thats all people byee ^^ x
Oh Joseph, I learned a couple of things while researching about Empaths and one of them is how to kind of ease it slightly it works for me, it like, helps you make you feel less preassurized, I'm not sure it will work with you or others as it does me, everyones different, but it helps me when im out with a large group of people are in school. Just imagine a big postive bubble surrounding your whole body, positve happy energys running through it and that you are warm safe and protected inside, and everyone else is outside and you are in this bubble and no one can touch you; Try and visualize this, it helps me, it relieves alot of the stress and preassure sometimes. Anyway I hope that helped =] -Pixie xx
I like this article alot but I've had alot of mood swings since i turned 20 that I'mnot sure if it's a bipolar disorder or an empath power growing rapidly.
I love how everyone ignored me. :D
Just gonna copy/paste what I said.
I've always thought I was an empath. Though based on this page I'm not sure. See, with me, I'll randomly, sudden' feel a wave of emotion (usually depression) that I can't think of why I'd feel that way. The last two times it's happened, I felt depressed, and later found out that an online friend (yes, someone I barely know that I only chat with) was feeling depressed because she had been dumped after being with a guy for four years., at around the same time I was feeling depressed, I felt heartbroken. The second time was another online friend feeling down, I don't remember his reasoning. And just a few minutes ago I suddenly got the urge to rip someone's head off. No clue why as of yet, because nobody's done anything to anger me (not like I get angry anyway) so I'm guessing it's another connection to someone else.
Am I just grasping for straws or is this legit?
Hmm, very, very interesting hub, Isabella ^_^ I'm not entirely sure I'm an empath ... or it could be possible that I would not want to admit it or filter things out ... alot I wonder if it's possible to be part empath or if you have to be a complete one Cuz, alot of this describes me perfectly I often feel tons of emotions from nowhere and wonder why ... It kinda makes me feel like I have no emotions of my own since I'm feeling ones that are strange to me I'll randomly get very depressed or happy or angry I've learned over time to not show my feelings much at all, possibly cuz I feel my actions or xpressions will or can hurt others Which is the last thing I'd ever wanna do That being said I hate hurting people or them being hurt I can't stand it and want to do anything I can to help This might sound silly, but my high school most likely was "most likely to help you with your problems" And now I'm wondering after reading this highly insightful hub if I may be an empath ... or party, if that's possible Although you did say and empath will know with out hesitation whether he or she is an empath I hope no one thinks my thinking I might be one as an insult or anything to empaths That's not what I mean to do at all I'm just simply wondering at this point I have a tendency to filter out all emotion, xcpet my own at times It's really hard though I'll feel like crying or screaming for no reason ... If I am an empath then I've learned how to bottle up all emotions I feel from myself and others, which is probably not very smart of me for myself, but when I'm feeling somin I'm pretty sure is not my emotion, I would love to let it out, or xpress it in some way, but I don't want to hurt others, since depression, sadness, anger etc. are stong emotions to xpress and generally affect others I also hardly ever get angry myself It takes alot to actually get me angry about anything I'm known as pretty calm about things, unless it's others getting hurt (I.E. Friends, family, animals, strangers on the street, or diseases etc.) And I also am able to understand illnesses I have never had if people have them The most common ones I get are the stress symptoms like headaches, cramps and strange pains - when I feel fine, both physically and emotionally, up until it happens and sometimes I'll feel fine emotionally and still have the physical pain from out of the total blue So, does any of this sound like an actual empath? Or am I just empathetic and xperiancing some of the things empaths don't feel like you metioned to someone earlier? If so, can you please direct me to an article indicating those things so I can tell if I am or not? As this is quite a serious issue and if I find out I am not one then I may know some people who are, but I can't know for certian for any of us
Thank you ^_^
can I ask everyones Opinion on if you think I am an Empath? I'm just curious to see what you guys think of my speech/thing :) :D
-Pixiee
xx
I had a thought that I wanted to share with all of you. Isa, can you touch on what can happen to even the most aware empaths when they are in a weakened state, for example sick? I remember being in a situation when my immune system was compromised due to a personal illness, and the effects of my empathic reception were so intense that it took me much longer than usual to recover.
being an empathic is sometimes overwhelming. i never learned being empathic. it just happened one day. and if u ask me,it was pretty fukked up. but i just wanted to ask if there is any way to just erase it?
Ms. Isabella thank you for posting this.....its a wonderful feeling to finally know whats been going on. I've always been labeled as 'over-emotional' or 'weak' by my parents, they've never been able to understand why I seem to latch on to other people's emotions.....at first they thought I was a liar, an attention seeker, but after a few experiences with them both they have seem to come to terms with the fact that I can in fact feel what they feel. However, now i'm labeled the 'weak sinner.' My father can't comprehend why I can't control my emotions and my mother cannot stand the fact that I won't go to church anymore...Its not that I've thrown my faith away, its just, there are some really sick people that mask their evil with their utter devotion to god. I don't go to church unless its practically empty and then I just kneel and pray, but other than that I refuse to go in....no matter what church I go to there are always a few of those people. On a lighter note though, I now understand why I am so effected by people and I guess I can stop doubting myself....I'm not crazy, or an attention seeker, or a drama queen, and I am by no means a liar!
This an interesting site
I'm a 51 year old empath. I've always had the ability to get complete strangers to open up to me emotionally. To say that being able to sense the emotions of others as you pass is painful is an understatement. Most of my teen and young adult years were spent healing (spiritually) my friends and damn near everyone I came upon. This ability made having a "normal" relationship with a woman impossible. I found that I needed to have intense emotional relationships with 2 or 3 women at the same time, as no one of them could handle me when I needed to "download" my emotional "tank".
I finally gave up an dumb-down my emotions to try and fit in. This resulted in 20+ years of anger, frustration and broken relationships. I now exercise my abilities, guided by years of experience. I intend for the next 40 years to be really good. I'm a photographer and a poet.
I am shocked to read what most ppl will dismiss, simply because there is no proof. Most of my friends feel i am crazy because they simply believe none of what i tell them exist. I do experience some of what is described above on some level. And i'm glad to finally put a name on it. For those who do not believe, it is out there in one form or another. Haven't you ever known someone was calling or at your door or behind u before u saw them? I'm just saying, don't dismiss, what you don't see happening right in front of you.
As a Christian and empath - I believe God allows us to have these abilities as his gift. I am not possessed - just in tune with the Love and caring he allows me to get through Him.
I believe I am an empath ..this is the first time putting a name to it though - I think I have heard of it before and when I did I thought at that time it could be me...... I can always tell when someone is being real or not...I can tell if I am being lied to...I can feel others emotions...and I do become devastated when seeing something horrible on television..particulary the infomercials for starving children - I feel like I have to help or save people...like I'm different then other people...and I am very new to looking into and recognizing what this all means.. I can also tell if someone is "good" or "bad" - some people have a much brighter light than others..I can see old souls... I have feel evil... At work ..which is in a hospital..I often feel the emotions of my coworkers..hostile..or giddy..whatever it is..I can tell if someone is being sincere or not or if they are in a good or bad mood... there is this one girl at work.. she is probably in her early thirties..and even though her words and actions come off like she is a good..sincere person..I don't think she is..I feel a negative energy from her..I can tell she doesn't like me ..and that is another thing - I can tell when people don't like me..I don't know if this is part of it but my entire life..I have never really had any real friends...people don't like me..and I am the type who wants to help..and I am not a bad person or anything...women especially it seems..just do not like me..not everyone of course..I have no friends...and my sister...I don't know what it is called but everyone is drawn to her..she has a ton of friends...strangers have been coming up to her since she was a child...and since she was in high school they tell her their life stories...complete strangers! And it's odd to me because I feel negative energy from her..she isn't an honest person..she is the type who is only out for herself..and I still love her and I know it sounds bad I say that..but it's true...My mom on the other hand... very sincere..always truthful..a good person..anyway..oh and ever since I moved down the block from my sister...whenever she gets ill..I feel it..if I wake up with a headache..I know she has one...if I'm nauseous..she is throwing up somewhere...anyway..thanks for the article:)
Amazing, beautiful, and bittersweet. I had no idea how many of us there were out there. Some more open to it than others, but we all seem to embody pretty much the same emotional and physical traits as empaths, don't we?
I thought it was lovely that so many of you had the courage to speak up and speak out. I had tears in my eyes from reading so many of your encouraging stories, though I found many stories filled with "suffering" too. And that broke my heart.
And so, I would like to share something that can maybe be of assistance to someone here reading. I was born with a few abilities myself and I guess one could say I am a true empath as well. Like yourselves, I did not know what to call my "symptons" or "conditions" either. Research helped, especially when I was little and there was NO ONE to ask about this...but it still wasn't enough for me. In the end, all of my research could not compare to the help I eventually received from my many "spiritual teachers" I've have the pleasure of meeting in my life so far (mediums, meditators, energy workers, etc). What's interesting, is that they ALL pointed me in the same direction: God. And no, I am not a "bible thumper" or "evangilistical cultie" :)
I would like to share with you that I am turning 35 in a few months. I feel I am more experienced and a little wiser now (thankfully!) but am also happy knowing I will always be a student in the School Of Life! In my tiny, humble opinion, no matter who or what you believe in (the Creator, Buddha, Jesus, Mohammad, or whoever/whatever you follow), as long as you can keep your Faith and aim to walk a compassionate and loving path in your life, continue learning and asking questions, make your own decisions, perform random acts of kindness, do your part to help your neighbor and your planet, etc, you may find along the way that your gifts will be there for you...to help GUIDE and ASSIST you in your journey and perhaps even help you see where you can be of service. From this realization, you learn to appreciate your abilities. And from this you may feel a desire to contribute even more.
