Sixteen traits of an empath

[Lady Urania]

Found this and thought it interesting:

http://www.spiritual.com.au/articles/psychics_mediums/empath-traits.htm

Here 16 common traits of an Empath. Remember that these are generalisations and they may not always be obvious.

1. Empaths are quiet achievers but expressive in area's of emotional connection. They find that talking about emotional issues is a great outlet that aids in undertanding themselves and others.

2. Some empaths can be the opposite of what an empath 'should' be because they are overwhelmed or unable to handle emotion and what they feel in the world around them so they block their feelings.

3. They can be focused outward, toward what others feel, rather than themselves. This is a common trait to many people who have not gone through a process of self development.
(Try the Key To Life Manual for more on this topic)

4. They avoid disharmony caused by emotionally turbulent situations. This type of situation can easily create an uncomfortable feeling because an empath feels this emotion.

5. Empaths are emotionally sensitive to violence and general chaos.

6. Empaths are sensitive to loud noise and televison. In particular, television programs that depict emotional drama like the news and police shows.

7. Thery struggle to comprehend acts of cruelty and crime that involves hurting others.

8. They struggle to comprehend suffering in the world and are often idealists who theorise about fixing the worlds problems.

9. Are often found working as volunteers, with people, animals or the environment.

10. They are expressive so they can often be found in areas of music or the arts.

11. They often have the ability to draw others to them. This includes children and animals as they have a warmth and compassion that is beyond normal You may find that strangers always talk to you if you are an empath.

12. They can be good listeners as they generally have an interest in other people.

13. Empaths can be moody or have large mood swings due to overwhelming thoughts, feelings and emotion.

14. They are likely to have had, other paranormal experiences in their life. This could be astral projection, psychic ability or a variety of other experiences.

15. Empaths are daydreamers that have difficulty keeping focused. This is common with people who deal more IN emotion and neglect other area's of their mind.

16. Like many people on a spiritual path Empaths frequently experience déjà vu and synchronicities. This is something that occurs to everyone however empaths are often more aware and therefore 'look out' for it.

[Jitendra Hy-do-u-no-us?]

Perhaps you have also read this:

Who is Empath?

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Who is Empath and what is Empathy? recently i read this description of an Empath.....

Empathy is the ability to read and understand people and be in-tune with or resonate with others, voluntarily or involuntarily of one's empath capacity.

Empaths have the ability to scan another's psyche for thoughts and feelings or for past, present, and future life occurrences. Many empaths are unaware of how this actually works, and have long accepted that they were sensitive to others.

Empaths Sense Deep Emotions

Empathy is a feeling of another's true emotions to a point where an empath can relate to that person by sensing true feelings that run deeper than those portrayed on the surface. People commonly put on a show of expression. This is a learned trait of hiding authentic expression in an increasingly demanding society.

An empath can sense the truth behind the cover and will act compassionately to help that person express him/herself, thus making them feel at ease and not so desperately alone.

Empaths experience empathy towards family, children, friends, close associates, complete strangers, pets, plants and inanimate objects.

Empathy is not held by time or space. Thus, an empath can feel the emotions of people and things at a distance. Some are empathic towards animals (ie: The Horse Whisperer), to nature, to the planetary system, to mechanical devices or to buildings etc. Others will have a combination of the above.

Empaths Have Deep Sense of Knowing

Empaths are highly sensitive. This is the term commonly used in describing one's abilities (sensitivity) to another's emotions and feelings. Empaths have a deep sense of knowing that accompanies empathy and are often compassionate, considerate, and understanding of others.

There are also varying levels of strength in empaths which may be related to the individualís awareness of self, understanding of the powers of empathy, and/or the acceptance or non-acceptance of empathy by those associated with them, including family and peers. Generally, those who are empathic grow up with these tendencies and do not learn about them until later in life.

Empathy is Inherited

Empathy is genetic, inherent in our DNA, and passed from generation to generation. It is studied both by traditional science and alternative healing practitioners.

Empathy has both biological/genetic and spiritual aspects.

Empaths often possess the ability to sense others on many different levels. From their position in observing what another is saying, feeling and thinking, they come to understand another. They can become very proficient at reading another personís body language and/or study intently the eye movements. While this in itself is not empathy, it is a side-shoot that comes from being observant of others. In a sense, empaths have a complete communication package.

How Empathy Works

While there is much we don't yet understand about how empathy works, we do have some information. Everything has an energetic vibration or frequency and an empath is able to sense these vibrations and recognize even the subtlest changes undetectable to the naked eye or the five senses.

