Welcome To The Empathic Bunker Lets Share Shielding Tech

[Bethra]

Wooot we have our new home. Time to stretch out, put your feet up and make yourselves at home :D. I provide the comfort the rest of you need only bring cookies and choco and of course stimulating conversation :D

This is the place to discuss shielding methods you use or have used in the past. A place for strugling empaths to learn of the different methods they can protect themselves from getting covered in everyone elses gunk. We are all inderviduals and as such we all have our own experiances with empathy. Not everyone feels it or sees it in the same way, so what works for one might not work for others. In this thread I hope we can discuse sheilding tech used and give those new to the subject a good idea of methods they can try for themselves.

I'll begin shortly with my methods but firstly I just wanted to welcome you all to our new home. Relax and settle in :D

[watchman11]

That's going to be very interesting. Thanks for launching it. :hugz:

[Bethra]

This is my shield when it all gets too much for me this is where I go

I construct my Astral Temple as a tree house from my childhood. Benieth my feet a platform of wood rests upon the strong and suporting branches of my stabalising tree. The trunk runs through the middle like the World Tree stands in the middle of all things. Rooted in my foundations, its uppermost branches reaching up into my potential. Above me the sun trickles through the soft green leaves which murmer and whisper to each other in the gentle breeze. Silence all around me rushes in, stroking my stress with gentle fingers. On the breeze is the sweet summer smell of roses. Shadows dance across my decking, leaf shades chaseing eachother in an endless game of tag. Ivy meanders it's way around and up the trunk of the tree. I tease a stem from off the tree and sit in happy silence weeving an ivy crown for myself. A simple crown for my victory. A simple crown of ivy to bind my two halfs whole. I welcome in the forgotten child as I place the crown upon my head. I hear the leaves wispering, giggling, chuckling in my ear. Poetry from my childhood rushes to my mind.

A.A. Milne Solitude.

"I have a house where i go,
When there's too many people,
I have a house where I go,
Where no one else can be:
I have a house where I go,
Where nobody ever says "No",
Where no one says anything - so,
There is on one here but me."

The other method I use to help me is the other person is in a pit. I'm up there on the side of it. Now I can let my empathic abilities pull me down into the pit with them or I can extend my hand to them and help pull them out. The latter is better for everyone. How can I help when I'm over run with their sorrow? I can't I need a clear and detatched viewpoint to help fully. Me being down there with them doesn't help them one bit. What point is there in two people suffering together? Two birds each with a broken wing still can't fly if they get together. Much better to offer the hand to help pull them out of the suffering than risk going down with them.

Don't think for one moment we haven't all spent time getting sucked into the gunk, we all have at some time or another. Just don't let guilt over run you and force you back to trying to fix everyone else when you yourself are in desperate need of fixing. It's ok to take time out for yourself. It's ok to be a little bit selfish. Untill you can give yourself care, that which you give to others is never truly validated. How can it be when we can not truly love another untill we have love for ourselves. You will be in a much better situation to fix the world when you yourself are fixed. Just remember a therapist doesn't get down in the gunk with their clients and there is a very good reason they don't. They need a clear mind to help their clients. Yes its imposably hard sometimes to not be effected by the strength of other peoples emotions, and yes you could probably make them better for a little while by smothering yourself in their gunk but remember that humans grow from adversity. If you take all their burden and carry it for them they will not suffer the adversity and they wont grow or learn a single thing. When they don't learn they come back time and time again with one trauma after another. You can't save the world, only the world can save itself, all you can do is walk beside them, hold their hand and give them confort that they aren't alone and someone else has been there before them. If the person at the other end of the line isn't ready to recive the message they wont be healed by it fully. You end up throwing energy after energy at them untill they grow to expect that of everyone and thus leads to psychic vamps. Learn to give your energy in a worthy fasion. Though you may feel their pain you can't heal the whole world. A big realisation for me was accepting I'm not responcable for everyone's pain. I learnt to draw the line and help where it was most needed and best used.

[Shadowsong]

*puts feet up on a chair and gets comfy*
Pull up a chair everyone, I'm really excited for this, I think this is going to help all of us a lot. Being a new empath is HARD. *nods* But hopefully through this we can all make things a little easier, aye?

[Bethra]

*puts feet up on a chair and gets comfy*
Pull up a chair everyone, I'm really excited for this, I think this is going to help all of us a lot. Being a new empath is HARD. *nods* But hopefully through this we can all make things a little easier, aye?

Thats the plan :D.
I'll start a thread for strugling empaths to vent in I think. I kind of suport thread like the bunker thread but just some place for the healers to ask for healing in return. I think Healing and Reiki is the perfect place for this little home. I soothing relaxed enviroment for us to hide in :D

[seekerofknwoledge]

*waves* Hello, I'm new (well, to this forum at least). I've been empathic for a while now, but it usually was just with very close friends or people I spent a ton of time with. More recently I've started getting tsunami's of "stuff" from way too many people (aka people online, random bits from their posts, people I just pass fleetingly etc.). It's not so bad except for when I get people's really bad things (I tend to get both emotional AND physical effects from people, so that can often be painful and difficult to explain). I have a few shielding techniques I use to keep out nosy people (I know a few sort of "mind readers"), but I'd love to hear what other people do too.

I think this forum is going to be extremely informative and interesting to be a part of, so I'll see you all around! ^_^*

[Bethra]

*waves* Hello, I'm new (well, to this forum at least). I've been empathic for a while now, but it usually was just with very close friends or people I spent a ton of time with. More recently I've started getting tsunami's of "stuff" from way too many people (aka people online, random bits from their posts, people I just pass fleetingly etc.). It's not so bad except for when I get people's really bad things (I tend to get both emotional AND physical effects from people, so that can often be painful and difficult to explain). I have a few shielding techniques I use to keep out nosy people (I know a few sort of "mind readers"), but I'd love to hear what other people do too.

I think this forum is going to be extremely informative and interesting to be a part of, so I'll see you all around! ^_^*
Welcome, welcome _cloud9_
You brought cookies???? *looks hopeful* What about choco???? Hmm no???? Oh well I'm sure someone will show up with some soon enough :lol:

I've sarted the suport thread and this thread to talk about sheilding methods. I'm sure others will be along soon to add their experiances. Hmm maybe we need a thread about how we all experiance our empathic gifts. I'll sort that out now aswell before I go tuck myself up in my bed.

[Pesha]

Ah I seem to be up with my friends across the Pond tonight. I have been an empath since I was three as far as I can tell. I was just a tiny child feeling big emotions and it was scary. But as I grew and studied and tried out different things I found that I love my gift. And it is in my eyes a gift from the Powers. The idea of having a special place for empaths is so great. I think alot of good is going to come out of this. I have one incantation I uase alot called my Wall of Glass. I posted it for some folk in the Bunker not long ago. I will have to go and get it for in here as well. Some times I just breath in and out deeply and feel a warm and stronge energy field forming around me. And somedays I gfet hit with it all before I can sheild and have to leave a room and put up a quickie to get me through. Well I am finally sleepy, so I willsay goodnight dearones. Goddess bless. HUGS.
BB
DS.

[Bethra]

Ah I seem to be up with my friends across the Pond tonight. I have been an empath since I was three as far as I can tell. I was just a tiny child feeling big emotions and it was scary. But as I grew and studied and tried out different things I found that I love my gift. And it is in my eyes a gift from the Powers. The idea of having a special place for empaths is so great. I think alot of good is going to come out of this. I have one incantation I uase alot called my Wall of Glass. I posted it for some folk in the Bunker not long ago. I will have to go and get it for in here as well. Some times I just breath in and out deeply and feel a warm and stronge energy field forming around me. And somedays I gfet hit with it all before I can sheild and have to leave a room and put up a quickie to get me through. Well I am finally sleepy, so I willsay goodnight dearones. Goddess bless. HUGS.
BB
DS.

I would very much aprichiate it if you could share the Wall of Glass with us all in here honey. The bunker thread has got so long it becomes draining hunting through it for those snippets of imformation that might help us all. I look forward to hearing about it, it sounds fabulous.

Well I've been up all night so far :lol: I feel an odd sort of energy going on tonight, maybe excitment at the opening of this forum or it maybe something I ate :lol: I can't think of anything I haven't covered so far thread wise at the moment so maybe I can go to bed now :D I'm still waiting for someone to bring me a cup of choco and a cookie though so I maybe up a while longer :lol:

Sleep well DS honey, rest in the arms of the goddess. :hugz:

[seekerofknwoledge]

*passes out cookies and hot choco to all*

^_^*

[LadyAriana]

*takes the cocoa and dies from pure joy* Ah...nectar of the Gods...

Okay, my two Euro cents:

I found that maintaining a shielding helps, but periodically 'washing' the shielding actually helps even more, especially when you're constantly surrounded by stressful situations. This is how I imagine my shielding, rather like a tarp over me (work with me). That tarp gets submitted to wind, rain, hail, snow, heat, and cold. Holes start to form, so I either patch or sew them closed, but the weaknesses are still there.