On a side note: for those of you truly new to the concept of being an empath, I HIGHLY recommend researching your neighborhood or nearest town for a meetup group. I happen to live in San Diego and I am so thankful for the group I found. These outstanding people "showed up" in my life, just at the right time (I just love serendipity!). It's a great way to connect with others who are also seeking assistance in developing abilities and gifts. Again, do your research and be sure you connect with a group that meets with the highest of intentions.
So, I guess my main message for everyone is to know that you are not alone. And you don't have to do it alone either. YOU CAN get to a place where you can be in better control of your emotions and experiences so as to prevent all out meltdown! And please, don't forget to allow yourself the patience, love and kindness you deserve as you tackle this head-on. One step at a time...
P.S. Isabella, THANK YOU for starting a fantastic hub here. You've reached so, so many who have needed it.
P.P.S. Tons of people are commenting on contracting illness/dis-ease/physical ailments... two things: 1)Read Louise Hay!! 2) Protect yourself with "Light". Envision this surrounding your body. We are, after all, energy bodies. So protecting yourself energetically will aid in protecting yourself physically. Google this concept to find techniques, etc. Hugs to all!
Fret, although it has been over 2 years since your response, I felt compelled to reply to your thought of empathy as being a possession. Hmmm, are you religious? Or do you have a true relationship with God? The questions begs...My thought is that are you the man with one talent that hid it because you were afraid of your master? Healing or being sensitive in this way is thought to be a gift, just because you do not understand-do not condemn Re-Read Ephesians and look inward
By all accounts .... I am an empath.
I was grabbed once by a grieving son who's father had just past away ... he wrapped his arms around me and instantly I felt this rush of emotion course throughout my body. There was so much grief so much sadness.
I was fine until the service started and one of his father's friends started to deliver his speach about how he had known and loved this man.
All of a sudden I began to weep and cry, right out loud, I could not stop myself, I was crying so hard, my shoulders were shaking ... I was a total mess.
Anyone there must have thought that I had some kind of affair with the departed and that the poor grieving widow must have thought I was his mistress.
OMG - I was so taken unaware that I made a total scene and had to be taken out of the service.
I know what happened .... the grief of the son was still in me .... I was letting out his grief.
The funny part of it was that I had only met the departed once before in my lifetime just to say hello.
Totally hard for someone else to understand, but I was a complete mess.
After we left the service ... I was completely fine and back to my usual joyful self.
Another time ... I walked by a fellow swinging on a swing and my stomach actually turned over when he hit a height ... I did not know why my stomack turned over until I looked over my shoulder and saw him swinging and laughing at a very high height. I actually felt what he was feeling .... amazing.
I can actually smell people who have cancer ... it is a strange odor and I am 100% correct in all my encounters.
I can feel hatred ...fear in others, strong emotions, I feel all the emotions of others ...
When I was a little girl I used to watch horror shows on TV and I was literally so involved in the action I would be jumping up and down on the couch... I actually felt the pain, the anxiousness and anxiety .... I couldn't sleep for days afterwards, but I would still watch.
Feeling things amplified like I have always done .... I did not know that this was a special gift, everyone thought oh she is just so sensitive ... I did not tell anyone just exactly how sensitive I was ... I did not want to feel unlike everyone else, they seemed different from me ... they all did ... I knew that and felt that.
i am an empath. a natural emapth. i sometimes have trouble with it because it can be confusing. and i am still young. i know what people feel. everythng. but i didnt ask for it.
I don't know if I'm and Empath, but I know that I'm SOMETHING. I've always know that, but I don't know WHAT, and no single definition applies:
I find it very hard to watch t.v, films, read books, listen to music, things that a girl my age usually does, because whatever happens in that, i put myself into the position, i FEEL what is shown or described, put it into context for myself. I don't like spending time with other people, I find it really difficult and i'm socially awkward. Usually, spending times with others makes my mood adapt to theirs. Because of this, i try to do the same in reverse; i try to be a becon of optimism and kindness so that others will pick up on it, but i dont know if they ever have. Well, they havent suddenly got sad, at least!
I can read people really well. And i mean REALLY well. Wether they are in front of me, or i'm reading something on the internet, i can usually tell their train of thought, what they mean and how they are feeling at the time. This may possibly be that i'm smart-ish though, but i'm not sure.
I can see the future. Yeah, sounds corny, i know. But i can. Problem is, i don't realise until after the event. I love to write stories, because i can understand how the people feel, and the people in the story can represent people in real life, without me knowing until later on. Because of this, i knew the two people who would become like brothers to me, and i knew that my friend was going to die. Not directly, but symbolically within the stories. It's scary, because the gaps between me 'seeing' the event and it happening is getting shorter. The two boys occoured about a year after i saw it, and my friend was aprox eight months.
and there is something else, and this i really DON'T know about. Ever since i was a child, i've FELT something. I cant really explain it, its a heavyness in my torso, a fire in my stomach. Its there, in all of my body. It makes me light headed, and i can FEEL EVERYTHING. I'm not kidding, its like i can feel LIFE. i am just a small piece, and i am connected to so many other small pieces, because that is all we humans are. Tiny fragments. I'm afraid i can't elaborate any more on that, because it has always confused me. I have never told anyone. This is the first time i have spoken about it. When i was younger, these instances would last about 30 seconds, and i would get them about every 2-3 months. Now, they last about 10 seconds but i get them every other week. There is no pattern to when they happen either. O.o
wow, sorry i wrote so much! I really am confused as to what i am, but i know one thing. I am not normal. I don't know why, or to what end, but i know that i was born for a specific reason, i just have no idea. lol i'm not being big headed, honest! i'm not planning world domination, but i know there is something i've gotta do. Its why i'm still alive.
Being an empath sounds tough. I guess if you are, you need to be very careful not too take on the emotions of others, particularly negative or painful ones.
Hi! I think I may be an empath. I am very young, 16 to be exact, and sometimes it's as if I have a bipolar disorder, but I know I don't. When someone is upset, mad or happy, I can immediately tell. It's as if there's a subconcious feeling inside of me that tells me so. Or, if anyone is near me and wants to talk to me but hesitates, I feel it. For example, one day, about a month ago I was in chemistry class, we were working on this class assignment and everyone was out of their seats. There's this guy who I think likes me, I've noticed the way he feels about me. Anyways, he was standing right next to me in a long table, I was looking down and writing, he was pretending to look on the board. Even as I was looking down, I could feel this subconcious thing telling me that he kept looking at me, and it was not an easy thing to notice since he is much taller than me, I'd have to look up to see his eyes. I could feel his hesitation, he was nervous, he wanted to talk to me, in that moment, I felt the same way too. Then he talked to me, but I could tell he was nervous, as I was too.
Things like this happen to me, some are very confusing for me. Making me very emotional, it makes me feel really lost. When I see bad things happen on TV, I feel like I have to get out there and fix it!! I want EVERYONE to be happy and to do the right thing. Something that has happened a lot to me before is having people confess something very personal even if they just met me, also, I've had many people confess that they're gay and are scared of what people will think. When someone comes to me sad or upset, I will not leave them and will do anything to see them smile again. Sometimes, I just wish I could take their trouble from them and make it my own so they wouldn't have to feel it. Or solve people's problems for them, but I know I shouldn't do this, so I just make them feel better and orient them, but I still have that feeling of guilt that I could have taken their troubles and made them happy.
Something else, that happens to me, is that I have these sort of visions, it's like as if time stops, and this "tape" is played in my head, when it's over, time begins again. I don't get these a lot though, these I usually get like once every two months, but when I do, they are very strong. I actually started having all this when I turned 16, on January 1st to be exact. When I was 15, I would just get vague or blurry versions of the things that happen to me now. And the visions would only be pictures. Even then I had a feeling that when I turned 16 things would be different, and indeed they are.
I want to understand this a bit more. It's not easy. Sometimes I just wish to be a normal girl who just worried about school and clothes and parties, but I can't be that girl.
If anyone knows of a site, or anything that might help me control my visions and those feelings I get suddenly, please tell me! I am quiet desperate right now, so please?
Forgot to mention something else:
Gloss-Reality, I can relate to you a lot! Except for I am not anti-social and I don't feel the universe as you do. I am a very quiet person, who mostly keeps to herself, but I just love talking to people, why? Because I don't do it often, and when I do, when I find someone I can feel comfortable with, someone who likes me for me, I feel so very happy, and it's reciprocal most of the times. I'm not saying that I've never been fooled by fake people, I have, but it hasn't happened in a long time, I usually see their intentions before they do something and I'm careful with the things I do and say around those people.
Also, something I want to mention, is that often, when I hear a song that is "special" (I don't know how to explain it) A song that reminds me of someone, or a period of my life, the lyrics, they make me feel like them. For example, if it's a sad love song, I feel sad about love. It doesn't seem very important, but it's as if my life and feelings revolve around music.
