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The term empath is sometimes used in a broader sense to describe someone who is more adept at understanding, i.e. [[Sensory processing sensitivity|sensitive]], to the feelings of others, than the average person: as a descriptor for someone who is higher on an empathetic "[[Spectrum disorder|spectrum]]" of sorts.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Thomson |first=Helen |date=2010-03-10 |title=We feel your pain: Extreme empaths |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20527511-700-we-feel-your-pain-extreme-empaths/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archives.truenorthperspective.com/Mar_10/Mar_19/science2.html |archive-date=2010-03-15 |access-date=2023-01-14 |website=[[New Scientist]] |language=en-US |doi=10.1016/s0262-4079(11)61228-1 |issn=0262-4079}}</ref> Seen this way, an empath is someone who can understand and share the feelings of another person, without necessarily believing said feelings are being directly communicated to them through some as yet unknown "[[Extrasensory perception|second sight]]" mechanism or [[Telepathy|telepathic]] channel.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Donovan |first=James M. |date=August 1998 |title=Reinterpreting Telepathy as Unusual Experiences of Empathy and Charisma |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.2466/pms.1998.87.1.131 |journal=Perceptual and Motor Skills |volume=87 |issue=1 |pages=131–146 |doi=10.2466/pms.1998.87.1.131 |issn=0031-5125}}</ref>
The term empath is sometimes used in a broader sense to describe someone who is more adept at understanding, i.e. [[Sensory processing sensitivity|sensitive]], to the feelings of others, than the average person: as a descriptor for someone who is higher on an empathetic "[[Spectrum disorder|spectrum]]" of sorts.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Thomson |first=Helen |date=2010-03-10 |title=We feel your pain: Extreme empaths |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20527511-700-we-feel-your-pain-extreme-empaths/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archives.truenorthperspective.com/Mar_10/Mar_19/science2.html |archive-date=2010-03-15 |access-date=2023-01-14 |website=[[New Scientist]] |language=en-US |doi=10.1016/s0262-4079(11)61228-1 |issn=0262-4079}}</ref> Seen this way, an empath is someone who can understand and share the feelings of another person, without necessarily believing said feelings are being directly communicated to them through some as yet unknown "[[Extrasensory perception|second sight]]" mechanism or [[Telepathy|telepathic]] channel.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Donovan |first=James M. |date=August 1998 |title=Reinterpreting Telepathy as Unusual Experiences of Empathy and Charisma |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.2466/pms.1998.87.1.131 |journal=Perceptual and Motor Skills |volume=87 |issue=1 |pages=131–146 |doi=10.2466/pms.1998.87.1.131 |issn=0031-5125}}</ref>


