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Many highly sensitive people are highly sensitive on a deeper level. All empaths are highly sensitive people, but not all highly sensitive people are empaths.

The Science of Empathy

The Mirror Neuron System: Researchers have discovered a specialized group of brain cells that are responsible for compassion. These cells enable us to mirror emotions, to share another person’s pain, fear or joy. Because empaths are thought to have hyperresponsive mirror neurons, we deeply identify with other people’s feelings. Most mirror neurons are triggered by outside events, for example, when our friend gets hurt we feel her pain, when our child is happy and laughing we feel happy too.

Electromagnetic fields: Both the brain and the heart generate electromagnetic fields. These fields transmit information about people’s thoughts, emotions, intentions and desires. Empaths can be particularly sensitive to this electromagnetic output and can become overwhelmed by it. This is one of the reasons why we can suddenly feel the need to leave intense social situations.

Emotional Contagion: Research has shown that many people pick up the emotions of those around them. One crying infant will set off a wave of crying babies in a hospital ward. Someone loudly expressing their anxiety at work can spread it to co-workers. This ability to synchronize moods with others is crucial for good relationships. It’s important for us to surround ourselves with positive people.

Increased Dopamine Sensitivity: Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that increases the activity of neurons and is associated with the pleasure response. Research has shown that introverted empaths tend to have a higher sensitivity to dopamine than extroverts. Basically introverted empaths need less dopamine to feel happy, which might explain why they are more content with alone time, reading, and meditation and need less external stimulation from parties and social gatherings.

Synesthesia: or “mirror-touch synesthesia” is a neurological condition in which two different senses are paired in the brain. For example, seeing colors when you hear a piece of music; or tasting words. Famous synesthetics include Isaac Newton, Billy Joel, and Itzhak Perlman. With mirror-touch synesthesia, people can actually feel the emotions and sensations of others in their own bodies, as if these emotions were their own.

How does this impact different areas of life?

HEALTH: Many empaths feel overwhelmed and exhausted before they learn practical skills to help themselves cope with their sensitivities. They are often diagnosed with agoraphobia, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, migraines, chronic pain, allergies, and adrenal fatigue (a form of burnout). On an emotional level they may experience anxiety, depression and panic attacks.

ADDICTIONS: some empaths become addicted to alcohol, drugs, food, sex, shopping, or other feel-good addictive behaviors in an attempt to numb their sensitivities. Overeating is common, many empaths unwittingly use food to ground themselves. Food is soothing, it stimulates dopamine which makes us relax and feel good. It also increases the density of our bodies, which reduces the intensity of emotional energy.

RELATIONSHIPS AND LOVE: Empaths may unknowingly get involved with toxic partners and become anxious, depressed or ill. They can give their hearts too easily to unavailable people.  Empaths are loving and expect others to be that way, which doesn’t always happen. They also absorb their partner’s stress and emotions simply by interacting with them.

PARENTING: Empathic parents often feel especially overwhelmed and exhausted from the intense demands of child-rearing because they tend to absorb their children’s feelings and pain.

WORK: Empaths can easily feel drained and overstimulated in the work environment. They do best when they have the freedom to work at their own pace in a work environment that nurtures and supports their strengths. They tend to thrive as entrepreneurs and business owners, with the freedom to control their own schedules and make all the decisions in how things flow.

EXTRAORDINARY PERCEPTUAL ABILITIES: Empaths have high sensitivities that can make them more intuitive, able to sense people’s energy, and be more open to premonitions.

SELF ASSESSMENT

Find out if you are an empath by taking the following self-assessment, answering mostly “yes” or mostly “no” to each question.

Determining this answer for yourself will help you clarify your needs and the strategies you must learn to meet those needs so you can experience a world in which you can thrive.

 Have I ever been labeled overly sensitive, shy or introverted?

Do I frequently get overwhelmed or anxious and tense?

Do arguments and yelling make me ill?

Do I often feel like I don’t fit in?

Do crowds drain me, and do I need alone time to revive myself?

Do noise, odors, or nonstop talkers overwhelm me?

Do I have chemical sensitivities or a low tolerance for scratchy clothes?

Do I prefer taking my own car to places so that I can leave early if I need to?

Do I overeat to cope with stress?

Am I afraid of being suffocated by intimate relationships?

Do I startle easily?

Do I react strongly to caffeine and medications?

Do I have a low threshold for pain?

Do I tend to socially isolate?

Do I absorb other people’s stress, emotions or physical symptoms?

Am I overwhelmed by multitasking and prefer to do one thing at a time?

Do I replenish myself in nature?

Do I need a long time to recuperate after being with difficult people?

Do I feel better in small cities or the country, rather than large cities?

Do I prefer one-to-one interactions and small groups to large gatherings?

RESULTS

If you answered yes to 1-5 questions, you’re at least a partial empath.

If you answered yes to 6-10 questions, you have moderate empath tendencies.

If you answered yes to 11-15 questions, you have strong empath tendencies.

If you answered yes to more than 15 questions, you’re a full-blown empath.

COMMON ADVANTAGES OF BEING AN EMPATH

We have huge hearts and the instinct to help others in need and those who are less fortunate.

We’re dreamers and idealists.

We’re passionate, deep, creative, in touch with our emotions, compassionate and can see the big picture.

We can appreciate other’s feelings and become loyal friends and partners.

We’re intuitive, spiritual and can sense energy.

We have a special appreciation for the natural world and feel at home there.

We have a strong connection to plants, forests and gardens, and often love water. The warm water of a bath, or living by an ocean, lake or river energizes us.

We may feel a strong intuitive bond with our animal companions.

COMMON CHALLENGES:

Becoming overstimulated.

Absorbing the stress and negativity of others.

Feeling things intensely.

Experiencing emotional and social hangovers.

Feeling isolated and lonely.

Experiencing emotional burnout

Coping with increased sensitivities to light, smell, taste, touch, temperature and sound.

Expressing needs in intimate relationships.

[Credits to Dr. Judith Orloff]