Empaths and Empathy

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Wednesday, 20 May 2009

~ What is Empathy ~

I regularly hear the question “what is empathy” asked so I will try to answer that question here. What are empaths? For the Trekkies out there you already know what an empath is. Jean Luc Picards fellow crew member Deanna Troy the Counselor in the Star Trek - The Next Generation is half a Betazoid half human being. Although Star Trek is a fictitious story the Betazoid race is that of a sentient species which are able to sense the emotions of others and sometimes their thoughts.

Empathy is about a link between two or more people where a high level of understanding is there almost like an unseen bond, it is an awareness of feelings and thoughts. Empaths are indeed apparently able to intuitively recognize these feelings and thoughts of others. Although empathy is often be seen between lovers, within the family unit and between close friends, empathy is possible and often does happen between complete strangers also.

Empathy is also not restricted to occurring just between humans it also occurs between humans and animals. Many times in the past we found ourselves feeling poorly or upset and our pet cat or dog comes to sit beside us offering us support at a time that we need it so much. Having animals in my life for many years I witnessed this happen on many occasions. Empathy carries the natural honest urge to help our fellow human beings and also I feel the urge to help as animals and plants even earth itself.

~ Empathy versus Sympathy ~

People often ask what the difference between empathy and sympathy is and is there in fact any difference? Fair question the answer to this is Yes there is a difference between empathy and sympathy! The difference is sympathy is when we feel sorry for someone in their plight, therefore sympathy is something which is remote to the person involved allowing the sympathizer to distance themselves from the given situation; Empathy on the other hand is when we feel the depths of the persons emotions that we come in contact with, thoughts, fears worries etc personally, it is a close up and very personal experience of the plight of the person. Empathy is not pity as with sympathy, empathy is the actual entering into and experiencing of feelings, experiencing the same emotions that the person we are connected to feels.

~ What are Empaths ~

Empaths are people who are very sensitive and are able to link to someone obtaining a high level of understanding of the person’s situation without having to know very much about them. They are in fact able to be acquainted by means of things that they cannot have had any previous knowledge or understanding of. They have what could be described as a knowing, the empath is able to link closely to another person and be very perceptive of that persons life situation. As Empaths are able to tune into the feelings of those around them they are able to feel the hurts of others very acutely.

~ Becoming aware that You are an Empath. ~

This is often a confusing time for those who are just starting to become aware that they have empathic abilities. Often empaths tune into those around them without any effort and can often be left feeling upset or uptight for no apparent reason. This may lead to the feeling of being very draining and many empaths can find people contact on a day to day basis very draining indeed.

Empaths need to be wary that they do not take on and keep to themselves the sadness upsets and negative thought patterns of these people they come in contact with as this could lead to deep melancholy feelings which may result in depression. I am sure that many empaths who are aware of their abilities would agree that they suffered this at different stages of their life until they became aware that they were in fact empathic.

In time or through contact with other empaths they become aware that they are sensing and reacting to the thoughts and feelings of others as opposed to their own thoughts and feelings. Don’t worry though it is possible to gain control over your empathic abilities and to hone your new found skills.

You have been blessed with a wonderful gift - your ability to listen and understand other people can make you a wonderful healer or counselor - you just need a little help and guidance to protect yourself and not to allow yourself to be swept away in what sometimes can be the great hustle and bustle of other peoples thoughts and emotions.

~ How to hone your empathic skills ~

Before development we are often unaware that we are open and this frequently causes us to connect to everyone and anyone all the time. As mentioned above this regularly causes us to become very drained and might lead us to shrink back from contact with people and society as a whole. Through development we learn to harness and control this, so once you have become aware that you are empathic you need to learn a few basic steps.

Firstly you should look into how to Ground, to Protect & to Connect. Grounding, protecting and cleansing regularly will help to keep you grounded and prevent negative emotions and thoughts of others attaching themselves to you. This will allow you far more control over your empathic abilities.

~ The Shamanic Viewpoint ~

People tend to be unaware that we are globally connected - that there is a basic interconnectedness of humanity; many people have spoken of this - Carl Jung for one spoke of the “Collective Unconscious”. As with all other paths empaths walk the Shamanic path also. We are connected to the source and are able at any time to connect to anything around us. In early May of 2004 Mystic Familiar took part in a world wide Medicine Wheel Meditation this included an actual Shamanic Medicine wheel that spread across 600 miles of North West America. The aim of this medicine wheel was to help release negative energies from ourselves, our families, friends, from the earth and her peoples. Helping to reconnect us in our entirety to the source and help re-activate our connectedness to each other.

Shirley Maclaine revealed in her 1980s book “Out on a Limb” that during her visit to a South American shaman she was shown how to connect and helped her to astral travel far above herself, and on subsequent journeys to anywhere she wished. She indicated that she was able to view during her journeys something she described as a “silver cord” connected to her Solar Plexus Chakra.

~ Empathy in Healing ~

During healing healers send healing though drawing down universal energy and sending it out through visualizing rays of light, energy beams or light filaments. To give you some idea of what these energy beams would look like they can be described as likened to a bristly Chestnut seed pod. Healers use these to send healing by visualizing these beams stretching out to the person they are healing and then pour this healing universal energy into them. They tend to send out their healing energy though their 3rd Chakra, the Solar Plexus Chakra, or though the 4th Chakra, the Heart Chakra. Healers report that they feel a tingling in their Solar Plexus when they are sending healing. This process happened because the healer is connecting mind and body to the source to help channel healing energy to the recipient.

~ The Roll of the Empath ~

Empaths hold a very important place in our society today as they are the peacemakers of the world. They are able to wear the shoes of others and understand that which they are acutely experiencing. They are helping us to raise our energy to a new level of awareness. Surely we should all understand that the world’s way forward lies in the path of tolerance, peace and understanding, as the alternative is of intolerance, war and indifference - something I feel we have all had more than enough of in the past.

~ Where Empathy can take You ~

Empaths can and frequently do carry on to hone their abilities and become mediums. Empathy by its fundamental nature is the mediumship abilities of Claircognisance or Clairsentience.

Claircognisance is the mediumistic ability of clear knowing, it differs from other forms of mediumship in that the channel does not know how they know.

Clairsentience is the mediumistic ability of clear feeling, gut feelings or instinct.

These differ from clairvoyance where they have visions, clairaudience where they hear audibly what spirit has to offer.

Claircognisants and Clairsentiences have the ability of Clear Knowing or feeling without having any clear indication of how they know or feel, they just do.

from:

The Shamanic, Healing and Mediumship Viewpoint

An introduction to Empathy and its interconnectivity to other paths.

http://www.mysticfamiliar.com/library/empathy/empathy_the_shamanic_viewpoint.htm