== Paranormal concept ==
The term's modern usage flows mostly from the work of American [[psychiatrist]] Dr. [[Judith Orloff]]. Orloff uses the term to describe people who have an innate ability to read the emotional state of others. She believes that empaths are able to sense the thoughts, feelings and energy of those around them, and that they are able to use this ability to provide healing or comfort to others, if they manage their condition correctly.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Orloff |first=Judith |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/953599191 |title=The empath's survival guide : life strategies for sensitive people |date=2017 |publisher=Sounds True |isbn=978-1-62203-657-8 |location=[[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder, Co.]] |oclc=953599191 |author-link=Judith Orloff}}</ref> Orloff's work is controversial as she claims to be a [[Clairvoyance|clairvoyant]] ([[psychic]]);<ref>{{Cite web |last=Orloff |first=Judith |author-link=Judith Orloff |last2=Toms |first2=Michael |date=1996 |title=Psychic Medicine |url=https://programs.newdimensions.org/products/psychic-medicine-with-judith-orloff |access-date=2023-01-14 |website=New Dimensions Radio |language=en |format=audio casette |quote=I had my first psychic experience when I was nine years old, when I had a visitation from my grandfather.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Barker |first=Michael |date=2013-10-07 |title=Juicy Cancer Revelations: The POM Queen's Secrets |url=http://www.swans.com/library/art19/barker141.html |access-date=2023-01-14 |website=Swans}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Glickman |first=Bob |date=October 1996 |title=Does Judith Orloff Have Psychic Powers? |url=http://www.phact.org/articles/misc/orloff.php |access-date=2023-01-14 |website=PhACT}}</ref> her definition and classification of types of empaths is neither recognized by [[Mainstream medicine|mainstream]] [[psychiatry]] nor is it included in the ''{{abbr|[[DSM-5]]|Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition}}''. For her part, Orloff believes her psychiatric colleagues to be "[[Medieval medicine of Western Europe|stuck in the Dark Ages]]".<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mason |first=Russ |date=February 2005 |title=The Energy Psychiatry of Judith Orloff, M.D. |url=https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/act.2005.11.32 |journal=[[Alternative and Complementary Therapies]] |publisher=[[Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.]] |volume=2005 |issue=11 |pages=32–36 |doi=10.1089/act.2005.11.32 |quote='''RM:''' Is allopathic medicine, particularly psychiatry, really stuck in the Dark Ages? '''JO:''' Yes.}}</ref>
The term's modern usage flows mostly from the work of American [[psychiatrist]] Dr. [[Judith Orloff]]. Orloff uses the term to describe people who have an innate ability to read the emotional state of others. She believes that empaths are able to sense the thoughts, feelings and energy of those around them, and that they are able to use this ability to provide healing or comfort to others, if they manage their condition correctly.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Orloff |first=Judith |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/953599191 |title=The empath's survival guide : life strategies for sensitive people |date=2017 |publisher=Sounds True |isbn=978-1-62203-657-8 |location=[[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder, Co.]] |oclc=953599191 |author-link=Judith Orloff}}</ref> Orloff's work is controversial as she claims to be a [[Clairvoyance|clairvoyant]] ([[psychic]]);<ref>{{Cite web |last=Orloff |first=Judith |author-link=Judith Orloff |last2=Toms |first2=Michael |date=1996 |title=Psychic Medicine |url=https://programs.newdimensions.org/products/psychic-medicine-with-judith-orloff |access-date=2023-01-14 |website=New Dimensions Radio |language=en |format=audio casette |quote=I had my first psychic experience when I was nine years old, when I had a visitation from my grandfather.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Barker |first=Michael |date=2013-10-07 |title=Juicy Cancer Revelations: The POM Queen's Secrets |url=http://www.swans.com/library/art19/barker141.html |access-date=2023-01-14 |website=Swans}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Glickman |first=Bob |date=October 1996 |title=Does Judith Orloff Have Psychic Powers? |url=http://www.phact.org/articles/misc/orloff.php |access-date=2023-01-14 |website=PhACT}}</ref> her definition and classification of types of empaths is neither recognized by [[Mainstream medicine|mainstream]] [[psychiatry]] nor is it included in the ''{{abbr|[[DSM-5]]|Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition}}''. For her part, Orloff believes her psychiatric colleagues to be "[[Medieval medicine of Western Europe|stuck in the Dark Ages]]".<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mason |first=Russ |date=February 2005 |title=The Energy Psychiatry of Judith Orloff, M.D. |url=https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/act.2005.11.32 |journal=[[Alternative and Complementary Therapies]] |publisher=[[Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.]] |volume=2005 |issue=11 |pages=32–36 |doi=10.1089/act.2005.11.32 |quote='''RM:''' Is allopathic medicine, particularly psychiatry, really stuck in the Dark Ages? '''JO:''' Yes.}}</ref>


