As an empath, you may be unaware of how special and unique you are. Many people will try to discredit your feelings, describing you as an oversensitive person. Don’t worry about them. They most likely don’t know what it means to be an empath or the clear signs of an empath.
So, how do you know you are an empath? In this blog post, I’ll tell you what it really means to be an empath, what makes someone an empath, signs you are an empath, how to protect your energy as an empath, and more! Stay tuned!
Table Of Contents
- What Does It Mean To Be An Empath?
- Can One Be An Empath and A Witch?
- What Does It Mean To Be An Extreme Empath?
- How Do I Know If I Am An Empath?
- Is An Empath A Real Thing
- Are Empaths Rare?
- What Is An Empath Personality?
- 15 Signs You Are An Empath
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
- References
First of all, empaths tend to soak up the emotions of others like sponges. Are you deeply tuned in to the joys and pains of others? Do you tend to feel the emotions of others on a higher level?
Do large crowds make you anxious? If so, then you may be an empath. An empath feels more empathy for others and experiences their emotions. They can easily read and recognize emotions from facial expressions. You can describe them as highly sensitive people but in a positive way.
What Does It Mean To Be An Empath?
The word empath is from empathy, which means being able to understand the experiences and emotions of others from their own perspective.
For example, if a friend loses a loved one to death and shares it with you; empathy allows you to feel the depth of their pain without actually experiencing the loss of a loved one. Being an empath means you will feel this on a deeper level, making your friend’s pain and sadness your own pain and sadness.
Empaths are more connected to others emotionally, so you can read situations easily and make an excellent listener. Sometimes this deep connection can be overwhelming and feel like a burden, causing anxiety and low moods.
However, you can channel these emotions into greater insights in life, like creativity. As an empath, you see the world differently and that is what makes you truly special.
Can One Be An Empath and A Witch?
An empath and a witch are not the same. A witch is often described as a woman who sells her soul to the devil in exchange for magical powers. Since empaths are very intuitive by nature, they can read your aura and energy without you knowing, just like witches.
However, this does not mean that all empaths practice witchcraft. Empaths are naturally drawn to spirituality and mysticism, so all witches can be empaths, but not all empaths are witches.
What Does It Mean To Be An Extreme Empath?
An extreme empath is someone who can consciously dive into the emotional field of another person and tell them exactly what is troubling them. It is almost like a superpower and requires a very high level of self-awareness, understanding, and self-mastery.
How Do I Know If I Am An Empath?
Sometimes you just know if you are an empath, other times, you may have to dig deeper and understand yourself better to know. You will always feel the emotions of those around you, including their intentions, thoughts, body language, etc, especially in a group.
It is an amazing superpower because your friends will always come to you for advice or consolement. You can read beneath the surface and tell when people are lying or being dishonest. The more in sync you are with your empathy, the better you are at reading people.
Is An Empath A Real Thing?
Being an empath could be a real thing. According to Psychcentral, some scientific studies prove the existence of empathy. However, some scientists are skeptical if empaths are a real thing or not because there is not much evidence on why some people have more empathy than others.
However, Abigail Marsh, a neuroscientist, and psychologist debunked this in her book The Fear Factor (2017), where she talks about finding evidence of the difference in the brains of those who are highly empathetic to others. She calls them ‘altruists’. Her research supports that empaths exist and are actually a thing.
Are Empaths Rare?
Empaths are rare, and research shows that only about 1 or 2 percent of the population are empaths. So even though they are real, there is a small chance that you may be one yourself. Most times, people who claim to be empaths are usually hypersensitive or feel empathy at a higher level.
What Is An Empath Personality?
An empath personality is usually introverted, with a strong sense of intuition. This means that you will feel emotionally drained by negative energy and emotions, and you will also need some alone time to recharge after absorbing such emotions. Empaths also tend to cry a lot when they see others experiencing injustice, abuse, or natural disasters.
