Are there any Catholic empaths here?

[Girlio]

Hello all -

I am looking for guidance from individuals who have had experiences similar to my own, and I’m hoping to find it from a Catholic perspective.

I don’t know quite how to explain this to someone who hasn’t had the same experience, but all of my life I have had an odd “ability” to feel what others are feeling. When I say this, I don’t mean that someone is telling me a story and I can imagine how they feel and try to relate to them… I mean I FEEL what they are feeling. I feel their grief or their stomach aches or their anxiety or their fear. And we don’t have to be in the same room or even in contact for it to happen, in fact we can be miles apart and I can pick up on these feeling. It isn’t something I seek out and for the longest time I didn’t know it was happening… I’ve struggled for much of my life with depression and sadness that I was confused by because there was no tangible reason for me to feel sad or depressed.

Also, all of my life I’ve had a “voice” that I felt has guided me. It’s always encouraging and uplifting and has gotten me through some of the hardest times of my life. It is constantly with me and will “tell” me to do things… for instance, this year it told me to update my resume a week before an awesome job opportunity landed in my lap. Also, it “nudged” me not to book a hotel that ended up being in a fire evacuation zone during the dates of our vacation.

Some would call this intuition or “psychic”, but I assume this is God or a guardian angel or something… Anyway, several years ago I was driving my car feeling terribly depressed and I asked God why I was feeling this way because I had no reason to feel so sad and that my life was good! Immediately I heard the voice say, “maybe it’s not your emotion.” and then I had kind of a vision of a person I know who lives several hundred miles away. This left me very, very confused so I contacted this person and sure enough they were going through something terrible at that very day and time.

This experience led me to an internet search that led me to a bunch of information and my life has become much more understandable (I’ve found people like me), but nearly all of the information is from the new age spectrum and I don’t want to “pull” this to me because I don’t believe it’s a “power”. I look at it as more of a responsibility? Or a burden? Or… something?

Most everything else I’ve found outside of the new age says that this kind of thing is from satan, isn’t real or is a mental illness. Let me assure you, it is real and I’m not crazy.

So, my question… is there a place in the Catholic Church for people with these experiences? Has anyone been taught how to control it? Not in a “power” way, but in an “I’m at work and really can’t be crazy because you’re having a bad day” way? Is there something I can read? How can I find a spiritual director who won’t tell me to see a therapist?

If you want to tell me that these things aren’t real, or there’s no scientific evidence for it’s existence, or that I need a therapist I guess that’s fine, but it won’t be helpful.

Thanks all!

 

[tm21]

I would talk to a good Catholic priest to help you discern if these phenomena are from God or not. Praying for you!

 

[wild_thing]

I used to be an empath. I couldn’t go to parties, a bar, the mall- anywhere there was a ton of people because I absorbed all their negative energy. School and church were a nightmare. It went beyond just being an introvert and needing time alone. But when I reverted back to the faith, God gave me a great grace by virtually eliminating it. I am still what is considered a sensitive in the Church, but because of that grace and through spiritual direction, I am better able to discern what I am ‘feeling’ or sensing. But it was really a great gift of God that I am now able to go to masses without feeling overwhelmed and horrible.

I’m not sure of any Catholic books on empaths, just questionable ones. Perhaps a charismatic Catholic group? A charismatic priest as a spiritual director? My spiritual director hasn’t any charismatic leanings at all, but he was also a gift that I spent many years praying for. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to the right people to help you!

 

[JoyousCatholic]

I am an empath and also used to getting phenomena, but I still visit my priest or a spiritual director to help in discerning them properly.

God gives us certain gifts for specific reasons, and empathy can be a beautiful thing to have.

 

[egretps]

I think you might be more aware of it than most people. It might at times be your cross.

You might as the others have stated, be gifted with this, and I suggest along with following their advice take up a devotion to a saint that might be a bit more cerebral such as St. VIncent de Sales or maybe jovial like the soon to be canonized Fr. Solanus Casey. Ask them to pray for you especially in dealing with others. They both served others with such grace and empathy and were able to help so may with that gift, although in different ways. The Holy Spirit will show you how to serve all these people who have come into your life. It might just be a prayer in passing, or a hug and a good word. De Sales wrote letters.

I know these feelings can sometimes be overwhelming, but look at them first as a call to prayer.

 

[Girlio]

Thank you for the responses!

I’m in an odd place at the moment, in that I am not a practicing Catholic. I was born and baptized as such and went to Catholic schools through high school, and I am part of a parish, but I find I am very bothered by the hypocrisy I can so easily sense within the other members and the organization. That is not to say I’m perfect, CERTAINLY not! I do strive to be as authentic as possible though and that is the crux of the issue. I suppose one would say I have a problem with authority, but I think my main issue is a disdain for the politics. So many politics! So much posturing. So many people doing things they don’t really believe in just so that they look good. It’s exhausting.

I do test as an INFJ and when I learned that I gained a lot of clarity.

I don’t have the issue where I’m being bombarded all of the time, at least not that I’m aware… which I guess could be a problem… I can go into crowds without being an emotional mess, thank God. I can not watch things like war movies. That is a recipe for disaster.

I am blabbing right now, because that is what I do any time I find people who might understand this craziness!

I know I can’t escape the human-ness of the church because we are all human, but I think what I need is a more personal experience with God instead of the standard community experience. (I know that community is a vitally important component of church life and life in general…)

I am concerned about finding a priest that I can speak to about this. There are two priests that I know in our very small community. One is very old school and, frankly, crotchety. I suspect he would blow me off and push me farther away from the church. (sorry Father, but you are unapproachable). The other is on the fringe of my circle of friends and he gossips… I don’t trust him.

Is there, perhaps, an online option?

I will check out those saints that were suggested. Thank you!

 

[Casilda]

I finally found a priest to talk to at a retreat. They usually have more time to talk to people at such events.