Empathy is the gift of being able to put yourselves in someone else’s shoes and feel things as if you were them. However, there are several different types of empaths, each of which has a different set of empathetic abilities.
The 6 main types of empaths are:
The emotional empath is one of the most common types of empaths. If you are this type, you will easily pick up the emotions of others around you and feel the effects of those emotions as if they were yours.
The emotional empath will deeply experience the feelings of others in their own emotional body. For example, an emotional empath can become deeply sad around another individual who is experiencing sadness.
For emotional empaths, it is important to learn to differentiate between your own emotions and those of others. In this way, you can use your ability to help others without becoming drained.
Those with this type of empathy can pick up on the energy of other people’s bodies. They intuitively know what ails another person. Many people with this type of empathy become healers either in the conventional medical professions or in alternative ones.
Physical empaths may ‘feel’ an awareness in their physical body when treating someone. They may also ‘see’ blockages in a person’s energy field that they sense need treating.
If you are a medical empath, you may pick up on symptoms from others and feel them in your own body. Taking on the physical symptoms of others may lead to health problems.
Some people with chronic illnesses such as fibromyalgia or autoimmune diseases might find it helps to strengthen their own energetic field so that they can turn this ability off when necessary. Taking some training in a form of healing can also help to hone this ability.
Geomantic empathy is sometimes called place or environmental empathy. Those with this ability have a fine attunement to the physical landscape. If you find yourself uncomfortable, or really happy in certain environments or situations, for no apparent reason, you may be a geomantic empath.
If you are a geomantic empath, you will feel a deep connection to certain places. You may be drawn to sacred stones, groves, churches or other places of sacred power. You may also be sensitive to the history of a place and be able to pick up on sadness, fear or joy that have occurred in locations.
Place empaths are highly attuned to the natural world and grieve for any damage to it. They watch with horror when trees are cut down or landscapes destroyed.
If you are this type of empath, you will probably need to spend time in nature to recharge. You may also find helping in an environmental project very healing for you.
It is also important for you to make your everyday surroundings as harmonious and beautiful as you can. You may feel happier if you fill your house with plants and natural scents. You might also like to choose natural materials such as wood and linen for your clothing and furniture.
If you are a plant empath, you intuitively sense what plants need. You will be green-fingered and have a true gift for placing the right plant in the right place in your garden or home. Many plant empaths choose to work in parks, gardens or wild landscapes where they can put their gifts to good use.
In fact, if you have chosen an occupation that involves plants, then you are probably a plant empath. Some people with this gift actually receive guidance from trees or plants directly by hearing it within the mind.
If you are this kind of empath, you will already know that you need a lot of contact with trees and plants. You might like to strengthen this bond by sitting quietly by a special tree or plant and attuning more closely to its needs and guidance.
Many empaths have a strong connection with animals. However, an animal empath will probably devote their lives to working for the care of our animal friends. Those with this gift will know what an animal needs and may be able to telepathically communicate with the creature.
If you are an animal empath, you probably already spend as much time with animals as you can. You may find that studying the biology or psychology of animals helps you to refine your gift.
You could also consider training as an animal healer as your special talent can enable you to find out what is wrong with an animal and treat it accordingly.
If you are a claircognizant or intuitive empath, you will pick up information from other people simply by being around them. One glance at someone can give you all kinds of insight into that person. You will immediately know if someone is lying to you because you can sense the intentions behind their words.
Those with this gift resonate with others’ energetic fields and read the energy of others very easily. This is closely related to the telepathic empath who can read another person’s thoughts.
If you have this ability, you need to surround yourself with people who you feel aligned with. With this gift, you may need to strengthen your energetic field so that you are not constantly bombarded with the thoughts and emotions of others.
Being an empath is not easy. You may find it confusing, disorientating and exhausting. However, understanding which of the types of empath you are can help you to use your gifts and abilities to help yourself and those around you.
