What is An Empath?
And what is empathy? A lot of people are using the word empath these days. In this video, we talk about the various definitions of empath, as there is no "official" definition, as well as where the word comes from and how it is being applied. The video also discusses what empathy is, and the cognitive, physiological and emotional components of empathy.
Dr. Judith Orloff's book: amzn.to/3YDFjMI
00:00 Introduction
00:45 Definitions of empath
01:32 Origin of word empath
02:22 What empathy is and who has it
06:15 What blocks empathy and mirror neurons
09:55 Empaths, why it can be a challenge and boundaries
12:17 Differing views on what an empath is, mirror-touch synesthesia & other
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This video was created by Barbara Heffernan, LCSW for educational purposes only. These videos are not diagnostic and provide no individual consultation. Consumption of these materials is for your own education and any medical, psychological, or professional care decisions should be made between you and your primary care doctor or another provider that you are engaged with. Barbara Heffernan is not available for individual consultation via KZhead, social media, or email, and provides services only in the manner mentioned above.
I feel emotions that I think another person is feeling because of their circumstances, and have found that they didn't feel that way at all.
I think this is pretty common also! We make assumptions about others and sometime we are wrong!
Hello dear, happy new year.. how are you doing and your family ❤
Hello dear, happy new year.. how are you doing and your family ❤
@@BarbaraHeffernanIt's not. For 30yrs I helped apprentices prepare for advancement, on my own time. I would chase down animals in the streets to get them to safety. I would physically be overwhelmed by large crowds, and have to leave. I could feel the soulless entity. I take vets I have found needing help to the VA, homeless, no ride, no problem. I pick them up. And on and on. I never understood why I had to, not want to, do these good works, because there was no profit in it for me, nor was it fun. Now I know why. This is who I am. How lucky am I to have this gift.
It is called projection
I always believed it was a result of trauma . Now as my daughter becomes a teen I realise that it isn’t necessarily trauma . What I noticed with her was a deep curiosity as to why people feel the way they feel.
Yes tremendous curiosity
I'm an empath. Sometimes its exhausting.
Yes, it definitely can be.
This comment shows me you most definitely are
By the mirror-touch synesthesia definition, I'm not an empath. But I'm an emotional sponge. I used to work with a woman who was in sales and came into the office with no set schedule. My desk was along the hallway to her office, and I could have my back turned and know when she passed by. She held an incredible amount of anger inside, usually masked to most people, but I always had trouble being in the same room with her. I've had experiences like that all my life. I can't work a face-to-face service job because I come home emotionally exhausted. I'm really looking forward to your videos on empathy.
Hello dear, happy new year.. how are you doing and your family ❤
I must note that not only people with empathy work in health care. My malignent female narcissist ex works with demented people, its part of the image she has created being a kind and helpful person.
Being an empath is difficult. It can make it hard to learn by sitting in class or watching videos. For me, it goes beyond experiencing feelings and empathy, even though I pick right up on thise things (nearly automatically), it feels like I sense someone's good or bad spirit. This is difficult to explain. I have to ignore it to not be worn out by it.
I am a life coach. It is helpful to being a life coach, but I have to work with it to not absorb the emotions and feelings of others.
Yeah empath has not much too do with feeling peoples emotions. That's a natural human thing. If your not a psychopath. Empath is a supernatural thing. Feeling energy of places and things from other dimensions. It's very draining.
I have mirror touch synesthesia but at the same time I believe empathy is much more than that. It is also about reading and understanding complete situations, not only feeling what different people feel. I can’t watch violent movies or news. Also it is difficult for me to be around a lot of drama. Those become really painful sensory experiences for me.
