Ian Parkin is the author of this post.

What Is An Empath? The Sensitive Frequently Asked Questions Answered

An empath is a person who possesses a heightened level of sensitivity and emotional awareness, which allows them to deeply understand and feel the emotions of others. Empaths can easily pick up on emotional cues, such as body language, tone of voice, or facial expressions, and often experience the emotions of others as if they were their own. This heightened emotional sensitivity can be both a gift and a challenge, as it may lead to emotional exhaustion or compassion fatigue.

Here are some common traits and signs that may indicate you are an empath:

  • Deep emotional sensitivity: Empaths are highly attuned to the emotions of others and can quickly pick up on how others are feeling.
  • Intuitive understanding: Empaths can often understand the emotions and needs of others without them having to explicitly express them.
  • Strong empathy: Empaths naturally feel a deep sense of empathy and compassion for others, often going out of their way to help or support those in need.
  • Absorbing emotions: Empaths tend to absorb the emotions of others, sometimes to the point where it can be difficult to distinguish their own emotions from those of the people around them.
  • Overwhelmed in crowds: Empaths may feel overwhelmed or drained in crowded places, as they can pick up on the various emotions and energies of the people around them.
  • Need for solitude: Empaths often require time alone to recharge and process the emotions they've absorbed from others.
  • High sensitivity to stimuli: Empaths may be more sensitive to external stimuli such as loud noises, strong smells, or bright lights.
  • Strong connection to nature and animals: Many empaths feel a deep connection to nature and animals, often finding solace and rejuvenation in natural settings.
  • Emotional healing abilities: Empaths are often drawn to healing professions and may possess a natural ability to help others heal emotionally.
  • Strong intuition: Empaths often have a strong intuitive sense, which can guide them in decision-making and understanding situations more deeply.

If you identify with several of these traits, it is possible that you may be an empath. It's important to remember that being an empath is not a definitive label but rather a spectrum of sensitivity. Learning to manage and protect your energy can help you navigate the world as an empath while maintaining a healthy emotional balance.

FAQs for What Is An Empath?

FAQs Related To "What Is An Empath?"

What is an Empath?
  • You are highly sensitive, and just like a tuning fork, you can pick up the feelings of other people around you. You can do this while receiving no visual clues such as facial expressions and no audio clues such as voice connotations. You are psychically determining the vibration and frequency of other people’s energy better than most.

Why am I so moody all of a sudden?
  • Empaths are easily affected by the moods of others. Walk into a room full of negative people and you will feel that negative energy bombarding you from all sides. Likewise, when you walk into room full of happy people, you are instantly lifted by the love in the room.

What are the signs of an empath?
  • Because you are an empath you will be easily overwhelmed amongst too many people in one space, or just one or two overly emotional people near you. Being introverted is the norm for these empath traits. Introverted empaths love their alone time.

How do you use empathic abilities?
  • On the plus side as an emapath you are naturally intuitive. Further developing your intuition will certainly help you to use your empathic abilities and to more easily navigate through life in a world of anxiety prone people.

How do empaths nurture their abilities?
  • Being a bit of a greenie is also one of the main empath traits. You will find it most nourishing to walk in a forest or stroll down a beach. Psychic grounding in nature is important for your well-being, so remember to stop and smell the roses, or skim a flat stone across a calm lake when you can.

What are psychic empaths?
  • The empath traits for psychic ability will show up for you as clairsentience. You will be able to make clear sense of the invisible energy that you pickup in your feelings. Practicing psychometry will help you further develop your natural psychic ability of clairsentience. You will be able to energetically read what you touch.

Tips For Empaths

What is an empath's pros and cons - by Tali (Derby, UK)

The pros are: I can pick up when a dear friend needs some help or just a chat by the drop in their energy. I can be a friendly ear or a sympathetic shoulder to cry on. I can be a good mediator when tempers are rising and there is a need for a calm and level head. I can usually tell the atmosphere in a room as soon as I walk in and can transform the aura of people by lifting spirits.

The cons are: I can pick up on very negative people. I can take on others emotions as my own (getting better at dispelling it though lmao). I can feel down for no reason and realise it's people in the same shop/road/bus etc.

Even though there are pros and cons I love being an empath and just knowing when I need to say something to a friend that will lift their spirits and allow them to feel good about themselves.

