Is being an empath good or bad? It would seem that empathizing and understanding other people’s feelings is wonderful in every sense. But what if this ability is aggravated to such an extent that it begins to destroy a person from the inside?
Many consider empathy to be an innate ability, embedded in the DNA. According to one version, it works at the bioenergetic level. That is, empaths are able to “read” changes in someone else’s bioenergy field or aura. Their neural system is a kind of mirror that reflects how others feel in certain situations.
Another theory suggests that empathy can be acquired. According to psychologists and cognitive scientists, it is more of a skill that can be mastered. Everyone is able to gradually learn to recognize and understand someone else’s emotional state.
Scientists have found that in the brains of empaths who observe the behavior of others, areas responsible for the same activity “turn on”. Such an involuntary reaction makes you go through all the experiences of another person.
Few of us have the so-called mirror synesthesia. This rare phenomenon is the fusion of visual and tactile perception: such people literally live other people’s sensations, just looking at what is happening with the body of another person.
Why empathy is needed
Judith Orloff is Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at UCLA and author of The Empath’s Survival Guide. For over twenty years, she has been helping empaths control and develop their natural abilities. In another book, Clairvoyance, Dr. Orloff tells a story from his practice that explains a lot.
In her time, as an aspiring psychiatrist, she had to step on the throat of empathy more than once in order to comply with the basic principles of the medical community. But one incident changed everything. In the middle of a quite happy session, Judith suddenly thought that the client was going to commit suicide. Then she ignored the flash of intuition. It soon became clear that the woman really tried to commit suicide, but survived.
And this is just one of many intuitions that have been confirmed. The incredible emotional susceptibility of empaths is akin to an ultra-sensitive device. Their feelings are sharpened to the limit, and most often they do not try to comprehend it. Just trust your intuition. They give themselves without reserve, strive to live in harmony with the world and know how to listen like no other.
They are the first to rush to the rescue and are ready to go through fire and water. Moreover, empaths not only capture different energy currents, but also pass them through themselves. The best partners, friends and relatives cannot be found.
Their abilities are a boon to those around them. But for the empaths themselves, this is a double-edged sword, because sometimes a gift turns into a curse. On the one hand, empaths create a sense of security in others, it’s always calm next to them: it’s not for nothing that they say that they know how to build truly deep relationships with people. On the other hand, empaths themselves have to live in constant stress caused by other people’s emotions. With all the positive qualities, empaths have a dark side.
1. Two opposites coexist in their soul
Empaths perceive both good and bad vibes. Their heart is either lit up with light or plunged into darkness. Outweighs one or the other. But in general, we can say that such people are extremely sensitive to negativity. With an empath – whether it is a relative, employee, friend or neighbor, you should be more restrained in words and actions. In this case, it is especially important to leave a bad mood outside the threshold.
2. Heightened perception of other people’s feelings makes it difficult for them to resist toxic influences.
Since empaths tend to feel the subtlest emotions in the air, someone else’s pain resonates in them almost more than their own. Like Master Yoda from Star Wars, they pick up the slightest “flurry of the Force.” As natural healers of human souls, they always seek to save others from suffering and take the hit themselves.
3. Empathy works around the clock and leads to chronic emotional and mental overwork.
They are completely exhausted, but they never show it. Just observe and empathize. Empaths willingly sacrifice their bodily and spiritual needs to make it easier for others. However, neglect of oneself is inevitable. Sooner or later, the empath will have to think about his own mental balance, and most often, self-healing is long and painful.
4. Empaths in love don’t know how to surrender to feelings without looking back.
Simply because they are unable to relieve the emotional burden that lies on the heart. And if this succeeds, love overwhelms them and becomes unbearable for both. In other words, empaths are often overly intrusive. In this way, they try to protect their partner from the negative energy that they feel around and take on the duties of a guardian angel. This role seems to tear them apart, because what they really want is the freedom to love and be loved.
5. Empaths are constantly plagued by internal contradictions.
The life of an empath is a struggle between good and evil led by outsiders. Unfortunately, sometimes someone else’s pain and suffering absorb them entirely. The best way to save yourself from self-destruction is to learn how to defend yourself against the continuous flow of human emotions that attack from all sides. In addition, empaths need to be more aware of their own feelings.
Empaths can’t bear to acknowledge their dark side. They are so preoccupied with helping others that they tend to deny personal emotional needs. As a result, they selflessly drag on someone’s troubles all their lives.
But for their own good, empaths need to understand that they did not come into this world to cope with other people’s difficulties. To prevent the dark side of empathy from completely swallowing it up, it is important not to give yourself away to everyone you meet. Empaths must break the armor that covers their heart and allow their compassionate self to do good for their own sake.