Listening to your videos on this raises some deep discussion on this for me. 3 yrs ago my emapth and career hopes in which had been years ago in psychology and criminal justice became highly exhausting eventually. Granted it was not job related but I saw homelessness, crime etc in a very unique way. I was first blowen away by the issues one faces. I felt empathy to the point i immediately wanted to be a political advocate. I psychologically explored all the internal and external empacts it has. Analyzing how quicly society could damage oppressed individuals just through egnorant social stigmatization. I immediately desided i was to write a book about how it would feel from day one. Speaking of boundaries there are none in this set of circumstance and normal citizens are just as guilty of this. Watching you, following you just for the simple reason of not believing someone like me could be living in such a nice car. I had lost a job and then my housing on the west coast. With no safe parking you find rest stops. Having 214 university college credits in psychology and criminal justice it immediately sucked me in. I have never had so much personal experience in both subject feilds as this had given me. to many things that in which forms an outline of a report or a great journalistic investigation report. But then the crime you see like sn investigatory in marked detective would see. Finding myself right in the middle of a yr long investigation the entire time as a sideline observor. Finding out i was right all along and my vibes, intuition and observation were right. I would see the rotatiins of vehicles at night and many ither things. I learned as i went and bamb I was right and the arrests were huge. All the way to a mim mart in mexico where guns were going down and drugs coming up. Vehicles as carriers and travel trailers such as semis. People got arrested all the way up to Olympia Washington. Some ppl were looking at me suspeciously and rumor that i was an informant. I exploded with fesr and my fight and flee responce micked in on overload. I keep going over and iver in my head the times i may have spoken to a female detective. I didnt know for sure but I did speak. It was horrible unsafe and scary feeling to know i was right all along. Scared to death that I was no longer safe. I was a basket case suddenly in which immediately I was given money by a trustee and ran for safety getting into a place and i think i shut myself in for a year other then grocery stores ehatever. Afraid to walk down the street at night watching cars. Im over it today and im much stronger. Today i would be a P.I if I could cause today I recognize how good I truely was. Detecting shifty shady individuals unusual behaviors or patterns of behaviors from a distance as an observer.
Gratitude, attitude, with enthusiasm. While unbeknownst to myself being a empath has now been explained. All these years, on my own, I have helped humans and animals. I never wanted to, but I had to. Crowds were sometimes overwhelming, causing me to flee. Never helped to satisfy anyone but had to, like being driven. Loved the results.
I agree with mirror-touch synesthesia not being the only criteria to define an empath, but that certainly explains why empaths do feel the emotions of another person so deeply. The audio stimuli of someone explaining an event in detail, or the visual stimuli of someone in emotional distress (or the opposite) would be affecting the empath's sensory neurons which allows them to attach an emotion behind the feeling... that's my best opinion on it so far. I really loved the detail in this video and how you made the "science"/spiritual nature of empathy easy to understand for a fellow empath as myself! Looking forward to the next one! Big up yuhself!! ❤
Makes for a painful life
Sweet kitty. :) Please yes. More Videos on how to be a better empath. I’m experiencing compassion fatigue when it comes to educating myself on the narcissist. There is really some weird stuff out there about empaths. 😂 I am definitely one and pretty far down the spectrum. More please! Thank you so much for what you do. I can’t say it enough.
I'm an Identical Twin. My brother and I are Empaths between each other on a daily basis. I can feel when he's hurting and he's not around. When we were growing up in the late 80's, my brother got physically assaulted on a date by his girl friends ex-boyfriend. I was asleep in bed when this happened. I suddenly woke up and felt emotionally upset and shaken. About 30 minutes later, a policeman brought my brother home. He had a broken nose, facial bruises, etc.
Ahhh yes emotions. They got the best of me for sure. I am able to touch someone and feel their deep feelings and emotions.
Thank you bless you.
So informing! Thank you❤
Thank you for what you are doing to explain break down a empaths
"The reptilian brain doesn't have empathy" - OMG that explains so much! Thank for showing me this, it has unlocked so many puzzles for me. Xxx
Wow! So glad to hear that!
I like this, it instantly took me to an article to learn more about the reptilian brain to better understand their filter, opportunity, or threat. It becomes a very clear situation.
I'm 63 been told my whole life I'm over sensitive I believe in God so this is extremely troubling for me my first memory was 5yrs old my faimly excluding my older brother were returning home from visiting grandparents we were almost home when we got to the intersection to turn on our street I was jarred awake I'd fallen asleep on the way home I awoke to a horrible sense of fear and concern for my brother come to find out when wr arrived home my brother had been hit by a car in the exact spot I was awaken it was minor and he was just bruised up ill give you 1 more on February 8th 2023 I was asleep in bed I woke up struggling to breathe it was terrifying I settled down fell back asleep 45 minutes later I received a call from the local police at 2:30am he said my brother had passed away from a suspected fentanyl od wich turned out to be the case he passed I believe at the same time I was woken struggling to breathe I've got many more but ill leave it their my religious beliefs have me confused and scared tbh
Wow, i thank you truly.
Love this
Excellent video 👏
Thank you very much!
Wonderful video!
Thank you very much!
Hello dear, happy new year.. how are you doing and your family ❤
Thank you for saying food
Some people need to understand the distinction between being empathic, vs being an empath. I wonder if the researchers claiming the 1-2% of the population figure aren't merely seeking evidence to justify a foregone conclusion.