One last thing, I don't see this as a curse, nor a gift. Well, I think it's both, a curse and a gift all at once, in other words, a challenge :)
i enjoyed your article and many of the responses, especially from the christian guy. i have to ask him though, if there is satan, then you are saying there is something OUTSIDE OF or SEPARATE from God. But how can you have anything outside of infinite. Infinite is infinite. So if there is Satan then I have to say that either God is both dark and light, OR God dosen't exist. I do believe in the Divine, and I also believe that what we PERCEIVE as negative, can actually be the best at helping us grow and see our true selves. Denying something just because it is unpleasant or you have convinced yourself that you have been "posessed" isn't going to help you. These experiences that empaths face are very unpleasant but I believe can help us gain much insight into our divine natures and can help us discover great abilities that we just never realized we had. I do believe we evolve (and I'm speaking spiritually, not physicaly) and I beliee that more and more Empaths and various other people with psychic abilities are being born to show us little seeds of truth as to where, we collectively are heading, if we so choose. I believ I am borderline Empath, if that is even possible. Or perhaps am and through living many difficult experiences have learned to shut it down. Although, feeling out of touch with myself hasn't helped and I have been turned onto it again. Also interesting to note, that with my sensitive abilities being opened up many of my vreative talents and some new ones have sprung up as well. Or perhaps acting on those creative surges have opened up my sensitive abilities. Blessings to you.
My last comment about the Christian guy was for FretBuzz by the way not Christian Empath. And Christian Empath should not be afraid and should not feel bad about their abilities. Maybe it is just time for Empaths to be born because the world needs it so desparately right now. And Sunshine, I also find that people, even total strangers come up to me and start crying or telling me their deepest secrets or deepest pain. It was especially bad when I was pregnant! I must have seemed extra sweet and trustworthy. Although, I feel that I am and I really feel for so many of them. For instance, I was driving and saw a homeless man walking in the middle of nowhere. It was super hot outside and I just happened to have a bottle of ice cold water. The sensible Capricorn side of me was saying "keep driving" but I just couldn't. I turned my car around and gave him the water. He could have pulled a knife and stole my vehicl, but I felt that I just HAD to do it. On the other hand, there have been times when I wanted to help somebody but something inside me just screamed "NO!". I listen to those gut instincts because you just never know. People can be very good at sending out energy that makes them seem in terrible need, only to sucker you in. It's true that people can sense when you are an empath amd some of them will use it to your disadvantage. For haveing much common sense otherwise, I still find that when it comes to realting to people emotionally I am very naive, even when my gut says not to believe them. I am still learning how to tread those waters. Seems like no matter what someone has done, I still can't help but see some good in them or that I have to protect them. Not a good thing at times.
I am 62 and have been an empath since about 14. I am also a Christian; have actually asked and thanked Jesus for my salvation and asked Him to forgive me for my sins, and have read the Bible through. A lot of so called Christians should read the Bible completely and carefully before commenting an anything related. At 31, I also had a direct tangible experience with Jesus, thus I couldn't deny Him if I wanted to. My lazy self didn't even bother to read the Bible thoroughly until I was 56.
Anyway, not enough time or room to put all of it here: psycic and empathic experiences, prophetic dreams. All three of these things have to do with having a lot of sensitivity. One of my first: 14yrs. I caught the headlines as I walked past my Mother with her newspaper; "Son shoots neighbor boy." I blurted out the boy didn't shoot his friend. The boy's mother shot his friend. My mother looked at me and said, "That was a horrible thing to say." I agreed. Next day headlines; "Boy's mother confesses she shot neighbor boy."
Several months lated my mother was playing Solitair to keep herself from smoking. As I walked past her, I blurted out, "Let me play. I can win." I can't shuffle. She shuffled. I cut the deck and laid out the cards and started to play. Every card fell in place and within a couple of minutes I won. My mother was stunned and commented, "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never believe it." In 48 years countless things have happened. My husband and 3 kids know all about it. My kids don't like me to bring it up, but when I come out with something, my husband does sit up straight and take notice. He's seen too much of it during our 33 years.
hi like i read the article and he said if we hesitate to say that we are empathic then ere not. but im just wondering like i can tell when someone is lieing to me. and when im in a relationship i know when they start to cheat on me. like i dont have proof or anything i just start to know and thats when i start looking for clues and facts to bust them. then when i first meet someone i can tell if i like them or not right when they speak. i can feel when their lieing. like i feel how their emotions come off their words. if that makes sense. sometimes i question myself and be like no their cool. but then later on their exactly what i thought. oh and i predicted two of my sisters pregnancies. one was not that into depth. but the second one i had a dream and i held the baby in my arms. i called my sister and told her she was pregnant and having a boy and i was right. like i have stuff like that happen to me a few times. i just want to know do i have an ability or am i just reading to much into it because i want to have an ability? or if i do, how do i make it stronger? practice it more. oh and when i see sad stuff on tv i have to change the channel i just figured that was just human. and also if someone is embarrassed on tv i feel like im embarrassed for them and i have to change the channel and thats like with real life stuff and tv shows as well. can some one answer my me and tell me if im just a fluck i guess u can say.
oh and one more thing i dont know why i forgot this. but i kind of just set it out my mind.
im in the military and im over seas. we had fot intel that we should expect more attacks.
well i got on post and i just started feeling this horrible feeling.i couldnt stay still i was real scared cuz i just felt like sumtin bad was going to happen. well it didnt happen that night but the next night while i was at work a soldier got killed.
now im wondering was i paranoid or did i feel it coming.
I need help. Im 14 and for the last month or so ive felt so angry sometimes or broke out laughing for no reason. Sometimes i have butterflies in my stomach for hours and have no reason to be upset when i am. I can't watch someone hurt even if theyve bullied me but i cant heal i dont think :S its so confusing my stomach just hurts alot of the time and i asked my friend what she felt and it was the same as the feelings that hurt so bad. At the ends of sad programs i sometimes cant get to sleep after words and try not to watch them. I keep getting angry at my friends and i hate myself for it.. But how do i know if im really an empath or just want to be, like you said some people do. Im drawn to magic but i dont think im trying to be something im not. everythings starting to hurt more and im wondering if it is empathy or i need help in another way im sorry please help me
well i have recently foundout I am a Empath and its very hard and over whelming for me and i really would like too now HOW TO CONTROL ALL OF THESE FEELINGS COMING FROM PPL! how do i control this!! i would really like to know it would be a big help pleasee pleassse help me if you have any idea how too help someone message back or mayeb email me at
Michelle_maracan@yahoo.com
please and thank you!
Well Im definitely am an empath. I have all of those symptons. Especially the healing. Its a lil annoying sometimes and it happens outta no where. Im still having trouble figuring it out, and I just recently had a very strong episode of strong harsh, and very negative feelings, but I have no idea where it came from. I have a question though, is it possible for an empath to feel the emotions of ppl overall in the entire world?? PLease writ me @ CUniversal5@yahoo.com. O h and how can I keep a control on it?
I believe this is me also. It is difficult and I do find myself almost hiding from the world at times although it never really works. I am glad if I can make others feel better. I also developed this bad idea that others are always questioning any compassion that is shown, like they believe it to be some kind of farce almost. I feel the cynicism and it affects me greatly.
I haven't read everything on your hub but am wondering if anyone has raised the issue of picking up emotional charges
from things as well as from people. I have had the experience frequently - from pieces of furniture to road-kill. I've felt the impact, from time to time, in devastating ways. I'm only beginning to understand the profound and sometimes shattering experiences I've had that I realize now were not my own and am near desperate for ways to protect myself. I gave up television, newspapers and am very deliberate about what exposure I can control but I keep getting blindsided by stuff, particularly grief, that seems to be free floating.
I know not why I right this now other than to say I see the truth in your words for a long time I have felt . . . different and I didn't understand why I have always been a ghost preferring the quiet solitude of my own company I've always found it hard to make connections and have very few friends I feel isolated, alone, lost most people just don’t understand how could they when they cant feel what we feel they couldn’t they can’t know what its like not really not unless they have experienced it for them selves
I've often wished that I could make people feel what I feel that I could show them the true depths of the abyss maybe then they would understand perhaps they would see the true measure of strength that is required to stop your self going over the edge
I have to wonder where does the listener goes when he needs help ?