What I do, is at least once a month, more than once if I REALLY need it. I make sure I'm in the most protected room of my house (my bedroom), and I let myself fall into a meditative state. Then I visualize peeling away that tarp. I end up feeling like I'm peeling an onion, getting rid of old tattered layers that I hadn't realized I put up. I re-absorb that energy, recycle if you will and set up a fresh new 'tarp' over me. It's actually very liberating to get rid of all that empathetic weight on my shoulders and I leave feeling very light and liberated.

[BrigidMoon]

*takes the cocoa and dies from pure joy* Ah...nectar of the Gods...

Okay, my two Euro cents:

I found that maintaining a shielding helps, but periodically 'washing' the shielding actually helps even more, especially when you're constantly surrounded by stressful situations. This is how I imagine my shielding, rather like a tarp over me (work with me). That tarp gets submitted to wind, rain, hail, snow, heat, and cold. Holes start to form, so I either patch or sew them closed, but the weaknesses are still there.

What I do, is at least once a month, more than once if I REALLY need it. I make sure I'm in the most protected room of my house (my bedroom), and I let myself fall into a meditative state. Then I visualize peeling away that tarp. I end up feeling like I'm peeling an onion, getting rid of old tattered layers that I hadn't realized I put up. I re-absorb that energy, recycle if you will and set up a fresh new 'tarp' over me. It's actually very liberating to get rid of all that empathetic weight on my shoulders and I leave feeling very light and liberated.

Excellent idea!

[Bethra]

I mentioned before in the bunker thread that often I felt it important to refresh and renew your shielding. I normaly use a medatation desgined to stimulate my emotions and then I return and rebuild my astral temple. For me the tree house has a dual perpose in that it is a sheild and a meditation. I think it's very important to renew your sheild on a regular basis. Half the time we just aren't aware that it's become disfunctional untill we suddenly find ourselves swamped.

[Pesha]

Ok here is my Wall of Glass:

I have an incantation I say in my mind or out loud if I am alone.


Wall of Glass surround me now.
No harm or hurt allow.
Let me see out, but keep the world from me.
Oh Great Mother I plead to thee.

I then image a wall of glass surrounding me. I can see out and open it if I have to. Otherwise I feel more protected.

This seems to work quite well for me. And I have used it a long time now. Please feel fre to try it out if any of you would like to.

BB
DS.

[Shadowsong]

Oooh thanks all for the help so far! *nods lots*
and uh, just to break "formality" *laughs* for a moment:
DID SOMEONE MENTION COCOA????? *drools* Gimme! Pweeze?? hahahahahah

[Teresa]

Here is a thread with several methods listed in it some of which I use regularly.
http://www.mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?t=97320 (http://www.mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?t=97320)

[Dingo]

hmm shielding... I have 2. And I've never washed them. Maybe that's my problem. Anyway, i've always used a shield that was best represented (don't laugh) in the movie The Incredibles - I saw April or whatever her name was put that shield up and was like WTF?!?! THAT'S MINE!!! Anyway, it comes from within and (typically) is channeled through my hands. But that's the confusing part to me, as my shield is ALWAYS preceded by a blast to eradicate negative energies from my presence. By blast, I mean just that - a blast of energy. Envision a marble inside a bigger marble. The outer marble expands to whatever size I desire - and rapidly. That is the energy blast. The inner marble expands at the same time as the outer marble, and at the same rate - until it covers what I want covered - whether it's me, someone else, a house, whatever. That's the shield. The maintanence energy for my shields is negligible - I don't really have to pay attention to them. I say no incantations, I do no rituals to effect these shields. I just channel the energies within.
The other type of shield I have is actually a wall. A big, white, brick wall. Large bricks, not small ones. and that is inside me. And I can't get rid of it.

[DracoJesi]

I just envision a shield of energy around me, it blocks a lot of things but then ou cant feel, then theres mirror shielding which is ok, its more like a filter, lol reflecting the bad and letting in the good allthough somtimes the shield gets "tricked" lol it seems to me the first one is more effective alltough the second is nicer lol,

has anyone tried different shapes other than the regular sphere r crystal/mirror, like a cube lol, ive heard of walls but that dosnt protect all sides lol, it dosent work so well for me lol, but maybe it could work lol, also shield size, I think its much easier to have a smaller one, i mean ive tried shielding others, it works a bit but its in no way, as effective when I use it on myself lol

[DracoJesi]

hmm shielding... I have 2. And I've never washed them. Maybe that's my problem. Anyway, i've always used a shield that was best represented (don't laugh) in the movie The Incredibles - I saw April or whatever her name was put that shield up and was like WTF?!?! THAT'S MINE!!! Anyway, it comes from within and (typically) is channeled through my hands. But that's the confusing part to me, as my shield is ALWAYS preceded by a blast to eradicate negative energies from my presence. By blast, I mean just that - a blast of energy. Envision a marble inside a bigger marble. The outer marble expands to whatever size I desire - and rapidly. That is the energy blast. The inner marble expands at the same time as the outer marble, and at the same rate - until it covers what I want covered - whether it's me, someone else, a house, whatever. That's the shield. The maintanence energy for my shields is negligible - I don't really have to pay attention to them. I say no incantations, I do no rituals to effect these shields. I just channel the energies within.
The other type of shield I have is actually a wall. A big, white, brick wall. Large bricks, not small ones. and that is inside me. And I can't get rid of it.


hmm, interesting, I wander how the outer layer makes this different from normal shielding, is there a reason you do this or is it just easier for you? you mention its to get rid of the negativity so it dosent get traped in the second shield? interesting, ive never realy had that problem, well not realy, there is some negativity that lingers bur i think thats just from what ive already sensed, as if its to late to get rid of, ill have to try this :

[LadyCelt]

are empaths more prone to psychic vampires and/or psychic attacks?


The only shielding technique I know is frm a site somewhere. I tend to close my eyes and often touch my crucifix necklace. I imagine bright/white light and energy aroudn me with a bit of luminosity of other colors. I may do it throughout the time I feel threatened.

[Pesha]

I am not sure if we are prone to psych and emotion vamps. But I for one have found my empathy has helped me idenify them and there fore protect myself. Well except for one time in my life. My exboyfriend is an empath and a emotion vamp. He blindsided me becasue I refused to take heed of what I was feeling in him. Strange it has been five years since we broke up and I still see him on the astral plain sometimes and get a horrible chill go through me. My dragon always goes with me on such occassions.

I would say just always trust your first instinct about someone, usually it is right.

BB
DS.

[Bethra]

Oh oh oh I forgot this one. Ginger just reminded me of another sheilding technique I use. Again I find it has a dual perpose since I can use it to cleanse and to sheild.
http://www.mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?t=103619 (http://www.mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?t=103619)
http://www.mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?t=96051 (http://www.mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?t=96051)
http://www.mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?t=64694 (http://www.mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?t=64694)
The Qabalistic Cross and the Lesser Bainishing Pentical are both wonderful sheilds.

[Raintreewolf]

Hi Bethra and Everyone!

I just saw this post...very awesome thread Bethra!

When I do shielding I do two different things....if I'm on top of things I do QBL cross....maybe even LBRP but forsure QBL cross and then I visualise a huge sun shield starting at my heart chokra, I make it bigger and bigger and bigger until it reaches the general diameter of my aura. I love this, everything seems to bounce right off of it and I feel really charged by it.

If I have been lazy and someone or something catches me unaware I slap my area just below my belly button to close what seems to be a weak spot for me and where I will get attacked or drained from. Anyways, I slap it closed and this works very well in an emergancy.

[Bethra]

Hi Bethra and Everyone!

I just saw this post...very awesome thread Bethra!

When I do shielding I do two different things....if I'm on top of things I do QBL cross....maybe even LBRP but forsure QBL cross and then I visualise a huge sun shield starting at my heart chokra, I make it bigger and bigger and bigger until it reaches the general diameter of my aura. I love this, everything seems to bounce right off of it and I feel really charged by it.

If I have been lazy and someone or something catches me unaware I slap my area just below my belly button to close what seems to be a weak spot for me and where I will get attacked or drained from. Anyways, I slap it closed and this works very well in an emergancy.

Wonderful to see you in here honey. I hope you'll hang around a little I'm sure your experiances will help a lot of people in here.

DS you'll be happy to know Raintree is another student of the Qabalah, she's homeless since my class finished so with a bit of luck she'll settle in here with us for a little while. We can form a little Qabalah Empaths band :lol:

[Raintreewolf]

Wonderful to see you in here honey. I hope you'll hang around a little I'm sure your experiances will help a lot of people in here.