Perfect Comment!
I agree on the exhausting...😊
You see that's the thing. I even have high degrees of empathy for individuals who most would consider the out group, or individuals who despise me. Does it matter to me what they represent, or even if they wish me harm. I can't help but feel extreme empathy love and compassion for everybody.
Your videos are a blessing and have saved my life. If you would be open to addressing this topic I would appreciate it. Growing up, I always felt so much joy in working on my goals, creative ideas, and reading books. I never fit in with what was considered “cool” - partying, drinking, etc. I always enjoyed working 24/7 towards escaping poverty and making a better life. So I got straight A’s, got a scholarship to a good university, took my degree seriously and built a successful career. I still work 24/7 because in addition to my job, I spend Friday night and weekends managing my investments, researching new investment opportunities etc. My mother always used to make fun of me and call me a “nerd.” When I tried dating, girls told me I’m a “nerd” I’m “boring” and I “have no life”. When I go on dates and get asked “what did you do this weekend” I’ll say “work.” And I get a negative reaction. Now I have this negative voice in my head that says “you are a sexually unattractive loser and girls don’t want you. Girls want to exciting bad boy whose life is a mess, but they don’t want to responsible good guy like you.” How can men in my position fix this negative self perceptions
As a guy, negative voices I’ve had in my head came from the things I was watching. I had these general beliefs about women too that were very wrong. First of all Tom you are not your thoughts, that voice in your head you don’t have to identify with it. That voice is also very irrational because it doesn’t speak for every girl. And you’re not the problem! Where are you meeting these girls giving you these reactions??? They’re not being fair or understanding, you don’t need them around you. For me getting over negative perception meant I had to change how I saw myself completely. Through journaling, quitting watching things like porn and movies that were distorting my view on reality, and just telling myself I’m amazing all the time, me viewing myself as amazing allowed me to have amazing habits. It took a lot of work but you can do it!!
Put it this way---if you have genuine feelings and emotions, including regarding what others might be feeling, and you care about that, including helping others---that's empathy. The first time you ever meet someone who is NOT the above, and you realize it, you will see the difference. Like night and day. Will probably be a big shock (And we are not talking about someone who is simply acting or pretending 'being empathetic' etc.
😥 How terrible. Thank you for sharing, and how wonderful that you are on a healing journey! I hope you can truly bring in that none of it was about you. ❤
@@BarbaraHeffernan I'm a sigma empath but have encountered about 3 full-fledged narcs in my life, and it was/is an eye-opener to say the least lol.
Mirror, touch, paresthesia… Does that happen all the time involuntarily or can it have been completely voluntarily. Basically like an on and off switch.
When I was young, before I learned how to put up boundaries, working in a call center I would take on symptoms of the potential client I was on the phone with, if they were sick. It felt bizarre!
Interesting video. thank you. looking forward for the next ones on the empathy. kind regards
I have strange experience when it comes to feeling others emotions and sometimes can be overwhelming and hard to hold back the receptive emotional feelings .
Hi, please let me know the name of the book you mentioned in this video 💫❤️💫
I think psilocybin turned me into an empath. I was a mean azzhole. Started eating lots of psilocybin and it changed the way I thought about the world. Or was I always a empath? Maybe a dark empath? Now I seem to be a super empath. I had a guy tell me I was freaking him out & not to come around him. He said the last 3 times you came over talking to me you started talking about the exact same thing I was thinking about. A rabbit hole that has messed with my head & I think I may be crazy now. I feel everyone's feelings. It makes it hard to be around people so I spend almost all my time alone in the woods where the feeling seems right. Could it be maybe I am bipolar schizophrenic with social anxiety disorder? Any advance is greatly appreciated. Anyone who reads this please don't judge me it has been one hell of a ride & if you truly are empath you should know. I love you all.
Perhaps they chose mirror-touch synesthesia because it can be observed and measured. Since I don't know what tests the researchers performed, I do have a question. If I had an area on my arm that causes me pain when touched, but the vast majority of people do not feel pain when touched on that area, does a person with mirror-touch synesthesia feel a touch, or do they feel the pain I feel when touched on that area? If they can feel the pain without knowing that I would feel the pain, it would raise my interest in the theory that mirror-touch synesthesia is necessary to be an empath. I would like to know what other traits they chose when creating their definition of an empath.
