Category: Empath – Traits of

Posted on

Paranormal series: Science or fiction or just the facts, ma’am.

http://openclipart.org/clipart/people/magnifyi...

Back before the net, it was a lot harder to know what was fact and what was fiction.

For instance, if you went to a health food shop and they told you that the herb Echinacea helped your immune system, you would accept that as a fact.

You really didn’t have many ways to verify that it was true and really, if someone who was in the business of knowing such thing told you this, why would you doubt them? That was their job after all.

I did look up such things in herbal books that were in the metaphysical bookshops, however, they give the same information, so it appeared to validate what I was told.

Trouble is, many things are told to us based on vague or apocryphal information.

It took me years to realize that Echinacea did nothing for me, and it was the vitamin C in the complex that was actually helping and the claim that it helped ended up being based on very shaky evidence.

It does seem that once people believe something, they are very reluctant to change that belief, even in the face of new or overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Long term readers of mine might know that I used to be an avid follower of Tuesday Lobsang Rampa. Many things felt right and made sense to me, and the rest I would just accept on faith. However, it was the rest that, while clearly wrong, seems to be ignored by his followers.

For instance, he made a lot of predictions about world events that should have occurred by now. From my observations, none of them have actually happened, but that doesn’t seem to bother his fan base, who just seems to completely ignore such things and never call them into question.

Any suggestions that he might be wrong are ignored or met with hostility.

This is generally typical of people who choose to believe in something but refuse to look at any inconsistencies critically.

The question is: Why?

When something is so clearly shown to be wrong, why aren’t people calling such thing into question? When something has inherent contradictions in the philosophy (and I’m looking at many cults, faiths and religions here) why do we resist looking at it or dismiss them as not important?

Just because some parts are wrong, it doesn’t mean it’s all wrong. And just because some parts are right, it doesn’t mean it’s all right.

We stymie our own growth and give our power away to others by refusing to think critically about everything.

You might say, I’m a researcher for the truth, and I use the word ‘truth’ very loosely here because the more I look, the more I see that there are no hard and fast rules, but there are come consistent universal laws that seem to apply to everything.

When I write about something, I write about my own observations and experiences. I’ve always done this, though I have been just as guilty of being dogmatic about a particular belief system, even if there were some blatant inconsistencies there.

Now, I know this type of talk might seem weird or even hypocritical coming from me, as I have written about belief systems, astral levels, alternative time-lines and many other unprovable subjects.

However, I do try and come from a place of observation and research and try to find other alternative explanations.

Next: Adapting to new evidence. 

Posted on

Guest blog: Soul calls by Heather from Intuitive Blessings.

DSCN1066-001I get a lot of questions about soul calls. Very many people seem to get them, however there is still so little information about them, including other people’s experiences.

So, in order to get more information out there, I’ve asked Heather from http://intuitiveblessings.com/ to share one of her stories.

Thank you Heather for taking the time to share this.

My experiences with Soul Calls are that I never purposefully go looking for them, they just find me. I feel a strong attraction to a person and begin to feel things about them to the point of it becoming an obsession!  I feel like I am being guided by a higher power to take action. My human ego self wants to run, but some unexplainable force compels me to stay. I have looked back over letters I have sent to complete strangers and think to myself, “I wrote that?!?!” “That doesn’t even sound like something I would say!” When I read your post on Soul Calls I could totally relate! I have always called them S.O.S calls 

One recent call had a tremendous impact on me due to the validation and appreciation I received in return. I order lunch meat at the local supermarket every week. One day I happened to really look at Mr. Deli Guy and without consciously doing so, I began to “feel…empath…read” (whatever you call it) him and instantly felt his energy. I don’t understand how or why this happens. I don’t understand how or why certain people seem to send out an S.O.S and without fail, I intuitively answer. Before I know it or can stop it, I am instantly attached to a stranger on an intimate level of “knowing” things I shouldn’t know about someone I only order turkey from! Suddenly, this man I have never paid any mind to has fully been brought into my awareness.