DS you'll be happy to know Raintree is another student of the Qabalah, she's homeless since my class finished so with a bit of luck she'll settle in here with us for a little while. We can form a little Qabalah Empaths band :lol:

Whooohoooo...thanks for the welcome Lady Bethra! Yes, I'll come around again! What a great idea, we all can use this sort of sharing!

[Pesha]

Hi Bethra and Everyone!

I just saw this post...very awesome thread Bethra!

When I do shielding I do two different things....if I'm on top of things I do QBL cross....maybe even LBRP but forsure QBL cross and then I visualise a huge sun shield starting at my heart chokra, I make it bigger and bigger and bigger until it reaches the general diameter of my aura. I love this, everything seems to bounce right off of it and I feel really charged by it.

If I have been lazy and someone or something catches me unaware I slap my area just below my belly button to close what seems to be a weak spot for me and where I will get attacked or drained from. Anyways, I slap it closed and this works very well in an emergancy.

how celver and very interesting. I love your trechnique with the quick sheild. I usually take in a very deep breath and let it out slowley and feel all around me bouncing off me.

Nice to see you here dear. I am so thrilled to finally come and talk to others like me. Very comforting in itself.

BB
DS.

[Raintreewolf]

how celver and very interesting. I love your trechnique with the quick sheild. I usually take in a very deep breath and let it out slowley and feel all around me bouncing off me.

Nice to see you here dear. I am so thrilled to finally come and talk to others like me. Very comforting in itself.

BB
DS.

Thank you DS....nice to meet you. I think your breathing technique would work for me as well. When I read it and visualised it...I felt it could be for me too!In a sense I do actually use this already but it has been for releasing stress in the body, centering and regrounding and I also use this technique when I'm charging something or consentrating my energies. It seems to be a very good all around universal technique....now I will use this also for shielding.

I don't think everyone's technique will work for everyone else, though many will work for many others. I think this also has something to do with the fact that I feel everyone has different points of challenge or weak spots in themselves that leaves them vulnerable ( as well as empathic). I personally feel that, if you are empathic than more than likely this strength is also a source of weakenss. What are other peoples thoughts on this?

[BrigidMoon]

Wanted to add this experience here.

Went to BlockBuster with my hubby over the weekend. It was Saturday night.

There was this dude there - not really following us or anything but - have you ever been in the store and you can FEEL someone you don't know just kind of trying to reach out to you somehow?

Well he gave me the creeps. And to be honest, I felt it before I realized it was him. The store was kind of full.

So he was in an aisle on the other side of me and I turned and looked at him and immediately pictured this solid silver steel door blocking him from me.

That's never happened before. It was quick and painless. And whenever he got close - boom - automatically it went up again!

I was happy with that!

[LadyAriana]

are empaths more prone to psychic vampires and/or psychic attacks?


The only shielding technique I know is frm a site somewhere. I tend to close my eyes and often touch my crucifix necklace. I imagine bright/white light and energy aroudn me with a bit of luminosity of other colors. I may do it throughout the time I feel threatened.


I think we are, only because the flow of emotions doesn't only go one way. I think as a natural defense against 'burnout' we all have some projective abilities to release the emotions we take in. There are those how would take advantage of that. But at the same time I think that empaths themselves can become in danger of becoming 'psychic vampires' themselves. Being subjected to strong emotions, particularly when you're in constant connection can be draining on you, and I have known friends who have taken to absorbing the positive emotions around them to maintain a balance. Unfortunatly, it became almost a dependency. Luckily they realized it themselves and corrected their situation, but it is a little frightening.

[LadyAriana]

Welcome Raintree!!

[LadyAriana]

Wanted to add this experience here.

Went to BlockBuster with my hubby over the weekend. It was Saturday night.

There was this dude there - not really following us or anything but - have you ever been in the store and you can FEEL someone you don't know just kind of trying to reach out to you somehow?

Well he gave me the creeps. And to be honest, I felt it before I realized it was him. The store was kind of full.


I've had that happen before, I've passed by stores and got the "don't go in there" vibe, or even encountered people that made me put up all defenses. Glad to hear yours worked so very well!!

[Raintreewolf]

Wanted to add this experience here.

Went to BlockBuster with my hubby over the weekend. It was Saturday night.

There was this dude there - not really following us or anything but - have you ever been in the store and you can FEEL someone you don't know just kind of trying to reach out to you somehow?

Well he gave me the creeps. And to be honest, I felt it before I realized it was him. The store was kind of full.

So he was in an aisle on the other side of me and I turned and looked at him and immediately pictured this solid silver steel door blocking him from me.

That's never happened before. It was quick and painless. And whenever he got close - boom - automatically it went up again!

I was happy with that!

Very cool instinct!

[Raintreewolf]

Welcome Raintree!!


Thank you Dear!

[~*Ginger*~]

Wanted to add this experience here.

Went to BlockBuster with my hubby over the weekend. It was Saturday night.

There was this dude there - not really following us or anything but - have you ever been in the store and you can FEEL someone you don't know just kind of trying to reach out to you somehow?

Well he gave me the creeps. And to be honest, I felt it before I realized it was him. The store was kind of full.

So he was in an aisle on the other side of me and I turned and looked at him and immediately pictured this solid silver steel door blocking him from me.

That's never happened before. It was quick and painless. And whenever he got close - boom - automatically it went up again!

I was happy with that!

Interesting indeed.

I've never pictured anything like this, but since as long as I can remember, I'm really good at ignoring someone, to the point of 'they are not there', totally non-existent to me.
Not sure when this began, and it may sound snotty, but it's not in 'snotty context' for me.
Just a sort of safety for my well being, I guess.
Like, knowing/feeling that what ever was coming from them was totally unnessary for me to acknowledge.
I am able to just put them on ignore. (these are stranger's, or someone who's been nasty to me, mostly while going to school, as a kid...)

I would suppose this is some sort of shield...

[Raintreewolf]

I think we are, only because the flow of emotions doesn't only go one way. I think as a natural defense against 'burnout' we all have some projective abilities to release the emotions we take in. There are those how would take advantage of that. But at the same time I think that empaths themselves can become in danger of becoming 'psychic vampires' themselves. Being subjected to strong emotions, particularly when you're in constant connection can be draining on you, and I have known friends who have taken to absorbing the positive emotions around them to maintain a balance. Unfortunatly, it became almost a dependency. Luckily they realized it themselves and corrected their situation, but it is a little frightening.

Yes, I can relate to this. I have a beautiful friend who even with sweet doe eyes say, she gets her energy from the people around her. Gosh she is a lovely person, ya know....but I had to say to her..."please, can we have a little quiet time now...I just need a little inner reflective space right now...for some reason I do not have the energy you do and your energy is actually feeling a little draining to me...I'm loosing my center and it's becoming less and less fun for me." She was very hurt, saying to me that she felt a little hurt by the fact that I was not having fun anymore, don't I like her." I said yes, It's not that...I do like you very much, it's just that people can be over stimulating for me at times." And then she proudly announced, she gets her energy from people. It is exceptionally hard to put the bounderies up when you love the people you are dealing with...sometimes it is not as clear as the above even...I think that these sort of inneractions are the hardest as the empath...especially when they too are empaths.

On this note, I half to say is all I ended up doing was getting crabby, short an kurt with her....damn it! My only defense was....you don't wanna suck on this energy...LOL...go suck on someone else for awhile....I'm so mean, sometimes. Luckily we are still friends and love each other very much and somehow we manange.

I think the only thing I can do here is make sure I'm not lazy and do preshielding to deal with my friends psychic vampirism.

[~*Ginger*~]

Yes, I can relate to this. I have a beautiful friend who even with sweet doe eyes say, she gets her energy from the people around her. Gosh she is a lovely person, ya know....but I had to say to her..."please, can we have a little quiet time now...I just need a little inner reflective space right now...for some reason I do not have the energy you do and your energy is actually feeling a little draining to me...I'm loosing my center and it's becoming less and less fun for me." She was very hurt, saying to me that she felt a little hurt by the fact that I was not having fun anymore, don't I like her." I said yes, It's not that...I do like you very much, it's just that people can be over stimulating for me at times." And then she proudly announced, she gets her energy from people. It is exceptionally hard to put the bounderies up when you love the people you are dealing with...sometimes it is not as clear as the above even...I think that these sort of inneractions are the hardest as the empath...especially when they too are empaths.

On this note, I half to say is all I ended up doing was getting crabby, short an kurt with her....damn it! My only defense was....you don't wanna suck on this energy...LOL...go suck on someone else for awhile....I'm so mean, sometimes. Luckily we are still friends and love each other very much and somehow we manange.

I think the only thing I can do here is make sure I'm not lazy and do preshielding to deal with my friends psychic vampirism.

I do not think this is a bad thing, totally understandable really, since she knew what was going on.
Surely, she would have felt the same if shoes were on the opposite feet...

[Raintreewolf]

Interesting indeed.

