# Empath

In psychology, empaths (/ˈɛmpæθ/; from Ancient Greek ἐμπάθ(εια) (empáth(eia)) 'passion') are people who have a higher than usual level of empathy, called hyperempathy. While objective empathy level testing is difficult, tests such as the EQ-8 have gained some acceptance as tests for being empathic. Highly sensitive person is also often synonymous, but is used to describe sensory processing sensitivity as well.
In parapsychology, the mechanism for being an empath is said to be psychic channeling; psychics and mediums say that they channel the emotional states and experiences of other living beings, or the spirits of dead people, in the form of "emotional resonance".
The term empath is sometimes used in a broader sense to describe someone who is more adept at understanding, i.e. is more sensitive to the feelings of others than the average person; or as a descriptor for someone who is higher on an empathetic "spectrum" of sorts. Seen this way, an empath is someone who can perceive, understand, or share the feelings of another person, without necessarily believing said feelings are being directly communicated to them through some as yet unknown "second sight" mechanism or telepathic channel.

## Paranormal concept

The term's modern usage flows mostly from the work of American psychiatrist Judith Orloff. Orloff uses the term to describe people who have an innate ability to read the emotional state of others. She believes that empaths are able to sense the thoughts, feelings and energy of those around them, and that they are able to use this ability to provide healing or comfort to others, if they manage their condition correctly. Orloff's work is controversial, as she says that she is a clairvoyant (psychic); her definition and classification of types of empaths is neither recognized by mainstream psychiatry nor is it included in the DSM-5. For her part, Orloff believes her psychiatric colleagues to be "stuck in the Dark Ages".

## Scientific research into normal human variation

Although empaths are often associated with the paranormal,$^{:62}$ the concept has been studied and researched by scientists. Neuroscientists have found evidence to suggest that some people have greater or lesser ability to share and feel the emotions of others. Mirror neurons are neurons that fire both when an animal acts and when the animal observes the same action performed by another. Interfering with the level of activation of mirror neurons via transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been experimentally studied.

## Other conceptualizations
### Dark empath

In psychology, a dark empath is a person with high levels of empathy (usually cognitive), and has high levels of offensive personality traits (such as the dark triad). The term originates from a recent 2021 paper by Nadja Heym and others. In a study of 991 participants, Heym and other researchers identified four key personality groups: Dark Triad (DT) individuals, who have high dark traits and low empathy; Dark Empaths, who share high dark traits but also have high empathy; Empaths, who have high empathy and low dark traits; and Typicals, who have average empathy and low dark traits. While Dark Empaths share some dark traits with the DT group, they are less aggressive, more extroverted, and have better mental well-being. Despite their empathy, DEs aren't more vulnerable to mental health issues and retain some antagonistic tendencies, though they are generally more agreeable than those with high dark traits. Overall, the study suggests that Dark Empaths are a distinct group with a mix of positive and negative traits, showing that high empathy doesn't necessarily make someone less capable of having dark, manipulative tendencies.

## In popular culture

Online, self-describing empaths are sometimes mocked for using the moniker. Shane Dawson was mocked for using the term to describe himself after a poorly-received apology YouTube video in 2018.
Empaths have also featured in various works of fiction, such as the Marvel Comics character Empath Forest Whitaker's character Dan Smithson in Species (film) (1995) and the Star Trek: The Next Generation character Deanna Troi. The concept is further explored in Star Trek: The Original Series, Season 3, Episode 12, titled The Empath.