I feel trapped like a rat in cage and I want out even as I right this I'm overwhelmed by darkness I've always be a strong willed person and I wont give up not without a fight but there are times when everything just gets to much and I cant handle it and I find my self out walking the streets in the dead of night or I'll find my self sitting on a beach just listening to the ocean lap up against the shore or I'll find some other place outdoors where I can be alone and at peace
I think maybe this is why I'm find my self drawn to wicca not so much the religion or the spell casting but I do believe there is wisdom in the old ways and only by learning from are past can we progress in to the future because unless we learn from are mistakes we are doomed to repeat them
I remember one person asking me once why I would choose eternal happiness over unlimited wealth and the simple answer is pain and I'm not talking about the physical kind that’s fleeting no I'm talking about the deeper kind the kind that doesn't go away
simply put I don’t want to feel the way I feel and the chance to be at peace to be happy has more value to me than anyone could possibly know even if it is only for a moment
I've found meditation helps a lot it calms me down helps me to maintain control I'm unsure if I am empathic but it would certainly explain a lot and would certainly answer a lot of questions I've always had the feeling of being a little emotionally unstable particularly when I'm not in control if I'm tired or stressed etc
I've often wondered if people really know what being alone does to a person how it changes you how it takes something away how it makes you cold hard indifferent if only people knew the truth
its not all bad though and it can be a wonderful gift on thoughts rare occasions when you are happy when you are at peace the feeling is beyond measure or compare
I’ve found learning to block others out is a very necessary skill but it can be quite draining at times but its worth the effort because to feel numb can be quite a relief at times not having to deal with the emotional roller coaster and to just be able to go out and get on with the day
my only regret in this is that you come off as being cold distant I think though this more than anything is a defensive mechanism designed to keep people away rather than active malice but the end effect is the same and can make matters worse as it can make it extremely difficult to make meaningful long term connections and with out the support of friends family and loved ones its very easy to slip and wind up in a very bad place
fortunately for me I have a good relationship with my family and even now at 27 when by all right I should be out there carving my mark in to the world there still taking care of me watching out for me and that also helps
still it’s lonely existence and I wish for though deeper connections
in addition to my previous posting on this I want to share a revelation I've had it came to me just after writing my first posting on this and I think it might help others that are suffering from this
what I have begun to understand is that part of what it means to have this ability is to learn acceptance not only of other people but of your self as well only when you learn acceptance will you learn control
you must also learn to stop trying to fight this ability you cant win its bigger and stronger then you are I know this is counter intuitive that your instinct is to run to fight to try and block it out but trust me on this trying to fight it only makes the pain worse because it builds up on you until you finally reach braking point and you collapse under the strain
but if you learn to stop fighting it if you learn to accept it control it to direct and focus it if you learn how to tap in to that boundless energy and make it your own it can be a source of limitless strength
one technique I have found that helps is to tell your self every morning when you wake up or when ever you feel like you cant do something when you feel afraid etc
that you are strong and that you can do anything you set your mind to I know this sounds kind of cheesy and it might take a while to change the negative though patterns but trust me it works and after about a month of doing this every day you will start to feel the change as you begin to believe faith in ones self and ones abilities really does make all the difference
sometimes the answer is right there in front of us the whole time its just that its so simple that it takes us a long time to see it
I don’t pretend to be any sort of an expert on this by any means and as is evident from my first posting I still have a long way to go and much to learn even using these techniques I still get overloaded
its simply something I have come to know to be the truth and something I think might help others in the same situation
one other piece of advice I would give to thoughts that are suffering from this is when you start to feel overloaded like you cant handle it just stop what ever it is you are doing close your eyes and take a few slow deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth keep doing this until you feel the calm return again i know its cheesy but it really does work most of the time
occasionally if you are really worked up this might not help the best thing to do in a situation like that is to go somewhere quiet where you can be alone inside or out I don’t think it really matter just so long as you are comfortable and its quiet and relaxing
you could also try writing about what you are feeling as I have done above just write from the heart you don’t have to show it to anyone if you don’t want to but posting it somewhere public like this can help you to find people that understand what you are going through the old adage is true sometimes it helps to talk about it
even better than this though is if you have someone close to you that you can trust who is a good listener I cant count the number of times just unloading on someone like that has helped me but remember to thank the person afterwards let them know how much it means to you to have them be there for you when you need them the most otherwise they might think you are some totally unstable nutter
I will often do this just tell them thank you and when they ask what for I'll answer simple for being there for me when I needed a friend when I needed someone to talk to when i needed someone to listen someone who isn't going to judge that usually gets a smile because you are being honest and it lets them know how much you value them and that makes them feel good about them selves
I hope all of you out there that struggle with this find this advice helpful
Blessed Be
I can't take it anymore, I simply can't take it. This is my first exposure to the word Empath, and I have to say, it makes me cry to finally find something out there that might explain who I am and how I feel ALL OF THE TIME! I do not know what is going on right now, during this time in life, but the "pain" inside is getting to be more than I can bare. I'm tired, I'm so tired...
Guys... all of the stuff on this post applies to me. And yes!!! I noticed the gold-white glow around leaves and stuff too! Nature is my escape. It's like it tones out all the emotions, and wraps in bliss. Unless of course someone close to you dies or something... but in general, it's really soothing. Animals are beautiful -I'm a vegetarian. I can't believe there are more people like this.... I have such a hard time in high-school. So much drama and emotions going wild all over the place, and they go right through me too. I don't even know what to do with myself..... Usually I just withdraw, and pretend I don't care... :( But it's really nice sometimes too. You can tell how your friends are feeling, and instinctively you know how to make them feel better. Animals love you, nature seems to be a part of you. When I listen to music I kind of feel like the emotion is raining down on me, or that I'm in a pool of that emotion. It's an amazing escape -it helps you feel the mood the music emanates as opposed -for the most part- to the stress and moods of everyone around you. Of course you can never completely block it out... but it's amazing.
my name is lance. and apperntly an empath hehe its strange i could always tell when some one is lying what their feeling even when they try to hide it. people dump their problems on me all the time. i just thought nothing about it. but im changing also. i no longer care for people which is strange even my family. i now use peoples feelings to my own gain i use people for my benifit because i no what they want and i manipulate them. if it doesnt benifit me i want none of it. i sat and watched some guy on a motorcycle get hit by a car 10 ft in front of me and didnt care. im some kind of bastard arnt i. now now im evening seeing colors around people mostly dark blues and black and one person i almoust doubled over in one of my classes by just sitting by them. any one what this means or am i just crazy? by the im 16 if that helps.
This is one of the finest articles I've read about being an empath. You've covered all the relevant points and I am very appreciative to receive such clear validation. Only in the last few years has it occurred to me that my daily state of mind and emotion is directly connected to turns of events on the planet I'm not aware of consciously, yet feel. It has been a challenging life journey and with many deep gifts, too. Thank you for your hub on this important subject!
I have only to say to the original comment from fretbuzz... God is SO much vaster than you know. You limit what That is by your judgments/mind. It is All That Is. All of It!
peace,
Namaste...
wow, I'm an empath too. Always have been. I'm basically a happy empath and one that makes it through on my own. I've always felt that there is a power that protects me and that I'm special and different from most. I know I think differently about life than most people I talk to. This is why I don't enjoy talking to a lot of people. Idle chatter is a waste of time. I just wait to see what I need to do next. I want to be purposeful in this lifetime. It's important to me.
WoW! Its so nice to know that there are so many Christains with this ability I used to feel like it was wrong to be the way I am. I sincerly believe all people have some sort of gift and it is only a matter of searching and discovering to find out what that ability is. I love nature and am so attatched to my pets as someone earliar said its like an escape for me. Music is a different world as well I have been a musical person since childhood. Music is the way emotions sound its like you can feel it. I adore people and have difficulty judgeing a person, thats just not me. I see the good in everyone because I know it is there. Growing up it was like I was on the outside looking in, it seemed as if I noticed everything about everyone and no one ever noticed me. I go to a store and notice everyone. Have you ever noticed how it seems as if some people deliberalty ignore others? In the past year I have begun to accept who I am and what I am. I would not choose to be any other way. I adore children there is nothin like the smile of a baby to brighten your day. :)
I have also been reading about being an empath, your description fits me to a tee. I cannot walk into crowds without feeling overwhelmed and anxious, almost ill. I tend to get symptoms of illnesses the doctors cannot diagnose..things affect me deeply to tears.. and sometimes I am in a situation where I might start to *freak* out and I cannot seem to pinpoint why...
I am able to *read* people immediately and am seldom wrong regarding their intentions. I did a reiki course once, and came out of it with blisters on my hands (no one could explain that to me..) I feel emotional extremes and tend to keep a distance from most people and crowds as it is hard to manage sometimes. People have called me psychic because I generally know they are getting ready to contact me before they do. I also have had deja vu type experiences, (prior to traumatic events) but I don't believe I am psychic.
I am trying to keep this short.. so am not going into long explanation.. I have always felt that I had no *filters* - was over sensitive to feelings, sound, taste, heat, cold, vision - everything seems to come in at full blast and it is very uncomfortable to the point that I have to remove myself from any situation where there is too much stimulus coming in, if that makes any sense. Shopping malls, crowds and pubs are intolerable..
One thing I find so difficult though, is when I am around people who are close to me when they are lying. I *know* they are lying to me, I don't always know what they are lying about.. but I just seem to know that they aren't being honest.. and I find this hard to deal with.. I feel angry and I want to confront them and ask why they just lied to me.. but that doesnt make you very many friends .. does it? it does however make life miserable and lonely.. I do plan to do more reading, to try and figure out how to manage this...
Hello,
I am a male and im 20 years old.
I read your article and I have got to say it gave me chills. I am an empath, I have been living this way my whole life and I have always wondered whats going on. I feel others emotions and I can tell when people are lying to me. The part where you said that empaths know when someone is lying to there face gave me the chills, because that is actually what I have been calling it. "KNOW" or "Knowing". I didnt know how else to describe it. I have always known that I have been in tune with others and everyone around me can vouch for me. After reading this it really gave me a lot of answers to questions I had, and it made things really make since to me. But I dont believe it is a bad thing to be an empath. There are ways to block it out. This is something I figured out through a lot of emotional pain and making myself sick. I would like to talk to you more if your interested.
