Empathy

So I figured for my first forum post I'd talk about Magical Empathy, and share a bit of my experiences with it.

Fist off, Empathy is the magical ability to sense, identify, and (in some cases) to project emotions. I classify Empathy as being either projective or receptive, though the mechanics are basically the same. Empathy is interesting because of all the magical skills I have encountered it is the one most commonly possessed and used by the uninitiated without knowledge of its existence. I myself am a strong enough Empath that before I learned the basics of Ground/Center/Shielding it caused me serious problems in social environments. I don't have any definitive information as to what the max usable range is, or whether it is usable without line of sight or sympathetic conduits. I think both of those factors change depending on the strength of the Empath involved and the degree of mastery that they have achieved.

Receptive Empathy is, obviously, the ability to perceive emotional states and feelings in others. In my experience, it manifests initially as a disorienting wave of emotions that don't seem to have a discernible source or cause. For years every time I got into a group of more than two or three people I would get really out of it, and 'freeze up' and be unable to function well through all the emotional noise in my head. Another major indicator is if you suddenly feel an emotional response that makes no sense (like a wave of sexual energy/attraction to someone you find very unattractive). If you are an Empath, simple shielding will block out the vast majority of this background noise, though you may find yourself feeling blind somehow since your emotional sense is blocked out. I am not sure how this sense does through physical barriers, and I suspect there are a lot of factors. I know that I can feel it when someone in my house is out of sorts, but its my house and the energy here is very familiar to me. Once you have done a little work with it Receptive Empathy manifest (at least for me) as emotions that 'feel' just a little different from my own, or as a general feel hanging in the air. If you want to practice your Receptive Empathy, sit somewhere public, yet unobtrusive (like a park bench at lunch hour) and just open your shields up and let the ambient energy filter into you while holding yourself emotionally neutral. When you feel something try to focus in on that feeling, and try to determine who it is coming from. Does their demeanor match the feeling? Remember that people do lie with their body language, especially about bad moods or darker emotions. Another common empathy trait is noticing that someone seems very false, where there is some undefinable something that makes it seem very obvious to you that the emotion or behavior they are displaying to the room is either false, or outright opposite of their true motivation or intent. If most everyone is apparently fooled, that is probably an Empathic reading.

Projective Empathy is the ability to send your emotions and feelings out and into other people. It can be targeted at a single person, or simply pushed out in waves from you to fill an area with emotional charge. Uses for Projection include small 'free-form' love or hate spells, sulking and making sure that everybody knows you're mad, and even enhancing theatrical performances on stage. With sufficient control over Projective Empathy it can be used to totally alter the mood of gatherings, change peoples emotional responses to things, or even to a small extent exert short term control over others (usually only within the realm of things they might do in extreme moods, and only as long as you have personal contact). For actual control I believe other methods work better, and Projection is best used a a supplemental effect. The downside of Projective Empathy is that it consumes a lot of energy very quickly, and the larger the group you are effecting, the more draining it gets. As an example, I have a friend that is an extremely powerful Projective Empath but does not believe in magic. He cannot leave his house for more that a couple hours a day because he 'just feels so drained and sickly' after a while. He projects constantly at everyone around him and it leaves him sick and dead tired all the time. On the flip side, Projective Empathy is also easier to use for things where people want to be moved emotionally, like theatrical performances or speeches. From personal experience using Projection to increase the impact of a dramatic moment on stage is much easier than it would be to produce a similarly scaled effect in day to day life.
In order to use Projective Empathy, call up the emotion you want to project. Focus it, strengthen it, and let it grow as much as you can, just like any other basic piece of energy work. Then when you have the emotion the way you want it (in tone as well as strength, remembering that distance and the strength of your targets shields will weaken the effect they experience) release it. It can either be directed at a single person, or pushed outward in waves from your body. I visualize my Aura swelling up to hundreds of times its normal size and carrying the Emotion out with it, but I am sure that any visual would work.
The final piece that I want to include on Projective Empathy is that it is very easy to use without intending to when you are new to Empathy or are a strong enough Empath. If you are an Empath, and you notice that you feel drained after experiencing strong emotions, and/or that the people around you seem to mirror your feelings you may be Projecting subconsciously. I have trouble with that mostly when angry, and it has been the hardest part of learning to control my Empathy for me.
As a final note, I included the section on Projective Empathetic control and manipulation for the sake of completion, not because I endorse its use. While there are conditions in which it is acceptable, I view it as a morally ambiguous gray area, since it is impugning on someones Free Will.
Please feel free to comment or message if you have questions or have reason to disagree with any of the above. Its all based on the experiences of myself and the people I know, so if I am wrong, or missed something important please let me know!
-SunderedKeys

