Has anyone ever felt as if their so in tune with what everyone feels that it cripples social interaction for the fear of feeling too much? My empathy towards other's is becoming really difficult to deal with, and I'm not entirely sure how to deal with it. Any suggestions would be Greatly appreciated!

I copied your post here, so I could keep in mind, your questoin and Michelle's response too. I wish we could do quotes on his site, or maybe we can, I just don't see it.

I am very sensitive and way over fearful and etc.And I know now, when I use to be single and go to dances and etc, I was feeding into every other single persons fear too, and that was really too much to bear. I remember one dance, I met this girl full of confidence and was very out going. We talked, I think we dance once, but afterwords I felt her confidence and excitement, and for 20 minutes I was asking and dancing more then the entire night; it ended when she had to leave the dance.

I have learned to put up shields, keep them up to some degree 24/7 now. But at times I need special temporary ones. The other day in Church, I saw a visitor and his wife in the foyer, and I did not have good vibes about him, And to my surprise he sat down next to me, because I had set down unknowingly, next to his brother and family, which he had come to visit for the weekend. I felt very uncomfortable, and could feel his energy and vibes mixing with mine. I had to put up a extra shield between him and me, to just keep sitting there. I did not sense any evil or a bad person, but something in him did not mess with me.

Like Michelle, if I can be in my garden and yard and potting up and watering plants, I can relax and be in my zone. But if not, I have learned to shield up.

Normally at church, I feel good, they are similar to me, but out in some other types of crowds, I can feel quickly stressed and over powered, and just want to get out. I can get that too, when half a dozen neighborhood kids come to our home to play with our daughter. I can't relax and just can't wait until they leave, feels somewhat like anxiety but not. So where every they are, I try not to be, luckily they do not come over very often. I have the same problem with my wife's sons, even if only one drops in for very long. They are all very worldly and chaotic in their minds.

Music cools me down. If I can lay down and listen to my Celtic and etc music, it brings peace. Every afternoon in summer, I take a nap, to this music, only way to fall asleep.

I have felt pain from others, being near. I used to feel pain from my wife,when she was shiatsu therapist, and had all kinds of negative and excess energy on her. It was one of the reason we originally got a king size bed, needed that much space, each of us on our edges, so i did not feel pain, and my muscles twitching and spasming. Now luckily, she is a teacher, and this now no longer happens, thank goodness.

I know everything stresses me, out in the world, not just vibes and feelings from people. I cannot identify it, all together, I guess it feels like a content pressure, like from air or being under water.

I remember a job in Missouri, at a small Christian youth corps like place. I had a real hard time relaxing there on the night shift, after the kids were locked in their barracks area. I realize after some meditation and prayer, realized that something bad had happened here, and I was feeling the residual energy left over from it. I dispelled the energy, and was then able to sleep.

I asked around and found the facility was at one time a country bar tavern, and that a few times some pretty nasty and gruesome things had happen there. That was my first experience and awareness of such things up close and personal.

I wish I had learned how to shield up back then. I have learned we can modify our shield, and so we block things, but still allows up to reach out and sense when we need or want to.

David