Words of expression hold an energetic pattern that originates from the speaker. They have a specific meaning particular to the speaker. Behind that expression is a power or force-field, better known as energy. For example, hate often brings about an intense feeling that immediately accompanies the word. The word hate becomes strengthened with the speaker's feeling. It is that person's feelings (energy) that are picked up by empaths, whether the words are spoken, thought or just felt without verbal or bodily expression.

Who is an Empath?

Empaths are often poets in motion. They are the born writers, singers, and artists with a high degree of creativity and imagination. They are known for many talents as their interests are varied, broad and continual, loving, loyal and humorous. They often have interests in many cultures and view them with a broad-minded perspective. They are mother, father, child, friend, nurse, caregiver, teacher, doctor, sales people... to psychic, clairvoyant, healer, etc. (That is not to say that any of these categories are all empaths.) The list is extensive and really unimportant. It is more important to notice that empaths are everywhere--in every culture and throughout the world.

Empaths Are Good Listeners

Empaths are often very affectionate in personality and expression, great listeners and counselors (and not just in the professional area).

They will find themselves helping others and often putting their own needs aside to do so. In the same breath, they can be much the opposite. They may be quiet, withdrawn from the outside world, loners, depressed, neurotic, life's daydreamers, or even narcissistic.

They are most often passionate towards nature and respect its bountiful beauty. One will often find empaths enjoying the outdoors, beaches, walking, etc. Empaths may find themselves continually drawn to nature as a form of release. It is the opportune place to recapture their senses and gain a sense of peace in the hectic lives they may live. The time to get away from it all and unwind with nature becomes essential to the empath. Animals are often dear to the heart of empaths, not as a power object, but as a natural love. It is not uncommon for empaths to have more than one pet in their homes.

Traits of an Empath

Empaths are often quiet and 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 in respect to themselves. They may have few problems talking about their feelings.

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 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 will 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.

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! They are like beacons of light.

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.

Here are the listeners of life. 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.

http://healing.about.com/cs/empathic...pathtraits.htm

[Lady Urania]

I hadnt seen that one yet, thanks Steve. 

[Lauraa49]

here's more on empath that i had
___________________________________
empath

Feeling what others feel
Empathy is the ability to not only detect what others feel but also to experience that emotion yourself.

Any of us that have this gift know how very difficult it can be at time s to deal with.
Just a simple trip to the grocery store can leave us shaken and tore up from the floor up . But we can protect ourselfs from some of it by putting up a shield or cloaking ourselfs in a protection so that we do not feel so much of others emotions.

This can be both good and bad. If you can read another person's emotions then you can both avoid making a stupid blunder. And if you can sense how they are feeling you can also utilize their state to move them in another direction. When people are in emotional states their ability to decide is often significantly impaired. Thus you cannot expect aroused people to make rational choices at this time.

It is a pain in the butt if you end up experiencing all the bad feelings of everyone around you. This is one of the problems that therapists and other carers have to handle.

It's not sympathy
Empathy and sympathy are very close and are sometimes used as synonyms. The easiest way to separate them is to remember that empathy is about feelings whilst sympathy is about actions. Thus you may empathize with another person and then act on this by telling them how sorry or happy you feel for them.

Empathetic people are often very sympathetic - they can hardly stop themselves as they really do feel for the other person.

A person who is sympathetic but not empathetic may appear a little shallow, as they are less likely to show an emotional connection. 'Terribly sorry and all that, my friend' they might say, in a friendly but relatively cold voice.

It's definitely not psychopathy
A defining element of a psychopath is that they do not and probably cannot empathize with other people. They are often good at imitating this, but in doing so they are using it in a cold and manipulative way.

This lack of empathy is one thing that makes a psychopath so dangerous. If we cannot empathize with others then we are unlikely to care about them. Psychopaths can this easily objectify other people, treating them like 'things' and even killing them without any remorse.

It has many benefits
The value of empathy comes not from understanding the other person's feelings, but what you do as a result of this.

Empathy connects people together
When you empathize with me, my sense of identity is connected to yours. As a result, I feel greater in some way and less alone. I may well, as a result, also start to empathize more with you.

In a therapeutic situation, having someone else really understand how you feel can be a blessed relief, as people with emotional problems often feel very much alone in their different-ness from other people. The non-judgmental quality can also be very welcome.

