Empath Tip – Pay attention to the media you consume

I have always been an empath, but I have not always known that I was one.  Growing up, the things I experienced I just considered normal and thought everyone felt that way.  It was not until I started developing my psychic and intuitive abilities and my empath skills heightened that I realized not everyone feels and experiences life the way I do.

With this sensitivity, however, comes a realization of the world around us and a need to be cautious and specific on what you choose to partake in and what you choose to leave behind.  What you do in your free time, watching movies and reading books, can have a greater impact on an empath than someone who does not have heightened empathic abilities.

What does this mean?  Well, the best way to explain how shows and media can affect an empath is through examples.  As a kid I did not know what it meant to be empathic.  But, like all kids I enjoyed going to the movies and reading books for fun (okay, not all kids these days enjoy to read for pleasure).  What I didn’t realize is that my experience of a movie was grossly different than my friends.

You know that time after a movie where you discuss whether you liked it or not.  You may talk about the plot line or certain character development – or what kind of graphics or digital technology was cool.  For me, after a movie those things weren’t really that important.  What was important for me was how I felt – because I generally felt the way the main character did.  I, in a sense, took on the emotions of the main characters in the movie and I was left feeling the way they did for several hours after.

Now, if the movie was a nice romantic comedy or had a good mushy ending, this felt great.  An action and adventure shoot em up type show – not so much.  I distinctly remember one occasion when I went to a movie on a date with my hubby and I literally was shaking throughout a good chunk of the scenes.  Think physical shaking sensation.  Why – we had chosen to go see a suspense thriller and I was feeling the anxiety and tension of the characters deep in my bones.

I have wised up since then and do not go to the movies very often.  In addition to the movie I am seeing, movie theaters are ripe with leftover emotions from previous showings and the individuals that have sat in the seats for hours on end.  Where else do you sit in the same seat someone else has for multiple hours? No thank you.

But that doesn’t mean that I don’t partake in any media.  I am a product on my generation and love to binge watch Netflix and listen to audiobooks from the library.  This can take a different turn as well, feeling all these emotions.  Let me just say, sometimes emotions can be addictive.  Me, I’m addicted to those mushy love type emotions.  I have to be careful because if I find a show with little doses of intense love emotions (I’m not talking sex scenes here I am talking acts and displays of love) I can become addicted and binge watch the show waiting for the next “fix”.

This is probably why I will reluctantly admit that I loved the Twilight books and even the 50 Shades of Grey series.  Those were chocked full of mushy romantic scenes (again, not talking about the extreme sex scenes here – get your mind out of the gutter!).  And, regretfully, I am a witch that will admit I did not like the Harry Potter series.  Yes, I read all of them, but really, those books are about plot and not about mushy addictive love feelings.  I know, I know, all witches are supposed to love Harry Potter – but to me I just picked up on his emotions and that boy was super whiny and needy.  Not my cup of tea when I am reading something for fun.

So all these stories are to give you a sense of what an empath (at least this empath) feels and experiences when being exposed to media.  This means that I am careful of what I watch and read.  I still watch the news, just not everyday and not before bed.  I still watch suspenseful shows, I’m just careful of how long I watch them and what my energy feels like before turning on the tv.  And, most importantly, I have to be careful not to overwatch or spend too much time obsessing and reading books that give me the love “high”.

How about you – are you an empath that feels the emotions of characters in books or on tv?  What are you favorite addictive shows?  What shows have you tried to watch but just can’t keep up with?