Are Empaths Psychic? Part 2

     As I was thinking about the question of whether empaths, such as myself, may be considered psychic, an image suddenly came to mind.  Let me show it to you before I explain (please click here.)

     Oops!  I forgot to advise you to put your earplugs in -- the woo-woo alert is really going crazy!

     There, feel better?  Now let me continue.  The above-mentioned picture, as I'm sure you know, is of the chakras (the colored balls of light running down the center of the body) and the aura, with its seven (or more) layers.  Here's what I think empaths do when they receive emotional or physical information from another person.  I think that they are reading the layer that is the second one out in the aura from the body -- the emotional body.  In some pictures I've seen, it is orange, to correspond to the second chakra.  I believe that other psychics read other layers in the aura, for example, a medical intuitive probably reads the first layer, which is the etheric body; a person who might pick up another person's thoughts would be reading the third layer, the mental body.

     As I've said before, I'm no expert, but this makes sense to me.  Take it or leave it as you will.  Just be sure to remove the earplugs before exiting.

Are Empaths Psychic?

     While researching the biology of hypersensitivity and empathy, I developed a new question:  Are empaths psychic?  (Please be advised that the woo-woo alert is sounding).

     Many writers on the web and elsewhere believe that being an empath is a form of psychic knowledge.  They argue that the information that the empath receives -- usually in the form of feeling the emotions or physical symptoms of others -- is extra-sensory.  It is not a common gift.  It can be used to heal, if one chooses to open oneself up to the feelings of others and then act as a conduit to release these feelings into the Earth. 

      One writer, however, believes that empaths are NOT psychic.  Rose Rosetree (you can visit her website here) argues that empaths are not exhibiting psychic behavior because they do not usually work with a specific guide, their information is not objectively experienced, and the information they receive is not often experienced as a sudden "hit," but felt gradually. 

     First of all, I don't claim to be an expert in this area.  I know that I am an empath, but don't feel qualified to teach others in this gift.  That said, I can think of instances in which I did have sudden "hits" of emotion or physical symptoms from others, and while I acknowledge my guides (the woo-woo alert is really clanging away!), I don't necessarily have to go through them to receive my knowledge.  So, I guess I'll come down on the side that says that empaths are psychic.  More on my reasoning in next week's post.

Some Survival Tips for Highly Sensitive People and Empaths

     If you've read the previous four posts, you've followed my exploration into the biology of empaths and highly sensitive people.  Now, if you are highly sensitive or a highly sensitive empath, you know how hard it is to get through each day with some emotional balance and sanity intact.  Here are some survival tips:

• From Dr. Elaine Aron, who has studied highly sensitive people extensively:  spend at least 8-10 hours per day in bed, plus two hours per day in quiet time (meditation or solitude); spend at least one hour per day exercising in a natural setting; have plenty of down time, such as one day off per week and one month vacation per year; spend plenty of time in nature and with animals; carry with you earplugs (for excessive noise) and protein snacks (because over-stimulation decreases blood sugar). 
• From Kathy Moore, a hypnotherapist based in San Antonio:  energy release work such as yoga, Reiki, hypnotherapy, dance, and for empaths, some sort of shielding or transmuting practice.

     Let me explain the latter a bit more.  There are some empaths who believe the best way to get through the day is to imagine a shield or cocoon of white light protecting one's aura from other people's stuff.  When it works (which it sometimes doesn't for me), other people's moods or negative thoughts should bounce off the shield and return to sender. 

     Others disagree.  Dr. Judith Orloff, herself an empath, recommends that one stay completely, one hundred percent, open.  She believes that she can act as a transmuter of negativity, simply by being open and allowing the negativity to pass through herself like a conduit and then be transformed in Mother Earth.   I've tried this a few times, and it really requires you to be extremely grounded.  Still, it might be an answer for those who would rather put their empathy to good use. 

Empaths and Biology, Part 4

     Last time we discussed the traits of a highly sensitive person, and it led me to ask the question:  Are all empaths highly sensitive, and are all highly sensitive people empaths?

     From what I've read, many writers equate the two.  An empath is highly sensitive, and highly sensitive people are empaths.  One writer, however, disagreed.