I could not get deli guy out of my head. His eyes hid a pain only I could see. I could feel his hurt, his disappointment, his loneliness. Thoughts came into my head like, “He is probably divorced, I think he might use alcohol to numb his pain, I feel like he is genuinely a good person but he can’t see it.”  All of these thoughts and feelings I was experiencing without any exchange of words.  Was I nuts? Was I imagining things? Why do I do this? What the hell is wrong with me?!?! Just like I have done in years past, I dismissed it and tried to get deli guy out of my head!

Weeks pass, and on my visit deli guy who I never have talked to, sees me and suddenly comes out from behind the counter and starts literally vomiting all this info. He explained to me that a few years ago, he had been laid off from a highly regarded aeronautics company. He had been an engineer there.  He then proceeded to explain how he went from being an engineer to a deli guy. I was so taken aback by his disclosure, I don’t even remember what my response was, but I remember how I felt. My heart ached, I knew exactly why he was telling all of this to me – he feared judgment, he had no self confidence, he felt like a failure.

I left without really responding to deli guy because I was so taken aback by the encounter. Losing his job must have taken away a huge part of himself along with it. There was so much I wanted to tell him but that is not something one tells to a complete stranger!!! Well, as hard as I fought NOT telling him those things, that unexplainable pull would not go away. I was completely out of my comfort zone. I don’t do this kind of thing. I don’t even know this man, yet I intimately know so much. It’s maddening.

More weeks passed and then I couldn’t stand it any longer so I ap

proached him… “Deli guy, remember that day when you told me about losing your job? Well, something has really been bothering me and I just felt like I should tell you. I want you to know that you are more than your job. I don’t judge you for where you work and neither should anyone else.” His face softened and he proceeded to tell me how he used to go golfing every week with a group of buddies that don’t talk to him anymore. I acknowledged how incredibly hurtful and hard that must have been. No one should treat him like that and they were not real friends. People should love and respect him for who he is no matter what the job title. He hugged me and thanked me and I was on my way.

The next week when I went to the store, he literally sprang across the counter to greet me. “You will NEVER guess what happened after you talked to me that day… Remember the friends that deserted me after I was laid off? Two days after our conversation, one of my old buddies called me and asked me to go golfing! I hadn’t spoken to him in over 3 years!”  His eyes were filled with tears, “I don’t know who you are or how the planets aligned to make that happened, but you are like some “Cosmic angel” It touched me so deeply I can’t ever thank you enough!” He hugged me three times and kept wiping tears from his eyes. Little did he know, he wasn’t the only one who got a gift that day!

Related articles
Posted on

Empath series: More on psychic burnout or how many hats do I have here?

Image-1 (6)One of the things that contribute to psychic burn out are the requests for help that I get on a pretty regular basis.

For instance, I get frequent requests for help by e-mail.

I would say, they would come at the rate of around four to six a month, and while not very many in the overall scheme of things, each one does take a fair enough of time to deal with as I will answer all mail I get.

Some of them are just thank you for doing what you do, e-mails, and those are always wonderful to get.

However, most are people asking for help on some level.

The type of requests I get  generally fall into the below categories.

–          People who are in real trouble and need help now.

–          People who have genuine questions about experiences that have happened to them.

–          Those who want answers to somewhat frivolous questions

–          People who want answers to questions that can’t be answered.

–          Those who ask the same question over and over until they get the answer they are looking for.

Let’s look at them one at a time.

People who are in real trouble and need help now

This is something that can’t be ignored. Sometimes, it is a matter of life and death, and I can feel this, so I will respond as soon as I can.  Sometimes I can help the person in one reply, but more often than not, it can be a long term project until you help get their life turned around. Generally, though, it can be a very rewarding correspondence.

Contribution to psychic burn out: 1-2 out of 10

People who have genuine questions about experiences that have happened to them.

I get these ones the most. People have had experiences they can’t quite explain and are not sure what to do with them. Many of these are things like soul calls or what might be a psychic attack. I try to answer them best I can. 95% of these types of e-mails are one-offs, and I never hear from them again after I answer. As a rules, I often enjoy answering these types of questions.

