how can one differentiate between HSP and empath?

[cyberangel]

Hi Alena,

What is the difference between a HIGHLY SENSITIVE PERSON and an EMPATH?

The difference between the two is this...a HSP is a person who is highly sensitive to their surroundings, environment and to other people’s emotions within a HSP vibration.

An Empath is someone who is a HSP but is also someone who can also ‘physically’ feel and/or ‘actually’ experience the emotions, pain and/or thoughts of another, whether they are in the same environment or not.

Sorry for quick reply but I only just saw your question as I was logging off. Hope this helps you to determine which of the above you can relate to more. Tests online I would not advise, as they are not very accurate in my opinion and are based on a generic system of testing, and as I have found out not all HSP’s or Empath’s are the same and each has their own unique gifts within their speciality.

Love and Light

[donq]

Hi alena,

Empath? Someone who is full of empathy (understanding and entering into other's feelings), right?

Let me put it in this way, I believe almost everyone who’s walking on his/her spiritual path will increase their highly sensitive empathy…or compassion (deep awareness and understanding of the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it.) Maybe that’s the means and the end. They are developing their highest awareness/selves.
But, there are also some backfires along the way. When you feel and are too moved by other’s suffering which it’s maybe good for your higher spiritual development (compassion) but you must not let it overwhelm you. You have to learn how to let it go. How?, then, you may ask. The practical answer is “you/we are not superman” (even Superman, sometimes he still could not do so many things, right? ) Let's see this way, we know so well that trying to change ourselves are very hard, then, why do we think that we can change (help) others all the time, even for their own good? So let it go, let them go, you cannot help them all the time.
This might sound like a selfish thinking but it’s not. If you look at all highly spiritual persons in the past, there’s no doubt that they were full of compassion, still, they could not help everyone on their paths. It still depends on so many things. One of them is choosing the very right time to help. Even you are ready to help someone but no way you can help them if they are not ready to “accept” your help. So, the right time is the very key.
Along the way, when you are full of highly sensitive compassion but sometimes emotional backfires really drain you because you cannot do anything to help them or you have to wait for the right time, how to let this feeling go? Again, I think the answer is still learning how to “let it go!”
Frankly speak, “letting go” is so natural. It happens by itself even you don’t try to do anything about it. Or if you “don’t” try to do anything with it, it will naturally go by itself. (compare to your sleeping. The more you “try” to sleep, the more you are still awake. If only you don’t try, your sleeping will come naturally by itself.) If only you don’t “try” to let it go, it will naturally go by itself.
There’s a word called, “wounded healer” coined by Jung. Any healer wants to heal others because the healer herself is “wounded.” She knows so well about suffering and that’s why she has so much compassion and wants so much to help others. (Research has shown that 73.9% of counselors and psychotherapists have experienced one or more wounding experiences leading to career choice.)
Another thing you should consider is, as you already knew, recharging your battery (spiritual energy) from time to time and try to avoid (if possible) someone who is like a sponge that always drains your energy all the time. I don’t mean to drop your compassion about them, just…let them go their ways, and you go your way. :-)
Yes, being alone in nature is very good to recharge your battery. I know many monks who have more advance spiritual awareness than me but they still choose to live in the forest most of the time.
About your daydreaming, can you change it into meditation or prayer? These two things are so close but so different. At the first look, both of them seem like trying to “escape” from the real world. But daydreaming will only drain your spiritual energy (like drinking alcohol or taking drug) and brings you far and far away form the real world. But mediation or prayer will charge your energy more and more until you feel so peaceful with yourself and the world (not to mention it’s very good for your health, too.)

P.S. Thanks for sharing your story. I know it was a huge step for you. You were so brave and have done great.

[donq]

Hi alena,

Good to hear!

Yes, believing in God (goodness etc.) is like falling in love. It has nothing to do with our heads but hearts. We don’t need any reason to believe, just fall in love with all of our hearts.

Here’s one of stories that I like (maybe you ever heard about it before.)


A man lived by the river. He heard a radio report that the river was going to rush up and flood the town. The reporter said the whole town should evacuate immediately. But the man said to himself, "I'm religious, I pray. God loves me. God will save me."
The river was overflowing. Water was surrounding his house up to his front porch. As he was standing there, a boat came by. The man in the boat said, “Jump in, and I’ll take you to safety.”
He crossed his arms and said, “Oh! no, thanks, I put my trust in God.” The boat went away. The water rose up to the second story. Another boat came. The man in the boat shouted to our man, who was now at the second floor window, “Hurry, jump in. I’ll save you.”
He said again, “Oh no thanks, I put my trust in God.”
The boat went away. Now the water was inching over the roof. As he stood on the roof, a helicopter came over, and dropped a ladder. The pilot yelled down to him, “I’ll save you. Climb the ladder.”
The man yelled back, “Oh no thanks, I put my trust in God.”
The helicopter went away. The water continued to rise and swept the man off the roof into the so strong swift water. Sadly, he drowned.
The man went to heaven. God saw him and asked, “What are you doing here?”
The man said, “I put my trust in you, and you let me down.”
God said, “What do you mean, let you down? I sent you a report, including another two boats and a helicopter!”

