Intuitive empaths know what others feel without needing to be told, and they have an unusually sharp sense for whether someone is being truthful or lying.
For this reason, many self-proclaimed intuitive empaths go into the healing professions. There’s a lot of reported evidence from psychologists for the existence of empaths, and it often seems to suggest that they are unhappier than others.
Empathy is present, in general, to a greater degree in women. A study from the journal of Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews stated that there are gender differences as regards empathic response from infancy.
It has been suggested that females are more empathic as a result of neurological adaptation to the traditional role of child-rearing, as it requires a sharper understanding of non-verbal expressions.
When empaths are in interactions with others, they’re able to understand how the other person feels and why they feel it. This makes them excellent listeners and great friends. However, being able to put themselves in other people’s shoes and feel as they feel can be extremely stressful. Apart from having to deal with the stress and difficulties which arise in their own lives, they take on other people’s suffering as their own.
If you are extremely sensitive or have been labelled as being too emotional, you may be an empath. Empaths seem to have the ability to experience emotions at a greater intensity than the rest of us. This can lead to increased joy and pleasure in life, but when they’re exposed to negative stimuli, it can cause extreme anxiety and distress.
It also means that they’re more prone to mood swings than others, as stimuli from the environment can change rapidly from positive to negative. Empaths are often very sensitive to noise and other disturbances, too.
At one extreme of the empathy spectrum (the low end), there are people with disorders which cause anti-social and often violent, criminal behaviour. Empathic people are on the opposite end of the spectrum, not being able, in some cases, even to watch violent films. They also find things that many people laugh at, like the misfortunes of others, unbearable to witness.
Because of the intensity and diversity of stimuli in situations involving a large number of people, empaths tend to find being around big groups exhausting and anxiety-creating. It’s common for empaths to prefer being alone or with one or two people.
If they have to be in social situations involving large groups, it’s often necessary for them to withdraw early and take time alone to recharge their batteries.
Empaths often find that they experience physical symptoms in response to high-intensity situations. Headaches are common as well as fatigue. Empaths may also be more likely to respond to the anxiety they feel by abusing their own bodies with drugs and overeating.
Empathy is something that nearly all human beings have, with the exception of people who have psychological disorders that prevent them from feeling empathy. Empathy is, therefore, something which is found in human beings on a spectrum – from high-empathy responses to low-empathy responses.
Confirming the existence of empaths scientifically is difficult though. Human neuroimaging is not at a level of advancement which would allow us to confirm that there’s something different going on in these people’s brains.
Up till now, tests have had to, in most cases, consist of surveys and questionnaires about how subjects perceive their own responses. This kind of evidence is very difficult for the scientific community to accept as a solid basis.
Scientists do not currently accept the use of terms such as intuitive empath just as they don’t accept terms like ‘psychic’ or ESP (Extra-Sensory Perception). Scientific research currently divides empathy into the categories of ‘emotional empathy’ and ‘cognitive empathy’. Emotional empathy is the ability to respond emotionally to what another person is going through, and cognitive empathy is the ability to comprehend another person’s perspective or mental state.
Neuroscience, however, which has been dedicated to investigating empathy over the last decade or so, has found that there is a scientific explanation for how living creatures are able to empathise with others.
Neuroscientists have called this phenomenon mirror-touch synaesthesia, where mirror neurons are activated when one animal sees another animal perform a particular behaviour. It has been suggested that in the case of empaths, mirror neuron activity is particularly acute.
It has been proposed that, like in the case of people with a very low empathic response, childhood trauma may be present to a greater degree in empaths than in the majority of the population.
The ability to empathise with the unpleasant experiences of another person may come, to some extent, from having had similar experiences. However, having had similar experiences does not always mean that someone is able to empathise with others going through the same thing.
Do you think you might be an intuitive empath? Share your thoughts with us.
