What are your strengths as an Empath?

I recently started writing on Quora and had a very interesting question come up which made me consider the above question – what are your strengths as an empath – in more depth.

What are your strengths as an empath – and how to tune into them?

I believe the first step is to become empowered through your empathic skills.

At least 15% of the population are more empathic, possibly due to a combination of nurture and nature.

Empaths and intuitive sensitives have been found to have a higher density of mirror neurons than the ‘average’ population.

Research on Mirror Neurons

If you haven’t heard of Empaths before…then you may know that most of us naturally practice empathy through the activation of our mirror neurons.

Yale psychologist V.S. Ramachandran is a champion of mirror neuron research.

Over 20 years ago now a team of Italian researchers noticed that when monitored monkeys watched other monkeys perform actions, the same cells in the observing monkey’s frontal lobes fired off simply because they were watching the other monkeys’ actions, hence the term ‘mirror’ neurons.

V.S. Ramachandran believes that mirror neurons help us to see each other as intentional beings with ‘purpose and intention’ and those mirror neurons are a function within society that enables us to learn and emulate others.

If you are empathic you may be able to…

• tune in to other people’s emotions
• read emotional energy or emotional states very easily
• be affected by collective emotional energy unconsciously or consciously.

There may be more than one type of empath, which are you?

Aletheia Luna at lonerwolf.com suggests that there are at least 10 types of Empaths. Her list includes

1. Claircognizant Empath – just ‘knowing’ when something needs to be done, or just knowing something (claircognizant means – clear-thinking).
2. Emotionally Receptive Empath – most Empaths will say this is their strongest suit
3. Physically Receptive Empath – being able to feel others’ illnesses, bodily pains, also joy and happiness.
4. Fauna Empath – being able to hear, feel and interact with animals
5. Flora Empath – this type of Empath can communicate with plants, being able to receive physical and emotional signals (my mum for sure, and perhaps those who have always been told they had a ‘green thumb’).
6. Geomantic Empath – being able to read the energy and signals transmitted by the Earth, feeling and predicting natural disasters for example.
7. Medium Empath – being able to see, hear or feel disembodied spirits, deceased people as in ‘Spiritual Medium’.
8. Psychometric Empath – being able to receive information in the form of telekinesis, from objects such as clothing or jewelry
9. Precognitive Empath – having premonitions either while awake or asleep that can be validated (hopefully!).
10. Telepathic Empath – receiving other’s unexpressed thoughts.

So what to do next…

I’m beginning to get to know many other Empaths via my internet connections.

I believe it’s important to see empathy as a gift, as opposed to a curse (which it can feel like, sometimes).

Learning to set good energetic boundaries is a great start

You don’t always need to ‘feel’ out other people to be comfortable in the world.

Practice keeping body boundaries rather than stretching your energy out all the time, it will help you feel less drained in public.

I suggest reading ‘Who’s Stuff is This?’ by Yvonne Perry.

Understand that empathy is a superpower – which is why it’s so important to answer the question ‘What are your Strengths as an Empath?’

I believe empathy is a skill that was used in our tribal lives in the past.

After all, the person who knew when someone was getting sick, or exactly where the stone was embedded in your foot, would be the most helpful in keeping you well, and gently getting that stone out of your foot!

Many of my clients are empaths who are on the path of spiritual awakening.

Perhaps this is the next stage of our evolution as humans…to become more empathic and more aware of our surroundings and ourselves?

Consider having an Akashic Reading to learn more about your personal Empathic Strengths.

Sarah is an Intuitive Coach and Akashic Records Reader.  You can download the brochure listing all 12 Readings she offers, and contact her here at the Client Portal.