Sharing our experiences of being an empath can increase our understanding. If you relate to any of these types of empaths, please share your experiences with us.
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I have always felt like the last one. And someone in my facebook group who is a very skilled empath and did a reading confirmed it. This article is very helpful and very inforative
People are so gullible and believe everything they are told. How sad.
An empath is an empath plain and simple! There are no levels, degrees or what have you.
Just like abuse is abuse. One can label it verbal, physical, sexual, spiritual etc, but abuse is abuse.
STOP LABELLING EVERYTHING and perpetuating the problems of the people onto other people.
How are we to ever see the changes this world needs if we keep doing this sort of thing?
I totally understand what you're getting at here, but I don't think of these forms of empathy as labels. Yes, an empath is an empath and abuse is abuse. But to say that verbal abuse is the same as sexual abuse is the same as physical abuse isn't putting a label on the form of abuse any more than pointing out different abilities an empath may have (or not) should be considered a label. I've known that I'm an empath for a very long time, as is my sister and some of my close friends. We all have different talents and levels of skill based on how we use our gift each day (or if we choose to use it at all). In that respect, there are definitely going to be different levels of proficiency in the areas. Sometimes labels are necessary to help people narrow a very broad picture down to something that is more visible and comprehensive, especially if they're just learning that they are an empath. Personally, I've known that I was and emotional/intuitive empath for a couple of decades. Thanks to this article, I now also know that I'm a geomantic empath. I'd just always chalked my sensitivity to my surroundings to my sensitivity to spiritual energy. Like you said, who needs labels? right? Labels aside, my skill level in that area hasn't changed, I simply understand that part of my gift a little better now.
On the other hand, while I like animals, I don't need to be around them and I don't feel their energy like some empaths might. I certainly don't have a green thumb (the jungle of weeds in my back yard are proof of that) and while I know my own body well enough to know what's wrong with my physically, I have no talent for healing like a physical empath would.
Yes, some people may be gullible and believe anything, but I'm here to tell you that that isn't always the case. Sometimes knowing what your talents lean toward, especially if someone is just finding out they're an empath, is helpful as thye begin their journey to find out how to develop, utilize, and find strategies to cope with their specific empath abilities.
Christina, it is a gift to feel life to its fullest. We have to de-learn what we grew up with and find our essence and gifts and use them wisely. Hope you find your way, all the best to you!
I'm 60 years old and have always known I was an empath, but it had never been a good thing. I was "too sensitive" , couldn't fit in etc., etc. I'd been clinically depressed since I was a kid (but people didn't realize kids got depressed at that time). As an adult I finally realized part of my challenge was I'd be "depressed for the world", there've been times I'm sure I was in abject despair for historically traumatic events in the world near anniversaries, (that was a difficult one to identify, but there was no other explanation), I.e. The Holocaust. As I said earlier I'd never heard it identified by others as being an Empath, though I did, and completely alone. So I believe in the last decade or so I have stuffed it down in some ways, but when I can provide healing in some ways. I work with physically and emotionally disabled children in the school system, there are many times I KNOW what a nonverbal child needs but being surrounded by others who "know" through book learning, and their own beliefs it's very hard to give the healing or meet the needs of the child who I intuitively know what they need. I think we all have experienced people who "know everything" and are "always right" when we actually KNOW on a much deeper level, it can be very painful to witness. And another thing, I'm a terrible "wuss" ( which I'm working on) about these things because it's hard to prove or advocate for these things I KNOW when there is no tangible proof in the physical rrhelm. Well, thank you for letting me go on, as I said I've never known anyone else who could understand these things (of course there's lots more), and I believe you've understood when I've said i know it was not in a prideful way but in the intuitive way we all understand