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Very interesting article. You can tell you've done your research. I've been called an Empath since childhood. I believe my father's Native American heritage left his mind more open to unexplainable phenomena like how if a dog from our neighborhood (one I've never met or been associated with) would be lurking around our yard, so he'd come get me, bring me outside and without him saying a word I'd find the dog & gesture for it to come over. Sure enough, without the hesitation it showed my father, it would come to me and let me show it affection & after touching foreheads with it(something I've always done and still do with any animal I meet, well maybe not the really big ones,lol) but after that I'd seem to know exactly what it needed. Some I had to bring things to it's owners attention like a limp, others just got out & lost. One time I believe an old basset hound was just longing for adventure because after putting it in the car to drive around hoping it would acknowledge it's home in some way, we got out back at our house it barked at us & trotted off wagging it's tail, lol. Great memories but true to his word my father wouldn't pay for any school that didn't have me dealing with animals, children, or those with special needs (I've always gotten along great with all of those. Sadly I didn't listen and regret it to this day. I do however have a small but wonderful group of very close friends, don't go out often & prefer the company of my cat& quiet more than anything else. If that makes me empathic, I'm ok with that.
I believe I am an empath if not more because I often sense the danger before it happens even though I can't define it or I know deep down that street or that person or that new house will be lots of trouble..
It is good when good events happen but when it's fear I know I will wait for bad news..It is a bless and a curse at the same time I think..
Nice article...keep up the good work
I most definitely fall into this category and before reading this article often wondered if I was just feeling others pain and bad vibes to avoid my own troubles. But I don't think that's the case. I believe I'm more than empathic. Yes it does cause me anxiety and I need my own space. But the plus side is that i truly feel at home with nature and the natural world and see beauty in what most people just take for granted great article thanks for sharing
I didn't know there is this thing call intuitive empath that would describe myself since I cannot remember when I started becoming like this. All that was mentioned above was real and true. I always have these experience. I though I was just introvert person not until I read about this article. True, people like "us" — being intuitive empaths are undergoing distress and frequent mood changes depends on the situation of the person we are interacting with. Especially I work as a nurse, and I noticed my colleagues feel different towards our patients. I don't know if they care less or I just care more. Or they sympathize or I just empathize. Or they are too stressful to understand deeper the feelings of a patient. Or I just overfeel the feeling of a patient. I don't know — but I am always exhausted everytime I over sense people. 😩
So happy I stumbled across this article! I too have had and still do have the experiences you have. Never knew there was a scientific name for it. The definition, explains so much. I too am a nurse and always wondered why a lot of the other nurses I’ve worked with didn’t feel the same way towards their patients that I did. Up until now I would think...am I just too sensitive, am I crazy? “They” say after a while you become desensitized to things at work but 20yrs later, I haven’t changed. Yes, of course you have to be a little numb to certain things but it’s almost a coping mechanism for me in order to carry out my tasks. Otherwise I wouldn’t have a career. Would just end up most times running out of a procedure room in tears. Lol anyway I digress.
There are even times, every day, when something will just pop into my head. I know it’s not my thought and almost immediately afterward, whatever it was, would manifest.
As far as taking on other people’s issues, feelings etc. My son just asked me the other day, how is it I’m happiest when I’m at home instead of out with friends but would not be considered a “loner” or a “nerd”? I’ve never been able to explain. The fact of it is, while I don’t mind being social(I enjoy it) there’s only so much I can take before feeling exhausted mentally. Being home, helps me to recharge(as stated in the article) and get centred again.
So much more I can say but I think I’ve probably said more than enough. Lol
Just wanted to say I can totally relate to your experiences with this and how you feel. Thanks for sharing! And thanks for reading me out! 🙂
I have never understood how once you have felt pain you can inflict it upon another. I become physically ill when faced with the hurt of others. Causing deliberate harm to another whether emotional or physical for FUN is one of our cultures greatest deficits.
I become physically ill as well when I have to see others in pain.