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It's probably just that I have a very active imagination, have read too much and am overly dramatic, and most importantly, these events are not about me and should not be. But when 9/11 occurred I was in Texas and as those buildings fell, I somehow connected with the people in them, and a wave of human feelings of fear, terror, souls leaving bodies, sort of washed over me that evening. It was like all of that traveled from its origin and came in a wave across the country. I could feel the stories of the buildings falling. And today, I feel the feelings of those immigrant children down south of here, separated from their parents. I'm overwhelmed with tears. It's the strangest experience.
I wonder if this business of being an empath is genuine or just another internet scam. Certainly there are a lot of web sites about it, but many of those sites sell products, books and courses and such.
Do my experiences, described above, seem odd or unusual?
Last edited by KaraZetterberg153; 06-19-2018 at 10:00 PM..
Although I have no experience of this kind of thing, here are my thoughts on it for what they are worth.
I think you are going to have to learn to close yourself off from these raw feelings and only open them when you need/want to. Otherwise it will probably send you doo-lally.
Now... if that needs you to go on a course to learn how to do that, then just pick a good one run by another person who can do pretty much the same as you. I am sure if you do some investigation you will be able to determine who those people are. Possibly the best ones do not have to advertise much or do not 'shout' about their abilities and courses the loudest?
It's probably just that I have a very active imagination, have read too much and am overly dramatic, and most importantly, these events are not about me and should not be. But when 9/11 occurred I was in Texas and as those buildings fell, I somehow connected with the people in them, and a wave of human feelings of fear, terror, souls leaving bodies, sort of washed over me that evening. It was like all of that traveled from its origin and came in a wave across the country. I could feel the stories of the buildings falling. And today, I feel the feelings of those immigrant children down south of here, separated from their parents. I'm overwhelmed with tears. It's the strangest experience.
I wonder if this business of being an empath is genuine or just another internet scam. Certainly there are a lot of web sites about it, but many of those sites sell products, books and courses and such.
Do my experiences, described above, seem odd or unusual?
No, your experiences are pretty normal for a certain type of empath. I'm a different type, I receive impressions on an individual rather than a group basis, but I can relate.
Rose Rosetree has written several books on developing your empathic gifts and on shielding yourself so that you aren't going through life as one big ball of empathy, anxiety and exhaustion.
All Psychics need training in blocking unwanted emotion, i had to become a member of The College of Psychic Studies and attend classes, but the college is a bit like Hogwarts Ha Ha!
No, your experiences are pretty normal for a certain type of empath. I'm a different type, I receive impressions on an individual rather than a group basis, but I can relate.
Rose Rosetree has written several books on developing your empathic gifts and on shielding yourself so that you aren't going through life as one big ball of empathy, anxiety and exhaustion.
Problem is, I'm not convinced that it's really a thing and not an attempt to flatters egos and generate income.
I see Rose Rosetree has a business online, and books on Amazon. What a name!
Any double blind, controlled studies of the phenomenon?
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There is only one place in which I have ever heard the term "empath" used: Star Trek: The Next Generation.
(Not only am I Neuropsychologist, but I am also a closeted Trekie.)
An empath, as defined by ST:TNG via Deanna Troy, is someone who can psychically sense the EMOTIONS of another being. Remember when they would bring her big brown eyes on up to the flight deck so she could sense the intentions (evil or good) of other alien species roaming around in the space world? (As if in space, being on the flight deck and looking out the window would have been key to her sensations.)
In neuroscience, I know of no studies being conducted to measure this because of two factors:
1) there would be no political motivation to grant federal or state funds to support the researchers who would need salaries in order to spend their days this way, because there is no political or human outcry for such information; AND
2) it causes a research problem because of something called "Nomothetic Error."
