**"..and as human beings we are capable of feeling other peoples emotions (part of the normal empathy), like yelling, when someone else hurts himself, or laughing because someone else has just bursted out in laughter. It is very normal,.."**

Malene, I heard a good comparison between 'empathetic' and 'empathic' that rings true for me. If one walks by an open hospital door - and sees a person sitting there with their leg bandaged up and showing signs of pain - an 'empathetic' person (most people) can almost imagine what it must feel like. Then they might have a emotional response to their own thoughts around that. An 'empathic' person may go by that same room - when the door is closed - and suddenly feel a strange sense of pain in their leg and emotional responses that do not come from direct perception.

I know that some of my problems are exacerbated by nerve damage caused by childhood and military duty vaccinations and chemicals, but then auto immune problems run on my mothers mothers side of the family, as well as the high IQ's I don't even quite know what my is, with damage to my brain, test twice, once by VA, once by social security, results at least 140 plus. Many things 140 to 160, abstract thinking 180 plus, but some things like short term audio and visual memory, 70 to 90.

I think the Empathic sensitivity came from my Fathers mothers American Indian side, though I have native American on 3 of my family lines to a small degree.

I read in mirror cells some time ago, it makes sense. Our brain hardwires pretty much by the time we are 8, but continues for most of the ones teen life and early adulthood. The pathways that get used the most, form more permanent pathways, I guess like freeways. Scientist know that when it happens, it can open up areas of the brain, most do not use as much. I think as I had a hard time remembering things, and failing at cognitive processes. To survive, my brain hardwired in sensing abilities to compensate, just like some who are blind, develop greater use of their hearing and other senses to cope and adjust to survive.

So in stead of relieving on memory which was weak, I leaned to use the Right side of my Brain more and learned to sense and depend on it. It could be that the vaccinations caused some swelling and damage and open up some new areas too.

Mirror cells, communicate from one person to another, and from what I under stand, Only our bodies physical part of our minds are limited to time and distance, our spirits and higher part of our mental functioning is not or does not have to be. I found when I had a need, that could not be met by local people or my expertise, that when I prayed for help, within a few days, it would just come to me, I could do it and how to do it as well. It was like sudden, some one loaded a new computer software package into my in head personal computer or something, I guess it is not something to describe. The innate ability was there, but new software or hard ware got plugged in or ???

Do think it was already there , just needed to be aware of it or have it activated, maybe as strange as that sounds, but maybe that is not so strange. Many other types of genius's in life, suddenly open up new abilities when the need arises out of desperation.

I asked the questions, because I know not all Empaths are alike, just like all piano players or etc. are not alike. I guess I am trying to understand myself more. I was always a Empath, but decades ago, I leaned to witch for water, then use a pendulem to see what herbs and food was good and bad for me. Then I learned to use muscle testing instead, then learned I could do it at a distance, order herbs and vitamins from a catalog. Then one day I found myself sensing what was wrong with me, and about foods without the using muscle testing. Then found myself sensing other peoples body functions I was near, besides their emoticons and feelings. Eventually I found I could do it at a distance too.

Not sure if it is totally still mirror cells at a distance, or now other spiritual connections or channels are now also at work too. It seems that the spiritual gift of discernment is at play too. Spiritual gifts are given and inherited both, when we use them, they grow, if don't use them, they never develop and we are not aware of them, and if have them and use them, like a muscle they weaken and go away.

It seems to be use it or loose, not matter what the ability or gift.

More on hardwiring, when we continue to do things in a certain way, the Brain hardwires with those nerve pathways, I find you can look at it like a object set in motion, tends to stay in motion. How we think and feel can be a habit, from what I learned from past muscle testing chiropractor. He used to deprogram negative behavior, responses to foods and chemicals and bodily organ functions as well.

I remember VA Psych counseling, and other Vets from the Viet Nam Era. They said late teens are still hardwiring there brains and when under such harsh negative death terror conditions or war, they can get hardwired like that. They were so used to chaos, that when not in a war zone or a war, they would subconsciously mess up their lives so they would feel ok. They are only at their best, and focused when their lives are screwed up in in hell, so to speak. They would keep messing up their lives when every thing were starting to go good for them, and never could never figure out why.

If I had not had the vaccinations and chemical exposures, I don't think I would have the extreme problems maybe, but can't says that for sure. I do know that higher IQ ed person, tend to have neurological and mental/emotional problems. I am aware, that just like faster computers which run faster, brain nerve flow in higher IQ's are no different. It seems the faster and better something is, the more it tends to have problems and breaks down. But I know that is only a general statement, and is not the case in all cases. I did read a article years ago on high IQ kids, they are the ones who usually make the D's and F's in school, unable to adjust to the learning mode of every one else.

I know I only really learn what I am passionate about, everything else is boring and does not find its way to my permanent memory very easily. But that too, is caused by poor short term memory.

I find that the depression, anxiety and etc, all seem to be chemically related, tied to nerve damage and a weak endocrine system, nerves firing too easily and weak organs and etc, over responding or not responding fast of soon enough.

I know that growing up, I always felt like a computer with part of the wires shorted out or disconnected.

I don't really fully understand it all, I just know it works and rely on it.

I have always found that sharing can be risky, but is the fastest way to find friends, find those like myself, those who do not believe as I do, and I find I find those I can help. I find that if I am open, it encourages others to be open, and I find that is good.

Though now that I have become more sensitive, I can usually know who is open or not before I even open my mouth.

**"when not in a war zone or a war, they would subconsciously mess up their lives so they would feel ok." **

I think society and media - and of course life/childhood/battlegrounds - continue to promote a fight-or-flight / survival way of living (no pain no gain). In fight-or-flight our senses are heightened and if one is born an empath then that is a doubly whammy. Finding balance in it seems to be all about, tuning out much of the media stuff, practice practice practice and my personal favorite "Fake it till you make it."

I'm impressed that you can handle plays (I have trouble with these often) do you have to sit in the back to dampen down the energy?