Im pretty sure this sums me up entirely. Although I have it some what under control(solitude) at the moment. Im 22 had this all my life. Used to cry in public as a kid because of other peoples pain. I also think im slightly clarvoient(talked to and seen spirits).
Hi, 'm 20 years old and I am almost 100% certain that I am Empathic... A lot of the things in this article I've read I experience and I feel that it is a gift but as with everything it does come with somewhat of a burdon aspect to it... Things in life seem so much more beautiful I've noticed then the way others see it... I can be perfectly content to spend my whole day out laying on the ground in a forest just listening to the sounds and enjoying the colours of nature when a friend would find it a fair bit dull haha. Although emotions when I am out in public can change so rapidly that it can be a bit nauseating at times. I've learned to accept it and try my best to help people with it.
This for the other Christians out there that think this is demonic. Anything is possible in God, that's what the bible says. God could work through people to make this happen, it's not always satanic.
Personally, i think stuff like this is very far removed from religion. i loved this article, it was helpful.
Thank you so much Isabella for your article. I am 12 years old and my brother, who is empathic, showed this to me and it describes me in a way that I knew to be true but could not put into words. I was confused and was dead inside. My emotions and the emotions of others overwhelmed me and the only thing I could look to was Jesus. I believe God gave me this gift for a reason and that He will do great things through me. Thank you so much for helping me and may God bless you.
-Olivia
Empath, I'm interested in the term and it's application, I will have to follow up with a little more research.
I am a follower of Jesus Christ, I find and firmly believe He does not punish the living, he does however give full freedom of choice. With that freedom comes both joy and grief,
as results of ones own choice. It, in my mind boils down to spirituality and at some point one must settle in to a period of reflection and prayer for understanding, inner healing, then you may experience the connection of the signals radiating from those around us.
We may look into the eyes of another and see evil glaring back at us, or need from a blameless soul, as well as many other things pleasant or not. I have experienced the aura of death knocking on ones door and have to battle the urge to tell them they have seen their last sunrise or tragedy would some how be a part of their life. With the feeling being strong, and not knowing exactly what extent or time frame.
I've experienced the premonition, and the sadness in someone that I have had the occasion to be near and get these feelings. They bother me inexplicably. At a late night muster, before setting 30 out on patrol, I was shaken to the core with the fore knowledge that we would experience great failure. The bell rang true in the coming 48 hours.
It was an event that made me start listening and praying for understanding and where to carry my actions in dealing with these feelings. The voices in my head would drive me to solitude, and the journey to a hermits life.
I have a special gift with animals, being able to do things with them that others could not. Befriending vicious, or maltreated shy dogs that no one could touch and coming to realize that it went far beyond dogs to wild horses and desert burros for example. Instead of them fleeing from me they would circle and study me as I was in turn studying them and closing in on them at the same time. In a day I could touch them or they would leave and return on another day to continue this dance of some kind of relationship ending in physically touching them and then getting them to submit themselves to me.
I could go on but I'll stop here and possibly produce a hub with more detail in this ability. For now I will try and figure the word "Empath" into these things that happen while I remain in the desert as a hermit.
Thank you for the hub, it has given me a guideline to reflect on. It puts a possible name to my lifes experiences.
Just had to comment on the "demonic" accusations. It is a very lowly evolved soul who continually calls names to people and ideas he does not understand. It may be best to hide your ignorance.
Empaths are beautiful. They are sensitive, kind souls who put up with the likes of you to teach people here a better way to live and love. Hmmm sounds a lot like Jesus Christ.
I cannot thank you enough for this article and the way it was written. I have had this and other "abilities" for most of my 50 years but my empathy traits are my strongest. What you have written is something that I have the few others that know my "abilities" read when I share what and who I am. I try my best to describe what it is like but you have gone way beyond anything I could have put in writing. My "abilities" have shaped everything about me. I would give almost anything to have them gone. It is nice to know that someone actually "gets" what living with this is like, thank you.
im actually here for some advice. i match almost all of the signs. i dont get much in public, its usually one on one contact. however, it has recently gotten WORSE. not that i minded it to begin with, but now it has become a PHYSICAL issue. I have started experiencing the same pain problems as my G/F. she had an accident years ago, before we met, that has caused her sever neck pain leading to headaches, about a year into your relationship, i wake up one day with a nice lil crick in my neck, which i thought was a normal pain. however it has lasted the past three months, and has now turned into sever neck pain leading to migraines. (yes ive seen a doc) but my point is, empath aside, how odd it could be for someone to start having, not similar, but the EXACT issues of another. i have always known i was somethin of an emapth, but this is just goin too far.. if you have more suggestions other than as you have posted in your other blog.. please.. sent it my way..
is being an empath rare? that if you kept it to yourself but it goes out to public that its on the news or something? because i'm very young and i found out about empath and i read all the infomation and facts, and they all lead up to me. I want to know more about this
Oh yes, I know this role very well. I was constantly sick as a child. I had a terrible time sleeping as, I felt surrounded by the pain of others. For many years, I have suffered debilitating pain and insomnia. I am highly sensitive to noise, temperature, light, aromas, negative and positive energy. I learned to see myself surround with while light and mirrors. Then I can be around others, sense, and not absorb their pain into my body.
Through the exposure to suffering, I have always attempted to make a positive difference in the lives of others. Humor has been one of my best friends. As a Certified Professional Life Coach, my protection ritual has become even more important.
I have been curious about Fibromyalgia, since receiving the diagnosis 9 years ago, and want to ask other Empaths if you experience this disease.
Infinite Blessings,
Mel
I am glad you make the sublte distiction between types of psychics and psychism. I came by this web page looking for topics on psychism and had the same problem as the person who started this page. The internet search engines are very broad and don't hone specifics. I wanted to know about psychism which involves the ability to find people or hone them, similar to remote viewing, but not quite. I want to know what it is called. That is the 'technical term'. I want to know more about it and why people who have it seem to use it to harrass others in a cultic like way? I like your page and appreciate that you have the foresight to make subtle distinctions. Wish there were more like you.
I can not beleive that i learned what I am from a movie. I thought I needed therapy. I would see people and know what they were feeling, sexually, spiritually etc. etc. I thought I was going crazy. I now know that I was feeling their emotions. I even had problems with my wife that I do not know if she had an affair or not or if I was just being jealouse. I am so confused that I do not know what to do. I have had this since I was a child and not just here in this world but with the world beyond. I have also tried drinking to make the nightmares go away. It is the only time that I can sleep. God please show me how to use this gift to help others. I do not mind suffering if it will help others. Please ket me know on this site what I should do. I sometimes feel I am loosing my mind.
hello i was made aware of this ability if you want to call it that about 10-12 yrs ago by a more comfortable empath and with her help was abel to come to terms with the positive and negative aspects .once i was abel to be secure in what i was giveing out to others the receiveiing no longer was a problem i have since been open to finding and helping others who do not understand what is happening to themselves, i dont do this as a selfish "holy" mission as i help others to follow this path open to them i find the way becomeing clearer to myself i would like to list some of the "facts " about being a empath as i try to pass to these others any feed back would be welcome,,,troy
these are in no paticular order
1.being a empath is not a reliegon cult or beleif it cannot be taught it is not a gift it is simply something that some are born with and others are not (ie. musical ability)
2.you can be taught how to deal or cope with it if you are aware and open
3.there are empaths that use it only for there own benifit (i jokeinly refer to this as the dark side)
4.empaths encompass all aspects of the human race smart dumb talented dull nice mean good evil who you are will determine how you use it
5.true empaths give as well as recieve, we tend to be the center of any group ,for good or bad (im sure manson was a highly developed empath!
6.this can be the greatest gift or the worst curse of your liofe so think hard before seeking more
i will stop here there is so much more but typing is not my strong suit and as any empath knows this forum may offer something we have all been looking for it also could hold great danger any who wish to comment or question directly may email me at vwtroy@yahoo.com put empath in the subject line ..be open learn live grow
Thank you so much for this information and site. I have been searching for an answer for a while now. The past year has been the worse and my feelings are going crazy. I have been right about people at work and worse there are a few who are out to hurt others. Right now I need to find out how to control these feeling and any help in this area would be great. Again thanks for helping me find out answers.
I have had several people tell me that i was an empath.
I had noticed that i was always able to read people extremely well and that all my friends and even people i hardly knew would come to me and open up and would always tell me "i feel i can trust you because you're understanding and i am comfortable" things like that lead me to look up exactly what an empath is and it fits like a glove.
I have suspected for some time that I feel more than others. The depression got too much and I went to a psychologist for the first time last Tuesday. Her second question to me was: "How long have you been inhaling other people's pain?"
I have done some research tonight and realised that I am indeed an empath.
There needs to be more info on this on the web though! Thanks for the info :)
I have known for a long time (but certainly not my whole life) that I am more "sensitive" than others. That was always pointed out to me as if it were a bad thing. I am only starting to learn what an empath is. For a long time I thought everyone felt the way I did as far as feeling "bad" along with others. For example if someone get yelled at in elementary school I felt like it was me and would be upset all day. Is that normal? I am still doubting myself.
