What is Empathy and how you can develop yourself.

 Could you be an Empath?

There are various definitions of Empaths which are based on common experiences. To be able to fully comprehend the concept one should have already reached a high level of Enlightenment/Inititation/Attainment. At certain stages of empathy, the individual has an intellectual approach to life with appreciation of concepts from psychology, sociology, art, Darwin, etc. At some other stages, the Empath's interests are drawn towards metaphysical concepts, pseudo-science, myths, and psychic energies. One might meet an Empath totally withdrawn and lost in thought, while the next one might be an expert conversationalist. Empaths might get sick with Love, but also change their mind very quickly. Witches, healers, clairvoyants are said to have Empathy, while famous psychologists like Carl Gustav Jung, Karl Jaspers, etc. are attributed with the same. Therefore, a careless and too specific definition of Empathy might prevent the Empath from gaining awareness as he might not find many things attributed to it immediately applicable.

My definition of Empathy is related to a level of Consciousness that is above some threshold which is far above the median of the society. An innate ability to detect lies, see through tricks, and judge a situation accurately can be counted among the signs. In my opinion, the best way to decide if you are an Empath is to give the Empath Attainment Levels outlined below some thought and try to place yourself at a certain stage.

Kundalini: Kundalini is the Conscious Energy that will rise several times in a person's lifetime. The different levels of Consciousness have contradicting and confusing effects on a person. I believe that the highest level of Consciousness possible for a person in a given Life is decided before they are born. The challenge for the Empath is that the long span of Consciousness possible for them can make their life confusing, unstable, and frustrating.

Reincarnation: I believe that human beings reincarnate, hence their Soul is born several times in this World. The purpose of this is not clear to me. Highest level of Consciousness possible between lifetimes does not seem to necessarily change, so I am skeptical about Karma.

Empath Attainment Levels: These are attainment levels I have identified for an Empath. Going through these attainment levels in a controlled way is essential for achieving stability and self knowledge as an Empath. Each level has temptations and powers to be identified. Managing these while anticipating what comes ahead is much easier. Right behavior for each level opens up the next level.

Empath: It is a person who is destined to obtain one of the Empath attainment levels in his lifetime. With acceptable physical conditions, they can gradually achieve Level 0.

Empath Attainment Level 0: At Level 0, an Empath is firmly convinced that the Unconscious exists and human beings are not solely driven by rationality. At this level, the Empath has a psychologist's view that trauma and complexes are the sources of conflict and upset in life. The Empath is fascinated by psychological theories, and even wonders if he can influence others towards change. In the character formative years, the Empath can succeed in influencing others as their own Kundalini is still on the rise. Sooner or later the Empath will discover that he has no real influence in anyone beyond the character formative years.

Recommended behavior: Empaths generally are sensitive to other people around them. Level 0 can be utilized to steer through life without fear. Empath can pin the confusing situation of the World to neuroses and enjoy the company of others in formative years. The Empath would likely be seen as a free spirit, mature person, and a sharp witted intellectual. The rising Kundalini will soon attract a different sort of confused people in the Empath's life. The Empath should think about the possibility that he is fundamentally different from everyone else, and reconciling differences among people is beyond his Intellect.

Empath Attainment Level 1: At this level, the Empath has understood words have little meaning. He has sufficient observation to verify that human beings act and react according to their level of Consciousness and general character. He has experienced that Understanding in a person changes very little over time and the best thing to do is to accept everyone as they are. With renewed Hope, the Empath turns back to himself and starts to enjoy solitude. He makes fewer assumptions about the World and becomes more of an Observer. Relieving himself of the burden of trying to make sense of the world, his mind is free to study any topic he wants. Also, he develops an interest in metaphysical and pseudoscientific concepts. He thinks deep into Existence and meaning.

Recommended behavior: The Level 1 attainment is a comforting and exciting experience. The Empath can exercise his free mind in non-conventional subjects to develop intuitive abilities. Concepts like Reich's orgone, reincarnation, Hermetics, Qabalah, and metaphysics (Hegel, etc.) are good examples of knowledge which is both analytical and subjective. At this level, the Empath can greatly benefit from thinking about the validity of subjectivity, and experimenting with being more subjective, intuitive, and spontaneous. At this level, occasional risings of Anger is possible. The Empath should avoid confrontation as much as possible by distancing from people and situations that provoke Anger. Having confirmed his Individuality in Level 0, the Empath might be tempted to seek more conflict as his actual empathy has started to diminish. This temptation is easy to avoid as the Empath fully knows that he is never meant to be transformed into a common bully.

