What is an Empath?

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 01:26:00 +0000

by Laura Harmon

An Empath is a person who can psychically tune in to the emotional experience of a person, place or animal. In the paranormal and in some works of science fiction and fantasy, highly developed empathy is a psychic ability to sense the emotions of others and often highly aware of the health and state of mind of their loved ones, no matter how physically near or far away the individuals may be. It can be challenging for Empaths to function healthily in society if they are unaware that they have this sensitivity and often opt to be alone.

What is an Empath born to do? Most empaths are often in the dark about their innate gifts but the more developed ones are sometimes called in by thepolice to help track a murderous pedophile or other heinous criminal because they are able to take on the tortured emotions of the assailant.Utilizing Clairempathy, a type of telepathy to sense or feel within one’s self, the attitude, emotion or ailment of another person or entity.

They are sensitive to the visible as well as the invisible and pick up on body language, tone of voice, body movements, the words people choose when they speak, the words they avoid, the logic they use; and the hidden things that only an empath can sense inside another person.

It is not uncommon for an Empath to “freak out” for no apparent reason, only to discover later that a friend or family member went through some sort of trauma at that exact moment. So essentially an empath is someone whose feeling sensory is extraordinarily heightened, meaning they

receive the majority of their psychic input from what they feel.

Since they’re being assaulted constantly by emotions which do not originate internally, they can’t figure out why they feel the way that they do, and therefore can’t address the core issues. Since empathy isn’t something you can really ditch it’s sometimes difficult to sort out what the Empath truly feels in a given situation or what they are taking on from someone else. This can prove to be very confusing!

Emotions that create powers that have been known to be God like in nature. Emotions that build on inside only to be shared with those around you. Emotional empaths are so sensitive that they can absorb the negative emotions of others in their body, and actually take it on. So when an empath is around somebody who is anxious, they can actually absorb thatenergy into their body, when it isn’t even their own anxiety.

Empaths are born, and they’re born unskilled and are generally very understanding of others and their positions, and often times will ask questions rather than make snap judgments, or intuitively seem to ‘know’ there is more to a story than what meets the eye. They are sensitive to TV, videos, movies, news and broadcasts. Violence or emotional dramas depicting shocking scenes of physical or emotional pain inflicted on adults, children or animals can bring an empath easily to tears.

What is an Empath capable of doing? Empaths are people who don’t “read” the future, or predict it … they “read” people, and their energy although sometimes it depends on the person being read, too. They’re often problem solvers, thinkers, and studier’s of many things. As far as empaths are concerned, where a problem is, so too is the answer. They are the psychic sponges of the world, soaking up all the psychic and emotional static that other people give off. Being an Empath is one of the most common and most challenging of all the psychic gifts.

So as you can see being am Empath can be both a blessing…and a curse!

7 Signs you're an empath

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 01:18:00 +0000

1. 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'll 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 so 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 blockother people’s emotions out. Being around other people is such a harrowing experience that most of them prefer to keep their own company,living the life of a hermit. And they usually find it very much worth it.

2. Do you experience other people's physical ailments?This is most common with those you have an emotional connection with, but can occur with anyone. A very good example of this would be suddenly feeling very lethargic and fatigued 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 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.

3. 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 ordinary 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!

4. 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 face to face with someone and has 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 often be able to suss 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 and this isn’t a hunch; this is knowing.

5. 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, regardless of how they might normally react to strangers, will receive an Empath with open arms. They know instinctively that their pain matters to them.

6. Do people open up to you – even if you don’t want them to?Some Empaths are the new-agey peace-loving types who want to hold hands with everyone, 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 from 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 those particular Empaths tend to be those with profound sensitivity

who've 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.

7. 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 of consciousness as human beings. 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 and it is painful more often than not.

You're not crazy!

Being an Empath doesn't have to be so overwhelming, but this is not something most would aspire to so don't get upset if none of this rings true for you. Everyone's got "otherworldly talents" and you needn't be an Empath to excel in the realm of conscious endeavors. If you *are* 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. 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. For now, take consolation in the knowledge that you are not crazy!

A note about love & relationships

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 17:03:00 +0000

All love relationships mirror our relationship with ourselves. They ultimately reflect upon our relationship with the world around us---how we think others see us, what we believe we are worthy of. Our beliefs about relationships can even embody our thoughts about how we feel the universe nurtures and supports us.

The truth is a rewarding but complicated conundrum, which all humans confront throughout their lives, for we are surrounded by relationships from our first breath. They begin with out dependence upon our parents for our very existence,and continue as we grow through our friendships. They reach their perhaps most intense expression in the magickal, self-contained world of lovers.

In many ways, the ultimate expression of our connection to the world is to fall in love. Daring to love another brings us face to face with whatever is going on within ourselves, for better or for worse. Love can be viewed as the bravest act of all, for in order to be truly intimate, we must be honest in our vulnerabilities. As we reveal our innermost selves to our beloved with all our imperfect glories, we are truly exposed in body and soul.

Experienced authentically, love relationships offer the sweetest rewards and the thorniest challenges. They also present us with an unparalleled opportunity to gain awareness and wisdom.

Examining our preconceptions about love, the ways we yearn to connect with another, what we desire in a partner, is an act ofself-illumination. More importantly, it’s the one way to take personalresponsibility for our lives.

by Kris Waldherr

Getting More From Life

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 01:42:00 +0000

Most of us experience merely a small portion of what life has to offer. We rarely take advantage of all that is available to us and infact, become complacent and remain content to exist in life rather than live it.We often allow our dreams and fantasies to remain locked away, safely hidden in the dark recesses of ourminds. We fail to recognize how deeply those hidden secrets affect our every day lives, how greatly they impact our emotional and physical well-being and the limits they place on our expectations and realities. Why do we place such restrictions on life? What prevents us from taking that excursion into uncharted territory?

From birth we are placed in a restrictive bubble, seeing the world through the eyes of parents and family. As adolescents, we expand our knowledge and limits as we begin to experiment and explore our potential. We seek to discover our own identity and test our new designs. As adults we tend to lose that spirit of adventure and accept a pattern of existence, which portrays an accumulation of our fears and inhibitions. Governed by the restrictions of societal dictates, family and friends, we retreat to our bubble. This confinement usually leaves us feeling trapped and empty with many voids to fill. We dream of adventures outside of our self imposed boundaries,but ultimately limit ourselves to watching in awe as others dare to venture into that realm of unknown possibilities.

The good news is that we are not restricted to accepting what life offers us. We can and should take what we need and desire from it. Life is only as limited as we makeit. It is everything we allow it to be.There is a way to live our dreams and experience fulfillment and reward. It requires that we put away our fears and inhibitions and begin to explore,experiment and rediscover all of the possibilities that exist. With a little effort, all things arepossible. We examine our curiosities, dreams and the endless opportunities; and dare to try on a few fantasies. If it feels good…DO IT! Expanding limits and boundaries extends toendless possibilities. The adventure and resulting freedom are well worth the effort.

If you think it isimpossible, ask yourself why. The answers lie within you. The way is open and the means are accessible. You can make it happen and get more from life. Having faith in your capabilities as well as owning a positive attitude and an open mind allows the confidence needed to begin the journey. Thinking outside the box and allowing for a creative flow of energies will offer many new paths. We have free reign of the universe and now is the time to explore it