Empathy heals
Therapeutically, it can be a very healing experience for someone to empathize with you. When someone effectively says 'I care for you', it also says 'I can do that, I can care for myself.'

Empathy builds trust
Empathy displayed can be surprising and confusing. When not expected, it can initially cause suspicion, but when sustained it is difficult not to appreciate the concern. Empathy thus quickly leads to trust.

Empathy closes the loop
Consider what would happens if you had no idea what the other person felt about your communications to them. You might say something, they hated it, and you continued as if they understood and agreed. Not much persuasion happening there!

The more you can empathize, the more you can get immediate feedback on what they are experiencing of your communications with them. And as a consequence, you can change what you are saying and doing to get them to feel what you want them to feel.

The better you are at spotting small changes, the greater your potential ability at empathizing. Watch for small changes on the face. Watch for lower-body movements when the upper-body is under conscious control. Listen for tension in the voice and emphasis on specific words. Listen for emotional words.

To avoid getting swamped by their emotions learn to change the course of the conversation to a positive feeling the minute you start feeling any negative feelings.
_________________

[El Barto]

I have to say that am an empath .
After reading the discriptions , i saw my self in alot of them.
Watching a bunch of kids once , walking in a video game store and singling out a happy go lucky 8 or 9 yr old and wanting to cry so bad only to comfirm a minute later , kids blurt out the darnest things, that his mother died a few months ago.
I have felt a friend cry while she was 5000 miles away at that moment. Woke up with a feeling of anxiety about her before I really got to know her , only to find out later on that she suffers from night terrors.
This past year I entered  as if by imagination and msn contact and saw what this person looked like at the age of 12 and felt she had a head ache wich i seemed to have absorbed. Later out of answering curios question about that subject a contact asked me to take her menstral cramps away. Surprisingly it worked.

I do seem to attract the confidence in the most private of individuals, the secrets that I am told.

This seems to come in phases as it seems to have a life of it's own. Sometimes I feel so cut off from the world and other times I can't stand being in a crowd , so much negative feelings , don't know if its my own or not.

I find peace when I am with children. I do think I suffer from depression , seem to sense sadness often.
I don't know what to do , lately I have lost all sense of logic and have been reacting childish with a certain contact that I have grown very attached to.

is there a pill I can take for that?

[Jitendra Hy-do-u-no-us?]

El Barto it is a strange thing this attachment we often feel towards others. We are taught some heavy lessons thru them and usually end up trying to find the same love from God; since a human being can never deliver what they promise in our projections. i think a lot of it originates from the fact that we know there is something beautiful and perfect but we some how project in on another human instead of the love behind it that comes from God. So the best method i have found is to keep practicing the presence thanking God that you are able to see that perfection in someone else even though they themselves may not manifest it.

By the way people that have this empathy often have strong Neptune contacts in their chart. You are no exception to this rule. You have a strong opposition from Neptune in the 5th house to three planets in the eleventh. Thus illusions manifest thru friendships and romantic situations. It is a confrontation with your own projections with others. Illusions and disillusionments are part of this configuration. There is a fog you put over others. However we can always be grateful for the fact that we are in touch with this higher reality that we see in others. It is often difficult though when they can not see what we experience. Ego still clouds the true manifestation of soul qualities.

Steve Hydonus

[leigh]

I've know for a couple of years know that I am an empath, it was a shock but also a great relief to know why I was feeling, seeing and doing things that I was.

I do take panic medication because ever since I have become open to the fact that I am an empath I have gotten to see, hear and feel more emotions that I just could not handle. Do the panic pills help? to a point they do but being and empath takes a lot of getting use to and I try to use what I am to benefit myself and others. I very much tend to worry about others more than myself and I am finding that it is making me ill. This worries me as I do have three wonderful children that need me and a great husband

I truly feel that empaths do forget to take care of themselves and that is never a good thing!

At some point I will get into more detail about some of my experiences

[Lauraa49]

Dear Leigh..

I too am  a very  empathic being////had to retire from 32 years of hair  because of it and go in another direction...couldn't handle the  never ending emotions i was absorbing daily then having to purge them  and go to bed as soon as i got home.

Have you done any research  on Highly Sensative People...I think you may fit into that catagore very well. and not only will it help you  it will help to change you  where you may be able to live without the meds.

I can link you to about 20 sites that can help if you are interested.