13 Signs You Are An Empath
1. You’re an effective listener and communicator.
If you have the natural ability to listen to others with all your senses, making them feel heard and understood, allowing even the deepest and most reserved person to open up and share their innermost thoughts, then you may be an empath.
2. You feel overwhelmed in public places.
You may be an empath if crowded public spaces like malls and stadiums give you anxiety attacks.
3. You are sensitive to real-life chaos on television, radio, movies, etc.
Scenes of violence, death, and abuse can move you to tears and trigger you.
4. Others are naturally drawn to you.
People are naturally drawn to your pure energy and trust you easily.
5. You are drawn to holistic living, health, and wellness; You are naturally creative.
Being an empath means you are naturally talented and gifted in creative arts like music, fashion, fine art, etc.
6. You love being around nature and animals; You feel like you don’t fit in.
As an empath, your views on life might make you feel like you do not fit in. Don’t worry about that; your perfect tribe will find you.
7. You tend to isolate and keep to yourself.
Anytime you feel drained by the noise of the world, it’s okay to go into your safe place and recharge.
8. You hate conflict.
Empaths are known as lovers, not fighters.
9. People are comfortable telling you their problems.
10. Your intuition is very strong.
11. You care very much.
12. You find it hard to set boundaries.
13. You are enthusiastic about life.
Based on these traits, empaths are some of the sweetest, most caring people in the world. When people meet you, they feel like they’ve known you for a long time, even though you just met. If you are an empath, understand that you are not for everyone, and protect your energy from bad people who will drain you.
If you are lucky enough to have an empath in your life, appreciate them because they will bring blessings into your life and protect you from bad energy. This can lead to all-around positivity and improvement in the quality of your life.
If you struggle with empathy, try and make a conscious effort to improve because it is an act of selflessness, which is also a form of self-love, and if you give love, it will certainly come back to you. This is why empaths never lack good people or friends around them. However, it can become overwhelming, and that’s why balance is key.
Frequently Asked Questions
The top 3 zodiac signs are Pisces, Cancer, and Scorpio
Empaths and narcissists are usually attracted to each other because empaths have lots of compassion to give, and narcissists love to be worshipped. However, this is not a healthy relationship dynamic.
Yes, there are seven types of empaths;
Physical empath
Emotional empath
Intuitive empath
Dream empath
Plant empath
Earth empath
Animal empath
Being an empath, you can protect your energy by doing the following:
Drawing healthy boundaries
Self-compassion
Mute your inner critic
Spend time in nature
Practice mindfulness
As an empath, you are born naturally with a heightened sense of emotions, you are the opposite of a narcissist, sociopath, or psychopath.
Conclusion
Now that you are fully aware of what an empath is, you can use this superpower to your advantage by either protecting yourself from evil eyes or using your intuition and insight to change the world for good in whatever field or industry you work. I would love to know which empath trait resonated with you the most. Let me know in the comments section!
References
- Image by (Cathy Mu) via (https://unsplash.com/photos/-6gbnkhFtKo?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditShareLink)
- Andrew Shorten, “What Are Empaths & What Does It Mean To Be An Empath?” The Law of Attraction, Accessed 28th August 2021, https://www.thelawofattraction.com/am-i-an-empath/
- Mary Grace Garis, “There Are 8 Types of Empaths and Only 1 Has to Do With Feeling the Emotions of Others”, Well and Good, January 8 2020, accessed August 28th 2021, https://www.wellandgood.com/types-of-empaths/
- Lindsay Dodgson “Empaths and narcissists make a ‘toxic’ partnership — here’s why they’re attracted to each other”, Business Insider, January 23 2018, accessed August 28th 2021, https://www.businessinsider.com/why-empaths-and-narcissists-are-attracted-to-each-other-2018-1?r=US&IR=T
- Kristen Milstead “New Research May Support the Existence of Empaths”, Psychcentral July 30 2018, accessed August 28, 2021, https://psychcentral.com/blog/new-research-may-support-the-existence-of-empaths#1
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