Empaths

[TheBigDog]

That's the question of this thread... :evil:

 

 

Ever thought about a friend with whom you haven't spoken in years, only to have the phone ring 5 minutes later and it's them? Coincidence? Perhaps, but meaningful all the same.

That always seems spooky when it happens. But it is always so meaningless when I think about someone and nothing happens. I am not a big believer in distant attractors. The only area that on the surface appears to defy simple randomness is some of the coincidences around separated twins. How even when separated at a very young age, and even raised in different countries, they will have the same hobbies, jobs, marry women with the same name, favorite movies, foods, drinks, and even weird habits like a particular way they hold cigarette. There is also some speculation about them being empathic to each other at a level that is almost subconcious. Sharing time in the womb might be very meaningful.

 

Bill

[Jay-qu]

It's apparent in our language as well. Ever walked into a room and gotten a "bad vibe?" Or, been "attracted" to someone? Or "repulsed," or "drawn," or been on the same "wavelength...." Interesting parellels in the world of physics and what I like to refer to as quantum psychodynamics.

Or perhaps pheromones? they do some funky weird things!

[learnin to learn]

That always seems spooky when it happens. But it is always so meaningless when I think about someone and nothing happens. I am not a big believer in distant attractors. The only area that on the surface appears to defy simple randomness is some of the coincidences around separated twins. How even when separated at a very young age, and even raised in different countries, they will have the same hobbies, jobs, marry women with the same name, favorite movies, foods, drinks, and even weird habits like a particular way they hold cigarette. There is also some speculation about them being empathic to each other at a level that is almost subconcious. Sharing time in the womb might be very meaningful.

 

Bill

 

I have heard that if one twin gets hurt, the other one can feel its pain. sounds kinda creepy to me!

[InfiniteNow]

I would like to point out that, despite my personal belief that there is something to the effect described here... other orders of sensation not yet fully understood, that it could be that we simply remember those times that someone was staring at the back of our head and we turned and noticed, or when we thought about our grandmother and then she called, or when our twin got hurt right around the same time we felt pain... and perhaps disregard the gillions of other times this doesn't happen.

 

Those events perhaps just have more salience in memory, and hence we may attribute these events with greater import than they truly deserve.

 

 

I really think there's more to it than just that though. :)

[Jay-qu]

That always seems spooky when it happens. But it is always so meaningless when I think about someone and nothing happens. I am not a big believer in distant attractors. The only area that on the surface appears to defy simple randomness is some of the coincidences around separated twins. How even when separated at a very young age, and even raised in different countries, they will have the same hobbies, jobs, marry women with the same name, favorite movies, foods, drinks, and even weird habits like a particular way they hold cigarette. There is also some speculation about them being empathic to each other at a level that is almost subconcious. Sharing time in the womb might be very meaningful.

 

Bill

You hear a few stories about this and you go wow, but I am sure there a millions upon millions of counter examples... probability forces wins in the odd favour when we play with billions of people..

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by TheBigDog

That always seems spooky when it happens. But it is always so meaningless when I think about someone and nothing happens. I am not a big believer in distant attractors. The only area that on the surface appears to defy simple randomness is some of the coincidences around separated twins. How even when separated at a very young age, and even raised in different countries, they will have the same hobbies, jobs, marry women with the same name, favorite movies, foods, drinks, and even weird habits like a particular way they hold cigarette. There is also some speculation about them being empathic to each other at a level that is almost subconcious. Sharing time in the womb might be very meaningful.

 

Bill

You hear a few stories about this and you go wow, but I am sure there a millions upon millions of counter examples... probability forces wins in the odd favour when we play with billions of people..

 

This is true; however,that effect is more properly called telepathy, not empathy. An empath is receiving generalized clues about a person's mood or intent, but not any specific thoughts or images from someone's mind.:)

[learnin to learn]

thats what I thought!

pain feeler, not mind reader:D

[Turtle]

thats what I thought!

pain feeler, not mind reader:D

 

Or joy feeler. It's a crap shoot for an empath. Moreover, what is felt may come from a single individual or a group. Neither is personal physical contact required apparently, inasmuch as the empathetic response operates when reading.:)

[Jay-qu]

I choose narcissist, they see other people as an extension of themselves, they do not distinguish between the two. Therefore if the other feels pain then they themselves will feel it.

[Turtle]

they see other people as an extension of themselves,

they do not distinguish between the two.

 

No I don't; at least not in the sense you imply :hihi: See below.

Yes I do. :eek:

There is no concept of "self" for anyone except in reference to "not self". Acknowleding this is not narcissism.:)

[learnin to learn]

I dont see myself as an extension of anyone, I guess that I am just good at understanding, and relating to my peers. And through that, I can sorta feel their emotions... sorry that made no since whatsoever!

[Turtle]

I dont see myself as an extension of anyone, I guess that I am just good at understanding, and relating to my peers. And through that, I can sorta feel their emotions... sorry that made no since whatsoever!

It is an issue every bit as hard to get a hold on as grabbing one of those gloob tubes.:eek:

My experience is that the empathic goes beyond peers, and beyond emotions although it may include those elements. Furthermore, it is not something one simply turns off and this is what makes it problematic. It's like as if someone always screamed when they talked to you. Gloob toob too yoo.:hihi:

[Jay-qu]

Yes true empathy does go beyond this psycological disorder, but to the narsiccist it is every bit the same, they dont see another person as an extension of themselves and hence feel their pain, they feel the pain because their mind (on an unconcious level) percieves others as an extension of themselves.

[Turtle]

Yes true empathy does go beyond this psycological disorder, but to the narsiccist it is every bit the same, they dont see another person as an extension of themselves and hence feel their pain, they feel the pain because their mind (on an unconcious level) percieves others as an extension of themselves.

 

Sounds like you describe someone you know that you have labled a narcissist, rather than employing a rigorous authoritive source. Say a dictionary:

narcissism 2.A psychological condition characterized by self-preoccupation, lack of empathy, and unconscious deficits in self-esteem.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/narcissism

Set aside your emotional response to what you think an empath is as well; apply the same rigorous standards of research as you do in your astro-physics study. :hihi:

[Jay-qu]

hmm, it appears that I have something confused, no I have not labled anyone a narcissist, I have been going by what I read from a book and thinking about it imensely..

 

The book desribes narcissistic people quite differently from the definition you gave.. off to do more reading

[learnin to learn]

It is an issue every bit as hard to get a hold on as grabbing one of those gloob tubes.:hihi:

My experience is that the empathic goes beyond peers, and beyond emotions although it may include those elements. Furthermore, it is not something one simply turns off and this is what makes it problematic. It's like as if someone always screamed when they talked to you. Gloob toob too yoo.:hihi:

:hihi: :hihi:

For me I wouldnt say that it is like they are screaming at me when some1 talks to me.

Here is an example: I just get off the bus at school, I walk through a big crowd on the way to my locker, I can tell how people feel or what they think of themselves by the way they walk, stand, talk, the tone of their voice. But then sometimes I don even look at anyone I still can feel their vibes. I mostly feel sadness though. (might be becuase no one wants to be at school!:hihi: )

[InfiniteNow]

Troy was the empath. She was a member of a race introduced for TNG. Bajorans I think they were called.

Funny how Troy's mother always got under her skin. One would think that the mother would somehow be impacted by her own negativity, you know, with her being an empath an all... :lightning