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Empathic Abilities

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Empathic Abilities

An empath, or someone one with empathic abilities, is defined as a person with the paranormal ability to perceive or experience the mental, emotional or physical state of another individual. It is an extrasensory ability that has been thoroughly studied within the field of parapsychology <http://www.yourdictionary.com/empath>. Author of the book, The Empath's Survival Guide: Life Strategies for Sensitive People, and assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at UCLA, Judith Orloff M.D. has found five distinct scientific studies to link empathic abilities to science (2017). It has also been determined through the study of The Highly sensitive brain: a fMRI study of sensory processing sensitivity and response to other’s emotions that nearly 20% of the world show a greater sensitivity <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4086365/>.

The ability to show and feel empathy for others is the core of an empath’s abilities. Empathy has been identified by psychologists as the ability to understand the feelings, thoughts and attitudes of another person <http://www.dictionary.com/browse/empathy>. In addition to empathy, an empath can feel emotions and physical ailments occurring in others around them through extrasensory means < https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-empaths-survival-guide/201703/the-science-behind-empathy-and-empaths>. This phenomenon is also known as emotional contagion, which is an emerging scientific field of study < https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/04/well/family/the-empathetic-dog.html>.

Many with empathic abilities suffer from depression, anxiety and have addictive tendencies. This is due in part to the lack of information about these abilities and feeling of being misunderstood. Empaths are also over-stimulated by their environment and tend to get overwhelmed by other people’s emotions <https://www.learning-mind.com/bouts-of-depression-empaths-hsp/>.

Characters with empathic abilities have been portrayed Star Trek: The Next Generation films. An empathic character was added to Star Trek: Voyager, and more recently a Netflix science fiction drama, including 8 people who could feel the emotions of each other, called Sense8, had aired.

1. Empathic Traits

Besides feeling the emotions and physical ailments of others, there are additional traits that could categorize one as an empath. Many empaths know things without physically being told through the use of intuitive feeling, and often they instinctively know if someone is lying, being dishonest or withholding the full truth. Most people feel extremely comfortable talking to an empath, yet many empaths have an introverted personality style and have a hard time opening up to others. They enjoy moments of silence and are drawn to nature, animals and travel.

Due to the empath’s abilities, they often feel extreme fatigue and are commonly misdiagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. Empaths can also get distracted easily can at times seem aloof or disconnected <https://themindunleashed.com/2013/10/30-traits-of-empath.html>.

2. Empathic abilities in pets

Studies have found that animals also show signs of empathic abilities; this too is being researched under the scientific field of emotional contagion. It has been found that dogs feel the distress or happiness of their owners, pigs become agitated when other pigs within their pen are restrained and horses respond differently to humans who smile versus those who snarl <https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/04/well/family/the-empathetic-dog.html>.

The group K9s for Warriors, a nonprofit organization known for training service dogs for veterans suffering from emotional distress, was founded in 2011 when their son returned home from Iraq suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder < https://www.k9sforwarriors.org/our-founder>. This organization adopts and trains homeless dogs to help warriors manage anxiety, anger and other symptoms related to post-traumatic stress. Science has proven that animals show increased levels of stress, or higher levels of cortisol in their system when they feel that their owner’s stress level has also increased.

3. Empathic abilities in children

Signs of ones empathic abilities can be displayed as early as childhood. It has been found that empathic children have nervous systems that react differently to external stimuli, than those children who do not have empathic abilities. They are able smell, hear and tend to express their emotions more than another child < https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-empaths-survival-guide/201705/is-your-child-empath-tips-raising-empathic-children>.

Other scientific research found that empathic abilities can be hidden over time. Due to the stigma placed on showing emotions in society, children tend to hide these abilities as they get older, in fear of being considered childish or lacking maturity < https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4516888/>. This can lead to depression, anxiety and addictive behaviors when not appropriately cultivated <https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-empaths-survival-guide/201705/is-your-child-empath-tips-raising-empathic-children>.


4. Other scientific studies

Additional scientific research performed has found other phenomenon related to empathic abilities.

4.1 Empathy during pregnancy

There have been reports of husbands feeling their wife’s pain during childbirth or throughout the pregnancy. Scientists have called this couvades, or sympathy pregnancy <https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-some-men-experienc/>.

4.2 Empathy for those on screen

Scientists has conducted research on those who can feel what they see on television, such as when someone feels embarrassment, sadness or even pain when actors are showing those mirrored feelings on the screen. This is called mirror-touch synesthesia, and can be witnessed as early as childhood. It has been found that there are different levels of sensitivity when it comes to this phenomenon <https://www.livescience.com/1628-study-people-literally-feel-pain.html>.

4.3 Environmental Sensitivities

Foods, household chemicals or medications can negatively affect an empath. Empaths tend to feel things in an extreme manner, and therefore if they have a slight-sensitivity to caffeine or medications, it may affect them more harshly than someone who is not an empath. Some empaths also claim to feel emotions from the food that they eat and tend to feel better when following a vegan, natural or organic diet <https://themindunleashed.com/2013/10/30-traits-of-empath.html>. Many also start to use organic cleaners and cosmetics as well, because they have sensitive skin or an acute sense of smell. In many cases, this helps the empath feel better while in their own environment <https://www.learning-mind.com/bouts-of-depression-empaths-hsp/>.


References[edit]

Orloff, Judith M.D. The empaths survival guide: Life Strategies for Sensitive People. Sounds True: Boulder, 2017.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/emotional-freedom/201602/10-traits-empathic-people-share


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