Empaths, like highly sensitive people on a slightly different level, have greater sensitivity to their environment, heightened sensory perception, and deeper thought and feeling processes.
Empaths are highly sensitive and they have the gift of feeling the emotions of others, as if they were their own. It is much more than feeling empathy for another human being and their suffering. It is an embodied, constant and lived experience.
In scientific terms, having empathy is a primordial act, it is “seeing” when another person is experiencing pain or suffering, and responding to verbal, facial or gestural signals with empathy. But pain or suffering is experienced as a non-primordial act, that is to say not felt directly.
For empaths, feeling exists. The pain or suffering of others is experienced as primordial. Indeed, empaths have the ability to sense the origin of the sensation, the parts of the body that are suffering and the particular type of energy linked to the pain (acute, chronic, numbing, dull, aching, tingling, electric, etc. .).
The mirror effect of feeling the suffering of others is not only physical, it is also emotional and psychological. The empath feels that “something is wrong” beyond words, behavior, “vision”... and space-time.
They can feel the energies of those close to them, but also of a stranger and a collective.
The mechanism is not yet well known, and research in this area is still sketchy. However, neurobiology and neuroscience have begun to provide concrete answers regarding sensitivity and empathy. However, there remain gray areas to explain empathy experienced as a primordial feeling. So, should we attribute it to something else entirely?
In their quest for meaning, empaths deserve a story that reflects their personal and unique experiences, and which is often seen as something straight out of their imagination.
To the question, if you were an object what would you be? Empaths and highly sensitive people often answer : a sponge. It is true that the association is entirely relevant, like that of a receiver, an antenna, and any object that captures or absorbs the energy of others.
I chose the tuning fork. It’s a beautiful metaphor to describe the gift of empathy for several reasons that are close to my heart.
The first and most obvious is that empaths pick up on the subtle vibrations of energy.
The second is that the felt effect of another person's energetic or emotional content often lasts much longer than the initial event ! Initially, the feeling can be violent (more “audible”), then it dissipates mutedly, leaving behind longer, seemingly imperceptible vibrations. But these vibrations are anchored in the cells and in the consciousness, until the feelings disappear completely, or become anchored and recentered.
The tuning fork contains a pure and unalterable note. The gift of empathy has a lot of purity.
Like a tuning fork, the essence of an empath does not change, cannot be transformed, contained or repressed. Trying to repress or ignore their gift will not stop empaths from feeling. They can try to channel this gift into being in harmony with themselves, or they can let their life be a cacophony of energy by “getting in tune” with everyone else in a chaotic way.
Regardless, the essence of an empath does not change, and their ability to resonate with others is precise. It is up to them to make their “tuning fork” vibrate or not.
Finally, the tuning fork provides therapeutic sounds and vibrations that are often used in healing work. In itself, the presence of an empath can be healing. By putting themselves on the same vibration as their interlocutor, they open up to them while offering them the space to be vulnerable. But their greatest gift is to grant others true understanding, deep empathy, and authentic connection.
What is your experience as an empath? What metaphors help you make sense of your experiences?
Take this short quiz (below) if you want to know if you are a highly sensitive person.