Very interesting information, SunderedKeys. I personally reserve my projective empathy for when the rubber hits the road. Like when my hubby has his head in the sand and I'm too frustrated to talk anymore.
Receptive empathy is something I deal with daily. Some days the only place I have found I can find peace from it is my room, which I have gone out of my way to set up as a safe haven from any magic but my own. One indicator for me when deciphering my emotions from somebody else's is when it's somebody else's I get very anxious. I pace around or I'll stare at something for no reason. After that I start getting pictures and other indicators of who or what it's coming from.
I've been empathic to a high degree as far back as I can remember. It was a real annoyance when I was a teenager, but now that Im older and understand it better it's not so bad. I've learned it's not just humans that give off feeling. Everything on the planet, including the planet itself does. We all tie together.

I am also a strong perceptive empath and am very much able to feel others emotions without merely focusing deep...when i do focus im able to read their emotions and troubles quite clearly..even down to taking their pain and fears from them.
Sometimes i open a link to them..depends on if they are close to me (meaning family i care about or friends)
I do not really push my emotions on to others i suppress them..I prefer to not to do projective empathy.
Hard gift for most to gain control of...geez i struggle sometimes to fight the urge not to open up to people and delve into their feelings,sometimes I have become so emotionally drained by others hurting :(

Great post Sunderedkeys well done :)

Blessings
Ginny.

thanks for the comments. Angela, I have totally the same experiences with my empathy some times. My High school career was *terrible* because of that. didn't help that the place was an architectural nightmare that actually concentrated negativity like that building in the first ghost busters movie... *shudders* but yeah, thanks for adding!

Good post on empathy and descriptive of types. ;)

good post sundered.
i found that my empathy was released when i began playing with ritual magic i didn't understand, and that was one of the things that freaked me out and made me stop practicing for a bit actually.
i recently classed this empathy that became active as "resonate empathy" because it wasnt so much that i could feel others emotions, or that i could send out projected emotions, but it was more that i could tune into who they were, understand their emotions, but at the same time they would also feel very close to me, i went from a total loner nerd to having tons of "friends" overnight. i actually didnt like it at all most these people i didnt want to be friends with, there has been multiple occasions where i had to cut off all contact with people because it was plain impossible to tell them i didnt want to be friends.
so this felt more like harmonizing a tuning fork or something, rather than reading or projecting, although now that i think about it it may be that i just can't separate the two and its both empathies happening at once? i have never really had "control" over it. it just is there, i know people right away. just thought i would throw my $.02 in :)

Posted by ginseng (Mar 08, 2010) :

This is a short overview of Empathy.

Empathy can be defined as the ability to be in-tuned to others,by scanning their thoughts,feelings ect.
These thoughts feelings can be voluntry or involuntry depending on the individuals empathic capacity.

Empaths are mostly unaware of how it actually works and accept it as they are more sensitive to others feelings,emotions be it future past and present occurrences in life.

Empaths are capable of sensing others true emotions and feelings that are hidden deep below the surface and relate to that person(s).
It's an ability to uncover the truth behind let's say for example cover/barriers people sometimes put up, and relate to that person with compassion and help them feel at ease being able to express themself more freely and not feel isolated and alone.

Empaths can feel empathy towards a variety of things family, friends, close associates, strangers, pets, nature ect.It's an ability to feel from a distance they are highly sensitive and are often compassionate, considerate and understanding of others, it can only be explained as a deep sense of knowing.

There are varied strengths in empaths and these are related to the individuals awareness of self, understanding, acceptance/non-acceptance of those associated with them,family,friends, peers ect.
Most empaths do not learn these tendencies until later on in life.

Empathy is something you are born with it is inherent in one's DNA, and comes from generation to generation by being passed down.
Empaths can sense others on lots of different levels by observing what others say, feel, think and understanding others body language , eye movement ect, and become very proficent in this , communication being a large part of empathy.

Empaths are able to sense others energetic vibrations and frequency by tuning into them, everything has a energetic vibration/frequency and an empath can sense these vibrations and recognize changes undetectable to the naked eye and five senses, this energy is picked up by empaths be it spoken, thought and by feelings.

Empaths are affectionate, great listeners and help others by putting their own needs aside first.
They can also be the opposite and be loners, depressives, neurotic and day dreamers and are often associated with the Bi-Polar disorder and can be withdrawn from others.
Most are drawn to nature and often like nothing more than escaping to the out-doors as a form of release from ones hectic everyday life such as country walks , woods ect.

