What is an Empath?
Being an empath is
when you are affected by other people’s energies, and have an innate ability to
intuitively feel and perceive others. Your life is unconsciously
influenced by others’ desires, wishes, thoughts, and moods. Being an
empath is much more than being highly sensitive and it’s not just limited to
emotions. Empaths can perceive physical sensitivities and spiritual
urges, as well as just knowing the motivations and intentions of other
people. You either are an empath or you aren’t. It’s not a trait
that is learned. You are always open, so to speak, to process other
people’s feelings and energy, which means that you really feel, and in many
cases take on the emotions of others. Many empaths experience things like
chronic fatigue, environmental sensitivities, or unexplained aches and pains
daily. These are all things that are more likely to be contributed to
outside influences and not so much yourself at all. Essentially you are
walking around in this world with all of the accumulated karma, emotions, and
energy from others.
Empaths are often
quiet achievers. They can take a while to handle a compliment for they’re more
inclined to point out another’s positive attributes. They are highly expressive
in all areas of emotional connection, and talk openly, and, at times quite
frankly. They may have few problems talking about their feelings if another
cares to listen (regardless of how much they listen to others).
However, they can be
the exact opposite: reclusive and apparently unresponsive at the best of times.
They may even appear ignorant. Some are very good at “blocking out” others and
that’s not always a bad thing, at least for the learning empath struggling with
a barrage of emotions from others, as well as their own feelings.
Empaths have a
tendency to openly feel what is outside of them more so than what is inside of
them. This can cause empaths to ignore their own needs. In general an empath is
non-violent, non-aggressive and leans more towards being the peacemaker. Any
area filled with disharmony creates an uncomfortable feeling in an empath. If
they find themselves in the middle of a confrontation, they will endeavor to
settle the situation as quickly as possible, if not avoid it all together. If
any harsh words are expressed in defending themselves, they will likely resent
their lack of self-control, and have a preference to peacefully resolve the
problem quickly.
Empaths are more
inclined to pick up another’s feelings and project it back without realizing
its origin in the first place. Talking things out is a major factor in
releasing emotions in the learning empath. Empaths can develop an even stronger
degree of understanding so that they can find peace in most situations. The
downside is that empaths may bottle up emotions and build barriers sky-high so
as to not let others know of their innermost thoughts and/or feelings. This
withholding of emotional expression can be a direct result of a traumatic
experience, an expressionless upbringing, or simply being told as a child,
“Children are meant to be seen and not heard!”
Without a doubt, this
emotional withholding can be detrimental to one’s health, for the longer one’s
thoughts and/or emotions aren’t released, the more power they build. The
thoughts and/or emotions can eventually becoming explosive, if not crippling.
The need to express oneself honestly is a form of healing and a choice open to
all. To not do so can result in a breakdown of the person and result in
mental/emotional instability or the creation of a physical ailment, illness or
disease.
Empaths 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. At times, they may
feel physically ill or choke back the tears. Some empaths will struggle to
comprehend any such cruelty, and may have grave difficulty in expressing
themselves in the face of another’s ignorance, closed-mindedness and obvious
lack of compassion. They simply cannot justify the suffering they feel and see.
You will find empaths
working with people, animals or nature with a true passion and dedication to
help them. They are often tireless teachers and/or caretakers for our
environment and all within it. Many volunteers are empathic and give up
personal time to help others without pay and/or recognition.
Empaths may be
excellent storytellers due to an endless imagination, inquisitive minds and
ever-expanding knowledge. They can be old romantics at heart and very gentle.
They may also be the “keepers” of ancestral knowledge and family history. If
not the obvious family historians, they may be the ones who listen to the
stories passed down and possess the majority of the family history. Not
surprisingly, they may have started or possess a family tree.
They have a broad
interest in music to suit their many expressive temperaments, and others can
query how empaths can listen to one style of music, and within minutes, change
to something entirely different. Lyrics within a song can have adverse,
powerful effects on empaths, especially if it is relevant to a recent
experience. In these moments, it is advisable for empaths to listen to music
without lyrics, to avoid playing havoc with their emotions!
They are just as
expressive with body language as with words, thoughts, and feelings. Their
creativity is often expressed through dance, acting, and bodily movements.
Empaths can project an incredible amount of energy portraying and/or releasing
emotion. Empaths can become lost in the music, to the point of being in a trance-like
state; they become one with the music through the expression of their physical
bodies. They describe this feeling as a time when all else around them is
almost non-existent.
People of all walks of
life and animals are attracted to the warmth and genuine compassion of empaths.
Regardless of whether others are aware of one being empathic, people are drawn
to them as a metal object is to a magnet!
Even complete
strangers find it easy to talk to empaths about the most personal things, and
before they know it, they have poured out their hearts and souls without
intending to do so consciously. It is as though on a sub-conscious level that
person knows instinctively that empaths would listen with compassionate
understanding. Then again, for empaths, it is always nice to actually be heard
themselves!
