Sensing Feelings/Thoughts when in the water

Every time I am in the swimming pool or any body of water - no matter how shallow, no matter how I am surrounded by people that make me feel somewhat safer - I would be overwhelmed by the feelings / thoughts I sense in the water. It feels like they are all coming towards me, making it harder and harder for me to breathe. They are so intense and jumbled up that I have to get out of the water immediately before I get hit by a full-on panic attack.

Or maybe it's because I'm aquaphobic, fear might just be getting the better of me.. It may just be my imagination.. Maybe someone here had experienced something like this?

I recently tried to get past this phobia through exposure therapy, but I am not sure I would go through it again. Might just have to avoid the water altogether.

Now, I don't remember where I read this, but empaths are supposed to be naturally drawn to the water. Unlike me, are you drawn to the water?

updated by @eri-ameonna: 10/04/17 04:10:05AM

Before we moved to Austin, my wife and I would take the drive just to go to Barton Springs pool. Its a natural spring fed pool, so the water is always cool and feels really good. Best part was no chlorine. When we finally did move here, five years ago, we took a day and went for a dip. I had been there many times, but this time I had a very different experience. As soon as I got in the water I had to get out. The feeling I had was panic. It was like I was going to die if I didn't get out right then. When we got home I looked up information on when the last person had died there. Turns out a young man had died in June of that year '13. This had happened about a month before. It took a year for me to want to go back. When I did, it didn't feel the same. That energy had dissipated, but I still didn't like it. My wife swims there on a regular basis. I don't anymore. Instead, I built a pool in my backyard.

Yikes, it's too much just thinking that somebody died there..

In my case I became so traumatized that I wouldn't dare go near any pool or body of water.

Thanks for sharing,
Good to know I'm not going crazy,

I usually feel at peace when I'm around a large body of water. There are some times when I just don't feel like being in the water, or I don't like being at busy pools, but for me I usually feel other people's emotions less when I'm in water. That's probably why I love showers lol. I would think that most of what you're feeling is from your anxiety with water, although I wouldn't be surprised if other people's anxiety can make it worse. Did something happen to you when you were younger around water?

Hi...maybe your remembering a past life....usually phobias that are not caused by a recent trauma are attributed to a trauma from a past life that you've lived....if your feeling afraid at more than one or all bodies of water and not just one or 2 places then that might something to think about....

Hi....one thing you might try in that place where the person drowned is to help rebalance the energy....that person is now trapped there remembering the incident....what I do when I go into an unbalanced place is bring ceder needles to sprinkle in the area...talk to the spirit/energy...bring a bit every time you go and sprinkle it...it helps release the anger and fear the energy is holding onto and also helps you yourself feel less afraid....it will go back to feeling like a good place....you can help it along though...the place itself and the boy need a bit of help getting there....

What's really weird for me though, is that the tension I am feeling from the water seems to get stronger when I am left alone in it. Unlike when I am at busy pools, where I can be distracted and somehow spend longer time in it. If I let my guard down, it feels like the water is pushing at me and suffocating me.

Now that you mention it, I nearly drowned when I was a child and my relatives just laughed it off. That may be it, I never thought seriously about that incident.

Anyway, I might feel helpless in the water, but I am so in love with the rain

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Yeah, definitely something to think about.. Thanks for the insight

updated by @eri-ameonna: 10/04/17 11:29:04PM

I am just the opposite. I am very drawn to water, perhaps due to being born under a water sign. Or possibly due to the fact that I grew up around water, I’m not sure. It has a grounding affect for me personally, life can be all wrong but being in the water brings me solace. I don’t know if you believe in reincarnation, but @womanwhowalks could be on to something. I know myself to be terrified of heights. One of my past life memories involves falling off a cliff. It is something to think about. You possibly hit the nail on the head though with your experience when you were younger. Fear has a way of imprinting you soul and staying with you....even after your present life. Best wishes for putting your anxieties to rest.
Blessings

Thank you all, I really needed encouragement since I am both terrified of heights and depth, which sucks big time.. oops

Let's all get better soon 😊

@eri-ameonna:

I am very drawn to water. It’s very calming and feels mystical. I did some research on this a year ago and found that with most empaths, water is the one place they can always relax and rejuvenate. This is especially the case with sea water as salt plays a special health role for empaths as well. 

It's interesting that water has the opposite effect on you and causes panic. While I could see the point of you picking up the panic from someone that drowned in a public place, that would tend to only effect you once in a while. If you think about it, most places like swimming holes, and beaches are very happy places where just about everyone is having a good time. I would think as an empath you would be touched by positive energy at places like that. But the fact that you have this happen even at swimming pools tends to lead me to believe what was suggested by @womanwhowalks. I think you may have strong negative memories about water from a past life. My wife who is not an empath and has not had any swimming trauma in her life is deathly afraid of the ocean. And we think she had a past life drowning that is causing her discomfort in this life.

I don’t know how often you need to be near water and whether this is a phobia you would like to overcome. But I would think that phobia therapy with a counselor would help. And you may even benefit from some past life regression therapy to understand where this fear stems from.

@hop-daddy:

I'll surely look into phobia therapy.


For now, I am mentally preparing myself for it.

Thankfully though, I don't need to be anywhere near water for most of the time.

I agree, I think you have something past life going on with the water. Read about past life regression, Brian Weiss has some amazing books!

I love the water and I couldn't imagine living somewhere in the middle of the US. Small lakes and rivers just don't cut it like the great lakes or ocean. I am a little afraid of being in water where I can't see the ground or what is around. It has to be clear. Or being submerged on the water, with only my head sticking out. I can't breathe. This maybe past life for me if dreams serve correct. I can never get sick of sitting on a beach or a cliff just staring out at the big body of water, after I feel at such peace and sometimes tired releasing all that energy.

I am absolutely drawn to water.  Especially the ocean.  When I'm in water, I also find meditating much easier, as it can be difficult for me to keep in the moment.  I've noticed that water seems to aid that as well.