Empath is overly assuming person who thinks he/she/the rest can totally relate to others. Noone can be another person. Everyone is different. Yet, we can share and care one another in a healthy relationship. Encourage and admonish.
10:50 Imo it's the difficulty in navigating a psychopathic world.
are you familiar with the INFJ personality label? and how is it related to the empath terminology?
I am an INFJ. I think that personality type and being an empath is connected.
Yes. I am an infp personality type. I believe Jesus was an infj. The rarest of them all. And the "strangest" lol
How can i Project myself from this Sometimes overwehlming Feelings of Others? It is Not every day The Same intense but there are days where i Just feel everything and everyone around me. I can Just explain it with an example Not to Long ago. It was a frieday evening and The sun Had allready Set. I took a walk in the City and at every street i walked it Had this finally Weekend, i can relax and do Things only for me and can spent time with my Loved ones Feeling. That wasnt unpleasend but i dont Work. There is No way that this could have come from me. How can i Project myself from it If it is needed.
I have a problem that other people dont know what you are feeling. How can you tell them. It may be an old term,but its not what you say its how you say it . Maybe not evrery one notices how people can say something and the meaning is different just by the tone .
Mirror crap is not empathy, sneeze to sneeze is not empathy. It is an emotional connection that you feel when you open yourself up to feel what's around you.
The mirror neuron theory has been found to not be true. I’m still waiting for a new theory to come out.
I can look at the lights I'm sensitive to sound everything you're saying I understand what you're coming from because that is happening to me but I'm not going to say anything because I know that I'm nothing and I rather be vessel and do the things that help and build in encourage and Hill and do whatever it takes to make everybody else Disney strengthening encouragement there has been rejected put down not feeling loved being misunderstood see them as the Lord wants sing but use it righteously honestly looking for the best
OHHH MY GOODNESS. From I was younger until now, I don’t watch movies they are too predictable and boring. I didn’t and still don’t enjoy the final round of any game show. I turned the volume down because I literately start to tremble because I get so nervous 😭😭🤣🤣. I’ve just realized that alcohol, stress, anger, sugar and too much starch
You know I've seen people in line at the grocery store and they're taking a little bit more time could be their age or the disability but sometimes I use cash and
I do it on a very proven supernatural level and always have done this. I feel others without knowing anything about whats happening to them at any given time. Whe my gf was cheating before cell ohones i knew from across the state of Missouri with my best friend. I text my mom to imform her husband having heart attacks.. Ive never been in any group accept church. Not in a cult like accused of because of my gifts/curse. And others see their sins mirror from me about themselves.
How can I turn my empath gift off?
I'm thinking about all those videos about super-empaths becoming supernovas; do they know supernova explotes?
🤣 Yes, sometimes the concept is taken a bit far!
Hello dear, happy new year.. how are you doing and your family ❤
I've gone supernova when needed. I put my high empathy traits night night n wake up my narcissistic traits. When all said n done, I have to introvert myself to heal.
i have mirror touch synesthesia.
I am an empath
i have too much empathy but no sympathy
Yo
6:34 - "...and our reptilian brain does not have empathy" Are you suggesting that crocodiles aren't sad when they tear up?
Uplifting (E)mpath and (S)igma Films... The Holiday... Jude Lawe (E) Cameron, (S) Blake (O/B) Winslet (D/G) "Jane Eyre" (E) Rockchester (S) Knight and Day Cameron Diaz (E) Tom Cruise (S) What Women Want Hellen Hunt (E) Mel Gibson (S) Plenty for now...
Empaths are wrong to think that narcissists have hearts too.
do narcissists prey on empaths because they don't have empathy?
Narcissists don’t have a monopoly on cruelty. Empathetic people do terrible things to others all the time. Empathetic people are also capable of not caring, or caring mostly about themselves. The difference is that empathetic people rationalise with endless false narratives. They lie to others and to themselves. Good is a choice. There is nothing inherently good about you. You can do good things or do bad things, and you can try to face the truth or go through life lying to yourself about how everything you do to get what you want is perfectly ok, perfectly justified. In this sense, narcissists are really the honest ones. They don’t care, they know it, and they have no need to rationalise to justify trying to get what they want. The term ”empath” is horribly abused. The fact is, nerotypical people have more in common with narcissists than they think.
“In this sense narcissists are really the honest ones. They don’t care, they know it and they have no need to rationalise or justify trying to get what they want…” LOL This statement couldn’t be more dishonest.
If you are an empath you never wonder if you are one.
Jesus is the biggest empath. He is coming soon. ( The Truth)
Boring