“Empaths feel more deeply, more intensely, and more persistently than those around us. We even feel what other people are afraid to feel within themselves.”

– Mateo Sol

Part two

Introduction

Welcome wild ones to the first post of 2023. We start this year off with the second part to the previous post about being highly sensitive or empathic. This time looking at the empathic aspect. If you haven’t seen the previous post or perhaps need to refresh your memory there’s a link below. I suggest you check that out first as it gives an introduction to the topic. As mentioned in that post I can only relate this to my own experiences. If your understanding is different please share in the comments.

To recap briefly, I cited that I thought I might “possibly” be empathic. You’re probably thinking “well, you either are or you aren’t.” I personally don’t think it’s quite so cut and dried. I believe there are grey areas particularly around developing abilities. There will always be those who it’s very obvious for from a young age. Given the right encouragement or circumstances they flourish and recognise it as part of their being. Then there are those like me who’ve spent a lifetime burying their true self to fit into the world or with others and society. They may know or feel they’re different but have spent a long time subconciously blocking everything and it becomes harder to discern. You pick up on certain traits you have but it’s difficult to know if you are empathic. Even harder to know how to unlock these latent abilities. There’s also the need of acceptance. To top all this off there isn’t just one type of empath and working out where you fit can be just as difficult as not fitting at all.

Being empathic is to be highly sensitive. Being highly sensitive doesn’t necessarily mean being empathic. This is tricky as they are similar to each other. Couple this with the different types of empath and you can quickly become confused at best.

“The real warriors in this world are the ones that see the details of another’s soul. They see the transparency behind walls people put up. They stand on the battlefield of life and expose their heart’s transparency, so others can finish the day with hope. They are the sensitive souls that understand that before they could be a light they first had to feel the burn.”

―Shannon L. Alder

Being an empath

A quick scan of the internet will tell you there’s anything from 3 to fourteen or more different types of empath. As mentioned in the previous post there’s more to it than listing a bunch of traits to tick off. But knowing goes some way to understanding. I thought for a long time being empathic meant only being able to pick up on the emotions and feelings of others, feeling things more intensely. Whilst this is true to a degree for all empathic traits. It’s stronger in some more than others. I didn’t know there were different forms as we will see. I think this is because the other types are mentioned less often. I also think these abilities can be developed and built upon.

Here’s what I feel are the different types of empath and the unique attributes which may be likened to each. Remember this all relates to energy or energies which an individual picks up on.

1. Psychometric Empath: Has the ability to sense the emotional connection between a person and an object or place.
2. Physical Empath: This person can feel other peoples symptoms and pain in their own body. They’re able to know the amount of physical pain and discomfort someone is experiencing.
3. Emotional Empath: Particularly sensitive to the emotions and feelings of others.
4. Claircognizant or intuitive empath: Like most empaths they have outwardly expressed empathic abilities towards others by the transference of energy. Plus inwardly experienced feelings of intuition towards situations.
5. Precognitive Empath: They have a sense of knowing. Of being able to predict the outcome of a situation. They are deeply connected to sensing the future or possible futures.
6. Dream Empath: These empaths recieve intuitive information in the dream state. They can interpret the symbiology and intuitively know what it means.
7. Animal Empath: You’ve heard of an animal whisper. Well these people are naturally attuned to sense the wants and needs of animals and communicate with them. Animals can sense this connection too.
8. Plant Empath: This person knows how to nurture plants. They can make a garden thrive and flourish, intuitvely knowing what plants need to do so. They’re able to communicate with plants and pick up on their energy.
9. Earth Empath: Has a deep connenction to the earth, feeling the vibrations frequencies and energies. They know the portals, the dead spaces or even when things aren’t quite right. They can also feel when change is coming, the life force of the earth and any suffering it’s feeling.
10. Psychic Empath: Is able to connect with the spirit realm. They’re able to connect with the energies of place or those in a particular area.
11. Heyoka Empath: The First Nations People of the USA call the Heyoka the “Sacred Clown.” The Heyoka acts as a spiritual mirror, reflecting the lessons back to those, which are needed to learn and grow.
12. Predator or Dark Empath: We may better know these people as energy vampires, using their abilities for their own gain. They know the feelings of others but don’t feel them as other empaths do. In this way they find it easy to manipulate without any sense of guilt.
13. Telepathic Empath: This person can intuitively sense or read what is happening for someone in the present. They recieve impressions, images, or knowings of those around them.

This list is by no means exhaustive, you’ll find differences all of the place. From all that I’ve read or watched I feel all humans possess some form of ability. For instance most people will speak of a gut feeling about something or of having some kind of sense of a situation or place. The difference is that most don’t ever go beyond that or are perhaps not conciously aware of it. I also think that we’re not bought up to be aware and connect to these abilities. It’s seen as no benefit to society, it’s more in the interest of the powers that be that we stay in the box and tow the line. By definition being empathic means you are something other than the norm. You have a special gift.

“By some strange, unknown, inward urgency they are not really alive unless they are creating.”

“The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this: A human creature born abnormally, inhumanly sensitive. To them… a touch is a blow, a sound is a noise, a misfortune is a tragedy, a joy is an ecstasy, a friend is a lover, a lover is a god, and failure is death. Add to this cruelly delicate organism the overpowering necessity to create, create, create — so that without the creating of music or poetry or books or buildings or something of meaning, their very breath is cut off… They must create, must pour out creation. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency they are not really alive unless they are creating.”

― Pearl Buck, The Good Earth

To be an empath in this over stimulated world is a real challenge. It’s enough of a challenge as a highly sensitive person, add to that the other empathic traits and life can feel completely overwhelming at times. It could be argued that those of you who possess these abilites are needed for society to evolve into a compassionate, caring world. For civilization to evolve into something more than, not end which is the track we’re currently heading down. You are more highly attuned and here for a reason. Your abilities help the rest of society, plus aid the knowledge there’s more to the human condition. You are much needed in this world for the good of all.

I’ll end this post here for now but there’s so much to this subject. What I think I’ll do is come back to this topic, so I’ll give it it’s own section or category. We can then explore in more depth some of the surrounding science, the different types of empath, the highly sensitive person, why I’m begining to feel I could be an empath and where where I think I fit.

I hope this helps you as much as it’s helping me gain a better understanding of myself. If any of you need support or have thoughts on this topic, please leave a comment.

I leave you with a link to an interesting article discussing empath psychology. Rooted in science I found the section called “chaotic childhood environment” particularly interesting. I found this related very much to my own upbringing.