Ever felt like you can "hear" other people's thoughts?

Lately, I've been going through so many happenings that I started to question my sanity. It's not like I've always been like that: until 2 years ago, I didn't even know what "empath" meaned and I couldn't care less. But at one point while being with my boyfriend I started... feeling more. Or better said, hearing more. Like I could be "connected" to other people that had their minds "unshielded" (as I call it, because I find it impossible to talk to some people that seem to be hiding in their thoughts, somewhere far, in fear or anxiety)

I didn't know what it was at that time. I just let it develop, thinking eveybody was like that anyway. I soon started to realize that I've become much more aware of my surroundings. I can be walking in the park, or be at school, and simply knowing if someone is about to walk towards me from the corner or if people are thinking about positive or negative things.

Some things also happened this summer holiday: real episodes of syncornicity between me and my friends and parents (I even "predicted" weather 3 time or so... ) and I dicovered I can influence people a lot with my thoughts and detect lies (one reason I like playing cards whenever I'm with my friends and we have the occasion... I win a lot :D)

I may also get warning thoughts out of nowhere: like I suddenly don't feel the reason to go to a certain place or shop, and finding out later that something happened there or the shop closed.

But the most intriguing one so far: I'm getting a lot of feelings about people and animals. With animals... well, everything is ok. But when it comes to "humans"... oh dear, it's like a hurricane messes everything in my head. I can't concentrate on my own thoughts, I get lost in impressions, I may suddenly feel overwhelmed with joy, fear or anxiety, and I feel a lot of pressure on my head and I'm getting a lot of head aches. I get sad and cry all of a sudden, and then, when I feel my heart gets lighter, I think at least "Am I crazy or what? Why was I sad? My problems aren't THAT big..." (I was talking with a friend that had been going through a hard experience when I suddenly felt overwhelmed again and started crying! It was funny though, I didn't know how to explain it, so I used the "my boyfriend dumped me" line and I eventuall calmed down ) )

But this year, I had to transfer to class with better professors. And it became... horrible, after the first month passed. I felt so much pressure, and had a feeling of being drained out, that at one point, during the night while I was lying in bed and having another headache, I felt like something closed. Out of a sudden. And my head became quiet. I didn't even relize how many thoughts I had in my head until then. But an immense fear overwhelmed me. I didn't like that feeling at all, even though my headache dissapeared: it was like I became blind. I couldn't analyse if my brother was asleep or not, nor if my parents were awake... it's just like it was me again, but ONLY me.

I'm scared I may have closed my "intuition". The next day, I had the same feeling: loneliness, to much quiet, "surrounding-blind" like feeling. I couldn't "sense" anymore. And I still have 2 scartches from that day, because I kept bumping into people.

I told a part of what is happening to me to my mother and I decided to go to a psychologist. I don't feel like she's helping a lot though, even if it was such a relief to me to discuss SOMEof the things that happened with somebody else, even though I hid the real "reason" and "feelings" under the mask of social anxiety... I know it isn't that. But I can't tell her my REAl feelings yet. I'm afraid she'll bump into the wrong onclusion, and I wouldn't blame her.

I would have never believed in these kind of things... if it wasn't for that one day.

 I'm only 16 years old and I had a perfectly normal life. I don't understand why this is happening to me. I've made another topic, but I feel like in this one I am more coherent (also, sorry for my english, it's not my first language and I'm still learning it )

My questions are: Are these the signs of a potential empath? Should I be worried? It is possible to close this "power" if it gets overwhelming, like I suspect I did (but I became scared because I felt so unaware and "blind")? How can I control this? Is it because of the 2012 thing?

All I can say, my life-path twisted in a way I could have never anticipated... but what the h***, I'm only 16! and everything indicates a healthy mind, apart from the things above (family with money, happiness, friends, boyfriend, travelled a lot, good school grades, future plans and all)!!

Oh, you know, I would really appreciate if you could tell me some techniques that are working for real :D I have so little time for meditation unfortunately due to a lot events, school & personal life, and since the holiday ended and I couldn't parctice "grounding" as you name it and other sites I've found name it, I started to feel like I'm loosing it.

I want to know what is real and what is not. I actually met a lot of mature people (over 25) in the projects I've been getting myself into, who seemed to be normal, but after getting to know them better, they started to talk about out-of-the-body experiences and things that scare the s*** out of me! I may not alone, yes, but oh, I don't want to go crazy... and I really need some advices.

