Control

[Shaw]

Can you control your empathic abilities? Can you turn it on or off like a light switch?

[aranarose]

I've found that when I try to shut it off, it's hard to restart it. I also feel awkward and disconnected. So, I don't shut it off. I have learned, however, to filter emotions, and to sort more easily through them.

[Philosophia]

Can you control your empathic abilities? Can you turn it on or off like a light switch?

I can't do it.

[WhoseLineBabygirl]

oddly enough it turns off on its own whenever i go out somewhere so yeah i can control it

[Lunacie]

Neither. I don't seem to have any control, other than creating a completely invulnerable shield and that was too lonely. But it seems to go on and off by itself, or at least be more sensitive and less sensitive. That may depend on whether I'm feeling well or I'm sick, and how much stress I'm having at any time.

[Astara Seague]

I keep it pretty much in control with my shieldwork but sometimes it gets through anyway

[Drouach]

I can't turn it off, anymore than I can turn off my hearing, eyesight, smell etc.

I think the concept of control is very silly.

[~NightFire~]

I can't turn it off, anymore than I can turn off my hearing, eyesight, smell etc.

I think the concept of control is very silly.

I agree with that. :hahugh:

As corny as it may sound, I see it as a 'sixth sense', & therefore I think that it's not about controlling it, or shutting it off, but alllowing it to work with all of your other senses, & your mind, body, & spirit in gereral.

I hope I'm making sense here. _inabox_

[Lunacie]

I can't turn it off, anymore than I can turn off my hearing, eyesight, smell etc.

I think the concept of control is very silly.

I'm also very sensitive to loud noise and bright light, and bad smells to a lesser degree, and to the sensation of touch. When I'm aware of a bad smell I control it by holding my nose, leaving the area, or airing out the room. I control my sensitivity to touch by wearing comfortable (usually cotton) clothing and comfortable shoes, or going barefoot which means I have to keep the floor very clean.

I control my sensitivity to noise by running an electric fan at night for white noise so other noises don't keep me awake or wake me in the middle of the night. I don't often go places where the noise level is very high (concerts, swimming pools, Playland) and I leave when I've reached my toleration level.

I control my sensitivity to bright light by wearing sunglasses when driving, or by closing the shades in the house when the sun is coming directly through the window, or by changing the angle of my monitor when I'm getting a reflection.


I control my empathic sense the same way, by limiting exposure, by distracting myself when necessary, and by leaving the situation when I've reached my toleration level.

[Diotima]

Didn't vote since I don't think I'm exactly an Empath.

I'm with Lunacie- limiting exposure is so important. I have chosen a lifestyle that allows me to regulate most of the time, how much I am in contact with people. I can't handle very much, though learning to shield and being shielded at all times has improved my situation a lot.

Basically, my talent comes in two levels: the inactive level on which I spend most of my time is just dealing with sensitivity. I can't help being sensitive, but I can manage it by limiting exposure and shielding.
This also helps me to prevent situations where my talent might activate. I have some limited control on my talent when it is active, but choosing to activate/shut down is usually not among my options.

For me, casual discussions with new people are the worst of the worst. I can sense whether the person I'm talking with has psychic potential with which I can connect- and usually, when this happens, my talent inevitably tries to connect unless I act very quickly. It happens very rarely, but is still quite unpleasant.
I hope that one day I will learn to understand my talent better- perhaps a bit better control will come with that.

[anomalous]

The way i see it the concept of switching it on and off is quite funny, it shows how distracted people get in their own spiritual practices by targeting it on a specific talent. Once they get to the point where they experience it they simply stay at that particular level and be done with it.

Consider, on and off, is a simple misunderstanding and that you always have your spiritual talents wherever you are wherever you go. So, how come some people use the terms "feeling weak" or "not in tune" as an excuse for when its not working at particular times?

From my own experiences, your higher self has complete control of how spiritual the human consciousness becomes and when. If you meditate spiritually to be able to get to the higher self effectively and practice it then your spiritual intermittent behavior no longer becomes a problem.

[mtpathy]

controlling the empathic ability isnt having the ability of switching it off or on, but being able to recognize and seperate your emotions from others and being able to use them as stepping stones towards personal growth..

there really should be a "other" choice on this poll................

[Blue Heartd Kitty]

I agree, there should be an "other" choice. There is ON, IGNORE, NEUTRAL and OFF. ON for me is when someone is actively pulling on my ability (with my consent). IGNORE is like forwarding your phone to voicemail - I'll answer it later. NEUTRAL is when my brain is floating along a blank highway and others project a request to which I either turn ON and answer or IGNORE and retrieve later. If I choose not to respond then the request gets stuffed in my little black mental box (reserved for those I need to cut off for my own sanity.) OFF is only possible (for me) in major deep sleep.

Yes, no, anyone?

BHK

[Darkest Eve]

I can't turn it off... but I can ignore it. Those aren't the same thing (at least to me)... so I didn't vote.

[Solya]

No vote here either. I have little control over it, but it's not on all the time either. When I am feeling sick or particularly down, my abilities usually 'fade out' a little so I have time to recover and start feeling well again. However, I feel that this is one of the few areas in my life which just is without me needing to control every bit of it. It's fine the way it is.

[WolfWhoSings]

I have to agree with, um, everyone?

I believe that empathy, in whatever sense you want to see it, is a sense, but one that if left completely unmoderated can cause difficulty.

For instance, my mother is very open, but that leaves her like a raw nerve. She feels the pain of everyone around her, even strangers - it is very draining for her.

When we go outside in bright sun, we put on sunglasses. We wear sunblock to protect our skin from light. We close doors to protect ourselves from sound from time to time. We burn candles to get rid of unpleasant odors.

All of those examples are controlling the senses.

[Shaman7]

I have to agree with the past few posts, also without a vote on the poll.

I liken it to listening to a single person in a room of crowded discussion. One could tune in to any particular conversation with a little effort, and it takes some level of connection to dim the background noise in order to listen to one particular voice. There is no mute button that causes random others to become completely silent though. Tuning in and tuning out has its limitations. Pursuing a conversation while at a lively sports event, for example, is more difficult than conversing during a quiet ballet, even though both situations may have the same number of attendees. Different situations present different challenges.

For a very extreme example, try not being empathetic while standing amidst of a riot, wedding, or funeral. Good luck! On the other hand, while sitting in a large classroom among hundreds of people, it may be quite easy to tune out the background 'noise'. Why is that so?

[Kailen]

Mine are on all the time, but this does not mean I am constantly overwhelmed. I can feel everything around me, but unless I choose to focus in on one particular thing, pick it out from the rest and really analyse it, it is all filtered so that I keep it separate from myself.

The only time I will feel someone elses emotions as my own is when I am actively seeking to feel that person and what is going on inside them. Even then, I do not always feel it as my own. Some of the time I do, other times it's like it's right there in front of me, pressed up against me, but with a thin transparent layer separating me from it.

Not sure how much sense that makes...

[Siecila]

I cant control it at all.
sometimes i think i can, but its simple things like not looking at people. thats more avoiding then control though.

[Lunacie]

Does "control" mean "discipline" then?

Aren't there lots of ways of controlling or adjusting how much or in what ways we experience the world around us?