I've never pictured anything like this, but since as long as I can remember, I'm really good at ignoring someone, to the point of 'they are not there', totally non-existent to me.
Not sure when this began, and it may sound snotty, but it's not in 'snotty context' for me.
Just a sort of safety for my well being, I guess.
Like, knowing/feeling that what ever was coming from them was totally unnessary for me to acknowledge.
I am able to just put them on ignore. (these are stranger's, or someone who's been nasty to me, mostly while going to school, as a kid...)

I would suppose this is some sort of shield...

Gosh...I have never done this one before.

Thank you for sharing because it now cues me into the times I have seen others do this...looking at it from this side of things, it has irritated me, hurt my feelings sometimes even, confussed me and made me feel like something was wrong with me...like, what...is my aura black or what...LOL. interesting....

but now, I can see it is a general form of self preservation and shielding...cool, I wont take this sort of thing personally anymore. Well, actually I have already gotten better at not letting this sort of thing effect me now that I'm older and more self secure....though still sometimes, it will still get me...LOL

I have only ignored deliberately...and the person knows why I'm shutting them out because they will get physicl communicaton from me like a scowl or something before I swoosh and turn my snpping neck from them....LOL ( now, this is snobby!, lol)

[LadyAriana]

You're luckier than I was. Unfortunatly I had to cut ties with a few of my friends because their energy dependence got the best of them, and I couldn't deal between my empathy wanting to help them and my sense of self-preservation kept clashing and it became very nerve-fraying for me. I still care for them as friends and two or three of them eventually got themselves in control of their lives and I keep in touch. One eventually left the state, and I'm worried that something may have happened to her.

I'm getting off topic it seems. Perhaps I raise this question to everyone:

How do we deal with this clashing? As empaths, its in our nature to want to help, but how do you control your empathy to keep in with your sense of self-preservation? Probably it rarely comes up, but if it has, how did you deal with it? How did you shield against it?

[~*Ginger*~]

Gosh...I have never done this one before.

Thank you for sharing because it now cues me into the times I have seen others do this...looking at it from this side of things, it has irritated me, hurt my feelings sometimes even, confussed me and made me feel like something was wrong with me...like, what...is my aura black or what...LOL. interesting....

but now, I can see it is a general form of self preservation and shielding...cool, I wont take this sort of thing personally anymore. Well, actually I have already gotten better at not letting this sort of thing effect me now that I'm older and more self secure....though still sometimes, it will still get me...LOL

I have only ignored deliberately...and the person knows why I'm shutting them out because they will get physicl communicaton from me like a scowl or something before I swoosh and turn my snpping neck from them....LOL ( now, this is snobby!, lol)
Well, I do not consider myself a snotty person at all, so it's not like I go around 'ignoring' someone cause I think I'm better, it's just that sometimes there are those that I totally close out.
I do not even acknowledge them, not like a 'look at you, then snub ya kinda thing'.

I'm sure it started in childhood, from nasty little children doing or saying mean things.
things that did not deserve to be acknowledged, and certainly not absorbed...

i remember, when someone would just walk by me, or me them and they come out with some ugly comment, that I'd smile, say 'thank you', and walk away grinning.
This left them standing there looking like the true @$$ they were.
(of course, I saved my crying till I was home alone in my room, so as not to give anyone the satisfaction of knowing they had hurt me.)

Also, if someone i felt that I held some trust in way or the other for, and they did me ugly, I'd use the same 'your not even here' mind set. Just to keep out the vibes they were sending.

Stranger's, it's like whatever they have going on, and I feel some sort of negative vibe coming from them, they are just no longer there.
At times when I've felt a threat from a stranger, I've relied on knowing my safety protection of a higher power is on.
And being a Pisces, has helped with a knowing the 'get out now, before something does happen' gift.

And I'm actually good at 'hiding', if I do not want to be found.
I can be close at hand, and even at times had someone walk in the same area I am, and not be found.
Not sure how this works either, but it has for me...

[Raintreewolf]

I just envision a shield of energy around me, it blocks a lot of things but then ou cant feel, then theres mirror shielding which is ok, its more like a filter, lol reflecting the bad and letting in the good allthough somtimes the shield gets "tricked" lol it seems to me the first one is more effective alltough the second is nicer lol,

has anyone tried different shapes other than the regular sphere r crystal/mirror, like a cube lol, ive heard of walls but that dosnt protect all sides lol, it dosent work so well for me lol, but maybe it could work lol, also shield size, I think its much easier to have a smaller one, i mean ive tried shielding others, it works a bit but its in no way, as effective when I use it on myself lol

Interesting points here....No, actually I have not used another shape other than a general sphereical shape of light origin.

But I liked the point you brought up about trying to do shielding for another.....I have never tryed this but myself....but I think you are correct in assesing that one should do shielding for themselves...

[BrigidMoon]

Very cool instinct!

Thanks and welcome! :)

[BrigidMoon]

I think it's cool that you can just block like that. I wish I could...but not easily and SOME people just come off so strongly to me. It's annoying. This dude wasn't someone that seemed dangerous or anything - just more wanting to scan and I didn't want that - so boom, up went the silver sheild!

Interesting indeed.

I've never pictured anything like this, but since as long as I can remember, I'm really good at ignoring someone, to the point of 'they are not there', totally non-existent to me.
Not sure when this began, and it may sound snotty, but it's not in 'snotty context' for me.
Just a sort of safety for my well being, I guess.
Like, knowing/feeling that what ever was coming from them was totally unnessary for me to acknowledge.
I am able to just put them on ignore. (these are stranger's, or someone who's been nasty to me, mostly while going to school, as a kid...)

I would suppose this is some sort of shield...

[Raintreewolf]

You're luckier than I was. Unfortunatly I had to cut ties with a few of my friends because their energy dependence got the best of them, and I couldn't deal between my empathy wanting to help them and my sense of self-preservation kept clashing and it became very nerve-fraying for me. I still care for them as friends and two or three of them eventually got themselves in control of their lives and I keep in touch. One eventually left the state, and I'm worried that something may have happened to her.

I'm getting off topic it seems. Perhaps I raise this question to everyone:

How do we deal with this clashing? As empaths, its in our nature to want to help, but how do you control your empathy to keep in with your sense of self-preservation? Probably it rarely comes up, but if it has, how did you deal with it? How did you shield against it?

Actually this is interesting to me, because I am not inclined to try and help very often and my sense of empathy does not have to do with needs or help wanted from others...it's sorta just like a psychic awareness for me and it becomes really noticable when it is draining me in someway. For the most part my empathy for others helps to inform, clarify or help me understand something about them and I file it away and it might come in handy for me later on when dealing with the person again...I feel like a record keeper and sometimes I pull up the processed data to offer as a tool to help them out with in a future sittuation. I do not feel like I can fix anyone. I know I can offer a little comfort in a time of deep need...or actually even some stern insight ( if this is needed ) but I can only offer understanding and if there is something that is a habitual pattern, then over a course of time....I can say..." here, here is some accumulated information I have on this topic, some of it you have contributed to....maybe you can do something with this info and use the tools to brake these patterns and perhaps function the way you seem to be seeking.)

I have empathy for animals too....this is different than dealing with humans...I tend to want to help if I'm called out to by them or even with plants...

I don't know about anyone else but empathy has actually made me grow a bit of a callus....does that make sense? I know my tit is just is not big enough...LOL ( Bethra might remember my past life from behind the old wooden door post on this one...LOL).Sometimes all I can do is make some food with good energy put into it and share it with someone and hope they work out the life lesson.

[~*Ginger*~]

I think it's cool that you can just block like that. I wish I could...but not easily and SOME people just come off so strongly to me. It's annoying. This dude wasn't someone that seemed dangerous or anything - just more wanting to scan and I didn't want that - so boom, up went the silver sheild!
I do this in large groups of people as well.
I was raised an army brat, and have up until past few years, always been somewhere where there were lots of people.
I mean, I know they are there, but block alot out.

As a child, we lived in Japan, and the ladies who owned beauty shops would come out of their stores, and follow us down the street, wanting my mother to let them buy my hair, so they could make wigs. (she never did, my dad would have had a fit.)
Also, while living in New Mexico, we would as a family go to Mexico, for sight seeing, and shopping.
There would be large groups of people follow us around.
Daddy always said it was because of my hair color, and it being waist length. (I don't have any idea, but I knew they were there and just ignored them.)