What is an empath youth like? - by Jackie Savitri

I'm 19 years old and I don't know how to say this but I take people's negative energy from them. I don't mean to. And sometimes I can't get rid of it. But when I found myself wanting to know why this person is hurting, I touched them and got light headed. And when I left I felt miserable. And they felt better. I thought I was imagining it until a few of my friends mentioned it. One of them asked why I took there "dark" away, and I was confused. But with my history of depression, it frightens me, especially now that I can't control it. I'm sucking people's feelings away. And even though they may feel better, I'm left feeling miserable! Some other strange things occur, like when I touch something (plants, trees, animals) or someone, and if they have a cut or scratch or headache, I tingle in that same spot they are hurting. I can touch objects such as rings and other personal items and know something about its previous owner.  I just want to know if someone else can relate to this, or knows how to control it!

Stand Under A Tree - by: Anonymous

Hi Jackie, I had wondered about what is an empath's way to get rid of other people's energy. Then I was taught by my guru, to stand under a large green tree, it absorbs the energy that has been transferred to you. Stand, relax, and see the tree absorbing the energy.

What is an empath's gift? - by: Nancy

I was told I had all the empath traits. We take on the pain and stress of others, and while they feel better, we are left with a train wreck! I have found that water calms me and is a HUGE reliever... I have 3 water fountains in my room. I'm new to this, I just know it works for me.... The sound of trickling water and soft music.

What is an empath's aura self-cleaning technique - by OneRose

I myself experienced some of the stuff you stated. I always wash my hands in running water, our send the bad energy into a wall or wood after massaging someone where I felt a tranfer of this kind of energy. One psychic technique for getting back into shape: GROUNDING AND SELF-HEALING. Imagine yourself as a tree with lots of roots and plant your roots all over the room you're in, then create a channel that goes directly down to the centre of the earth and evacuate all the bad feelings or bad psychic pictures you see in your mind and in your aura. After this self-cleaning always replenish your aura through the crown chakra with golden dust of everlasting love :o) If you do this daily you will feel much better.

Indigos and Empaths

What is an Empath Indigo Adult? - by Julia McNeil (Salt Lake City, Utah)

(I fit 24 out of 26 on your checklist - might fit 25 if I can find balance!) I ran away from strict parents and dropped out of school at 16, ending up living on the streets till I was nearly 18. I always tested incredibly high on SAT's, ACT's, placement tests, etc., but did poorly in school. My biggest problem is that I' have all the empath traits, but I haven't been at all open about it. Most people think that I'm just agoraphobic, or social phobic, because I lead a very solitary life and don't really go out much. Really, I just feel too overwhelmed by other people's emotions and energy to spend much time out and about. My husband knows I'm an empath, and is very supportive about it, but no one else does. The only time I've ever felt comfortable out and about is when I've been in nature-- camping, hiking, swimming at a lake, or just wandering through forests, fields, or groves of trees. I'm comfortable with nature, and understand it. I feel nature (I really don't know how else to put it).

What is an empath list of traits - by: Mandy K

Grounding plays a huge role in becoming a "Conscious Empath" in life. Unconscious Empaths are most often very ungrounded people as well. It is not only governing over your own Auric field that determines whether you can function effectively in the world, but being grounded, and able to release other people's stuff from your Auric field are also important factors.

Grounding chords serve several purposes (a grounding chord is a subtle tube of energy which normally extends from your first chakra (energy center) at the base of your spine, down into the center of the Earth); they are obviously created to ground you, but equally important is that they serve as a cosmic toilet to release foreign energies from your Space, Auric field, Subtle Bodies, and your Chakras. They can actually be used as a means of psychic protection also.

Having loving Spiritual Boundaries is another major factor in real spiritual health. Spiritual Boundaries are not walls that you put up around yourself. It is not a limitation that you impose on yourself, and others. It is a concept, and practice whereby you establish a very real, and palpable energetic space (awareness) around your subtle self, and your physical body. This newly acquired "Space" enables you to communicate from a place of empowerment, with a very real sense of sovereignty in your body.

When unconscious of your empath traits you tend to invade other people's space (awareness). It feels as though you lose your seniority in your own body, and they have stepped in on you, and in reality, that is exactly what has happened. It is a very uncomfortable feeling indeed. In order to become a Healthy and Conscious Empath, you must learn to have Loving Spiritual Boundaries.

In a loving communication there is no competition between the two parties. They express themselves lovingly, and with respect towards the other person. They do not interrupt each other, nor do they continue speaking about matters that are obviously disturbing the other party emotionally. They do not meddle in the affairs of others. They ask for permission before offering any assistance to others, and only after it is given, do they proceed. There is a balance of giving, and receiving that is naturally established. They both feel good about themselves, and each other. It creates a sort of detachment, that is to say that you are not emotionally attached to the outcome of a given situation. You are able to share ideas from a place of peace, and neutrality. Loving Spiritual Boundaries are the very foundation to a healthy communication, and relationship.

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