7 Signs You're An Empath
By Isabella Snow - thank you!!

http://hubpages.com/hub/Psychism--7-Signs-Youre-an-Empath

I�m writing this article because there just isn�t enough information on the internet. The most common returns on the subject are related to online gaming. So, if you�ve come here looking for tips on RPG � this ain�t it, sorry!

Today we�re talking about real lives, real people, real psychism.

Before I continue, let me just say Empath is not simply another name for a Clairsentient, though many Clairsentients are indeed Empaths. I�ll get into this more later. That said, if you feel you�re a clairsentient looking for similar information on whether or not you are one, most of these signs will apply to you as well � but be aware those born into clairsentience (as opposed to those born as Empaths, who later harness it and become clairsentient) often can discern what others are feeling but do not actually SUFFER � which is a good way of telling which you are. Once you've figured out that this is what you are, you can then learn how to deal with, and eventually prevent, this kind of thing from overwhelming you.

So let�s begin!

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 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 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 block other people�s emotions out. Being around other people is such a harrowing experience, most of them prefer to keep their own company, living the life of a hermit. And they usually find it very much worth it.

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

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 regular 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!

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 in person with someone and they�ve 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 usually be able to tell 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. This isn�t a hunch, this is knowing.

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, no matter how they would normally react to strangers, will receive an Empath with open arms. They know, instinctively, that their pain matters to them.


Do people open up to you � even if you don�t want them to?
Some Empaths are the new-agey peace loving types � 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 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 it�s usually those Empaths with the most profound sensitivity who have simply 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.

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 as human beings. Assuming we�re evolving, and not regressing.. 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, it is painful more often than not.

My point here is this is not something one aspires to. If you�re 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, and I�ll get into them in future articles. 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. And I'll get into that in a future article.

Tips For Empaths
By Isabella Snow

http://hubpages.com/hub/Pyschism-Tips-For-Empaths

This article is specifically for those people who already know they are Empaths -- which is far more involved than just having empathy. Most of you are not Empaths, lucky you, and this will likely seem insignificant. That's ok; I'm writing this for those people who read a previous article on the subject, and have been asking me to list the tips I referred to in it. I'm sorry it took so long for me to get around to it.

I�m not going to give background on what an Empath is, other than to say it�s a specific form of psychism and one that is particularly unpleasant to deal with on an ongoing basis. There are, however, some tricks that can help one cope with it. They will seem simple and obvious, but things that are simple and obvious often go unutilized, for some reason. Using a smudge stick, for example. These can be used for prevention, but are mostly being listed as a kind of cure, if you will, for when it all starts to really weigh you down.

There are ways to prevent yourself from being overwhelmed by this sort of thing, but if you've only just learned that you're an Empath, it's best to start here (energy clearing). I'll try to get round to an article on preventing and blocking out negative energy in the near future.

Take a Clary Sage bath.

This is the single most effective thing you can do to clear all that emotional funk away. And I do mean bath � a shower doesn�t permeate in the same manner. You don�t need candles or anything else, just a nice hot bath and some privacy. Give it a good 15 minutes and you will feel much, much better. I recommend it before going to bed, as you can carry all that crap through your sleep and still wake up with it, otherwise. If you can't find sage bubble bath, it's ok, anything will work, I just really love the sage.

Breathe.

Wherever you are, stop what you�re doing for 5 minutes and just breathe. You should be inhaling through the nose and from the diaphragm. Slowly. And then you should be exhaling slowly, through the lips � don�t just open your mouth and blow it all out. Pretend you�re blowing on a cup of hot coffee; that�s the kind of blowing you want. Slow and steady. Imagine that each time you inhale you are drawing all that crap up to the surface, and then expelling it when you exhale. If you practice, that will be precisely what you learn to do, eventually. Do not overdo it initially � deep breathing can release all kinds of emotional junk you weren�t previously cognizant of, and that will just make you feel worse. Really, really worse. So take it slow until you�re more skilled at it. A few deep breaths is enough when you�re just learning.

Smudge sticks.

Purifying your environment with a sage smudge stick is pretty good stuff. It stinks, in my opinion, but a lot of people seem to like the smell. Regardless, it�s not the smell that matters, but the way the sage clears the air. An Empath should be able to really feel it as they walk around, it�s fairly tangible, really. It�s good in a pinch, when you don�t have time to take a sage bath.