[frigga]

Ok, my stories and two cents! :D I can't say that I've ever conciously sheilded. What I do, or perhaps have conditioned myself to do when I was quite young, is to always have a continuous energy flow. I've always been very interested in energy work and when I've talked to others about it, I find my situation to be somewhat unique. I always subconciously draw energy and realease energy. I have increadible patience with ppl., and though I may feel their emotions, I'm able to release them imediatly, or just let them wash off me. When I'm having a empathic "episode", it's almost like I'm floating above the situation surveying it all, does that make sense? I can see and feel everything, but I'm removed from it. When and if I do have the occation where I'm getting gunk in, I can banish it by examining when and why I started feeling that way.
Now if I know I'm going somewhere where there will be ton of ppl., like a fair or what not, I charge a pendant. Mine is a rose quartz point. But it doesn't sheild me in the sense that I don't feel others, rather it prevents me from picking up on something I'm unaware of.
It's strange to me because when I started rediscovering my empathic abilities, it was when I was very relaxed and off guard that I would get something. I've had to train myself to open myself up others. I can't say why I started blocking ppl. out, but I literally need to conciously think "what's going on with them?", in order to pick something up. Unless of course it's with a friend or family member, then I'm all over thier feeling constantly! A rare few ppl. who are so open affect me too and I can't even look them in the eyes. In this case, I don't look them in the eyes and everythings alright.

[Raintreewolf]

Ok, my stories and two cents! :D I can't say that I've ever conciously sheilded. What I do, or perhaps have conditioned myself to do when I was quite young, is to always have a continuous energy flow. I've always been very interested in energy work and when I've talked to others about it, I find my situation to be somewhat unique. I always subconciously draw energy and realease energy. I have increadible patience with ppl., and though I may feel their emotions, I'm able to release them imediatly, or just let them wash off me. When I'm having a empathic "episode", it's almost like I'm floating above the situation surveying it all, does that make sense? I can see and feel everything, but I'm removed from it. When and if I do have the occation where I'm getting gunk in, I can banish it by examining when and why I started feeling that way.
Now if I know I'm going somewhere where there will be ton of ppl., like a fair or what not, I charge a pendant. Mine is a rose quartz point. But it doesn't sheild me in the sense that I don't feel others, rather it prevents me from picking up on something I'm unaware of.
It's strange to me because when I started rediscovering my empathic abilities, it was when I was very relaxed and off guard that I would get something. I've had to train myself to open myself up others. I can't say why I started blocking ppl. out, but I literally need to conciously think "what's going on with them?", in order to pick something up. Unless of course it's with a friend or family member, then I'm all over thier feeling constantly! A rare few ppl. who are so open affect me too and I can't even look them in the eyes. In this case, I don't look them in the eyes and everythings alright.

It completely makes sense to me. And you make me reflect on the fact that I too need to focus and seek out the reasons why I'm feeling something or what is going on...there is a conscious intunement that goes on...

Oh yeah...and those rare few people who are so open...I have not come across one of those in quite awhile...interesting, to think on that type again...icky and kinda scary...it is almost more like a vampire type or a vacuum.....I have issues with that sort usually...they have made me angry enough to want to pull out me magic sword and go to town on them...and actually I have on a couple of them...and it never did do any good...LOL but they did stay away from me, (the crazy lady who unjustly went ape bazzerk on them)...LOL....Ahhh well....

[~*Ginger*~]

I have increadible patience with ppl
I'm wondering if this also, may be a trait that we as empaths share...

[Teresa]

I'm wondering if this also, may be a trait that we as empaths share...
I always thought it was.

[~*Ginger*~]

Well, it kinda makes more sense now.
I mean it would be harder to be an empath, if we were short on patience...

[Teresa]

Well, it kinda makes more sense now.
I mean it would be harder to be an empath, if we were short on patience...
hehe I agree! I just had such an amusing picture in my mind of one without patience. :hehehehe:

[Pesha]

Having patience, feeling that certain something about a person, all traits we share. I mentioned before that within ten min of talking to someone, I can get their whole life story. People seem to seek me out if they need advice. With my friends this is a good thing, but when perfect strangers are doing it, it has gotten very uncomfortable. I generally have a sheild up all the time. but sometimes I just let it all go and feel the flows around me more intently.

My little two and almost one half grand daughter came up to me the other night and touched my head. GaGa got BooBoo. Me love you. And she rubbed my head a bit. Dang I never said a thing about my head or made it look like it hurt. My littlie is a chip off of GaGa's block it would seem. :)

BB
DS.

[frigga]

Having patience, feeling that certain something about a person, all traits we share. I mentioned before that within ten min of talking to someone, I can get their whole life story. People seem to seek me out if they need advice. With my friends this is a good thing, but when perfect strangers are doing it, it has gotten very uncomfortable. I generally have a sheild up all the time. but sometimes I just let it all go and feel the flows around me more intently.

My little two and almost one half grand daughter came up to me the other night and touched my head. GaGa got BooBoo. Me love you. And she rubbed my head a bit. Dang I never said a thing about my head or made it look like it hurt. My littlie is a chip off of GaGa's block it would seem. :)

BB
DS.
Thats awsome...or is it? Well at any rate she seems like and absolute doll!

And I too can laugh at the though of us empaths having no patience. :yikes: Oh the torment I might inflict!

[Raintreewolf]

Having patience, feeling that certain something about a person, all traits we share. I mentioned before that within ten min of talking to someone, I can get their whole life story. People seem to seek me out if they need advice. With my friends this is a good thing, but when perfect strangers are doing it, it has gotten very uncomfortable. I generally have a sheild up all the time. but sometimes I just let it all go and feel the flows around me more intently.

My little two and almost one half grand daughter came up to me the other night and touched my head. GaGa got BooBoo. Me love you. And she rubbed my head a bit. Dang I never said a thing about my head or made it look like it hurt. My littlie is a chip off of GaGa's block it would seem. :)

BB
DS.

Hah hah hah, that's great!

[Raintreewolf]

hehe I agree! I just had such an amusing picture in my mind of one without patience. :hehehehe:

*blush*...i just took down a picture of me....just in-case it was me you were invisioning.....LOL hah hah hah hah ...ahhhhhhh.

I dunno....I'm a little patient....LOL Could be more...I use to be more patient...but I don't wanna no more. And I think this prooves a point here actually because I think I'm less Empathic to people than I use to be. So, maybe patients does have something to do with it :chatty:

I have patients and time to listen to nature though.

[BrigidMoon]

Having patience....well now that I am thinking about it... Apparently it's odd for me at the age of 31 to realize I am an empath. That I should have known when I was younger. Not that I didn't but after having Julia it made me more patient. Having kids will do that to you I guess! :)

So maybe when I was patient enough to listen to my body and mind and what it was telling me - I figured out that I am an empath.

[Pesha]

It comes to you, that realisation that you are an empath at different times. Me I was three. You 31. For some never. They never figure out what is going on and sometimes suffer greatly becasue of the lack of knowing. As I posted earlier. Looks like my G'daughter is going to be like me. and I intend to nuture her along as best I can.

BB
DS.

[LadyAriana]

It comes to you, that realisation that you are an empath at different times. Me I was three. You 31. For some never. They never figure out what is going on and sometimes suffer greatly becasue of the lack of knowing. As I posted earlier. Looks like my G'daughter is going to be like me. and I intend to nuture her along as best I can.

BB
DS.

She sounds precious! And like she could be a handful, but she's got a great G'ma to help her out :)

On the patience level, I've noticed that my patience has gone down a lot since I was younger, which seems so opposite. Things that wouldn't have even phased me once get me in a bundle of nerves, and its so odd. It's times like that when I take 5 minutes and check my shielding to make sure I'm not worn too thin, but I wonder if when I was a child I had a thicker shielding and as I got older it's naturally thinned.

[Bethra]

Hmm I also think my patience levels are lower these days. Well no that's not strictly true, I'm very patient with a lot of people and myself but I have very little tolerance for fools and people who wont help themselves. The people who return time and time again with one problem after another. They come expecting me to listern to the latest bit of choas that has them in a spin, or the latest string of missery. They sit there day after day muddying up my posative energy with endless negativity and they never once stop to wonder if maybe they are in a self perpetuating downward spiral. They never once wonder if maybe they might be able to fix their own issues themselves. My tolerance for people like this has grown thinner and thinner over the years. The more I struggle and get by on my own the less tolerant I become with people who wont try and help themselves. I just want to yell at them "wake up fools. It's never going to get any better than this untill you accept responcability for the mess you got yourself into."

[Pesha]

Bravo !! I absolutly agree with you there.

BB
DS.

[~*Ginger*~]

Oh, my patience is nothing like it once was...
The past few years have been a real pain, and has affected me in lots of ways I'd have never even considered would be.

I do believe I have more patience with my children than most people do, but lots of things don't bother me like they do other's.
Kids naturally make noise, beating on pots and pans is like music, unless I have a headache.

And for me, 'people' are more important than 'things'.

i'm not the type to just smack the crap out of people, but my tounge can be vile at times (mostly because I can be quite articulate.), but mostly that's because I'm tired of having to say the same thing, over, and over and over.

And, honestly, I'm tired of being taken advantage of because I'm trusting of other's. This is a down fall in my being, sometimes, I wish i wasn't so trusting, but...I'm learning.