It is very frustrating for me. There are many times I just "know" what kind of person someone is. I sort of categorized them immediately but am unable to really put it into words. I am in business with my family and have tried to warn them over and over about employees over the years...but to no avail. Eventually the truth comes out about them. My family tends to not acknowledge that I ever said anything at all on account that they dont want to admit they ignored my warnings. They are always telling me to calm down...that I am too sensitive. Whenever I try to tell them that I dont know how but I 'Know" something they dont believe me.
I often feel overwhelmed and it is very difficult to let go. It does make me miserable and I am very confused right now. Is this part of being an empath? if so...does anyone have anymore resources. I have felt like I was simply an emotional basket case all this time.
After a lifetime of being aware I am an empath, but had no name for it, I have been guided to find ways of discharging negetive energies picked up from things (people, places).It has been a very long struggle to stay in one piece, almost died twice because of the buildup of negativity from almost everywhere, not just from things we can see but from dead souls who have decided not continue to evolve and who remain in the subconsious of the collective mind of the living. Not all are malevolent but most are draining. As emaths we tend to assume the things we feel and thoughts we have are ours, but eventually we discover they are not.
Basicly, after absorbing , without being aware of what we are doing (allthough in my case this does not happen without my knowing it now) we feel without a life of our own, confused, alone and wondering why "God" would allow such a thing to happen continuously. "God" is always benevolent, btw, and we need to realise we are the spiritual 'balance keepers' of all the universes, known and unknown.
To defeat the negative and expell it from our souls, the energy needs to be absorberd into water, standing in the sea and looking at the greenery, clouds, or all nature without thought is possibly the best. If you live somewhere without easy access to the ocean, then a foot soak in luke warm water and mix in a spoonfull of salt, (use a bowl specificly for this one purpose, nothing else) Use a picture or photo of anything in nature, not animals or people. Light a candle and place it in front of the picture, do not pay too much attention to what your mind is doing, or saying, try not to think of anything, don't visualise but you can quietly say AUM, (OM) to your body, it will respond in a nice manner. After 10-15 minuits, stop rinse your feet with clean water you have with you in a jug or bottle and then pour the whole lot down the toilet, try not to look at the water, it is now full of unwanted and painfull energy. Do this for a week every night or when you need to. If it works for you let others know how. OM Shanti. signpost.
There are times when I believe myself an empath. Mostly when, in someone's eyes, I see that they are deeply pained. Or that they are hiding something from me, a feeling of dread usually. I've cried when a character in a TV show, movie, or book dies. In reality it seems I'm trying to ignore the pain and hurt. I guess it might be that I don't want to be brought down by others.
I guess what I'm trying to say is--- Would you call me an empath? I can't tell because I've never really thought about it that much. I tead to ignore the "feeling".
I really dont perfer to consider myself an empath I guess. but it seems more or less the signs to point to it. I some points I feel others pain and know when people lie. when people talk to me they end up sayin their whole life story. Lately I have avoided the world Im slightly tired of the feelings. I cant go on a date with someone because im unsure what feelings or whose I really have. its almost like a pullin sensastion. sometimes it would be nice for people to understand.
Draco86
Hello all-Empathic/psychic tendencies run in my family. My mother, aunts, cousins-- we all have the "gift" in some form or another. When I was a child, I was tormented by others extreme feelings especially when around others. I used to get physically ill(headaches,anxiety,upset stomach etc) when all of the feelings became too much. I too like others spent a lot of time in my room reading to keep calm. Throughout my life, I would have dreams that always came true. For example, when I was 7 or 8 years old I had a dream that my elementary school music teacher had fallen and hurt herself. The next day I came to school there was a substitute teacher and she explained that the teacher had fallen and broken her hip...another more recent example, I was on my way to work and I happened to look at the sky and I saw a crow flying just as it flew overhead everything went silent and I saw ambulances riding up to the front door of my workplace. Just as quickly as this happened, it ended. Around 10am, everyone started to panic, just as I saw ambulances were at the door and someone was being wheeled out. There have been other episodes but those particularly stand out.
My cousin, taught me how to embrace it and see it as a blessing. He taught me how to meditate, not to be afraid of the feelings, how to walk with it not let it take you over. I guess I was lucky to have another empath in the family who felt things as strongly as I did.
To Celeste and the other young people who posted on this forum, please know that you might not always find understanding in the people you try to share your "talent" with. I went through this and I seriously freaked people out! As you grow up, your world will get bigger and you will find the people that will accept you and your gift. Still I caution you all in that not everyone will understand or believe you. Just remember it is not necessary for them to understand or believe just use what you got to help those who truly need help.
Okay this is getting long. Just wanted to share my experience.
I have learned throughout the years to deal with the negative energy that I seem to absorb from people, and the emotional distress from watching the news but I'm having issues with peoples sexual energy. I find myself attracted to people that I would not normally be and I wonder if I am feeling their attraction to myself, I haven't read much about that and was wondering if anyone else has this issue.
ever since i was little i always knew that there was something different about me specifically now i know what your probaly thinking everybody is unique in their own different way.... but me... i was just not right....i started noticing the symptoms that Isabella Swan had written.... i just now found this site and for some reason... find it very useful. As i have gotten older, i am now relizing everything... relizing why i was acting the way i was.... i feel almost complete. I am catholic and christan.. soo i do beleive that God chose people that he knew had great potential, and then, well, yeah, blessed them with something eles, that he knew that you wouldnt understand at first, or really ever, but that you would kind of get the idea sooner or later. ~ D.H.R
My mother was an empath, although as a young girl I just thought she was crazy. I'm glad I've learned how to block some people, my mother has suffered horribly in her life taking on others pains and emotions. I was taught in my teens by a family friend to meditate and this has helped me greatly, when done correctly.
best wishes to all the other empaths, we should start a society or something.....lol.
I just want to say that I have lived as an empath my whole life and for so long could not explain what was happening to me. A couple of years ago I was giving a friend a cleansing and felt a heart beat in her pelvic area. She was going into surgery the next day (which is why I was cleansing her) and after the surgery she found out she was pregnant. Another time I was giving a massage to someone with cyst on their back and shortly after I had a cyst on my hand. I have always felt for people and could tell what someone was really feeling. In fact, I hate working with my boss because the emotions she shows do not match the emotions I sense which really confuse me and makes me feel like she is insincere and fake. I cry a lot when watching sad, violent, or emotionally wrenching shows or movies. My emotions change dramatically through out the day for no reason. I have known for a few years that I am an empath but did not look into it until today. I have studied the occult and spirituality and have worked with my chakra's, done meditation, and learned to put up a protective shield, however I have not learned to keep this mind frame at all times. I suppose practice is the only thing that will help with that.
What has been really confusing me is that I sense people who have passed on but have not gone into the light. I mostly experience this at the home I live in. This home is the home of my partner and has been in his family for many generations. His mother committed suicide in the house and I recently found out that she may have actually been murdered by her husband (my partners father, who still lives there). When I use to first go to the house I was overwhelmed by negative feelings and she made herself well known to me. I would sense her talking to me but not with words but feelings and images. I have talked to my partner about this but he is still grieving over the loss (17 years ago) and is torn between the two different things that may have happened to her. I dont know how to help her soul or what she wants or how to find out what she wants. The other night I broke down and cried for a long time, hysterically,and held my partner and told him I was so sorry for what he had to go through because I could feel his pain and devastation. I want so badly to heal this family's pain, but I have no idea where to begin. Lately I cant help but wonder if my partner is capable of doing what his father did. I am tired and exhausted from all of this and I am constantly sick lately. I feel consumed and I have no place to go to get away from it.
I have a hard time staying friends with people because I know when they are lying to me and they confide everything in me. I get drained and I stop hanging out with people because their lives and emotions consume me. I feel like I am everyones therapist, yet I dont get paid for it :), I dont ask for people to tell me these things and I cant help but talk them through it and try to help, even when I dont want to.
I am in college for art but I have decided to change my major and become a psychologist because of the way that everyone reacts to me. half the people in my life already think I am one. Some of the wisdom I share with people and advise I give I have no idea where it came from. My life would be a lot less confusing if it was just mine and not everyone else's too. I love that I have a gift but I would love it even more if I knew how to control it. I think maybe if I do more research on the subject I can understand it better and learn to manage it.
I have always felt death around me. I know when people that are close to me will pass away - my father, grandfather, mother, grandmother, morther's boyfriend. I have can sense other people's emotions but mostly only the people that are close to me, that I love. Even to the point when I knew about my ex-husband getting ready to have an affair before he did. I would catch him pretty much everytimes until I stopped caring about him. Would this be considered a sort of empath? I do sometimes feel very sad or very happy for no reasons, sometimes I feel like I am kind of crazy but it hasn't deterred me from being around people. I love being around people. So, I am not sure what I would call it. Can anyone help me with that?
I could sit here and say nearly exactly what Jessica said just 11 hours ago. However, I instictively learned a few tricks along the way. I love a bath at night before bed and usually burn sage during that time. I meditate and surround myself in a white light, I didn't know why but always did. I have actually only heard the term empath once in my life in passing, seems to be my 'definition' now. I knew there was something about me, not quite psychic, not a medium, just sensitive. Now, I know what to call what I do and have always done.