Contribution to psychic burn out: 1-2 out of 10

Those who want answers to somewhat frivolous questions.

I get these occasionally and it’s generally someone who has some relationship issue that they want answered. As a rule, these e-mails tend to be very long, and (sometimes a little rambling) so it takes more time, and energy to get through it, and then work out what the question is, and what answer (if any) can be given. The relationships in question are about potential ones, and not ones that they are already in.

Personally, I find those types the hardest to answer as I don’t have clue what is going through the mind of the other party. Most of the time I don’t get any answers. Sometimes, I do, but that’s more the exception.

Contribution to psychic burn out:  6 out of 10

People who want answers to questions that can’t be answered.

I get this from time to time and I simply just don’t have answers, other than generic advice for someone. I’ve had some e-mails sit in my inbox for almost a year before I finally get something.

General rule is: If I don’t feel a flow in answering a question, then it’s a very bad idea to force it and I hate giving bullshit, generic answers, that anyone can give.

Clearly, I feel bad when I can’t give an answer because part of me feels that I should be able to, but on the other hand, I’m not the repository of information. Yes, I do get a lot of things that flow easily from me, but there are times when I feel a great resistance, and pursuing any answer will cause a massive drain on my energies.

In fact, trying to do something that doesn’t flow tends to be the biggest drain on psychic energies.

Contribution to psychic burn out: 8-9 out of 10

Those who ask the same question over and over until they get the answer they are looking for.

This type is the most frustrating. No matter how many times you give someone an answer, they will come back asking the same question in a different form. They will also ignore whatever you’ve just said, and also ignore any questions you’ve asked them.

The most frustrating thing with this type of person is that they are demanding, ungracious, and seem to think that you owe them something.

Generally, the answers they need to hear are not the answers they want to hear. In the end, the responsibility for knowing what is going on, or resolving their issues is their responsibility.

The problem with drain occurs when there is no equivalent energy exchange. You’ve put all you’ve got into helping this person, but you don’t receive anything in return.

Contribution to psychic burn out: 9-10 out of 10

Now, being altruistic, I would just love to help everyone all the time and fix up their lives for them, and answer all their questions, but I’ve found that it’s just not possible, at least, not without making myself very sick.

In the end, there is little choice but to shut down for a while and look after yourself.

Next: Should we charge for our services?

Posted on

Empath Series: Psychic burnout or I’m too exhausted to think of anything witty to write here.

Psychic burnoutI took some well-earned vacation this month. (Hence the lack of blogs.)

As usual, I find that I tend to collapse into a heap, and while the body is willing, the spirit is not.

In this state, even thinking is an effort and answering questions is difficult. It’s even hard to read anything longer than a paragraph, and forget about writing anything.

I call this psychic burnout.

It occurs when you do too much, for too long, without a break.

Personally, I seem to arrive at it every eighteen months or so with generally fourteen or so months where I start to feel the exhaustion.

Psychic burn out is mostly borne of frustration that you feel like you are being used and depleted, and there is no end in sight, or even any recognition that you’ve moved a mountain or two.

People would certainly experience this type of thing in their day jobs, especially if they are good at it, but receive little or no recognition.

If you’re trying to be spiritual, you will tend to resist the urge to say or do anything about it, however, this leads to anger and frustration, and the sense that you are not allowed to let yourself go, and then frustration at the fact that you don’t allow yourself to get angry.

You may even feel like shouting at people who won’t leave you alone: What part of f*&# off don’t you understand? But still you don’t, in case you hurt or offend someone.

In Bach Flower Remedy terms, this is known as a Cherry Plum state: The fear of letting go.

The psychic burnout state is a horribly frustrating one to be in because it stops you from doing what you want.

It literally hurts to try and think about answers or subject that you have no clue about. (I liken it to a psychic knife in the third eye area.)

There are several reasons this occurs, the main one being that you’ve been running on empty for too long.

If you are an Empath, and you are often connecting to others to try and help them, reaching the burn out level happens too easily, especially if the flow only goes one way.

Generally, while the desire to help others is always there, there is only so much you can do.