Empaths are quite emotional people and news broadcasts such as violence, hurt pain, cruelty to animals , earthquake disaters ect, reduce them to tears, i find myself doing this also quite often it's an ability to relate to their pain ect.

Empaths are often people whom draw others to them even complete strangers,i find this alot also i can be shopping on the bus ect and get people just start talking about problems and life in general, it's like we are a magnet to others including animals , people feel at ease and can talk freely and openly about most personal things.

Empaths shielding is very important to block out others emotions, and recognize if they are your emotions or others, i also find meditation helps also.

Bubble technique.

close your eyes.
Envision/visualize a bubble of pure white brilliant light,big enough for you to step into.
Imagine/visualize your negative emotions being passed into this bubble and only good good energy emotions passing through freely.
Visualize yourself standing next to the bubble releasing all your negativity.
Visualize yourself stepping into this bubble of light.
Say to yourself this is my sheild and nothing can pass through it.
Take a few minutes breath in deeply a few positive breaths then open your eyes.

Do this on a daily basis to strengthen your shield it's quite easy to do with practice.

Blessed be all.
Ginseng.


Posted by ginseng (Mar 09, 2010) :

http://empathic.net/how-to-shield-empathic-energy.html

I always use the bubble technique , but here are a few different ones , think it's about what works well for each individual:)

Empaths have the ability to not only feel what others are feeling around them but to actually take those emotions and make them their own. That is that they will feel exactly what others are feeling, whether it is emotional or physical. While this is very good for the people around them, it can become quite draining for the empath. Constantly taking on other?s people?s problems and emotions is extremely tiring and can actually make the empath feel depressed or even become physically ill. For this reason, empaths must harness the ability to block out emotions so they are not always carrying them around with them.

The first thing an empath must do is to participate in a class that will teach them how to harness their energy. Something such as yoga, tai chi, or reiki will allow the empath to learn about their own energy and how to become more in touch with it. The empath needs to know where their energy is in order to center it and learn how to use it. This needs to be practiced a lot but it will be learned over time.

Another way to shield energy is not to fear the absorption of the energy. Don?t concentrate too hard on not receiving the energy but rather, focus on getting rid of it once you have received it. Once you begin to feel another?s pain, imagine your body accepting the energy but the energy passing through the body rather than staying within.

Visualization is a big part of shielding. One way to do this is to visualize a pole in front of you that you are hanging on to. Imagine the pole as being a magnet for everything that you are absorbing and that you don?t want to. Imagine that all of the negativity, pain, anger, and other undesirable emotions are being attracted to the pole and away from you. This won?t work for all empaths but it will help for those that find visualization is a good tool for them. Some people prefer other methods in place of visualization. It all just depends on what will work.

Other empaths don?t like shielding at all. This is because when shielded, the empath will actually feel as though they are behind a shield, whether they have gotten there through meditation, visualization, or another exercise. Part of the empath?s personality is that they love to help and they love feeling so close to someone. However, some empaths would not be able to function without shielding. It all depends on the personality of the empath and how much they feel they can handle.



Posted by Themis (Mar 09, 2010) :

I like this thread as well, though I bid all to be careful when using the term empathy to express any specific hyper ability of emotional detection.

Empathy is like magic and magick. Although empathy doesan't have 2 ways of spelling it.

Some people prefer using the word magic because it's in the dictionary and that is the technically correct way of spelling it.
While others prefer magick because it is the older version that was originally describing what we do here, not what the dictionary calls ''magic'' as being the same as illusions and clever tricks.

Empathy can be and is used in the dictionary as a the hyper sensitive, naturally occurring, intellectual ability to assume the most logical emotion that another person is feeling in a given situation (looking at it though another person's point of view).
Although, many people, mostly those that practice magick for themselves use the word as describing a supernatural ability to know of and affect others' emotions on extreme levels.

As said, be careful when using this word.

Empathic Manipulation:

Posted by ginseng (Mar 18, 2010) :

Empathy or Emotional Perception is the mental ability to feel or experience the emotions of others. One could use this to figure out how someone is feeling, to understand why someone does what they do, etc. This can be used to determine the presence of hidden subjects as well, because the user can sense the presence of emotions, and trace them back to their source (this is called Empathic Tracking). However, sometimes the user can also (or only) project his emotions onto others, to get them to feel as he feels (this is called Empathic Projection), or gain psychic control over subjects emotions and actions after empathic and/or physical contact (this is called Empathic Manipulation).