Wow!So interesting are all these posts! The word empath was spoken to me upon awakening this morning, so I goggled it and found this site. I believe this is my gift and my calling from God. Every traite describes me in full detail. The same walls that protect us from hurt will also keep out many beuatiful experiences from coming our way. The choice is always ours. This is how we grow-if we choose to give. He gave so that we might live. Jesus was the greatest empath ever. He took on the sin and weight of the whole world and then nailed it to the cross. He was our example. Somehow we have to learn to take these burdens, pains, feeling that others bring to us and leave them at the feet of the only one that can truely carry them. I am learning this the hard way and through many trails and tests. I believe with all my heart that God gives the gift of being an empath to someone to help others. We are His hands and His feet in this world today. I have always referred to it an impression from God. I give Him the Glory for the gift. We cannot hide our talents. He gave them to us to be used. You cannot outgive Him. He is our source. He is our supply.
Thankyou so much, now i know i'm not just insane, i'm am empath too :)
It's one of the more humble abilities, but it's wonderful anyway :)
xx L&L
i always get tired. i hate it. i really do. but i know it's really a gift, just wish i could control it more.
I know that many people have already commented on Fretbuzz's response, and it makes me smile that true believers in Christ have discredited his remarks. The truth is there are many so-called "Christians" who make these accusataions of satanism and judge their neighbors to be evil or possessed by demons, even though the Bible says "judge not, lest ye be judged" (Mat. 7.2)
Isa is absolutely right! What could satan possibly get out of someone helping or healing another? That's Holy territory! Someone commented that Christ was ultimate empath, and I completely agree. But you'll often get the comment that Jesus was different, or that He was God in the flesh (which is what I believe), but remeber it wasn't just Jesus who went out helping and healing others, but also his decsiples, and they were certainly mere humans and sinners just like you and me. But because they so believed in His word, they too, preformed miracles!
It seems to me that the only one's out there satan really has a hold over are those like Fret... Those who FEAR the unknown, and become ANGRY at the thought of the possibility that there are people out there who have the same (or similar) gifts as Christ and His followers. It makes more sence that satan is decieving YOU! satan feeds on the weak and fearful, and fear is a powerful motivator. Soon a person becomes tired of being afraid, and the fear turns bitterness, and the bitterness to anger...Anger towards your fellow man for being open to the Spriritual. Then you go calling on in his name and pointing your finger saying "satanist, satanist!!!", giving the evil one all the credit for your JUDGING rather than LOVING thy neighbor. I'm sure that brings satan GREAT pleasure and satisfaction.
Did Christ not say that if we have faith but the size of a mustard seed, we can move mountains? Or that we all have in us, the ability to calm a raging storm, as He did? I don't know about you, but that sounds like some really powerful stuff!!!
My point is this, it seems to me that satan uses a person's fear of the unknown as a way in, being the pathetic scoundral that he is. Isn't it obvious that the evil one is manipulating your perception? Preying on your fear (your weakness), and using it to keep you FAR away from the influences of the true servants of God?
In conclusion, I believe it is satan himself who is causing you to Fret... Mr. buzz, and anyone else who wants call me or other Empaths evil or possessed by demons! Remember that satan revels in the anger and hatred we show one another, and I'm certain he takes great pleasure in the fact you and others like you lash out at us, and give all the credit to him and his demons.
Tell me, do you spend more time thinking about hell and the devil than you do reading the Bible, and truely listening and understanding God's Word and the teachings of Christ the Lord? Because I often find that to be the case when satan and demons are the first things a person like you thinks of when faced with the FACT that there are people in the world (such as Empaths) who are out doing the very things Jesus assured us we are ALL capable of doing.
i am freaking out. have always questioned everything about my life, have always searched for an answer and it took 17 years to find one. i posted a question in yahoo answers and someone answered "your just empathetic" i knew this simple answer and what it meant but i thought i'd google empathy and further research it and i came across this site. good stuff.
I don't usually respond to these type of things but, I feel I must. I have always been psychic, but never understood this curse of living out other peoples deaths. I have never understood what I am supposed to get from it. I have always been able to read people even as a child. By the way, for the record I AM a Christian and fully accept Christ as my savior. I say this in response to one of the earlier responses thinking this is some sort of possession. IT IS NOT. I can't imagine anyone wanting to have this. I have been documented by my doctor for years. She too has been trying to help me understand this. Thank you for your explanation. It is greatly appreciated.
Dave
Yeh, where do we learn to make this a gift? Cuz right now....this is not fun. This is devastating and heartbreaking.
My husband works at the Coast Guard base with the people who were in the recent collision. I have never met these people, or their families. But I feel such overwhelming pain, like I can't go on in life. Weird things set it off too, like the freezing water of the pool (I linked it to the coldness of the water in the ocean), and the fire made me feel the explosion.
I feel like I can't feel better until I help them. I want to do everything for them.
This isn't the first time either. This happens everyday. I just don't watch the news. Or keep up on any current events.
Some of the strangest things come out of the wood work when "different" topics come up!
I came across this and found it very informative. I'm not what I am really or if it's even classified as an empath. Let me explain...the above asked about the whole mall incident, right? Well that is exactly, almost to the last dotted i, what I feel. Not just that but I ... feel? odd with certain people. Like I don't trust what they are saying b/c they "feel" like a liar or like someone who is taking truth and twisting it. Also...when I watch shows or am at a live event and someone might say...fall off a bike...I don't feel their physical pain but I feel the jarring of the bones and the off-balance feeling one gets when they lose control. It's gives me a funny twist right between the eyes. That is the only way I can describe it. Take your index finger and press it against the spot between the eyes and turn/twist the finger. That is what it feels like. Sadly there are other things that make me doubt a person when they claim an ailment. I just don't believe them half the time! I sound and sometimes feel extremely distrustful but cannot help it. I proceed with caution. Only a few times in my life have I encountered what I call a "New Soul"...what that is to me is someone who doesn't feel like they have a weight to them. Hopefully that all makes sense. These people usually don't have much dragging them down and seem pretty light-hearted and care-free. Once in a while I feel slightly set off from them but not too often. I don't know. I don't believe the junk about demons possessing people and making them feel this way. People are wrong about that. Anyway...thanks for the article, Isabella..if you have input on what I've described, please feel free to email me jnt0715@yahoo.com .
OK, now that I've addressed Mr. buzz-kill (lol), I'd first like to say that this outpouring of emotion and communion on this topic is aww-inspiring, and Miss Isabella, I'd like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for creating a safe-haven for people who possess (not who ARE possessed, lol) this truely amazing, God-given gift.
I've read over most of the comments here, and believe me when I tell you all, I understand what you're going through and I FEEL your pain. I've read your stories and I hear crys for help with understanding what is happening to you. I've been where you are.
This is my story:
The first time I really experienced empathy far beyond the norm., I was about 7or 8 yrs old. My family and I used to live in Maine and were taking a 2 day road-trip to TN., to visit my Grandparents and family on Dad's side for Thanksgiving. I remember seeing someone, I don't recall which gender, but this person was dirty and dishevled and was holding a sign that said "Homeless, please help" or something like that, and a coffee can, so people would drop money in, and he/she was walking up to car windows to collect it. I did NOT feel sorry for this person, as a matter of fact, I recall feeling a sense of determination mixed with malintent. Now remember, I was just a little girl, so I didn't know these words yet, but I felt them intensely. I remember being so uncomfortable, not wanting to look at this person and wishing the light would turn green so we could just keep going and get far away from what I NOW know was a con-artist. I actually felt a little guilty though, because at the time, I thought I was being a snob like some of the kids in school and I didn't want to be like them. But I couldn't help it, I did NOT want this person getting near the van OR my Mommy and Daddy; so I just accepted what I felt. Well, we kept on going and sometime down the road we passed a man (I clearly remember that THIS person was a man) and he too was filthy and disheveled. I remember he had dirty, matted hair and a beard to match. He also held a sign that said he was homeless and needed help, and when I saw him I wasn't uncomfortable or anything like I was before. Instead I was drawn to him. We made eye contact, and I fell apart. I started crying uncontrollably, to the point that my Dad became so worried, he pulled the van over onto the shoulder and he and my Mom were frantic; asking again and again "Dana, what's wrong? Are you sick? Are you in pain? What?" but I couldn't speak... I felt like my heart was breaking. Then they asked my sisters if they'd done something to me, and it wasn't until I felt the sting of accusation towards them, that I was able to catch breath enough to speak and tell my parents in between sobs that the man up the road was homeless. I said, "He has no home and no family and he's cold and hungry. He has no home Daddy", I only remember my exact words now because my Dad still tells that story to this day. My parents tried to comfort me and explain that bad things happen to people sometimes, and as sad that is, I would probably see it again in my life, and that I couldn't let it tear me apart every time; that it was unhealthy for me to do so. But I was inconsolable. It wasn't until we got much further down the road that I gained my composure and was able to stop crying. But the memory of what I felt when I locked eyes with that poor man (by poor, I mean unfortunate) has stayed with me to this very day. I'm teary eyed now just thinking about it. Remember when I said that my Dad still tells that story to people? Well, the reason he does that is because he feels proud that his baby girl has a big heart and is sensitive to others... What he didn't quite understand is that people like us: Empaths, aren't just sensitive, but hyper-sensitive.