I find the remedies that help her are:

  • Cherry Plum: Fear of letting go.
  • Olive: Exhaustion
  • Elm: Feeling overwhelmed.
  • Oak: Being pushed past your limits
  • Holly: Getting angry, and then repressing your answer and get annoyed every time someone tries to get you attention.
  • Impatiens: When you start to feel irritated with everything.
  • Red Chestnut: Concern about others.
  • Willow: If you feel hard done by.

Next: The type of calls for help that I get.

Related articles
Posted on

Empath Series – Bach flower remedy: Mimulus or some spiders just aren’t that cuddly.

MimulusIn the year 2001, I was taking a break from work. I got up to play a game on my computer, and as it was at night, I decided to not turn on the lights, so I wouldn’t disturb anyone.

As it was late, I was in my dressing gown and apart from the glow of the monitor, there was no other light source.

Sometime into the session, there was brief feather like sensation on my hand, and then it was gone. I thought nothing more of it.

About an hour later, I decided to take a bathroom break, and went upstairs.

I looked into the vanity mirror and saw, to my horror, that on my dressing gown shoulder was this huge Huntsman Spider.

Now, in Australia, these spiders grow very big. While they do have a nasty bite, and look frightening, they aren’t actually lethal.

This, however, did not stop me from giving a scream at the top of my lungs (which no one heard!) and ripping off my dressing gown, and throwing it on the floor.

Huntsman can be aggressive, and this one clearly decided it didn’t like me as , instead of scampering toward safety, it actually advanced towards me.

I’m not a fan of killing anything, and generally will let even flies live, but that night, it felt like it was me versus the large menacing spider, and one heavy object later, it was Me: 1. Huntsman: 0.

Now, as you may expect, this was quiet an unnerving experience and probably most people who don’t enjoy the company of spiders would hesitate to use the computer area again.

Fortunately for me, the Bach Flower Remedy: Mimulus, is the remedy for known fears. I immediately took some, and felt my fear settle, and it didn’t take me long to get over this incident. In fact, I was back at my computer the next morning without a second thought.

I have come across other Huntsman since that time. In fact in my previous house, on a very hot summer’s night, one bolted across the front door as I was opening it.

I just shrugged and went inside.

Mimulus is an amazing remedy for known fears.

If you have a fear of spiders, and let’s face it, so many do, you may find this remedy will not only help you cope, but shift your perspective on them.

It’s certainly worth trying for the arachnophobic type person.

Posted on

10 Spiritually Transmitted Diseases (reposted from The Huffington Post)

I don’t normally just repost articles, but right now, I’m on leave, and very slow with my writings, and I saw this one that I felt was well worth sharing from The Huffington Post.

Enjoy.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mariana-caplan-phd/spiritual-living-10-spiri_b_609248.html

It is a jungle out there, and it is no less true about spiritual life than any other aspect of life. Do we really think that just because someone has been meditating for five years, or doing 10 years of yoga practice, that they will be any less neurotic than the next person? At best, perhaps they will be a little bit more aware of it. A little bit.

It is for this reason that I spent the last 15 years of my life researching and writing books on cultivating discernment on the spiritual path in all the gritty areas–power, sex, enlightenment, gurus, scandals, psychology, neurosis — as well as earnest, but just plain confused and unconscious, motivations on the path. My partner (author and teacher Marc Gafni) and I are developing a new series of books, courses and practices to bring further clarification to these issues.

Several years ago, I spent a summer living and working in South Africa. Upon my arrival I was instantly confronted by the visceral reality that I was in the country with the highest murder rate in the world, where rape was common and more than half the population was HIV-positive — men and women, gays and straights alike.

As I have come to know hundreds of spiritual teachers and thousands of spiritual practitioners through my work and travels, I have been struck by the way in which our spiritual views, perspectives and experiences become similarly “infected” by “conceptual contaminants” — comprising a confused and immature relationship to complex spiritual principles can seem as invisible and insidious as a sexually transmitted disease.

The following 10 categorizations are not intended to be definitive but are offered as a tool for becoming aware of some of the most common spiritually transmitted diseases.