[leigh]

Lauraa I would be very great-full for all those links... I am now suffering from server neck pain and it is getting worse to no avail! I am going to ask to go off the medications as I know they are no good for me at all, I just worry I will end up in the hospital and really don't care to be there for many reasons!

There is much stress in my life right now that is unavoidable but I know once the next few weeks go by that should lessen

Like right now my son who is 12 is also very empathic and also has temporal lobe epilepsy and takes medication to control the seizures but feels, sees and hears things and is only close to me, he is so scared that he is different from others that he has many muscle ticks or clearing of his throat which is the newest tick. He was supposed to go to a friends house today but can't get a hold of his friend and I can see the emotion hitting him really hard and it hurts me so much. I wish I could put him in his own special place where everyone is kind and loving!


hugs ((()))

[Lauraa49]

Here ya go ..I hope  they may answer some questiosn for you and your son.


http://www.sensitiveperson.com/

http://samsara.ihostyou.com/highly-sensitive-person/

http://www.hspsurvival.com/

http://highly-sensitive-people.group.stumbleupon.com/

http://psychology.suite101.com/article.cfm/highly_sensitive_people

http://ezinearticles.com/?Highly-Sensitive-People---Traits-and-Characteristics&id=81866


http://highlysensitivesouls.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=hspempathyintuition

http://highlysensitivesouls.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=msgbrds&action=display&thread=201

Antonis Remoundos
Sensitive Blogger
http://www.sensitivecoach.com/blog/

Developing Detachment
http://www.coping.org/control/detach.htm#develop

**Douglas Eby**
Highly Sensitive
http://highlysensitive.org/

Elaine Aron's Website
http://www.hsperson.com/

Grace Kerina
Highly Sensitive Power
http://www.highlysensitivepower.com/

**hspKaty's Web Site**
Holystic Essentials
www.holystic.com

**Jacquelyn Strickland**
Life Works
http://www.lifeworkshelp.com/index.html

Jenna Avery’s Website
http://www.highlysensitivesouls.com/index.htm

Jim & Amy Hallowes personal site www.HighlySensitivePeople.com

**Joyful Work For Sensitive People**
( A beautiful work of art by Erika Harris)
http://www.joyful-work-for-sensitive-people.com/

Kyra Mesich
HSP author, teacher, workshop leader and psychotherapist.
www.kyramesich.com

Peter Messerschmidt's Websites
www.hspconnections.com
http://hspnotes.blogspot.com/

Sensitive Self Help
by Glenn
http://sensitiveselfhelp.com/

http://www.sensitiveliving.com/

**Thomas Eldridge’s Website**
http://www.sensitiveperson.com/links.htm

Daily Om
http://www.dailyom.com/

Denmark Guy/Peter's Website
http://hspnotes.blogspot.com/

Developing Detachment
http://www.coping.org/control/detach.htm#develop


Jim & Amy Hallowes, personal site (and more) of an HSP/non-HSP couple
www.HighlySensitivePeople.com

**Joyful Work For Sensitive People**
( A beautiful work of art by Erika Harris)
http://www.joyful-work-for-sensitive-people.com/

Kyra Mesich, HSP author, teacher, workshop leader and psychotherapist.
www.kyramesich.com

Life Works
http://www.lifeworkshelp.com/hspgathering.htm

Sensitive Living
http://www.sensitiveliving.com/


Sue Pouppirt, HSP and Professional Coach, and "Coach to HSP Coaches."
www.sensitivepeople.com

**Ted Zeff**
http://www.hspsurvival.com/
This site by Ted Zeff, Ph.D., author of “The Highly Sensitive Person’s Survival Guide” (translated into 5 languages) and “The Highly Sensitive Person’s Companion” contains practical information about coping techniques for HSPs, information about healing insomnia, and offers an HSP healing CD as well as phone consultations for HSPs.

The Soul Journey
http://www.thesouljourney.com/spiritual-articles-index.shtml


 
 

[guest88]

El Barto it is a strange thing this attachment we often feel towards others. We are taught some heavy lessons thru them and usually end up trying to find the same love from God i think a lot of it originates from the fact that we know there is something beautiful and perfect but we some how project in on another human instead of the love behind it that comes from God. So the best method i have found is to keep practicing the presence thanking God that you are able to see that perfection in someone else.

 However we can always be grateful for the fact that we are in touch with this higher reality that we see in others. It is often difficult though when Ego clouds the true manifestation of soul qualities.

so true thank you! feels like theres so much to practice now
and yet never always conscious of my desires for deeper fulfillment