[LadyAriana]

Amen Bethra

[Bethra]

And, honestly, I'm tired of being taken advantage of because I'm trusting of other's. This is a down fall in my being, sometimes, I wish i wasn't so trusting, but...I'm learning.

Trust is not a downfall honey don't ever think that. I trust and trust and trust again no matter how nieve it may seem to others. Without my trust I have nothing because then I begin to hold back. One notch at a time the wall goes up till eventualy it's so inpenitarble that even you can't get through it. You're distant alienated and you brought it all upon yourself. Trust in yourself, know yourself and always trust in one thing. People are just products of their eviroment, given the right enviroment all things can blossom and grow. Sometimes all a person needs is to be shown they are worthy of anothers trust they just need to be made aware of the gravity of trust that has been given to them. :thumbsup:

[Pesha]

You are looking at the poster child for trusting people. No matter how many times I have been hurt, I still refuse not to trust. It may not come as easily, but I am still a trusting soul. Empathy helps me to discern better nowdays. I try to be more careful. but as I said poster child am I.

BB
DS.

[~*Ginger*~]

Trust is not a downfall honey don't ever think that. I trust and trust and trust again no matter how nieve it may seem to others. Without my trust I have nothing because then I begin to hold back. One notch at a time the wall goes up till eventualy it's so inpenitarble that even you can't get through it. You're distant alienated and you brought it all upon yourself. Trust in yourself, know yourself and always trust in one thing. People are just products of their eviroment, given the right enviroment all things can blossom and grow. Sometimes all a person needs is to be shown they are worthy of anothers trust they just need to be made aware of the gravity of trust that has been given to them. :thumbsup:
I know this is true.

It's just, i've gotten so very tired of being taken advantage of, then accused myself of being dishonest, or exagurating (which I would kinda hope they would have to live thru the crap before they just jump to judging me). & (though, i realise that the one to say that to me, was talking and listening to many other people who do not even know me, they only know themselves)
So what if i'm good with the details?

And building that wall is what frightens me, though it's un-natural for me, I wonder if it wouldn't be for the best, yet know that it isn't...

(sounds like a crazy person, huh)

[LadyAriana]

I know the feeling Ginger. I used to have infinate trust in people, I always said I trusted someone till they gave me reason not to. Then about 4 years ago, I suffered a double-dosage of ultimate betrayal by someone I loved and someone I concidered a friend. I didn't even realize that I put up that wall that Betra was talking about until my brother was discussing something and asked, "Don't you trust me?" My immediate and automatic response was, "I don't trust anyone." I hadn't even realized until that moment the truth behind those words. It took months before I could heal the hurt I gave my brother, and years before I could tear down enough of that wall to get over it. Then three months ago, it happened again, almost in the same manner. I've been fighting tooth and nail not to retreat behind that wall again, probably because I don't think I'd have the strength of mind to break it down.

It's not naive to trust people, in fact its our trust in people that makes us a better individual.

Bethra is right. Once the wall goes up, it's hell to get it down. Putting up a wall before people isn't a solution, its just a cover-up. It doesn't solve the problem, it just hides it. Just like she said, trust yourself, more importantly know yourself, and all the rest will fall into place *big hugs*

[Raintreewolf]

Hmm I also think my patience levels are lower these days. Well no that's not strictly true, I'm very patient with a lot of people and myself but I have very little tolerance for fools and people who wont help themselves. The people who return time and time again with one problem after another. They come expecting me to listern to the latest bit of choas that has them in a spin, or the latest string of missery. They sit there day after day muddying up my posative energy with endless negativity and they never once stop to wonder if maybe they are in a self perpetuating downward spiral. They never once wonder if maybe they might be able to fix their own issues themselves. My tolerance for people like this has grown thinner and thinner over the years. The more I struggle and get by on my own the less tolerant I become with people who wont try and help themselves. I just want to yell at them "wake up fools. It's never going to get any better than this untill you accept responcability for the mess you got yourself into."


Yeah, I think this is what has happened to me as well....It actually has become all I can do, just to be responsible for my own actions....that I definitely believe others should take into account the crap on their own plate first and learn some tools in how to deal with it themselves and then deal with it. This is not to mean that I am not a charitable person because there is a time and a place for that and that is in the tool giving time and also removing them from whatever tit they are on...LOL ( I am so crude and my very phrasing shows the strength of my intollerence and impatience these days :hehehehe: ) Though I truelly have come to believe that this is the expression of my genuin compassion....it is different than what it use to be. I use to practice compassion with stretching and stretching patients and tollerance, extending and turning the other cheek and making excuses for others to bring about some form of rational to the freaken chaos...but alas, I am not that Christian, I guess....

[Raintreewolf]

I'm trusting and then I'm not trusting....It's wierd.

Mostly I think I do not trust....I do know myself and I can say that I have alot of sly sneaky dog ways about my psychology....I have had to chase myself down so many times in order to get to truth that....yeah, even the sweetest most harmless meaning person...I do not fully trust for total truth. I think everyone has room to grow but with so much change, complexities to people and thier needs etc....that this instability fascilitates distrust in me as well.

Though I do trust life and nature on many many levels...I have excellent faith.

[~*Ginger*~]

Sometimes all a person needs is to be shown they are worthy of anothers trust they just need to be made aware of the gravity of trust that has been given to them. :thumbsup:
*wonders if they ever will, and kinda doubts that they do, until it's already to late*
I know the feeling Ginger. I used to have infinate trust in people, I always said I trusted someone till they gave me reason not to. Then about 4 years ago, I suffered a double-dosage of ultimate betrayal by someone I loved and someone I concidered a friend. I didn't even realize that I put up that wall that Betra was talking about until my brother was discussing something and asked, "Don't you trust me?" My immediate and automatic response was, "I don't trust anyone." I hadn't even realized until that moment the truth behind those words. It took months before I could heal the hurt I gave my brother, and years before I could tear down enough of that wall to get over it. Then three months ago, it happened again, almost in the same manner. I've been fighting tooth and nail not to retreat behind that wall again, probably because I don't think I'd have the strength of mind to break it down.

It's not naive to trust people, in fact its our trust in people that makes us a better individual.
See, it's the taking a chance of re-trusting, that's got me in sour mode.
Makes me feel like such a fool...
Bethra is right. Once the wall goes up, it's hell to get it down. Putting up a wall before people isn't a solution, its just a cover-up. It doesn't solve the problem, it just hides it. Just like she said, trust yourself, more importantly know yourself, and all the rest will fall into place *big hugs*
So then actually the building of that un-natural wall, would be a greater down fall, for an empath?

Also, i have a natural gift of forgivness, that's been trampled to near death.
Do any of you have this natural, in born gift of being very forgiving, to the point of forgetfullness?

[~*Ginger*~]

removing them from whatever tit they are on...LOL ( I am so crude and my very phrasing shows the strength of my intollerence and impatience these days :hehehehe: ).
I dont' think your being 'crude', I come from country people and hear this kinda expression a good bit of the time...

[LadyAriana]

So then actually the building of that un-natural wall, would be a greater down fall, for an empath?

Probably, because it begins to set limits to our sub-concious, the root of our empathy.


[COLOR=DarkOrchid]Also, i have a natural gift of forgivness, that's been trampled to near death. Do any of you have this natural, in born gift of being very forgiving, to the point of forgetfullness?

Definatly!

[~*Ginger*~]

Definatly!
*exhales breath of relieve*

It's nice to know i'm not alone...
:halohead:

[Pesha]

no hun never alone.

BB
DS.

[~*Ginger*~]

Oh Dragonsinger, your just too sweet.
:hugz:

[Kalika]

I "build" a brick wall each morning... as I'm getting ready, lay the bricks and mortar, until its high enough to bounce any offending emotions off.

Has been quite effective for me... seems like more and more when I don't shield effectively, I wind up with migraines. I can still sense things if I WANT to... but I block out the majority of the negativity around me.

[Kalika]

I know the feeling Ginger. I used to have infinate trust in people, I always said I trusted someone till they gave me reason not to. Then about 4 years ago, I suffered a double-dosage of ultimate betrayal by someone I loved and someone I concidered a friend. I didn't even realize that I put up that wall that Betra was talking about until my brother was discussing something and asked, "Don't you trust me?" My immediate and automatic response was, "I don't trust anyone." I hadn't even realized until that moment the truth behind those words. It took months before I could heal the hurt I gave my brother, and years before I could tear down enough of that wall to get over it. Then three months ago, it happened again, almost in the same manner. I've been fighting tooth and nail not to retreat behind that wall again, probably because I don't think I'd have the strength of mind to break it down.

It's not naive to trust people, in fact its our trust in people that makes us a better individual.

Bethra is right. Once the wall goes up, it's hell to get it down. Putting up a wall before people isn't a solution, its just a cover-up. It doesn't solve the problem, it just hides it. Just like she said, trust yourself, more importantly know yourself, and all the rest will fall into place *big hugs*

:hugz:

[Know Your Rights]

Oooh! Chair!