1. Fast-Food Spirituality: Mix spirituality with a culture that celebrates speed, multitasking and instant gratification and the result is likely to be fast-food spirituality. Fast-food spirituality is a product of the common and understandable fantasy that relief from the suffering of our human condition can be quick and easy. One thing is clear, however: spiritual transformation cannot be had in a quick fix.

2. Faux Spirituality: Faux spirituality is the tendency to talk, dress and act as we imagine a spiritual person would. It is a kind of imitation spirituality that mimics spiritual realization in the way that leopard-skin fabric imitates the genuine skin of a leopard.

3. Confused Motivations: Although our desire to grow is genuine and pure, it often gets mixed with lesser motivations, including the wish to be loved, the desire to belong, the need to fill our internal emptiness, the belief that the spiritual path will remove our suffering and spiritual ambition, the wish to be special, to be better than, to be “the one.”

4. Identifying with Spiritual Experiences: In this disease, the ego identifies with our spiritual experience and takes it as its own, and we begin to believe that we are embodying insights that have arisen within us at certain times. In most cases, it does not last indefinitely, although it tends to endure for longer periods of time in those who believe themselves to be enlightened and/or who function as spiritual teachers.

5. The Spiritualized Ego: This disease occurs when the very structure of the egoic personality becomes deeply embedded with spiritual concepts and ideas. The result is an egoic structure that is “bullet-proof.” When the ego becomes spiritualized, we are invulnerable to help, new input, or constructive feedback. We become impenetrable human beings and are stunted in our spiritual growth, all in the name of spirituality.

6. Mass Production of Spiritual Teachers: There are a number of current trendy spiritual traditions that produce people who believe themselves to be at a level of spiritual enlightenment, or mastery, that is far beyond their actual level. This disease functions like a spiritual conveyor belt: put on this glow, get that insight, and — bam! — you’re enlightened and ready to enlighten others in similar fashion. The problem is not that such teachers instruct but that they represent themselves as having achieved spiritual mastery.

7. Spiritual Pride: Spiritual pride arises when the practitioner, through years of labored effort, has actually attained a certain level of wisdom and uses that attainment to justify shutting down to further experience. A feeling of “spiritual superiority” is another symptom of this spiritually transmitted disease. It manifests as a subtle feeling that “I am better, more wise and above others because I am spiritual.”

8. Group Mind: Also described as groupthink, cultic mentality or ashram disease, group mind is an insidious virus that contains many elements of traditional co-dependence. A spiritual group makes subtle and unconscious agreements regarding the correct ways to think, talk, dress, and act. Individuals and groups infected with “group mind” reject individuals, attitudes, and circumstances that do not conform to the often unwritten rules of the group.

9. The Chosen-People Complex: The chosen people complex is not limited to Jews. It is the belief that “Our group is more spiritually evolved, powerful, enlightened and, simply put, better than any other group.” There is an important distinction between the recognition that one has found the right path, teacher or community for themselves, and having found The One.

10. The Deadly Virus: “I Have Arrived”: This disease is so potent that it has the capacity to be terminal and deadly to our spiritual evolution. This is the belief that “I have arrived” at the final goal of the spiritual path. Our spiritual progress ends at the point where this belief becomes crystallized in our psyche, for the moment we begin to believe that we have reached the end of the path, further growth ceases.

“The essence of love is perception,” according to the teachings of Marc Gafni, “Therefore the essence of self love is self perception. You can only fall in love with someone you can see clearly–including yourself. To love is to have eyes to see. It is only when you see yourself clearly that you can begin to love yourself.”

It is in the spirit of Marc’s teaching that I believe that a critical part of learning discernment on the spiritual path is discovering the pervasive illnesses of ego and self-deception that are in all of us. That is when we need a sense of humor and the support of real spiritual friends. As we face our obstacles to spiritual growth, there are times when it is easy to fall into a sense of despair and self-diminishment and lose our confidence on the path. We must keep the faith, in ourselves and in others, in order to really make a difference in this world.

Adapted from Eyes Wide Open: Cultivating Discernment on the Spiritual Path (Sounds True)