Drink something hot.

Tea, coffee, hot chocolate � these will help you feel cleansed from the inside. Do not, however, use soup or something of that nature for this purpose. Soups will have the opposite effect, due to the additives, oil, and whatever else they contain.

Clary Sage Bubble Bath and Soap
By Isabella Snow

http://hubpages.com/hub/Clary-Sage-Bubble-Baths-and-Soaps

This is being written for those who've read my Empath articles and would like to find a nice sage-based product for clearing the negative energy they accumulate during the day. If you're here because you just happen to love sage, you'll probably enjoy these products as much as those I wrote the article for. Most of them appear to be "green" and some are even vegan. Before I get started, however, I'd just like to mention my own personal faves, which are not on the list due to Amazon not offering them. Lush makes a fantastic bubble bath called Green Day, which I often use together with their Mud Flats soap (see below). Also, if you live in an area where Radox bubble bath is sold, they make a very affordable Clary Sage formula.

In The Raw Lemongrass and Sage Bubble Bath
In The Raw makes a number of luxury bubble bath products, beautifully packaged and ready to fill your tub with bliss. Speaking of packaging, don't forget to recycle the bottle before you purchase the next one!

Ombra Citrus Sage Foam Bath
Made in Germany, the Ombra Citrus Sage Foam Bath comes from an organic line of bath and beauty products that are not only "green" but sinfully indulgent as well. If you like this one, you may want to try some of the other scents as well.

Davies Gate Sage Bath Foam
If you've been to Bath and Bodyworks, you're probably familiar with the Davies Gate line. These high quality bath goodies are almost as lovely to look at as they are to relax in.

Flosty Gritter Bubble Bar
As I've mentioned before, Lush is one of my fave beauty companies. I love their bubble bars, and I highly recommend them. While they say that each bar is meant to last only 2 or 3 baths, I can easily get 6 good bubble baths out of their smallest bubble bars. If you really want the Hollywood Bubble Bath, go on and use an entire bubble bar on 1 bath... but be prepared for an amazing amount of bubbles!

Mud Flats Soapbar
I also love the Lush line of soap bars, and I combine them with the bubble bath. Mud Flats not only smells amazing, it's also very moisturizing. And, if you use it directly on your body, it works as a natural body scrub. It's really lovely, I highly, highly recommend it.

Lush Joy of Jelly Shower Jelly
Lush also makes a line of shower jellies that smell very, very yummy and this is one of them. I've not used them personally, but I have tested them in the shop and I did get a good lather out of them. If you like jelly soap, you may want to try this one.

Pangea Organics Sage Shower Gel
Pangea Organics makes loads of "green" products and many of them contain sage. This shower gel is made of Canadian pine and white sage. If you prefer bar soap, see the next product.

Pangea Organics Sage Bar Soap
In addition to their Organics Sage Shower Gel, Pangea also makes this natural bar soap with the same fabulous blend of Canadian pine and white sage. The soap is handcrafted and the scents were specifically blended with the intention of "soothing your soul". And if you've ever used sage in this way, you won't doubt it!

I have more questions.  
#1.  Can empaths control their feelings?  It is very easy for me to look at people, determine their feelings and feel the same way, but I don't look at people in public places that way.  When you have huge crowds though, especially during a busy season, I tend to leave feeling angry, in a hurry, etc.  It's the same as a person feeling ill.  I wouldn't put myself in their position, or I would feel ill all the time.  
#2.  I can take away pain from myself as long as I'm not afraid of it.  (finally figured that one out).  I only tried healing someone else once, when my youngest son had a headache.  I pulled it out of him.  He felt better, but again I only tried this once.  
The rest of the signs were bang-on but I never heard of a Clairsentient before.