== Scientific research into normal human variation ==
Although empaths are often associated with the [[paranormal]],<ref>{{Cite book |last=Red Feather |first=Stephanie |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3NaPDwAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PT62&dq=empaths+are+often+associated+with+the+paranormal&hl=en |title=The Evolutionary Empath: A Practical Guide for Heart-Centered Consciousness |date=2019-11-05 |publisher=[[Simon and Schuster]] |isbn=978-1-59143-351-4 |page= |language=en}}</ref>{{Rp|page=62}} the concept has been studied and researched by scientists. [[Neuroscientists]] have found evidence to suggest that some do indeed have an enhanced ability to share and feel the [[emotions]] of others. This suggests that self-describing empaths have a greater ability to empathize than non-empaths, and that this ability is the result of a neurological difference—particularly the responsiveness of [[mirror neurons]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Winerman |first=Lea |date=2005 |title=The mind's mirror |url=http://apa.org/monitor/oct05/mirror.aspx |access-date=2023-01-14 |website=[[American Psychological Association]] |doi=10.1037/e418612005-033}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Banissy |first=Michael J. |last2=Ward |first2=Jamie |date=July 2007 |title=Mirror-touch synesthesia is linked with empathy |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/nn1926 |journal=Nature Neuroscience |language=en |volume=10 |issue=7 |pages=815–816 |doi=10.1038/nn1926 |issn=1546-1726 |pmid=17572672}}</ref> Interfering with the level of activation of mirror neurons via [[transcranial magnetic stimulation]] (TCM) has been experimentally studied.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Armstrong |first=Kim |date=2017-12-29 |title=‘I Feel Your Pain’: The Neuroscience of Empathy |url=https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/neuroscience-empathy |journal=[[Association for Psychological Science]] Observer |language=en-US |volume=31 |access-date=2023-01-14}}</ref>
Although empaths are often associated with the [[paranormal]],<ref>{{Cite book |last=Red Feather |first=Stephanie |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3NaPDwAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PT62&dq=empaths+are+often+associated+with+the+paranormal&hl=en |title=The Evolutionary Empath: A Practical Guide for Heart-Centered Consciousness |date=2019-11-05 |publisher=[[Simon and Schuster]] |isbn=978-1-59143-351-4 |page= |language=en}}</ref>{{Rp|page=62}} the concept has been studied and researched by scientists. [[Neuroscientists]] have found evidence to suggest that [[Human variability|some people have greater or lesser ability]] to share and feel the [[emotions]] of others. They suggest that, on average, people who describe themselves as empaths have a greater ability to empathize than other people, and that this ability may be the result of a neurological difference, particularly in the responsiveness of [[mirror neurons]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Winerman |first=Lea |date=2005 |title=The mind's mirror |url=http://apa.org/monitor/oct05/mirror.aspx |access-date=2023-01-14 |website=[[American Psychological Association]] |doi=10.1037/e418612005-033}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Banissy |first=Michael J. |last2=Ward |first2=Jamie |date=July 2007 |title=Mirror-touch synesthesia is linked with empathy |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/nn1926 |journal=Nature Neuroscience |language=en |volume=10 |issue=7 |pages=815–816 |doi=10.1038/nn1926 |issn=1546-1726 |pmid=17572672}}</ref> Interfering with the level of activation of mirror neurons via [[transcranial magnetic stimulation]] (TCM) has been experimentally studied.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Armstrong |first=Kim |date=2017-12-29 |title=‘I Feel Your Pain’: The Neuroscience of Empathy |url=https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/neuroscience-empathy |journal=[[Association for Psychological Science]] Observer |language=en-US |volume=31 |access-date=2023-01-14}}</ref>


There is also evidence to suggest that degrees of [[emotional intelligence]] ("EQ") vary.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Goleman |first=Daniel |url=http://archive.org/details/emotionalintelli00dani |title=Emotional intelligence |date= |publisher=[[Bantam Books]] |others= |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-553-38371-3 |location=New York |author-link=Daniel Goleman |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> This could explain why empaths assess themselves better able to connect with and understand other people. Some authors place hyperempathy and the [[autism spectrum]] on a wider "empathy spectrum" containing both — with people with autism having a deficit and empaths having an overabundance of empathy.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Oakley |first=Barbara |url= |title=Pathological Altruism |title-link=Pathological Altruism |last2=Knafo |first2=Ariel |last3=Madhavan |first3=Guruprasad |last4=Wilson |first4=David Sloan |date=2012-01-05 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |others=Karol M. Pessin |isbn=978-0-19-973857-1 |language=en |chapter=Seduction Super-Responders and Hyper-Trusters: The Biology of Affiliative Behavior |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5rmMnvgD40UC&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA355&hl=en}}</ref>{{Rp|page=355}}
People also vary in their level of [[emotional intelligence]] ("EQ").<ref>{{Cite book |last=Goleman |first=Daniel |url=http://archive.org/details/emotionalintelli00dani |title=Emotional intelligence |date= |publisher=[[Bantam Books]] |others= |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-553-38371-3 |location=New York |author-link=Daniel Goleman |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> Empaths say they are better able to connect with and understand other people than average people. Some authors place hyperempathy and the [[autism spectrum]] on a wider "empathy spectrum" containing both, with people with autism having a deficit of empathy and empaths having an overabundance of empathy.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Oakley |first=Barbara |url= |title=Pathological Altruism |title-link=Pathological Altruism |last2=Knafo |first2=Ariel |last3=Madhavan |first3=Guruprasad |last4=Wilson |first4=David Sloan |date=2012-01-05 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |others=Karol M. Pessin |isbn=978-0-19-973857-1 |language=en |chapter=Seduction Super-Responders and Hyper-Trusters: The Biology of Affiliative Behavior |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5rmMnvgD40UC&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA355&hl=en}}</ref>{{Rp|page=355}}