Empath Attainment Level 2-5: These levels will be characterized by increased knowledge of the Universe and the Universal Will by studying ideas through the lens of subjective and intuitive verification. The Empath will further his attainment by working with the Paracelsian elements of Fire, Water, Air, and Earth, respectively. Getting control of each element will make the Empath a conduit of the Universal Will.

Recommended behavior: The Empath should persevere in Prudence and try to understand the various stages and situations coming his way correctly. He should not take any action until he has placed it in his cosmic and psychic views of the Mind and Humanity. He shall commit to life of manageable job/family/social stress to accomodate his 'down time' during periods of intense study.

Magic: At a certain point in the life of the Empath, he will find himself burdened with a high amount of excess mental/psychic energy that cannot be discharged with any reasonable action. To further his Will, he has to load this Astral energy into a Creation. The school of magic or energy work is up to the Empath, and the criterion is his Subjective feeling. Rituals can be simplified, modified, and enriched at 'will'. Magic is an extension of the Empath's Ego in a higher plane and will result in a relief of discomfort. In the Egyptian myths, the First God created the Universe from his semen by masturbating. Magic is the masturbation of Astral energy on a higher plane when the physical actuality can no longer accomodate the will of the Magician. Empath Attainment Level 2 cannot be fully attained without some sort of Magical practice.

The Higher Self: The Higher Self is the source of the human Soul on the higher planes which guides human beings. Empaths have the blessing of having a strong connection with their Higher Self. The Higher Self can guide the Empath during study towards the right resources. To invite the Higher Self into his life the Empath only needs to turn to his subjective experience, and decide on the Truth based on his creative intuition. The Higher Self will become increasingly easier to access for the Empath as he studies the Universe and comes to his own synthesis. It is generally argued that the 'Higher Selfs' are actually a big One Mind that is veiled by 'Individuality'. Although the communion with the Higher Self is strongly tied to an unrelenting individuality, in an ideal world where everyone has the highest level of connection with their Higher Self, it can be assumed that no conflict would ever arise.

Tarot: The Tarot is a common spiritual practice which can enhance the awareness of higher planes. The exact source of and the nature of Intelligence contained in the Tarot is unknown to me. The Empath shall decide with their feelings about how to approach it regarding the specific interpretation source and spread. The result can be influenced by different Astral Entities, the Higher Self, or pure coincidence. It is worth a try, but the results can cause confusion.

Magical Societies and Fraternities: The last thing an Empath needs in his life is 'group dynamics', but if as an Empath you are keen on joining a supposed fraternity of 'Empaths', I cannot see any benefit to it. Attainment is a totally individual achievement. Although there are certain behaviors and advice that can make your development easier, risking to end up in a group of dangerous and probably psychotic people is not worth wasting a bit of time in try-and-error. Your try-and-error will teach you how to depend on your Subjective experience that is an important component of Attainment. You can find the necessary information on the Cosmos, myths, magic, etc. in public resources and form your own creative synthesis.

Psychoanalysis: There are various takes on the concept of Enlightenment and Magic in the psychological domain. Psychoanalysis is the branch of psychology that is credited to Sigmund Freud as the founder, and it examines the human mind as an interplay of components and forces that result in certain thoughts, emotions, behaviors, behavior patterns, and expressions. A Level 0 Empath would most likely be fascinated by psychoanalytical views that confirm the depth of the human mind that he is subjectively feeling. Psychoanalysis views Magic/Enlightenment as an increased integration of the Ego and the subsequent expansion of it towards the Unconscious Mind. It is meant to increase confidence, satisfaction, and understanding. One can never confirm if the process of Magic is in the mind or in actuality, likewise whether the results are real or subjective. Hermeticism states that 'Everything is Mind, All is Mental', including material actuality. The circular arguments around this can be used for the benefit of the Empath. The main take is that Magic is supposed to lead to more satisfaction in both thinking and experience. If one component is missing, it is an abuse of oneself.