How do you shut it off?? I feel like a human sponge. Constantly absorbing everything. It's more negative than positive. I have all 6 of those and not just a little of this and more of that...ALL OF THEM!! FULL BLOWN!! It's not fun!! I have crohns disease and all sort of problems. I got extremely sick and diagnosed woth crohns when i lived dirextly across the street from an area where women were being raped. They had just caught the man 2 days before I moved in. I didn't pit 2 and 2 together until recently but that explains a lot. The plant thing, the environment thing, the lies ,the emotions, all of it..i always knew I was out of place with the rest of the world. I just want to be able to shut out the negative. It feels like I'm absorbing all the negative around me and it's manifesting in my life..while others do well around me I'm taking all there "bad luck" as my own..ive always felt that there is some kind of force weighing down on me. I haven't won a scratch off ticket in 15 years!!! That's not a joke..like I said..i feel like I'm taking everyone else's negative energy into myself. Where is the positive in this scenario?? I can deal with the rest of being an empath but I need to find a way to block the worst of it. This isn't fun for me..i have no one to talk to about my problems because everyone calls me with theirs. I ALWAYS know when I'm being lied to so it makes most conversations unbearable. I can't talk to anyone about this problem because id probably be comitted. When i do give people the advice they need they don't listen and just call me back with the same problem. It's not fun feeling other people's energy, it's not fun always being the smartest person you know, it's a lonely existence. The only upside is animals love me. I can go around animals that others can't. Their owners would say that their animal doesn't like strangers but will come right to me no problem. That's about it...and that even comes with a negative side..driving down the road seeing animals hit by cars is bothersome..i swerve if I'm about to hit anything. My father side of the family are huge hunters and (he doesn't know this) but I just can't shoot a deer..ive been in the woods so many times and always come back empty handed..hes gonna catch on eventually..where is the good side to this? I don't see how most if you are happy about this. Maybe your experiencing the plus side of things. Well let me tell you it's a huge hindrance. Most of the people in the world are depressed because of the times we live in. That's not a fun thing to feel! No one is truly happy. No one listens to what you'll tell them because they'll have to learn for themselves no matter how hard you try. A lot of people are bullshitters so when their talking to you it's really hard not to call them on it. On top of that, I take drugs if I don't it's like my brain is being electrocuted. Like there's way to much information to process. I can feel when a tv is on because of the electric field it puts out or whatever you want to call it. The newer tv's aren't as strong but the older ones WOW...i can tell you if a tv is on from outside your house even if the volume is turned all the way down and the screen is covered. It's like I can hear the electricity it's hard to explain. But none of this is useful. What use is being able to feel everyone's emotions and feelings? What use is it to absorb someone else's pain and feel it in your own body?? What use is it to know when people are lying to you?? Cause that's what people do..and more often than not..what are you gonna do?..call them a liar and then listen to the lengthy response their gonna give you which ,in fact, also happens to be a lie? I've been living with this a long time and the only thing I really enjoy is drawing and being alone. I like some movies. I can't watch tv. The movies I do watch are usually the same ones over and over again because those are the ones that are most soothing. It's all just really hard and it's very lonely. I can't tell anyone about it. I can't ask for advice. If i do even mention any thing if the sort I just get some paranormal story the person I'm talking to has experienced and whatever I'm saying gets swept under a rug. Yeah everyone wants to open up to you that's true. But it also means no one will ever listen to you. Do you know how annoying it is to try and talk to someone about your problems and then they just tell you about theirs and then want your advice? I don't even tell ANYONE ANY of my problems and that's not a lie. No one wants to hear my problems they just want to talk about theirs. The life of an empath is a lonely existence. That's something these articles don't tell you. You can try centering yourself or whatever other methods there are to close your "energy field" but it doesn't stop. The whole point of being an empath is you feel everything and I mean EVERYTHING. you can shift focus but it will just flow back in anyways..which I can deal with..ive been doing it this long but it sure would he nice to be able to lower the amount of negative nonsense. If one of you has a way to block out the negative I'm all ears...or eyes..
find a way to channel your energy and use it for others, and yourself. have it work for you rather than against you and get you into balance.
Inner Alchemy