As I grew older, it became harder and harder for me to cope, as it has obviously has been for many of you. So, when I was 16 I went to see a doctor, and I was put on anti-depressants; Zoloft, or something like that. I hated them! They made feel weird and tingly and I'd sometimes have suicidal thoughts, so I said, no way! These aren't for me. I stopped taking them and started trying to cope on my own again. I had never heard of an Empath before, so I thought there was something really wrong with me! I couldn't go to crowded places without having a panic attack. I'd have so many emotions whirling inside me all at once, I didn't know what to feel, and I've come out of situations like that and found that the palms of my hands were nearly bleeding from clenching my fists so tight that my nails were digging into my skin. Then, when I was almost 18 I'd started a job as a hostess at a busy restaraunt in the mall and had acutally become physically ill! I went from 118 lbs to 98 lbs in less than 3 wks and my stomach was bleeding so, I went to a different Doc. I was told I had generalized anxiety disorder and started taking Xanax. I won't lie, the Xanax helped tremendously. My Empathic abilities did NOT stop, but they did become much easier to handle.
*If you choose to see a Medical Doctor and take this medicine, I must warn you that Xanax is a narcotic and can be VERY addictive, especially for people like us, because we feel the need to take them more often (or at least I did). For those of you who prefer a more holistic, herbal remedie, you can find Valerian Root in capsule form at local pharmacies like Walgreens. Valerian is often called "Natures Valium" because it is the plant base for prescription meds like Valium and Xanax. Also you can find a supplement called 5 HTP, which is derived from the hormone in turkey meat that makes us feel all relaxed when we eat it.
Personally, I recommend any supplement or prescrption medication only be used in order to ease the transistion as you accept your abilities and allow them to grow, then SLOWLY see how you do without taking anything. But I'm not an MD, so this is just a little advise from someone who's been there and has done a whole lot of research.
Anyway, because I was taking the xanax at the time, I was able to control my emotions a little more and that's when I started to realize that I could sense things. I was quite the match-maker for a while 'cause I could sense that 2 people had good chemistry before they even knew it. Then came the Investigative Discovery channel. I became intersted in criminology and watched that channel constantly (still do) because, to my utter amazement, I noticed that I could tell if a person was a good guy or a bad guy... Then it started to become more specific. I could sense if a person was pyschopathic, narcissistic, things like that. I didn't realize it yet but what I was doing was honing my gift and it was getting stronger everyday. Pretty soon it got to the point that my husband was amazed at how quickly I could solve a crime... But I got on his nerves a bit too. I could tell what kind of mood he was in, even if he was trying to hide it; I knew if a person was lying or not. I even kind of ruined his marriage proposal 'cause I sensed it before he was able to get a ring. So it turned out to be a mutual agreement to get married. BY then, I knew I was able to feel emathy far beyond what an average person could. I started to research it and discovered that there were people who felt empathy, and there were Empaths. I've always been open to the "paranoramal" because my Mother is also hyper-sensitive (she sees spirits and even astral-projected once on accident). I wasn't about to let anyone else's emotions ruin my wedding, lol, so we went to Jamaica to get married and had NO family there.
I was fascinated and terrified at what I could do...
It wasn't long before I, like many of you, became reclusive and I still am. I don't have many friends at all, in fact, pretty much everyone except my husband, is just an aquaintance. I'm lucky to have Jeff, because even though it scares him a little too, he knows that I cannot help it! I just know things. It's caused problems with our relationship at times because I've told him what he was feeling or thinking before he could express it. I can't tell you how many times I'
I cry at this and finding others who understand. It hurts so much sometimes. So much. Life is so beautiful, so striking. People are sooooo sad and in pain. I just want to take it all away. So many years of being so alone in this, and yet I knew I couldn't be. And now I know I'm not. Funny, I even find I want to help other empaths in their pain of being empaths....I'm sure you feel the same.
i have been researching empathy for awhile. it's just that i i feel more then i should at times. i used to work in a gas station, their were days that i hated being their because of all the differnt emotions. strangers would tell me their problems and i would cry from their pain. i don't even know them. but because i FEEL their sadness,i cry for them and with them,it became my own pain and i find myself worring about these strangers for the rest of the day and some times more. alot of times i take on the moods or attitudes of others; i am around others and if people are in high spirits so am i when people are down or angry so am i. i try to fix everyones problems, it's like thier problems become mine.i try to keep people at bay. i don't do public gatherings, bars, clubs ect.i can't take being around other people. i get overwelmed and stressed. i perfer to be around or hang other with one person at a time. i get stress i croweds. it's hard to explain it to people. when i talk with people i know what they are feeling in my gut and my heart. but i wait for them to tell me. i never took on others sickness. but i do believe that i have something special in me.
Many of you have shared your frustration with being an empath. I have worked out a statement which clears me of any feelings other than my own any time I choose. Here I share them with you:
When you are suddenly feeling ill, anxious, have a headache, etc. etc., stop and say these words to yourself: "LET THE FEELINGS I AM FEELING NOW BE 100% MINE AND 0% ANYONE ELSE'S."
If the pain (et. al) does not belong to you, within 30 seconds you will find the pain or feeling disappear and you can continue on with your day. Initially, I had to use this frequently, now I need it seldom. I suppose if there was an "off" switch, this is it. To turn it "on" again, just make the statement in reverse, or add a particular person's name or another reference to it. Best wishes to all of you and thank you for sharing your experiences.
Dana,
Thank you very much for all that you stated. You are very, very, right. I was brought up in the Christian missionary and it was a play ground for sadness, fear and evil. I would explain but there is so much of it I would bore most or in other words I rather save my own kind, the Empath, of the feelings I have endured my entire life. The things I had seen, the feelings I had while in the missionary,it would make most commit them self to a hospital. We did go to Thailand and I spent most of my time with the monks and they were so beautiful and peaceful. They saw the Empath in me I am sure of it now. They used to call me pretty water fall/Nampoo. When things were crazy I would always go to the temples to watch the animals and the monks and I always found a peace I have never felt since we left. But again you are very right and those who follow in the foot steps of Fret may never see the truth because they are conditioned to see what they were told to see. I feel sad for these people and at one time I tried to understand or help them but it is hard when you are against a wall of lies that has been built up through child birth. It is not their fault for being lied to as it was never a choice to see things any other way.
Some may not know that it is a scientific fact that our bodies are but zillions of molecules moving at a rapid rate such that we appear solid. The fact that these molecules are moving is also known as energy. Yes, we are but walking talking bundles of energy. It is also known that we this energy can also be seen emanating outside the body. Knowing that we are energy and that this energy exceeds the confines of our physical being, it is reasonable to extract that when we come into the energy fields of others, then those who are sensitive can 'sense' through their energy what the other is feeling.
Physics also concludes that the mind goes far beyond the brain . . . that each cell is considered to have a mind. If that is the case, knowing how we shed millions of cells such that our bodies are basically renewed every 90 days, this also means that everywhere we go, we leave cells and a little part of our 'energy' with them. As a result, even though we are not physically present, others can 'sense' us even though we are long gone.
All religions acknowledge that God is omni-present and that we are one with God. If this is so, then it is a contradiction to believe that our 'sense' of one another is not of God. God is everywhere, including IN US! As the good book states, "Greater is he that is IN YOU than he that is in the world." There are so many biblical references to our God-like image or our likeness of God, that it seems rather confusing for anyone to claim that if we believe God knows everything and that we are created in the likeness of God, and that He/She is IN US, that we could not have the ability to sense eachother's feelings or emotions.
Those who hold religious teachings firm should consider the actual text from whom those are interpreting. As one wise professor of mine said over and over again, "Look at the data folks!" When you look behind the stories and others interpretations of them and find your own, you will find the TRUTH. -- and "the TRUTH shall set you free."
There's no better truth than experience. In a couple days I'll have a post of some of the things call "downsides" of being an empath.
As we eventually admit to our children there is no Santa Clause or Easter Bunny, God/Great Spirit has a lot to show to those who want to grow up.
I felt these things connected to how I am. In a crowd my moods swing drastically so much so that my sisters ask if it's that time of the month. Also for some reason people like to ask me for help and I mostly just bark back at them, but I do like to help people sometimes. Also my hearts aches when I hear tragedies and other sad things I will start crying and my heart and chest start to burn and feel heavy. I don't really want to have these problems but they just happen. I also easily depress my self just by thinking about anything, but I really think my sensitivity just comes from my being a taurus. I know when I
my comment just randomly posted
But I was going to say I can tell when I'm lied to but sometimes I can't tell anything I doubt I am and empath I don't think it runs in my family at all.
I have this ability, it's my pain and happiness.I can feel with my fingers physical pain of the person, feel wrong opinion or lies.. but the best part is feeling love, trust, lightning of the person.. Somebody else may use it for manipulation, it's sad..because you already know it too...
I really enjoyed the comments from those who regard the positive aspects of being an empath. How satisfying it is to absolutely understand what another person is feeling.
Fretbuzz says:
2 years ago
This is not a sermon, I promise.
Mark me as a non-believer. Not in the sense that I don't believe everything you described happens or in the sense that I look down my nose at those who do believe it -but in the sense that as a Christian I believe these things occur as a result of demon possession or other evil influences. Therefore I do not believe the things you described can happen to a saved person as the indwelling Holy Spirit prevents possession. And, of course, I don't believe we evolve -I do believe we adapt.
Excellent hub and topic, Isa.