Can empaths read minds? (A complete guide)

In this article, we will discuss Can empaths read minds?. We will initially discuss the definition of empaths and explain the relationship between an empath and mind reading. We will then move on to describing the signs of an empath. Finally, we will discuss an intuitive empath and their signs.

Can empaths read minds? 

Empaths are not mind readers. They only have an understanding of other people’s emotions. This does not make them psychic.  People who claim that they can read other people’s minds just because they are an empath are actually misleading others. Empaths can have a strong intuition on the other hand. This helps them pick out the emotions of others and understand the reason behind it. They are unofficial counselors of others and usually, the one people turn to for advice and for processing their emotions.

Empaths

Empaths refer to people who have a strong understanding of the emotions of others and can connect with them on an emotional level. They understand the world from another person’s perspective and can actively go through the emotional experience of someone by absorbing their emotions. They extend their compassion and kindness to anyone who is going through a difficult time and needs their help.

Empaths and mind-reading 

 Empathic people are also known as highly sensitive people. Their senses are heightened especially for detecting the emotions and thoughts of other people. Their own traumas and difficulties make things challenging for them. They are the complete opposite of people who are narcissistic or sociopathic. They have a compensatory mechanism for dealing with challenging environments and that is to understand others and their emotions. Giving emotional meaning to complicated information helps them make sense of the world. It helps them deal with people by taking on their emotions. Doing so helps to separate themselves from others and develop their own identity which is distinct.

 Sometimes empaths also take on the physical pain of other people. This can be harmful for their emotional and mental health. It can contribute to anxiety and depression.

 Due to the popularity of empaths on social media, many people are claiming to be empaths. It is a new social media trend. So, people want to be identified as empathetic. Even fictional characters have started to be depicted as empathetic which has increased the popularity of empathy even more.

 There are two types of empathy.  Cognitive empathy and emotional or affective empathy. Cognitive empathy refers to an intellectual understanding of another person’s experiences. Whereas, emotional or affective empathy refers to the emotional understanding of another person’s experience. These people tend to absorb the feelings of others and  also take action to do something to make them feel better.

Signs of an Empath

 If we look at empathy across a spectrum, some people have higher empathy and others have low empathy.

 The top 10 traits of empathize people include the following: 

• Crowded people and loud noises can overwhelm them. It is a form of extra stimulation that overwhelms them. So, they need time alone away from people in order to regain their energy.
• Being around people who are aggressive can unsettle them.
•  They have strong intuition and can often tell when someone is lying or trying to deceive them. They usually have gut feelings about a lot of people which can be correct.
•  Many times people approach empaths and tell them about their problems in the hopes that they will be able to help them process their emotions.
• Watching negative news on the television can be upsetting for them.
•  An empath can generally detect the mood of the room.
•  Empaths are great listeners.
•  It is hard for them to say no to anyone who needs help.
•  They have a strong tendency to tell what someone is feeling.
• They are not interested in meaningless conversations and purposeless life. They think that they have a higher purpose which is usually related to helping mankind and healing people in the world.

 Empathy and intuition

 We have often heard that empaths are people with an intuition. Empathy and intuition mean different things. Empathy refers to the ability to sense and feel the emotions of other people. Intuition, on the other hand, means being able to turn inwards and come up with gut feelings to understand a situation. It is dependent upon absorbing and processing the world around you. So, the assumption that people who are empathetic are also highly intuitive can be misleading. 

Intuitive empaths refer to those people who have both empathic abilities as well as a strong intuition. 

Signs of an intuitive empath

 There are four signs of intuitive empaths. They are stated as follows:

•  Intuitive empaths can tell the difference between their own feelings and the feelings of other people.
  A lot of the time, the feelings of different people can mix up in our minds. However, intuitive empaths have a strong internal tuning and can differentiate between what they are feeling and what they are absorbing from their environment. They are less influenced by the emotions of others and still recognize these emotions. They can see the impact of other people’s emotions on their mental health. Furthermore, they can establish barriers or boundaries between their own feelings and the feelings of others. In short, they are skilled at separating the two.
•  Intuitive empaths can understand the reason behind the feelings of other people.
  They are able to step back from their feelings and view the world from a broader perspective. It enables them to see the connections between different things. They are able to tell the cause and effect. They see connections between emotions, situations, and people. This helps them to tell what someone is feeling and the possible reasons for their emotions.
• An intuitive empath has helped people in the past understand their own feelings.

An intuitive empath has a strong understanding of feelings and the reasons behind them. They use this skill to help people in their life. Whenever someone tells them their emotions and life story, they can understand the rationale behind it, and helps them process their emotions. This leaves others feeling much better after talking to them.

• They are unofficial counselors.

Intuitive empaths understand and appreciate the feelings of other people. This makes them ideal counselors of people and usually, they are someone others turn to whenever they are facing a problem. They not only pick their feelings but also understand the reasons. They are creative people who can think outside the box and offer multiple ways of tackling the situation. They can also explain why people respond the way they do and accordingly offer advice on what to do next. They are usually the ones their friends and family turn to. In other words, they are confidants of most people.

FAQs: Can empaths read minds?

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed Can empaths read minds?. We found that empaths are not mind readers. They only have an understanding of other people’s emotions. This does not make them psychic.  People who claim that they can read other people’s minds just because they are an empath are actually misleading others. Empaths can have a strong intuition on the other hand. This helps them pick out the emotions of others and understand the reason behind it. They are unofficial counselors of others and usually, the one people turn to for advice and for processing their emotions.

 I hope you found this article interesting. If you have any queries or comments, please state them in the comment section 😊

Citations

https://mywellbeing.com/therapy-101/empaths#:~:text=The%20reason%20being%2C%20the%20Empath,feeling%20what%20isn’t%20said.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/jun/24/superpower-empaths-paid-read-mind-empathy

4 Signs You’re An Intuitive Empath (Not ‘Just’ An Empath)