Anyway, onto the shielding, or lack thereof, in my case? Or I suppose lack. Too many people around and what not make me uncomfortable, but I don't consciously put up a shield.
The only time I don't seem to do this, or to do this right, is at a hockey game, probably because there's a few thousand people in one building, most of them feeling the same thing at the same time. My friends get mad at me for getting as upset/emotional/tempermantal as the team does, but I can't help it.

[~*Ginger*~]

i had an appointment today, and while there, I had this very quick feeling of being totally nervous.
I wasn't nervous, but realised this feeling came from the person that I had the appointment with.
Not sure why she was, but when i realised that it was her nervousness, the feeling of it just stopped.

It was so cool, and I thought of all ya'll.

Thanks ya'll!

[LadyAriana]

Now, I pose another question for everyone. Does your family know that you're an empath and how did they react?

I only ask because it seems that everyone is very greatful for this bunker, and it seems like having someone to talk about your empathy with is a gift few and far between. I never directly told my parents that I'm an Emp, mostly because they have'nt quite taken seriously my pagan path. Although when I was a teenager, it slipped once. My parents were trying to convince me to "pull my head out of the clouds" when they found some of my ritual tools. I looked at my mom, and said, "You're afraid of me." My father just about threw me out of the house, and my mom turned white. It's a shocking feeling when you get that from your family, the people who are supposed to love and accept you unconditionally.

[~*Ginger*~]

hmmm...

Well looking back, I think that my family just thought me odd, or just a cry baby, big hearted, or something like that.

As far as I know, there's no one else who has shown these tenancies as I do.
Alot of us are the emotional type, and very much family oriented, very loving of one another, but I'm not so sure that any of them are empaths...
Unless it may have been from my great grandmother (father's side).
But I don't remember that much about her. We traveled alot, being a military family, so I know who my family members are, but never really had the opportunity to 'know them'.
So, I'm not sure...

I just know that I've always felt like an outsider, and that I was always told that the things I saw or felt weren't really real. :seehearsp

Now that I'm older, I do talk to my mom about some stuff, and she may not know 'what it is', but she knows that it is...

[Kalika]

Now, I pose another question for everyone. Does your family know that you're an empath and how did they react?


I've never told my parents... although I think that my mom knows, as she often asks me for opinions and thoughts on reading people. She doesn't take my spiritual path seriously, so its difficult to talk to her about anything related to that. Though, there are empaths in every walk of life.

My husband knows... and relys on that alot. He isn't always good at expressing himself in words, so he often asks me to "read" what he's feeling.

A few friends know, but we don't share this thing in common, so its not something they easily understand.

[LadyAriana]

But I don't remember that much about her. We traveled alot, being a military family, so I know who my family members are, but never really had the opportunity to 'know them'.
So, I'm not sure...


YAY! Another military brat!! :thewave:

I've always had a theory that everyone is psychic at some level, but I think that many people unconciously "bind" themselves because they're taught at a young age the difference between real and imaginary. The problem is that sometimes what is imaginary is reality, but has been shut out of 'logical' thought.

[Qumran]

Welcome!!!

Excellent post. I Look forward to more of YOU.

[Pesha]

Welcome to the empathic forum Qumran. We hope you find it interesting and informative. Please tell us of your experiences.

BB
DS.

[LadyAriana]

Welcome to you as well!

[Know Your Rights]

Now, I pose another question for everyone. Does your family know that you're an empath and how did they react?

Nope, no one in my family knows, because I think my mom would freak out, or something, and I don't feel the urge to risk our relationship.

[Contra Mundum]

Originally Posted by LadyAriana
Now, I pose another question for everyone. Does your family know that you're an empath and how did they react?

nobody in my family knows that i'm an empath,they know there's something and they do acknowledge it ,but it has more to do with my precog than with my empathy.

[~*Ginger*~]

I think all of us should have a copy of the old Star Trek episode, The Empath then we could play it while they are around, and make pop corn, make sure everyone goes to the bathroom before the show, and just be quiet, and watch it together...

And somewhere between the beginning, and the end of the show, all our family & friends could turn to us with the most enlightened look on their face, and say, "That's what you are, you seem to be alot like that!"

Then we could say, "Well how about that, I do believe your right! Now lets have a party!"
Then they could buy us presents, have cake & ice cream, throw confetti, and dance all night long, and be more understanding of all this stuff.

Don't you think that would be a good idea?
_travolta_

[Contra Mundum]

:T suuuuuuure.
but i don't like startrek :sick:
and i don't think i could spent a night with all of them in one room. double :sick: :sick:
can't we just have a party without em ???

[~*Ginger*~]

Well, without commercials, it would last maybe, what 27, 35 minutes? _whistle_

[Contra Mundum]

bring it down to a minute and i'll think about it . :crazylaug

[Pesha]

Am a Trekkie. I remember that episode. Excellent idea Ginger.

BB
DS.

[LadyAriana]

Not a trekkie, but I think that would be an interesting evening...though my family would just give me the look of "oh, it's only TV" and call the nice young men in those clean white coats :P

[Pesha]

why is it if someone does not understand another person becasue of something extraspecial about them, it makes the person crazy. Why oh why do we have to put up with finding ways to explain ourselves to friends and famiies. Be so nice if we could just say, well among other things I am an empath and I do........(fill in the blank).

Sad really.

BB
DS.

[LadyAriana]

I dunno, it seems to me that polite society has brainwashed most people into believing that blending in and being "normal" is better than being extra-ordinary. Even if you're Mr. 8-5 hard working, bringing home the bacon, if you have your whole torso tattoed, you're not normal. Of course Empaths are a little different, we didn't become, we just are...or rather aren't. But you know what, I'm damn proud to be un-normal.

One of my favorite movies is this movie from the mid 90's called Angus. On the surface, it seems to be about a fat kid surviving the horrors of being fat and in high school *proudly raises her survivor banner*, but he says something at the end of the movie that is so true.
The exact wording escapes me at the moment, but the bully comes at him with "You're not normal!" Angus gets in his face and points out that every person in the room, popular or not is 'flawed' in someway, from the visible short kid, to the school princess who is a closet bulemic. Which leads him to this conclusion: "There is no normal"

Well thank the Gods, I'm proud to be different, unique in my own way. If it didn't require an hour of explaination, I'd make a button that said, "I'm an Empath, ask me about it" :P

[Pesha]

Well said my dear, well said!! :hugz:

BB
DS.

[LadyAriana]

Well said my dear, well said!! :hugz:

BB
DS.

:bigredblu
Awww, thanks :)

Okay, so we doni't get too far off topic (watches for the mods)...

Has anyone ever tried to expand your shield to cover other people standing close to you? Particularly when a rather nasty emotion is getting close (say a yelling/angry person) and you're with someone who is susseptable but may not be an empath (a small child or pet or something).

[Pesha]

No actually that is a new one on me. I generally just slap up sheilds and that is that. I am not sure if mine would do a non empath any good. Something to think about.

BB
DS.

[Raintreewolf]

No...I have not shielded another and I have not gotten the opportunity to do so either... I have two pets who mediate excitable energies in our home though. I can express myself with such passion weather happy, just interested or frustrated or even angry....My two meter readers always let me know when my energy is just too intense. It is really odd. The cat does an odd cry like the sound it makes when talking to birds but not quite in the same way and the dog named Blue sticks his tail between his legs and sneaks into another room. My mate and I are usually considerate to these projections from the animals. If I'm angry and getting things stirred up.....I usually check myself at the cat crying stage and get myself back in control. If it is extreme happiness...sometimes I just tell the cat, " Oh, go in the other room, for Peet's sake, teee heee heee. The Dog named Blue....he is just odd, when he is actually in trouble and being yelled at he acts like.." No...nooo...lol, no, you just could not mean meeee, not little 'ol meeeee...ahh c'mon." but when I want him to just c'here he acts like he has been bad....so the fact that he leaves the room everytime the pitch to ones voice rises...I tend to shrug off unless I really want him to stay in the room, than I do the things he loves to talk him into staying.

My shielding also helps those on the outside of it be protected from my energies as well.

[Pesha]

I think with some of the newer people coming here that this thread would be a good one to BUMP UP. Alot of good stuff here.

BB
DS.

[Heart of Isis]

Hello,
This is a new forum for me, but more than much needed! I'm a very sensitive Empath. As far as I know I have been for the last 23 years. (Maybe more, but I can't verify it). I hang on to everything that gets stuck to me. I only realized this a few days ago! I have never learned how to shield at all. Except in cases of danger, but that's a totally different thing. Needless to say I am now in a lot of danger medically. I am having heart problems with the possibility of heart disease in spite of the fact that I eat right and all of that. I'm told this is do to me life style and my Empathic "gift" and the fact that I have no friends outside of cyber-space hence me state of extreme loneliness. I have been given a year or less to turn it all around by me doctor or I will land in the hospital with advanced heart disease for sure. I am told that this can be reversed (even totally) at this very early stage if I do what I need to do. It will be lots of work, but it must be done or else I will suffer a long agonizing end to my physical life here soon. (This is one thing that is not on me list of things to do).

