Being 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 emotions. 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 knowing the motivations and intentions of other people. 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. But many empaths learn to mask these emotions, those of others and their own. Many empaths experience things like chronic fatigue, environmental sensitivities, migraines, 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. This is a blessing as well as a curse.
Empaths are often quiet achievers. They can take a while to handle a compliment for they're more inclined to point out anothers positive attributes. They have problems talking about their feelings even if another cares to listen (regardless of how much they listen to others) because they have to deal with so much, putting on others is burdening them.
They can be reclusive and apparently unresponsive at the best of times. 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. They are often submissive and quiet.
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, or an expressionless upbringing.
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. Not doing 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.
Some empaths will struggle to comprehend any cruelty, and may have 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.
Empaths may be excellent storytellers due to an endless imagination, inquisitive minds and ever-expanding knowledge. They can be romantics at heart and very gentle. They may also be the "keepers" of ancestral knowledge and family history.
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 or powerful past experience.
They are just as expressive with body language as with words, thoughts, and feelings. Often more so, since they generally stifle their words and emotions. Empaths can project an incredible amount of energy portraying and/or releasing emotion. Empaths can become lost in music, books, even daydreaming, 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.
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.However, when they sense that people don't trust them, they often get defensive, depressed, or try too hard to gain that person's trust. Most of the time, all three can result in losing that person as a friend or potential person to help.
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. Some 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 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.
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 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 the 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 unexplained with curiosity so as to explain and accept their life circumstances.
Here are 20 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. This can lead to others being amazed or even frightened of them.
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 nearby 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. 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.
5. 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.
6. Always looking out for the underdog: Anyone whose suffering, in emotional pain or being bullied draws an empath's attention and compassion.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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. They don't surprise or get shocked easily. Even at the revelation of what many others would consider unthinkable. They can take the pain of others, but knowing how much to take is a huge problem for empaths.
10. Creative: From singing, dancing, acting, drawing or writing an empath will have a strong creative streak and a vivid imagination.
11. Love of nature and animals: Being outdoors in nature is a must for empaths and pets are an essential part of their life.
12. Need for solitude: An empath will go crazy if they don't get time alone.
13. Finds it impossible to do things they don't enjoy: Feels like they are living a lie by doing so. To force an empath to do something they dislike through guilt or labeling them as idle will only serve in making them unhappy.
14. Strives for the truth: This becomes more prevalent when an empath discovers his/her gifts. Anything untruthful feels plain wrong.
15. 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.
16. Abhors clutter: It makes an empath feel weighed down and blocks the flow of energy.
17. Loves to daydream: An empath can stare into space for hours, in a world of their own and blissfully happy.
18. 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. They have trouble trusting others.
19. Will choose to buy antiques, vintage or second-hand: Anything that's been pre-owned carries the energy of the previous owner. This can help especially somebody who is trying to hone the gift to deal with other's emotions.
20. 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 pretends to be happy when they're sad, but this only adds to their load.
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