Here are the listeners
of life. They can be outgoing, bubbly, enthusiastic and a joy to be in the
presence of, as well as highly humorous at the most unusual moments! On the
flip side, empaths can be weighted with mood swings that will have others
around them want to jump overboard and abandon ship! The thoughts and feelings
empaths receive from any and all in their life can be so overwhelming (if not
understood) that their moods can fluctuate with lightning speed. One moment
they may be delightfully happy and with a flick of the switch, miserable.
Abandoning an empath
in the throes of alternating moods can create detrimental effects. A simple
return of empathic love–listening and caring compassionately without bias,
judgment and/or condemnation–can go an incredibly long way to an empath’s
instant recovery. Many empaths don’t understand what is occurring within them.
They literally have no idea that another person’s emotions are now felt, as
one’s own and reflected outwardly. They are confused as to how one moment all
was well, and then the next, they feel so depressed, alone, etc. The need to
understand the possibilities of empath connection is a vital part of the
empaths journey for themselves and for those around them.
Empaths are often
problem solvers, thinkers, and studiers of many things. As far as empaths are
concerned, where a problem is, so too is the answer. They often will search
until they find one – if only for peace of mind. This can certainly prove beneficial
for others in their relationships, in the workplace, or on the home front.
Where there is a will, there is a way and the empath will find it. The empath
can literally (likely without the knowledge of what’s actually occurring) tap
into Universal Knowledge and be receptive to guidance in solving anything they
put their head and hearts into.
Empaths often are
vivid and/or lucid dreamers. They can dream in detail and are inquisitive of
dream content. Often they feel as though the dreams are linked to their
physical life somehow, and not just a mumble of nonsensical, irrelevant,
meaningless images. This curiosity will lead many empathic dreamers to unravel
some of the “mysterious” dream contents from an early age and connect the
interpretation to its relevance in their physical life. If not, they may be led
to dream interpretations through other means.
Empaths are
daydreamers with difficulty keeping focused on the mundane. If life isn’t
stimulating, off an empath will go into a detached state of mind. They will go
somewhere, anywhere, in a thought that appears detached from the physical
reality, yet is alive and active for they really are off and away. If a tutor
is lecturing with little to no emotional input, empaths will not be receptive
to such teaching and can (unintentionally) drift into a state of daydreaming.
Give the empath
student the tutor who speaks with stimuli and emotion (through actual
experience of any given subject) and the empath is receptively alert. Empaths
are a captivated audience. This same principle applies in acting. An actor will
either captivate the audience through expressing (in all aspects) emotions (as
though they really did experience the role they are portraying) or will loose
them entirely. Empaths make outstanding actors.
Empaths frequently
experience déjà vu and synchronicities. What may initially start as, “Oh, what
a coincidence”, will lead to the understanding of synchronicities as an aspect
of who they are. These synchronicities will become a welcomed and continually
expanding occurrence. As an understanding of self grows, the synchronicities
become more fluent and free flowing. The synchronicities can promote a feeling
of euphoria as empaths identify with them and appreciate the connection to
their empathic nature.
Empaths are most
likely to have had varying paranormal experiences throughout their lives. NDE’s
(Near death experiences) and or OBE’s (Out of body experiences) can catapult an
unaware empath into the awakening period and provide the momentum for a journey
of discovery. Those who get caught up in life, in society’s often dictating
ways, in work etc., can become lost in a mechanical way of living that provides
very little meaning. All “signs of guidance” are ignored to shift out of this
state of “doing”. A path to being whole again becomes evident and a search for
more meaning in one’s life begins.
These types of
experiences appear dramatic, can be life-altering indeed, and are most
assuredly just as intensely memorable in years to come. They are the voice of
guidance encouraging us to pursue our journey in awareness. Sometimes, some of
us require that extra assistance!
For some empaths, the
lack of outside understanding towards paranormal events they experience, may
lead to suppressing such abilities. (Most of these abilities are very natural
and not a coincidence.) Empaths may unknowingly adopt the positive or negative
attitude of others as their own. (This, however, can be overcome.) Empaths may
need to follow interests in the paranormal and the unexplained with curiosity
so as to explain and accept their life circumstances.
Here are 30 of the
most common traits:
1. Knowing: Empaths
just know stuff, without being told. It’s a knowing that goes way beyond
intuition or gut feelings, even though that is how many would describe the
knowing. The more attuned they are the stronger this gift becomes.
2. Being in public
places can be overwhelming: Places like shopping malls, supermarkets or
stadiums where there are lots of people around can fill the empath with
turbulently vexed emotions that are coming from others.
3. Feeling others
emotions and taking them on as your own: This is a huge one for empaths. To
some they will feel emotions off those near by and with others they will feel
emotions from those a vast distance away, or both. The more adept empath will
know if someone is having bad thoughts about them, even from great distance.
4. Watching violence,
cruelty or tragedy on the TV is unbearable: The more attuned an empath becomes
the worse it is and may make it so they eventually have to stop watching TV and
reading newspapers altogether.
5. You know when
someone is not being honest: If a friend or a loved one is telling you lies you
know it (although many empaths try not to focus on this because knowing a loved
one is lying can be painful). Or if someone is saying one thing but
feeling/thinking another, you know.