Should the ability develop, the user might even be capable of seeing peoples hopes, fears, desires and thoughts by connecting with them on a deep empathic level
:
Empathic Power

Empathic Power, also called Empathic Force or Empathic Influence is the psychic ability to affect nature and ones surroundings based on ones emotions. The user may have Empathic Darkness, which quells lights intensity whenever one feels intense negative emotion, or may make darken lit areas wherever the user goes (does not allow control of darkness); they may have Empathic Gravitation which changes gravity in ones surroundings whenever one feels certain emotions (good emotion decreases gravity, and bad emotion increases it) or the like. This ability may be accompanied by an Elemental Sense.

This ability may even entail the presence of a storm cloud that hovers above-head and reacts to the users emotions; it appears when the user feels negative emotion, rains when he feels sad, shoots lightning when he is angry, disperses when the user is happy, and the like (called an Empathic Storm Cloud).

Note: This ability causes empathic power to only affect natural elements or biotic subjects (no artificial materials like plastic, glass or artificial chemical elements, and not undead). Sometimes, Empathic Power will just affect the element that is most prevalent in ones current surroundings (sand in the desert, water in the ocean, plants or animals in the forest). This ability never produces a controlled effect (it may only be brought about by certain emotions), and so it is not the same as the ability Naturespeak or Elemental Manipulation.
Note: Empathic Gravitation, if untrained, may also induce gravitation between the user and a person with whom he has a positive empathic connection.
Empathic Resonance

Empathic Resonance, also called Empathic Charm or Empathic Charisma is the ability to psychically establish an empathic link with any subject(s); parties involved can understand each other and become friends or allies almost instantly. The established empathic link is harmless (it may only last as long as needed), but it makes the user nearly incapable of making enemies (unless the ability is suppressed, or the user tries to use it on a perspicuous mind). In some cases, if foes try to strike the user, even complete strangers would come to the users defense.

Fear Sense

Fear Sense, also called Fear Sensing or Fear/Phobia Perception is a variation of Empathy, in which the user can only perceive doubt, fear and phobia. The user can either only tell if a subject is afraid (the intensity of the fear, etc.), or they can actually intuit things that subjects are afraid of (the last, of course, being most beneficial). One with this ability can use it to easily unnerve opponents, or properly interact with subjects, because they also know how to act to prevent aversion (or perhaps even to perceive presences by sensing traces of fear), and the like. This ability may accompany Phobic Vampirism.

Musical Empathic Projection

Musical Empathic Projection is the psychic ability to project emotions based on the songs one hears. One with this ability listens to a song, and whatever emotion that song conveys, that emotion can be projected onto the subject. This ability can make masses of subjects lovesick, depressed, angry, overly-happy, or the like. Not to mention, it also psychically connects the subjects feelings to the song, so they want to hear it more, and when they can no longer hear it, their emotions temporarily short-circuit (the subjects go numb).

Telepathic Empathy

Telepathic Empathy is the ability to perceive emotions, but with the emotions expressed as though they were thoughts. One with this ability can read emotions of any kind, like a normal empath, but they must be expressed through verbal thought wave manifestations (the subject must think something like Im so mad! or I cant believe she did that!). The user can project emotions in the same fashion; instead of projecting emotions (like normal Empathy) the user can project thoughts which convey a certain emotion, and the like.

Telempathy

Telempathy, also called Tele-Empathy is the psychic ability to communicate with another subject via emotion instead of by thought. One with this ability could convey the same messages as one with the power Telepathy (including changing a subjects mind by associating a certain emotion with a certain idea or opinion, receiving/transmitting emotions to communicate, overloading foes with emotions instead of thoughts, etc.), except the message is a bit more vague. This ability may be accompanied by normal Empathy.

Twin Empathy

Twin Empathy is the emotional connection between twin siblings. One with this ability can empathically sense when their twin is in danger, how their twin is feeling, and can channel any sensations and emotions that their twin is feeling, along with all of the other faculties that go along with empathic connection (like their abilities). The user however, may also feel the pains if their sibling is hurt (and might even die if their sibling dies.

Hope this article helps you understand more on empathy abilities.

http://theories.activatingevolution.org/swiki/wi ki/index.php/Empathic

Blessings.
Gin.

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debbied
Post # 2
Mar 18, 2010
(delete post)
im defanately an empath but what was even more interesting is the music empath my husband always gets emmotional when listening to some music gona try and talk about this with him later hell most brobally tell me not to be daft but its worth a try

nice post, i am a perceptive empath, so i always enjoy reading about it.