     Rose Rosetree, a trainer for empaths, believes that there are two main differences between empaths and highly sensitive people.  (If you're interested in taking her quiz to see if you are an empath, click here).  The two differences Rosetree sees are:

• Highly sensitive people make up about 15-20% of the population.  Empaths make up about 5%.
• Both highly sensitive people and empaths have a highly refined nervous system.  However, empaths go a step further, and are able to directly experience what it is like to be other people in a vivid, personal way.  Rosetree believes that the experience does not necessarily need to be emotional, but can occur in other ways.

     Rosetree offers a couple of books which explain how to survive as an empath.  I haven't read them, sorry, but you are free to look at them on her website or on Amazon. 

     Next time, I'll explore some survival tips for us empaths. 

Empaths and Biology, Part 3

     I came across some more research that gave more insight into us empaths.  Dr. Elaine Aron has found in her studies that fifteen to twenty percent of the population can be labeled "Highly Sensitive."  What is that? you ask.  Basically, it is the tendency to feel overwhelmed by stimuli (noises, lights, smells, etc.) that most people find only mildly stimulating.  It is the ability to be aware of moods or other subtle cues that most people miss.  It is marked by the need to be alone and/or be in a nature setting in order to "detox" from the day.  It is shown by the need to focus on one thing at a time, rather than multi-tasking.  Highly sensitive people find music and art to be a richly rewarding experience.  They find that tight deadlines are extremely stressful. Does this description fit you or someone you know?  If you'd like to take Dr. Aron's test to see if you are highly sensitive, click here.

     What else has been discovered about highly sensitive people?  For starters, they have more blood flow in the right hemisphere of their brain, indicating that they are more internally, rather than externally, focused.  It would also predispose them to be more imaginative and artistic.  Second, they have a tendency to have lower serotonin levels, due to the stress of repeated episodes of over-arousal.  Third, they may have a highly sensitive body as well, showing up in allergies and a very sensitive nervous system.  Last, both men and women may have this trait; it is not gender specific. 

     Next time, we'll explore whether empaths are highly sensitive, or if all highly sensitive people are empaths. 

Empathy and Biology, Part 2

     In the last post, I was discussing the theory of mirror neurons.  These are neurons in the brain which are designed to react to other people's actions or experiences.  My question was, do empaths have more of these mirror neurons than others, or is there some other way to explain our gifts?

     If empaths are gifted with more than the usual amount of mirror neurons, perhaps this suggests that the mirror neurons are distributed among the population unequally, with some people receiving more, and others less.  One researcher's work may support this idea.  Dr. Iacoboni found that children with autistic spectrum disorder tended to have fewer mirror neurons than others without this disorder.  In fact, he found that the children with severe ASD had far fewer mirror neurons than those less affected by ASD.  So, maybe empaths were just born with more mirror neurons.  That is a possibility.

       But it doesn't answer certain questions about what empaths can do.  For example, how do you explain the ability to walk into a room and know what people's moods are almost instantly?  Or, how do you explain feeling family member's or close friend's emotions from across great distances?  Or, how do you explain the ability to sense the moods of someone you've never met, as I have with my Twin Soul?

      Researchers of the world, get on it!

Empathy and Biology

     I was re-familiarizing myself the other day with the whole theory of mirror neurons.  This theory is based on the research by two Italian scientists, Dr. Rizzolatti and Dr. Fadiga, who studied monkeys' brain responses.  In one study, they found that the same motor neurons would fire in monkeys who were watching someone pick up a banana or eat a peanut.  In other words, the monkeys who were watching the action didn't have to move, but their brain responded as if they had done the same action that they had witnessed.

     When researching whether mirror neurons existed in humans, studies have shown evidence that similar areas in the brain react when people are watching other people who are performing specific actions, smelling noxious odors, feeling certain tactile sensations, and so on.  The psychologist Dr. Ramachandran believes that the discovery of mirror neurons is one of the "single most important unpublicized stories of the decade."

     Scientists have speculated that mirror neurons developed for the purpose of building empathy, which is necessary for social coherence.  My question is:  Are empaths equipped with more of these mirror neurons, or is there another explanation for their gifts?  More on that to come.