question

[wandcarvr]

First hi to all. I consider myself an empath. I seem to no when someones hurting and have the ability to lift their spirits usually with irony or a hand on the shoulder.or just an understanding ear. However what confuses me is I pick up alot on the negativity more often than not and this I carry as if it was my burden. Picikng up on the positive is usually quite rare. Is this due to the fact that the collective conciuosness is more to the negative or is my sensitivity just more intune to the negative? Or is it due to the fact that ive always felt as if I was on the outside looking in? I d like your thoughts on this. thx

[Artiste-LiLi]

Good questions and a good observation. I too am an empath.....and I pick up equally on the negative and the positives.........put me in a room with a bunch of "up" people and I'm high flyin', put me in with a bunch of "downers" and I will be in the ditch wallowing in the mud in no time.

Just my opinion here, but, I think that for many people, negative emotions are stronger and longer lasting than positive emotions (with a few exceptions).

By way of example: Which do you remember more clearly, with intact emotions and longer......the day your boss gave you a slap on the back and an "atta boy" praise..................OR......................the day your boss called your ass on the carpet and chewed it royally?

[Lunacie]

Yeah, what Ariste Lili said.

Hello Wandcarver, welcome to the Bunker. Always room for another Empath in here. I'm not sure why we tend to hold onto negative emotions that don't actually belong to us, but it seems we have all done it to some degree. We really need to kind of 'retrain' ourselves to notice when we've picked up something that doesn't belong to us and to put it back down again. Grounding is a good exercise for that. Also, sending a bit of positive energy to the person who 'shared' their negative energy with us makes it a win/win situation.

[Artiste-LiLi]

I think the negative is just more "clingy". When I visualize it..it has like little "barbs" on it....kind of like a cuckleburr(sp)....so it really "grabs on" and is more difficult to shed.

I argree with Lunacie; recognition, removal, release. Sending the positive energy to a person is a nice touch....though I don't always do it.

Ritual cleansing bath/shower is a nice way to remove "the muck".

[Phoenix Blue]

Are you grounding this negative energy when you pull it from someone? If not, you do end up carrying it.

[Lunacie]

I think the negative is just more "clingy". When I visualize it..it has like little "barbs" on it....kind of like a cuckleburr(sp)....so it really "grabs on" and is more difficult to shed.

I argree with Lunacie; recognition, removal, release. Sending the positive energy to a person is a nice touch....though I don't always do it.

Ritual cleansing bath/shower is a nice way to remove "the muck".


Are you grounding this negative energy when you pull it from someone? If not, you do end up carrying it.

Yep, that's true, negative energy is more sticky while positive energy seems to flow more smoothly. It is like pulling loose all those little sticker plants that cling to our clothing - they are like velcro with little hooks. I like to sweep my aura with my hands after opening to the Reiki energy, but a shower is always great for cleaning the aura.

Too bad people aren't being taught to ground the energy when they cleanse their aura and remove cords that others attach to us, or cleanse the stickers of negative energies. Even in my Reiki class we were taught to return the energy to the Universe to be transformed, so there are two ways of releasing the unwanted energy - grounding it or shaking our hands over our heads to send it to the Universe.

[Artiste-LiLi]

Are you grounding this negative energy when you pull it from someone? If not, you do end up carrying it.

My interpretation was that this was an "un-intentional" picking up of negative energy. Grounding and cleansing is the way to go though...otherwise...the "crud" sticks to you like burrs! I also think shielding is important....that way the "crud" isn't picked-up un-intentionally as often.

[Miabella]

Question how do you ground and cleanse away. I used to be able to do this by idea of cleansing by have a rich bubble bath and as soon as i am done i Would go into high park, huge huge park and in the middle of it all I would sit and read to lose my emotions into a book where I know i can rid myself of all the energy i collected. I dont really know what I am truley I am begining to learn about myself. My friends have said I am an empathetic. I feel more and pick up easily on things, with a smile I can make others feel good hence why i want to be a counslor in a high school and work with teens. But i dont know about any of this, does anyone have any suggestion where to go. Because honeslty if it werent for my lover helping me calm down id be crying all the dammtime. I dont know if its society but there are not alot of people happy anymore. It makes me sooo sad to see this espically when I look around and think how beautiful nature and mankind can be *sigh
any suggestion would be greatly apperciated..
Thank you

[Shaman7]

When you are picking up this energy you are in the present moment, mindful of your surroundings and the energies therein. As the energies get "stuck", you are no longer in your own present moment, your presence. You are attached to the energies of others, or the "cords" as Luncaie said. This attachment happens as long as you allow the cords to remain attached, as long as you are stuck with past energies of others. How do you break these cords? You break your attachment to others' past energies.

Meditation practice (mindfulness) is the most helpful thing that I've found to clear these past energies and also shield myself from them in the present. It takes practice and some work, but it is well worth it to rid yourself of negative energy. I can't really explain how this works, I just know that it does for me. Best thing that I can say is that it is all about embracing your own present moment and letting the past drift to where it naturally belongs, in the past. Look more deeply into a regular meditation practice, or continue working with it if you have already started. Eventually the peacefulness carries over into all the other aspects of your life and it is easier to not get stuck, and to just let go.

I hope that makes some sense.

[Lunacie]

There's a thread around here someplace about cutting cords with some good suggestions in it. Grounding is a good way to release the energy - do a search on MW or a Google to find information on how to ground unwanted energy/emotions.

A couple of techniques I've tried and had some success with are:

Turn one hand outwards at waist level (solar plexus, ego chakra), turning the unwanted energy away from you. Then turn the hand inwards (palm facing your solar plexus) to remind yourself of what your own feelings and emotions and energy feels like.

Visualize yourself and the other person in each section of a figure eight - still connected but not wide open.

[wandcarvr]

thxyou first for the welcome.secondly thx for all the ideas for cleansing and some defintive answers. It seems that I dont pick it up intentionally. Might be to the fact that since I was but a wee bugger if I saw someone hurting I deeply felt it,almost as if I myself was experiencing it. I would have to reach out my hand and help. at times its almost seems i can see it coming but cant avoid it and though I can keep my spirits up I feel as if im carrying baggage and by the end of the week it can be draining. once again thx for all the advice .peace and may your nights be filled w beautful dreams,your hearts be filled w endless love and spirit free and lighthearted.

[Johnathan Brisby]

First hi to all. I consider myself an empath. I seem to no when someones hurting and have the ability to lift their spirits usually with irony or a hand on the shoulder.or just an understanding ear. However what confuses me is I pick up alot on the negativity more often than not and this I carry as if it was my burden. Picikng up on the positive is usually quite rare. Is this due to the fact that the collective conciuosness is more to the negative or is my sensitivity just more intune to the negative? Or is it due to the fact that ive always felt as if I was on the outside looking in? I d like your thoughts on this. thx

negative energy is like a virus- if your energy core is positive the virus is painful but not destructive- meanwhile the infected dont feel the pain as intensely because they are used to it