[baangus]

Jul 8, 2014 12:01:42 GMT @alena said:

I don't find that I'm in any type of danger with my unconditional love

You're in danger of being loved back! Very scary for many in fact, especially the unconditional part. What quite often (usually?) passes for unconditional love in our society is really just conditional like. Judgment and even criticism is explained away as caring for someone. People are locked into belief and behavioral patterns which in many ways completely conflict with the freedom and openness of unconditional love. Scary to embrace something that foreign.

[baangus]

Jul 8, 2014 12:20:47 GMT @alena said:

Hi baangus
Really?
Then I would like getting that love from God

Hi alena, I added a couple of thoughts to further explain my comment.

[baangus]

Jul 8, 2014 12:20:47 GMT @alena said:

Then I would like getting that love from God

I had a very enlightening conversion with someone a couple weeks ago. In the midst of our talk, he mentioned how God would be happy in that we were conversing in this way. It dawned on me that our conversation was, in one very real sense, God conversing with God. It was God having a revelation of Itself. Anyway, I hijacked your question, that's a no-no in this question forum!

[donq]

Hi alena,

Hmm…I didn’t have anything in my mind while I shared that story. I meant…I didn’t think that you were like that man in the story at all. Because the main points of your questions were about trying to helping others and you would like to be a healer some day.

How old of your grandfather? (if you can tell)

P.S. I didn't mean to like my post. Just misclick (I wanted to click edit) hahaha

[donq]

Ah....ok, 75

First I read that your grandpa is 42.

Yes, I also like to talk with old person. For example, Sue, in our chat room.

[donq]

Hi alena,

Yes, understand. It seems you and I live in the very close time zone.

For example, the chat room will start at 01.00 (after midnight) at my time. So, I think you have to calculate about the difference of the time, too. If I get it right, you have to go to the chat room around your midnight? (if your time is different from UK about 4-5 hours?)
Just googling it, to see this difference of time zone.
Last year, I worked (I’m a freelancer) in the night and slept in the day (like a vampire ) so I didn’t have any problem to join our chat room.
This year, I changed my sleeping time and rarely go there.
Anyway, on Friday, there will be a spiritual healing (long distant) session, so, even though there would be many members but we can chat only after the session finished.
I cannot tell exactly when there will be more members there, some night, there were only a few…
But there will always at least one of our moderator (s) there, kaz, ace etc.

[donq]

It's ok. We hardly have a new member who is so eager like you.
I'm sure all of our friends here are glad to have you here. 
Besides, it will be benefit for someone who might want to join us later, too.
 

[donq]

Yes, every Friday.
Before the healing session begins, every member will be asked to write any name on our chat…yes, including that member's name himself/herself, too.
What do you need to do? Ace and kaz will tell and help you and everyone about this. Don’t worry. But if you’d like to know it advance, it’s better that you try to clam your mind…thinking of something good you believe (God etc.) This way every member will be able to participate the healing session very well. I mean…the more every member can concentrate and think only about something good, the more we can create a good and powerful healing energy. Every member are creating this good and pure and beautiful healing energy together.

[donq]

6pm GMT 1 pm EDT

Hmm...or you just tell me where do you live? I will try to find and tell you about what time you should go to chat room.

P.S. Sorry about my misclick. It seemed I liked my own post more than twice (after I tried to click "edit") 

[donq]

Hi Alena,

Welcome back.

Does spiritual practice make us very sensitive?
My answer would be "yes" and/or "may be."

Let me put it in this way: if you want to pull out weeds (clump of grass) through its root, you have to grasp it tightly enough or its blades (leaves) might cut your hand or they might be slipped out of your hand (s). Yes, that state of mind is so sensitive and intense as it needs a lot of concentration and effort. That intensity will be gone if you give up and do not success in what you are doing. Comparing to the intensity that is gone AFTER you succeeded in doing that. See my point?
Some spiritual persons gave up their ways and felt more relax. That is sad, is it not?  

Anyway, we must not forget about what the Buddha (Siddhartha that time) learned about "The Song of the Lute":

Under the Bodi tree one evening, a group of young girls on their way home passed by Siddhartha who was sitting in meditation. They were playing lutes, a musical instrument, and singing. He thought, "When the strings of the lute are loose, its sound won't carry. When the strings are too tight, it breaks. When the strings are neither too loose nor too tight, the music is beautiful. I'm pulling my strings too tightly. I cannot find the Way to Truth living a life of luxury or with my body so weak."
Thus, he decided to give up self-torture. He came to know that this was not the correct way.     
 
P.S. Recently I'm so busy and hardly come here, so please forgive me in advance if I might reply your question so late.