6. Picking up physical
symptoms off another: An empath will almost always develop the ailments off
another (colds, eye infections, body aches and pains) especially those they’re
closest to, somewhat like sympathy pains.
7. Digestive disorders
and lower back problems: The solar plexus chakra is based in the centre of the
abdomen and it’s known as the seat of emotions. This is where empaths feel the
incoming emotion of another, which can weaken the area and eventually lead to
anything from stomach ulcers to IBS (too many other conditions to list here).
Lower back problems can develop from being ungrounded (amongst other things)
and one, who has no knowledge of them being an empath, will almost always be
ungrounded.
8. Always looking out
for the underdog: Anyone whose suffering, in emotional pain or being bullied
draws an empath’s attention and compassion.
9. Others will want to
offload their problems on you, even strangers: An empath can become a dumping
ground for everyone else’s issues and problems, which, if they’re not careful
can end up as their own.
10. Constant fatigue:
Empaths often get drained of energy, either from energy vampires or just taking
on too much from others, which even sleep will not cure. Many get diagnosed
with ME.
11. Addictive
personality: Alcohol, drugs, sex, are to name but a few addictions that empaths
turn to, to block out the emotions of others. It is a form of self protection
in order to hide from someone or something.
12. Drawn to healing,
holistic therapies and all things metaphysical: Although many empaths would
love to heal others they can end up turning away from being healers (even
though they have a natural ability for it), after they’ve studied and
qualified, because they take on too much from the one they are trying to heal.
Especially if they are unaware of their empathy. Anything of a supernatural
nature is of interest to empaths and they don’t surprise or get shocked easily.
Even at the revelation of what many others would consider unthinkable, for
example, empaths would have known the world was round when others believed it
was flat.
13. Creative: From
singing, dancing, acting, drawing or writing an empath will have a strong
creative streak and a vivid imagination.
14. Love of nature and
animals: Being outdoors in nature is a must for empaths and pets are an
essential part of their life.
15. Need for solitude:
An empath will go stir-crazy if they don’t get quiet time. This is even obvious
in empathic children.
16. Gets bored or
distracted easily if not stimulated: Work, school and home life has to be kept
interesting for an empath or they switch off from it and end up daydreaming or
doodling.
17. Finds it
impossible to do things they don’t enjoy: As above. Feels like they are living
a lie by doing so. To force an empath to do something they dislike through
guilt or labelling them as idle will only serve in making them unhappy. It’s
for this reason many empaths get labelled as being lazy.
18. Strives for the
truth: This becomes more prevalent when an empath discovers his/her gifts and
birthright. Anything untruthful feels plain wrong.
19. Always looking for
the answers and knowledge: To have unanswered questions can be frustrating for
an empath and they will endeavour to find an explanation. If they have a
knowing about something they will look for confirmation. The downside to this
is an information overload.
20. Likes adventure,
freedom and travel: Empaths are free spirits.
21. Abhors clutter: It
makes an empath feel weighed down and blocks the flow of energy.
22. Loves to daydream:
An empath can stare into space for hours, in a world of their own and
blissfully happy.
23. Finds routine,
rules or control, imprisoning: Anything that takes away their freedom is
debilitating to an empath even poisoning.
24. Prone to carry
weight without necessarily overeating: The excess weight is a form of
protection to stop the negative incoming energies having as much impact.
25. Excellent
listener: An empath won’t talk about themselves much unless it’s to someone
they really trust. They love to learn and know about others and genuinely care.
26. Intolerance to
narcissism: Although kind and often very tolerant of others, empaths do not
like to be around overly egotistical people, who put themselves first and
refuse to consider another’s feelings or points of view other than their own.
27. The ability to
feel the days of the week: An empath will get the ‘Friday Feeling’ if they work
Fridays or not. They pick up on how the collective are feeling. The first
couple of days of a long, bank holiday weekend (Easter for example) can feel,
to them, like the world is smiling, calm and relaxed. Sunday evenings, Mondays
and Tuesdays, of a working week, have a very heavy feeling.
28. Will not choose to
buy antiques, vintage or second-hand: Anything that’s been pre-owned carries
the energy of the previous owner. An empath will even prefer to have a brand
new car or house (if they are in the financial situation to do so) with no
residual energy.
29. Sense the energy
of food: Many empaths don’t like to eat meat or poultry because they can feel
the vibrations of the animal (especially if the animal suffered), even if they
like the taste.
30. Can appear moody,
shy, aloof, disconnected: Depending on how an empath is feeling will depend on
what face they show to the world. They can be prone to mood swings and if
they’ve taken on too much negative will appear quiet and unsociable, even
miserable. An empath detests having to pretend to be happy when they’re sad,
this only adds to their load (makes working in the service industry, when it’s
service with a smile, very challenging) and can make them feel like scuttling
under a stone.
If you can say yes to
most or all of the above then you are most definitely an empath.
Empaths are having a
particularly difficult time at the present time, picking up on all the negative
emotions that are being emanated into the world from the populace.