So I am here to learn how to properly shield. I need to learn quickly and would like it to become easy and very effective. (A class sort of thing might be good for me with this if there is any about).

Thank you Bethra me mate from across the pond for starting this thread! Right now I am working trying to find all the shielding tech stuff here as I don't see a class for the moment. So at least I can get going with the ideas and DO THEM!

Cheers,

Heart of Isis

[Lunacie]

This thread, http://www.mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?t=116890 (http://www.mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?t=116890), is an excellent class on shielding, all the classes in this series on Magical Self Defense are good. It's a place to start anyway.

Questions and discussion are always welcome here, some of us check this forum regularly.

[Heart of Isis]

This thread, http://www.mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?t=116890 (http://www.mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?t=116890), is an excellent class on shielding, all the classes in this series on Magical Self Defense are good. It's a place to start anyway.

Questions and discussion are always welcome here, some of us check this forum regularly.


Yes, I have been looking at that. I was looking at the full line up of the other courses with it too. I'm personally not sure about some of it which would lead to difficulty completing the curriculum. However, I think what I may do is look deeper at the "shielding" part only and see what I get. I'm sure there is something in there that will help.

Heart of Isis

[Lunacie]

You certainly don't have to take the entire class, not all of it may be helpful. What I thought would be most helpful was the discussion on ways of shielding. I wish I'd had a forum like this when I first tried my hand at creating a shield instead of only have a reactionary shield. I created a shield that kept everything away from me, the good as well as the bad, and while it was such a relief at first, in the end I was so lonely and closed off from everyone. My then-hubby said it was like living with a stranger for a roommate.

Anyway, try different things instead of latching onto one idea and trying to MAKE it work. Something else might work even better, eh?

[Pesha]

Yes we all have our own ways of sheilding that work for us and might work for someone else. Always, always ask Q's and read ifo. We al try and help each other here.

BB
DS.

[Lunacie]

... read ifo...

Are you having a bad day too, DS? ;)

[Heart of Isis]

You certainly don't have to take the entire class, not all of it may be helpful. What I thought would be most helpful was the discussion on ways of shielding. I wish I'd had a forum like this when I first tried my hand at creating a shield instead of only have a reactionary shield. I created a shield that kept everything away from me, the good as well as the bad, and while it was such a relief at first, in the end I was so lonely and closed off from everyone. My then-hubby said it was like living with a stranger for a roommate.

Anyway, try different things instead of latching onto one idea and trying to MAKE it work. Something else might work even better, eh?


Don't get me wrong. I am going to look and study and all of that. Yes, I already have reactionary shields that are quite powerful and a little brutal to anyone effected and yes, keeps everything good and bad away, I have the same problem there, so I don't need more of those. I do need creation shielding that allows good in and keeps bad out. I intend on trying different things to find what works for me. Who knows it could likely end up being a combination of things.

Heart of Isis

[Heart of Isis]

Yes we all have our own ways of sheilding that work for us and might work for someone else. Always, always ask Q's and read ifo. We al try and help each other here.

BB
DS.


Don't worry about that...I'm sure I will have questions soon. Grabs megaphone and shouts: "Prepare for questions"! :hehehehe:

Heart of Isis

[Heart of Isis]

Doing step one: Clearing clutter etc.
Wow! I didn't realize I had so much stuff to get rid of and I'm not a pack-rat either! Actually, I am taking the clearing to the ultimate conclusion because I feel I need to and it's really helping me too. I'm taking each room of me flat and re-doing it one at a time. Getting rid of certain bits and pieces of furniture, etc. (It's almost fun). I'm also replacing some of the pieces of furniture with more functional pieces as best I can while trying to create uniformity for future fung-shui. It's costing me a bit of money I don't have, but at the end of the day it's going to work better for me as I won't see things lying about and my functions will be more streamlined. It's taking a little longer than I thought, but it will be worth it. I just don't know where to put everything for a garage sale that won't happen until Spring. All I can do is pile it up in me living room and I'm not liking that, but it's all I can do. (I have a lot of stuff for a garage sale...good stuff too).

Heart of Isis

[Lunacie]

:thumbsup: Yay you!

Wanna come "streamline" my house when you get done with your flat? :lol:

Actually, I've been doing much better in recent years about not bringing home everything I find at garage sales, and about clearing things out and taking them to the thrift shop. Yay me!

[Meirya]

Normally I have unconscious filters up. Took me a while to have something constantly "on", but a lot of time in sludgy ol' Columbus sort of forced me into the habit and now I keep basic filters up constantly, and subconsciously strengthen or lighten them depending on the atmosphere. They don't interfere much with sensing; they're more like cheesecloths or screens, keeping out the majority of the ick without muting my empathic sense too much.

I've got a number of other shielding visualizations that I use depending on circumstances. If I'm getting overwhelmed very quickly and need something that can be tossed up quick, I go back to the first shielding technique I ever used, back before I knew anything about energy work. It's just a harsh full quick exhalation of breath accompanied by a flare of silver fire all around me. (I use breathing as a focus for most energy work.) It takes a good deal of energy to keep up, though - it's from before I knew how to manage energy efficiently - and fades if I lose focus. But it's generally enough to block things out while I build someting more permanent or get out of the overwhelming situation.

If I have more time and I'm going into a situation I know will be havoc on my senses and psyche, I build walls of obsidian and fire. Big obsidian bricks, gleaming and impenetrable, laced through with veins of flame like magma, fire licking at the outside of the walls. It shuts everything out. I don't use it often for that reason, but it's useful for when I know I'm going into a messy situation. I've got a quick-and-dirty setup of this tied into an onyx I keep around; I tend to think of onyx as a shieldstone.

Then there's the "combat shields" that are basically "DO NOT TOUCH ME. DO NOT COME NEAR ME" and keep everything away. The obsidian-and-fire shields keep things at arm's length; the combat shields are blazing flame that do not allow anything or anyone remotely close. When I was taught this one, I was told to think of myself as being in the heart of a blazing comet, with the tail spinning around and around so that nothing can come near for fear of getting thwacked. That seemed inefficient to me, so I switched to putting myself in the midst of a star, with solar flares sparking out all over. It works very nicely, but I have to concentrate pretty heavily on it, and it's not a "nice" shield, so I don't use it much except for emergencies.

There's also the "disguise layer", which isn't so much a shield as a "look! I'm normal! don't notice me." layer that goes on top of any shields I have up. It's hard to describe, and sounds a bit odd, but here goes. I basically take a little bit of my aura and pull it out, stretching a thin layer of my aura over the shields, adding some energy to make it stretch far enough. Then I sink everything into my skin. So it's not the usual spherical shape; it's more like an extra layer of skin, conforming to my body.

There's a lot of others... creative visualization is useful. ^_~ But those are the ones I use most.

But I liked the point you brought up about trying to do shielding for another.....I have never tryed this but myself....but I think you are correct in assesing that one should do shielding for themselves...

Ugh, yes. One time I got empathic overload while in an area of my university; I was verging on a panic attack and couldn't focus enough to shield. A friend of mine was with me; I said "Zach, help. Zach, do something" in a panicked voice. So he shielded me. I stopped, apparently went a little glassy-eyed and confused, tilted towards him (I felt like I was off balance, with my balance center shifted towards him; the shield was partially connected to him, I guess, since it was his energy). Everything had suddenly gone quiet to my senses. After a few seconds I said, in a very unsettled manner, "Take it off. Now. Whatever you did, take it off."

In retrospect, it's actually kind of amusing. Once I got outside and away from people I was able to calm down, ground out, and such.

I have shielded people before, but it was because they were doing something that required a great deal of energy and concentration, and they couldn't hold up a decent shield at the same time but needed one, and we didn't have time to cast a circle. So since I didn't have much else to do for that task, and I have solid shields when I try, I was the one to do the shielding.

[Xerenity]

How did I miss this great thread and help line? Just plain Blind at most.
I use for my technique, quite simply a tree reaching to the sky and the roots reaching into the ground. It seems to work for me excellently.
I can even use the same imagery for objects ie house or car for protection of my loved ones when I am not around to shield them.
I do like the other ways everyone seems to have. I will have to try them out.
As for emotional Vampires, I work as a receptionist for a car dealer and have to deal will all types. I learned early on not to let anyone get under my "skin" or I get very angry and irritable with everyone. Patience use to be a strong trait but has taking a back seat to other emotions. Working on getting back to my "abnormal self" so to speak.
Also being a mind reader doesn't help my empathy in the least but I do get lots of giggles.
Those are the "rantings of this Mad Woman"