That's interesting Marigold, because I feel I am a clairsentient and not an empath.  I think I can pretty well tell what people are feeling and their intent, (see through their pretenses) but I don't actually experience it myself.  I can sense how animals are feeling as well, working in an animal hospital gives me lots of opportunities to see how pets and their owners are doing.  Although I often do feel overwhemed in large crowds and avoid them if I can.  And I do feel a bit doomed to the life of a hermit, I always just figured myself to be socially "awkward".  The only time I felt really good in a big crowd was at an outdoor concert and there was this feeling of happiness and contentment and ease that was contagious.  Sigh, it was so cool.......

to tell you the truth, I don't know what I am. I can tell you the symptoms, and maybe you can point me out to what I should be learning on how or better control, or develop it. Well, I can feel people and their emotions, and sometimes they do effect me. I hate malls and wall-mart, and if I had my choice I would do all my shopping online. I can always sense sickness, whether they do a lot of drugs, or drink a lot. it's weird because I can feel them as if their body is connected to mine at times. I remember Lady Elaine telling me that I could have been waking up some sort of psychic abilities, because of the things that I had felt and seen. Everyone I pass by has a vibration to them that I can feel outside of my body as if it were the wind with fuzzies in  it. I can't read minds, and I cannot see the future, even though at times I have a lot of deja vu and different parts of recorded dreams come true. I bought a book on how to develop my abilities, but it didn't really work the way I thought it would. it is mentioned in my chart that I have some kind of psychic tendencies also. I will admit that I have been visited by spirits, and sometimes they have nothing to say, they just look at me. Breathing does help, and telling the air around me to be still does help also. I was wondering what I can do with this talent? Which way can I develop it? I feel like I am constantly cleansing myself of everyone else all the time...

That would be empathy.

As afar as what you can do with it, depends on what you want to do with it.

my mother is literally crippled by her empathy. the last time she was admitted she asked me if I feel others pain like my own. I don't, but through my studies, I knew exactly what she was talking about. she has no connection to any spiritual outreach other than christianity, no idea of paganism, no study of psychic phenomena, no way to know empathy is a condition which afflicts anyone other than her, and she's desperately distraught. she doesn't fit into the mental wards they keep sending her too, for she's too functional. she can't cut ties with my alcoholic father, to whom she's been seperated for nearly 5 years, because she loves him, and he can't cut ties with her, because his pain matters there. she's gained a lot of weight and nearly all her drive for life, process, change. it's been years. i'll send her these articles so that she may get an understanding that, even though she prefers to hole up in her unkempt apartment, she's not alone.

she's been treated for almost 20 years for depression, probably some bi-polarity, and a type of "disorganized" schizophrenia. i know once i mention this everyone's going to back off their advice, but I'm one to recognize that there's no "average state of mind" to which any one person exactly exists - we're all just variations of an accepted norm. please, i've already forgone all crystal and herbal regimens because of the warnings they carry concerning bipolarity, schizophrenia, and pharmaceutical contradictions...it's all the alternative knowledge i carry, and it's useless here. i'm not looking for what NOT to do. it is my belief that these years of treatment for all these conditions that inadequately describe her exact ailment have been to treat the symptoms of a true empath. additionally, she doesn't fair well in group therapy sessions, and never stays with them or "partial" types of treatment for more than a class or two (which would make sense if she's sensitive to the feelings of others).

we've suggested many things to help her get a zest for life again, and have led the horse (ram, rather) to water many, many times. to no avail.  the wall of defense she's built around herself bites hard, and it's difficult if not impossible to coach her for prolonged periods of time. it's so sad, we as a family have run out of ideas to help her get back on track after my father "left" her (but like i said, he comes around often, my youngest sister still lives with her). this post hit home real hard - how can you help one so dysfunctional with empathy?

she's always taken many baths throughout the day, and drinks pots and pots of coffee... she knows it's not the healthiest, but it's always been her habit.

regardless of the outcome on this post, I'm grateful for the opportunity to spell out the situation. thanks for the space and time.

Real-Eyez, I can't help but comment on this.  I've been doing a fair amount of reading on this, and a lot of people with psychic abilities have 'mental' afflictions such as schizoprenia, bi-polar, etc.  I agree with you as to 'what is normal'??  If she is to deal with empathy, then she has to see someone who believes in it.  Not too many of those people around, but I think some do exist, but where to find them.....