== In popular culture ==
Online, self-describing empaths are often mocked for using the moniker, especially after [[Shane Dawson]] did so in a poorly-received apology YouTube video in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Chloe |date=2022-02-23 |title=Huge numbers of TikTokers are identifying as 'an empath,' spawning a new meme that mocks the trend |url=https://www.insider.com/me-an-empath-tiktok-meme-what-it-means-and-how-it-started-2022-2 |access-date=2023-01-14 |website=[[Insider Inc.|Insider]] |language=en-US}}</ref>
Online, self-describing empaths are often mocked for using the moniker, especially after [[Shane Dawson]] did so in a poorly-received apology YouTube video in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Chloe |date=2022-02-23 |title=Huge numbers of TikTokers are identifying as 'an empath,' spawning a new meme that mocks the trend |url=https://www.insider.com/me-an-empath-tiktok-meme-what-it-means-and-how-it-started-2022-2 |access-date=2023-01-14 |website=[[Insider Inc.|Insider]] |language=en-US}}</ref>


Revision as of 17:58, 16 January 2023

This article is about the descriptor for someone with high empathy. For the comic book character, see Empath (Marvel). For other uses, see Empath (disambiguation).
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In psychology, empaths (from Template:Lang-grc) are those who have high empathy. In parapsychology, the mechanism of such "hyper-empathy"[1] is said to be psychic channeling: channeling the emotional states and experiences of other living beings in the form of "emotional resonance". While objective empathy level testing is difficult, tests such as the EQ-8 have gained some acceptance as tests for being empathic.[2][3] Highly sensitive person is also often synonymous,[4] but not always: see sensory processing sensitivity.

The term empath is sometimes used in a broader sense to describe someone who is more adept at understanding, i.e. sensitive, to the feelings of others, than the average person: as a descriptor for someone who is higher on an empathetic "spectrum" of sorts.[5] Seen this way, an empath is someone who can understand and share the feelings of another person, without necessarily believing said feelings are being directly communicated to them through some as yet unknown "second sight" mechanism or telepathic channel.[6]

Paranormal concept

The term's modern usage flows mostly from the work of American psychiatrist Dr. Judith Orloff. Orloff uses the term to describe people who have an innate ability to read the emotional state of others. She believes that empaths are able to sense the thoughts, feelings and energy of those around them, and that they are able to use this ability to provide healing or comfort to others, if they manage their condition correctly.[7] Orloff's work is controversial as she claims to be a clairvoyant (psychic);[8][9][10] her definition and classification of types of empaths is neither recognized by mainstream psychiatry nor is it included in the DSM-5. For her part, Orloff believes her psychiatric colleagues to be "stuck in the Dark Ages".[11]

Scientific research into normal human variation

Although empaths are often associated with the paranormal,[12]: 62  the concept has been studied and researched by scientists. Neuroscientists have found evidence to suggest that some people have greater or lesser ability to share and feel the emotions of others. They suggest that, on average, people who describe themselves as empaths have a greater ability to empathize than other people, and that this ability may be the result of a neurological difference, particularly in the responsiveness of mirror neurons.[5][13][14] Interfering with the level of activation of mirror neurons via transcranial magnetic stimulation (TCM) has been experimentally studied.[15]