But of course... thank you for posting, Jami! :D

edit later: thankyou too Pritha... I just need reassurance i'm not going crazy, lol. I even find it hard and awakward to accept the fact that I need to talk on a forum about this..

Empathy, new awarness... I'm curious if I will get through more practical experiences to tell you about, and that could will assure me everything is real. I also wonder what could possibly be the limit of such things and if "high-positioned people" know about these or if there are people able to do a lot more than "sensing and interpreting"

Buut well, I guess that's another topic of discussion )

The rubber band thing seems interesting, I'll try it. What do you suggest to do when I'm feeling overwhelmed and I feel like my "third eye" (well, I do not know how to call it otherwise... maybe awareness?) is closing? What should I think of?

And by the way, does anyone believe there is any tie between empathy/psychic powers and astrology? (like being born in a water sign & co?)

edit later: yes angela, I believe that eveyone's "connected somehow" too :D

Thankyou all for the answers!

I slept today and, strangely, woke up with such an annoying sick-like feelig although I am not sick or anything. My mother just came to wake me up and as soon as I opened my eyes I felt stress and anger again: and sickness. Well, I tried to snap out of it, but what came out of my mouth was different: "God, I feel like I'm soo sick!" and after "But I don't know why" followed of course by my mother's really concerned reponse (well, almost shoutting): "Again? Get over it already, I do not know what to say to you anymore, don't you have anything any kid would want? What happened with you?"

Then it just came to my mind I should call one of my close friends (scorpio, hehe)... and I found out she was really sick and had a quarrel with her boyfriend.

Coincidence?

But what could I have told my mother? "You know, I think I believe in an universal tie between individuals and that I'm am some kind of a special person more sensible to other's thoughts called empath and due to 2012 coming I got really sensible and sometimes i think i can "cipher out" what others think. Oh, don't worry, I've talked to people with the same problems on internet and i should get better at one point" ... ?? Hell NO.

Should I mention it's the third time I found out our "feelings" are the same, but in her case, it's about a real illness while I'm just complaining about strange feelings and thoughts, followed by the urge to call her?

p.s: So I read and realise: the problem is that I pay too much attention and over-analyse my thoughts and feelings.

And i think i can indentify the fear factor (I guess I need to parctice introspection more ) ) that determines the stress and "hyperactivity" in my life: I'm am afraid of becoming "blind" again, loosing these gut feelings, because I realise, based on daily observations and happenings, that I've become more aware of what is happening around me. Maybe that's a part of everyone's maturing, but in my case, i think it already exceeded the level of a normal person (my mother lets say, never thought, sensed or had gone through episodes of syncronicity & stuff. But I must say that my grandmother really had premonitions, like when she "saved" dad when he was little right before the wall of their house would fell down on him during an earthquake). I may say it is a burden now, but my biggest wish is that I will actually be able to consciously control them (more or less) and know how this empathy-thing works. And to be able to see thetruth.I have moments when I want to stop feeling so many things, but deep inside the real thing is that I love having a card in the sleeve and simply getting more informations than others. And being prepared. I feel more secure when I open my mind and am able to anticipate things.

Ok, this is my first introspection of this kind. Does anyone think I've come down to the right conclusion? ) You know, I feel so good knowing I'm not alone... !

(again, sorry for any possible grammatical mistake, I'm still learning english, heh)

I sent you a request, Brittney

Anyway, I feel have to explain more of what I'm going through: I also have some physical symptoms. If the good feelings come from the lower back (did you experience that to? I found an extremely benefic position to meditate and when i do it right my ears tickle and I feel like laughing when the good energies move freely) then I have a big problem with the back of my neck. It has been hurting for 2-3 days (like someone hit me with a ball, lol) and it's just like I can't get rid of the stress inside... it's just killing me. And I feel like my "intuition" is forced off... i can't keep it open and i feel a great pressure.

I also have the sensation of being trapped in a black raincloud (I guess i'm not the only one experiencing it?) that blocks my vision and inner thoughts.

[alert! story begins )]

I think it may come from of my father. I can succesfully predict when he gets close to our home, because all my senses seem to "contract", like a muscle that's put to an effort ) He's like a fountain of negative energy, and he mostly gets it from his job, but it's also in his nature (he's a typical pessimistic capricorn) After episodes of fury, bad situations seem to arouse, it almost became a rule. I tried to explained him countless times, we have fought a lot over this topic, but he has ventually got used to my "sensitivity", and now he controls his bursts a little more, but he is REALLY not what I need in this period, mostly because I think I subconsciously absorb these dark energies to help him. BUt it affects me in a really bad way. And it takes a lot of concentration from me to block the absortion thing and I must say, I've been home for 3-4 months already and I can't fight it anymore. Then there's also the stress coming from the new collective I moved to, at school. It's very different, but I have my friends and everythingwould have been ok, if it weren't for these "sensations" of mine. I find it very difficult to deal with the new energies. In the first month was easier, but it's become harder and harder and it's overwhelming me, again.