Schizophrenia is one of those "ailments" that Psychologists like to throw around a lot.  My Mom was "diagnosed" as a paranoid schizophrenic, which never has and never will fit the bill.  Other people I have known have also been tagged "schizophrenic", but don't really show signs sympathetic to what the psychologists claim.  I think that they don't REALLY know how to deal with people, just as Marigold mentioned, that have a heightened psychic development, and seem "different than everyone else".  They feel that they have to put a name to it, and so, there you are...it must be schizophrenia.  If you hear voices and see things, its schizophrenia.  If you are fearful of certain things other's aren't, its schizophrenia.  If you are heavily into the occult, you must schizophrenic.  If you have a powerful imagination, well, that must be schizophrenia, also.  Damn.  We must all be schizophrenic.

Give your mom a big lovey hug, RealEyez.

By reading this topic I believe I am an empath too. Sometimes it feels like I can read other peoples' mind with emotions (instead of words).
To me it haves a good and a bad side... good because you know what's wrong and you can heal it etc etc, bad because you can't ''turn it of'' when you want too and sometimes it's so strong that you can't figure out if those are your own emotions or someone else'.

For the people who are emphatic, what do you do with it? Can you block it or calm it down when you want to.. and how?

I am  emphatic very much so. I worked in a hospital on a surgical floor when i found this out. When I walked in a patient room I could feel there pain.  It kinda drove me crazy untill I relized it was a good thing. If a patient was having chest pains and didnt want to tell anyone I always knew it...

Hi I'm new here!
I believe my self to be an empath.. but i have a question, is it usual,for empaths, to have an 'entity' beaing around you your whole life? had anyone else experianced this. Not a spirit guide, maybe a gaurdian angel, but i'm not really sure. All i know is that he's been there from the beginning, as far back as i can remeber, I can communicate with him, and i have a pretty good idea what he looks like. ANY info on something of this nature would be GREATLY APPRECIATED!
since i'm not having much luck surfing the internet  

Yes, I have voices in my head, I often have overpowering surges of emotions, I do not like being in large groups of people.... etc. and so on.  It is funny, I was at a doctors office with my neice to get her off meds for bi-polarism because she isn't.  The info-brochure sitting there listing the symptoms of bipolarism cracked me up.   Yes folks, I fit the bill.  Am I bi-polar?  No.  No more than my neice or a third of my family members.  We are simply gifted or cursed depending on your view with the ability of empathy, telekenesis or both.

When my niece came to be in my custody she was on 13 different meds.  Two of the meds were to control her emotions.  She was only 16 at the time and just simply a mess because she was never trained to deal with the inheritance of feeling, hearing and seeing things no one else does.  By 17 she was able to process the incoming feed and put it into perspective.  Once that was accomplished she was able to be medicine free and lives a realitively normal life now.

I read the questions many of you have and (omg's!) I feel your confusion and turmoil!  

Whether your abilities are a gift or curse depend solely on you and your ability to filter the incoming feed.  How?  Practice.  Think about the times you are sitting in a room with other people and that relative that rambles on continuously with nothing to say is there.  Think about how you tone them out so that you can have the conversation with the person next to you.  The way to tone out the voices and feelings are pretty much the same.  You simply shift your focus to what you desire to hear and ignore the rest.      

Dryalantha, you control it pretty much the same way you read a book while someone is watching television in the same room, or watch a television program while the kids are playing in the same room.  You focus on what you desire and put the other incoming feed into the background.  Again it takes practice.  The thing I have found amazing is how many people have been taught since childhood that they cannot do those things they were born to do.  We are taught that we cannot hear other peoples thoughts or feel their emotions so, when we do we are considered abnormal when in fact it is an inherant ability most are born with.  Some just inherited the genes that make it stronger.

Some things I have found very helpful:


[list]
1. Meditation: By being able to clear your mind at will, you can get through an overwhelming influx of emotions and thoughts.
2. Sage , sage, sage.  Lady_Elaine knows what she is talking about.  
3. Be prepared when you are going to be around a lot of people.  I use a talisman, or medicine bag with purified salt, sage, rosemary,  and a brass bent nail in it that collects negative energies and protects me from assault. It is constructed with a circle of fabric marked with runes of my choosing, drawn together into a pouch that hangs from a cord close to my heart.
4. Acceptance that this is how I am and I am blessed to be able to help others when needed.

I hope this is helpful

bless you naturallyme, for your wise perspective and the actions to took to help your niece. for the sake of relief and peace, the world needs more people like you.

thank you.