People also vary in their level of emotional intelligence ("EQ").[16] Empaths say they are better able to connect with and understand other people than average people. Some authors place hyperempathy and the autism spectrum on a wider "empathy spectrum" containing both, with people with autism having a deficit of empathy and empaths having an overabundance of empathy.[17]: 355 

Online, self-describing empaths are often mocked for using the moniker, especially after Shane Dawson did so in a poorly-received apology YouTube video in 2018.[18]

See also

References

  1. ^ Brown, Sandra L. (11 March 2012). "Genetic and Neuro-Physiological Basis for Hyper-Empathy". Psychology Today. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  2. ^ Lawrence, E. J.; Shaw, P.; Baker, D.; Baron-Cohen, S.; David, A. S. (July 2004). "Measuring empathy: reliability and validity of the Empathy Quotient". Psychological Medicine. 34 (5): 911–920. doi:10.1017/S0033291703001624. ISSN 0033-2917.
  3. ^ Loewen, Peter John; Lyle, Greg; Nachshen, Jennifer S. (2009). "An eight-item form of the Empathy Quotient (EQ) and an application to charitable giving" (PDF). University of Toronto Department of Political Science Working Papers. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  4. ^ Arabi, Shahida (2020). The highly sensitive person's guide to dealing with toxic people : how to reclaim your power from narcissists and other manipulators. Oakland, CA. ISBN 1-68403-532-5. OCLC 1145077770.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ^ a b Thomson, Helen (10 March 2010). "We feel your pain: Extreme empaths". New Scientist. doi:10.1016/s0262-4079(11)61228-1. ISSN 0262-4079. Archived from the original on 15 March 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  6. ^ Donovan, James M. (August 1998). "Reinterpreting Telepathy as Unusual Experiences of Empathy and Charisma". Perceptual and Motor Skills. 87 (1): 131–146. doi:10.2466/pms.1998.87.1.131. ISSN 0031-5125.
  7. ^ Orloff, Judith (2017). The empath's survival guide : life strategies for sensitive people. Boulder, Co.: Sounds True. ISBN 978-1-62203-657-8. OCLC 953599191.
  8. ^ Orloff, Judith; Toms, Michael (1996). "Psychic Medicine" (audio casette). New Dimensions Radio. Retrieved 14 January 2023. I had my first psychic experience when I was nine years old, when I had a visitation from my grandfather.
  9. ^ Barker, Michael (7 October 2013). "Juicy Cancer Revelations: The POM Queen's Secrets". Swans. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  10. ^ Glickman, Bob (October 1996). "Does Judith Orloff Have Psychic Powers?". PhACT. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  11. ^ Mason, Russ (February 2005). "The Energy Psychiatry of Judith Orloff, M.D." Alternative and Complementary Therapies. 2005 (11). Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.: 32–36. doi:10.1089/act.2005.11.32. RM: Is allopathic medicine, particularly psychiatry, really stuck in the Dark Ages? JO: Yes.
  12. ^ Red Feather, Stephanie (5 November 2019). The Evolutionary Empath: A Practical Guide for Heart-Centered Consciousness. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-59143-351-4.
  13. ^ Winerman, Lea (2005). "The mind's mirror". American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/e418612005-033. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  14. ^ Banissy, Michael J.; Ward, Jamie (July 2007). "Mirror-touch synesthesia is linked with empathy". Nature Neuroscience. 10 (7): 815–816. doi:10.1038/nn1926. ISSN 1546-1726. PMID 17572672.
  15. ^ Armstrong, Kim (29 December 2017). "'I Feel Your Pain': The Neuroscience of Empathy". Association for Psychological Science Observer. 31. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  16. ^ Goleman, Daniel (2005). Emotional intelligence. New York: Bantam Books. ISBN 978-0-553-38371-3 – via Internet Archive.
  17. ^ Oakley, Barbara; Knafo, Ariel; Madhavan, Guruprasad; Wilson, David Sloan (5 January 2012). "Seduction Super-Responders and Hyper-Trusters: The Biology of Affiliative Behavior". Pathological Altruism. Karol M. Pessin. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-973857-1.
  18. ^ Johnson, Chloe (23 February 2022). "Huge numbers of TikTokers are identifying as 'an empath,' spawning a new meme that mocks the trend". Insider. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
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