It happened to me before, and I was like in a dream all the time, and lacked courage, the words just wouldn't come to my mouth anymore, etc... And I'm scared it will happen again if I don't do something to stimulate my "third eye". From this point of wiew, it ws over-stimulated in my previous class ) I actually had 5 collegues (!!!) who believed in these things too and went through "paranormal" episodes, even more than me... And when I moved and realised I couldn't feel any connection at all with the new ones, I became so sad, lol. (Even though, I repeat, I have enough friends and stuff, but I'm talking about that deeper thingy we epaths have...) Now I feel like I want back...

...Because I'm scared I will definetly loose my "powers". Is this kind of thing possible? As the days pass, I *feel less and less... meditation helps me, yes, but the wellness only goes on for... not more than an hour lets say or half an hour, and then the "black raincloud" surrounds me again. I live in an apartment, and the coming of winter it's killing me (we open the windows less) and I've made a habbit of spending minutes every day on the balcony, as I love the way my head becomes lighter.
[/end of the story )]

In conclusion, what should I do, as I feel like my "third eye/intuition" is forced off, and feel great pain and pressure in the back of my neck? What should that mean?

Thankyou DJ... I really hope so. The situation is just stressful, plain stressful, and it's consuming me. I think, however, that I know one of the MAJOR problems because of which everything happens...

The apartment I'm living in. It's a long story, but I think i do now realise what i've always felt: be it a 2 day trip or an entire holiday, the things that make me uncofortable are the toxic energies we're constantly getting. Everytime I return home, I feel the urge to go on the balcony, or to open a window, or go outside and do anything that doesn't imply staying inside and being static. The habbit of spending all my summer holidays with my brother at some uncles and aunts in another city helped me leisurely analyse the obvious differences in my behaviour that previosuly had no apparent reason: my relationships and ability to communicate simply bloom, my intuition gets stronger, I am able to differentiate between what I WANT and what OTHERS want, and I can simply be happy and content... i just feel that I am normal again and realise how "blind" and stressed out I can be, back home.

I don't know why this is the first time I'm consciously thinking that... I've always knew it, lol.

But the question is... what should I do? Maybe it's coming from my neighbours. We have around 4-5 families with really NASTY problems, and another 3 families in the nearby buildings with children with deficiencies. Nevertheless, I'm afraid of going crazy. There are too many thoughts, too many questions and things that desperately need to be solved, but whom answers I can't seem to find...

How could I deal with toxic influences in my own home? yeah, I'm jumping from a subject of discussion to another, but that's because I need to find an answer for these issues...

I finally found the cause and managed to open again!!

Has anyone ever experienced the feeling of closing your empath owers down, then literally feeling numb and don't getting people at all, then getting headaches, becoming all confused, and one morning, at least, after not going to school, crying your a** out because of the unexplainable pain you're feeling and then slowly recovering and feeling all better after that?

I feel so relieved. The things I read here helped me a lot. The first step was putting some touching music on, and then concentrating at one thought: "do NOT fight against it, do not try to control it, do not think it is strange, do not think you shouldn't be like that: just stop thinking, imagine a warm and happy moment you went through in the past, that can bring you some you joy, let it be, accept everything, open"

My friends called me out after that. And I've just returned from the city, feeling happy an content: my friends saw the change from the first moment "Feeling better already miss drama? :> " She was kidding of course, knowing about my "episodes" of sudden fatigue. Of course, at first it was a little scary, because I managed to open again after 2 weeks or so in which I could get only small gilmpses of the other people's emotions... but now I was able to analyse everyone again, and be happy at least, because I felt so relieved. I even had 3 episodes of syncronicity again :D

Sure, everything I wrote here are my thoughts that I had today. I don't think it's a good idea or even safe to tell anybody else about this except the users of this site. Sure, now I have to work to maintain it and do not close my senses again. But after the migraines I went through, I doubt it )

I would really appreciate some insights about the process of closing down one's empath powers and then opening them again... it's been such a strange month.

Blessings!