Nomothetic error is a type of error in research that occurs when we are studying something that we believe exists just because we NAME it. Naming a phenomena does not actually mean that phenomena exists. Think back to the 1700's when people used to be "bled" when ill in order to remove the "humors" that were causing their illness? Scientists were busy studying these "humors" (black bile, yellow bile, blood, and phlegm) and how they transmitted disease; when in actuality, we now know about such things as bacteria and viruses. But because someone theorized that humors existed (as do blood and phlegm in reality), and then named them, many lives were lost and many others needlessly sickened.
In neuroscience, we try not to make those same errors. We try not to study things that aren't really things just because someone named it and made it up by defining it in some circular manner.
In fact, in neuroscience today, we don't tend to study "things" as much as the way that information is transmitted across neural tissue. We don't study "where" activities are in the brain any longer... because truthfully, they are not things but actions, and those actions require multiple areas of brain activation.
But back to the idea of "empath." In standard psychological nomenclature, we would refer to a person who is highly sensitive to the feelings and emotions of others as being "empathic" or "empathetic," and while it is hard to "measure" such a factor, I can think of very few psychologists who wouldn't consider themselves to have a extra large helping of this (which is why many of us went in to the field in the first place). It likely varies, like any other personality trait, such as fastidiousness or extroversion.
All Psychics need training in blocking unwanted emotion, i had to become a member of The College of Psychic Studies and attend classes, but the college is a bit like Hogwarts Ha Ha!
Not much use to you in America, but if you are troubled, try to find a help group near you!
Interesting school. I'm a complete skeptic, however, and would classify this with all religious and spiritual books, classes, leaders, beliefs, etc.: totally manmade, usually designed to control people and generate income and personal power. I do not think any of it has any real legitimacy whatsoever.
I'm not troubled. Just seeking some non-supernatural explanation for these experiences.
I’m not sure what you felt wasn’t completely normal. I don’t think it’s a gift. I was massively upset and frightened on Sept 11, I don’t know anyone who wasn’t.
I physically can’t be around crazy people. Not talking about normal mentally ill, I’m talking about unhinged crazy people. People like that make my heart pound and race, and I get very light headed. What I think happens is my flight or fight response kicks into overdrive and I get panicky. There was a guy on Howard Stern named Elliot Offen. Had to turn it off when he showed up.
Had a bank client that would do it to me. Talked it over with my manager and she said when ever she walks in, you go on break. It was so bad with her, it would blow my work the rest of the day.
So I have a hard time seeing this as a gift or something to be developed. Why would I want to make myself crazier?
I’m not sure what you felt wasn’t completely normal. I don’t think it’s a gift. I was massively upset and frightened on Sept 11, I don’t know anyone who wasn’t.
I physically can’t be around crazy people. Not talking about normal mentally ill, I’m talking about unhinged crazy people. People like that make my heart pound and race, and I get very light headed. What I think happens is my flight or fight response kicks into overdrive and I get panicky. There was a guy on Howard Stern named Elliot Offen. Had to turn it off when he showed up.
Had a bank client that would do it to me. Talked it over with my manager and she said when ever she walks in, you go on break. It was so bad with her, it would blow my work the rest of the day.
So I have a hard time seeing this as a gift or something to be developed. Why would I want to make myself crazier?
No, not at all. I was explaining I’m much the same way as you, and certain people send me reeling. That’s why I don’t think it’s special. I think empathy is normal, and like everything there’s ranges. People who are very empathic like us, and there are people who are less empathetic like my husband. He understands people’s emotions but they don’t get to him.
Last Saturday we had to a drop in visit at our vets for an injection for our cat. While we were waiting, a woman came in. She was waiting for her friends to come. They were bringing their aged dog in to be put to sleep. They came in, we gave the very old dog some scritches and they were let into the room. The people themselves were calm, but you knew what was happening without being told. As soon as they walked and the door was shut, I started crying. My crying started the other lady checking out crying, and then the receptionist started. Hubs got up and fetched tissues for all of us. And he rubbed my back.
That’s empathy. It’s very human. Lack of empathy is a sign of a sociopath. And they can act like they have empathy, but they don’t. Which is why I don’t think you can train to be an empathy.
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