Empath Exercises

Exercise One - Starting

In an effort to augment your skills at being patient as well as your empathic skills, we begin by people watching. For at least one full week's time, find a public place that has significant pedestrian (people walking) traffic. Sit somewhere and get comfortable. Your task in Exercise One is to sit and observe people.

Do not make judgments about the people you observe. Do not imagine what is going on in their lives as you observe. Just sit patiently and take in what you see.

Learn to just take note of people. Jot down any insights you gain from this in a notebook that you can refer back to at a later time. If you wish to share observations here, please feel free to do so by replying to this post.

(The process of becoming an empath occurs gradually and naturally. These lectures will suggest a one-month period in which to experiment with the exercises, but in truth, the time frame to become more empathic could take much longer or shorter.)



Exercise Two - Narrowing it Down

Moving into Exercise Two, the empath trainee continues to return to the same public place to observe people. The exercise itself closely resembles Exercise One in that you will still refrain from judgment and imagination in people watching.

The variation found in Exercise Two is that instead of focusing on people passing you in general, your task is to pick out one person per day amongst those that go by. If you can observe a person who stays in the area for a while, all the better. Again, simply sit and observe.

Record any insights in a journal.

Exercise Three - Imagination is Key

Once again, sit in the same public space and settle in to people watch. Exercise Three becomes more involved now as creativity and imagination is key.

Pick out one person whom you can observe, just as you did in Exercise Two. Again, if the person is remaining in the same area for a while, all the better. Now, your task is to sit and observe and use your imagination. Ask yourself some of the following questions and then provide yourself with the answers, from your imagination. Why is the person there? Why is he/she carrying that he/she is carrying? Why did he choose to wear what he did today? How is he feeling today?

Now, it will seem strange that you're "making things up" about the person you observe. But go with it! Really! Even though the ideas you come up with may seem extravagant and completely ridiculous, go with it for this exercise. Why? The fascinating bit about the Force and psychic skills in general is how information comes to us. It [i] seems[/i] that you are just "making things up" about the person, but in truth, you are sensing your subject through the Force when answers come to your questions.

Continue with the exercise for several weeks until sensing a person through the Force by Q&A is natural for you.

Exercise Four - Applying to Everyday Life

Once the technique in Exercise Three is second-nature to you, the task before you, empath, is to internalize the question-asking. Instead of focusing on a person with questions as you go through your life, simply focus on them through the Force as you've learned through patient, quiet observation. The need to ask the questions will be gone and you can simply sense the answers, feeling and knowing what the person is feeling.

Exercise Five - Feedback

Of course, all the while, you might be asking yourself, "How exactly do I know what I am imagining I feel is what he feels?" An astute question! The best way to know if your empathic skills are on course is through feedback.

If you have someone offline with whom you discuss your skills and life, ask if you can practice empathy with this person. If offline feedback is not an option, talk to fellow online searchers (we'll be happy to help; contact us in the forum) and see if you can gather feedback on your skills through them. Empathy is not bound by proximity; work with it through companions you trust online.

Suggested Reading : The book is called "The Power of Empathy" by Arthur P. Ciaramicoli, Ed.D, Ph.D.

Spark Vallen
spark@thejedi.org The Force Academy December 11th, 2001