(Part of the “Kids Growing Up Psychic” Series).
Shaheen’s Note: I am so excited to feature my wonderful friend, Melissa! She is a gifted medium, writer and teacher, and she is here to share her expertise and experience with the psychic world in our new Series of monthly articles titled, “Kids Growing Up Psychic”. This is the second article in the series… enjoy!
Most empathic and psychic children (and some adults) are constantly “open” to energy and spirit entities. This may include angels, spirits of those who have passed away, spirit guides, and experiencing the emotions of living people, places and conditions. Sometimes the kids do not know that the emotion they are feeling belongs to someone else.
This can make them very confused.
So, how does this happen, you might ask? Let’s see if we can get a better understanding of this by looking at Empathy, the Aura, and how to gain control of the situation – to open and close your psychic doorway.
Subtle Bodies and Empathic Psychic Kids
First of all, if your child is able to see or hear spirits, or has healing hands, then more than likely, the child is highly empathic, too.
What is “being empathic”? Being empathic means to be hyper-sensitive to other people’s energies: such as, feeling sick to your stomach while being around someone with an intestinal upset; or feeling a headache when their mother has a migraine. Other sensations can be exhibited as excitability, unknown fears, anxiety while in a shopping mall or large department store, anger, over-zealous outbursts, etc. All these things are carried through the energy field (aura), and a highly empathic person can feel these emotions and sensations – children usually do not know that the feeling really belongs to another person.
To understand what being empathic is, and learn to control it (that is, to open and close energy), will make a world of difference to you and your child. Then all the other gifts will be under control too.
Just because you have a spiritual ability, does not mean it should control you. You should be in control of the gift. But as children are being born to us now, they are coming in totally open to the gifts without any instruction. In contrast, most of the baby-boomers (born around 1955 or before) who are psychic or mediumistic probably had to sit for development of their gifts. (Although, some psychics received their gifts as a result of near death experiences, high fevers, or sudden mental and physical shock.)
In our world now, the energies are so intense in the universe, and the times are so ripe for transformation, that our kids are coming into the world ready to do their spiritual work.
However, we as parents, guardians, and teachers have to step up to be their instructors – to help them understand how to maneuver in the third dimension, why it is important to handle themselves in society, and the most advantageous manner to use their gifts correctly.
What Subtle Bodies Are
There are seven energetic layers around the physical body, which create the auric body system (aura). These are called Subtle Bodies.
There are three (3) lower subtle bodies that process energies dealing with the physical plane. And there are three (3) higher subtle bodies that deal with the spiritual plane, and process the high-level energies from the upper realms, or heavens.
There is one (1) middle subtle body, known as the astral, which is the bridge between the lower and higher bodies. It acts as a buffer and transitional point. Some believe this is the area that helps to ground the higher level energies into the body.
How the Subtle Bodies Work
Normally, the subtle bodies are close and tight along the body, as a form of protection, maintaining support and a separation from others. However, in a fully developed Spirit Medium, for example, the subtle bodies are loosely connected. But this is not the normal condition.
As the medium’s subtle bodies open through spiritual development, this allows complete exposure so that the spirit entity, or other energy can (with permission) temporarily communicate with the medium’s physical etheric body. This open state is one that potential mediums strive for, as a way to communicate with spirits. But it is a learned talent, and they are able to open and close at will, through practice.
I think of the subtle bodies looking like seven umbrellas opening up completely. While this process goes on, the medium surrenders some of their own personal etheric energy so the spirit entity can manifest in some way.
This surrender of personal energy, in itself, can be very draining to the person. If done on too many occasions, without time for recuperation in between, it can be physically disabling. It is thought that hyper-empaths could suffer from exhaustion and low immune systems as a result of this constant drain.
Four ways subtle bodies can be opened
- When being empathetic and compassionate in normal caring situations
- On purpose during unfoldment for spirit communication
- Being born wide open as with indigo/crystal children
- Through trauma, near death experiences, severely high fevers, shock, or fear (as with some chiller movies, etc.)
Usually, the medium knows how to close the subtle bodies, and spirit connection when finished. But the psychic children have no knowledge of this process. So they remain in what seems like the normal condition – open. When they are wide open, then other spirit energies can enter, and usually are lower vibrations that want to feed off a depressed or anxious energy. Sometimes the energies even create more anxiety.
The best way I have found to help anyone who is hyper empathic to gain control is to teach them the process as if they wanted to learn to be mediums. I take them through the learning process of unfoldment, mainly to help them understand that they should be in control of the empathy, or the psychic/spirit communication.
So, How Do Subtle Bodies Work with Empathic Kids?
Do you always feel badly when you are around a group of people? Do you seem to have physical symptoms that you didn’t think are yours? Do you have problems with depression, or mood swings? Then you could be empathic.
Many children these days are empathic in one way or another. They have the ability to feel other people’s emotions as their own: they literally feel what other people are feeling. They may be aware of it, but usually they don’t know that they have this ability, and subsequently feel like the misery is all their own!
As an example, let me share some information from Elise LeBeau. She is an empath and professional coach. Here is what she says: “I can sense the emotions of everyone around me, even my next door neighbors. It comes to me like a scrambled radio station where I get bits and pieces from all those people.” LeBeau has even classified different levels or types of empaths, which make it easy to understand.
- Non Empaths. These are people that have shut down their empath skills so completely that over time, they can completely lose their empath abilities. These could be children that feel such pain, that they close it down on purpose and become numb to emotions.
- Impaired Empaths. These people have managed to use very basic filters. But they can easily get overwhelmed. A crowded event or emotional turmoil of some kind can throw them over the edge. Sometimes they can experience emotional distress, such as feeling the weight of the world. Or they take on physical symptoms, such as exhaustion, headaches, or depression.
- Functional Empaths. People that are functional empaths are able to control the ability. They are aware of the flow of information, keep it under control, and are able to work comfortably with it.
- Trained (or Professional) Empaths. These people usually are able to use their abilities to interpret complex emotional information. They can access this information to assist clients in counseling or healing work.
You may find yourself or your child in one of these categories. When empaths take on the impact of stressful emotions, they may feel swallowed up by it. This can trigger panic attacks, depression, food, sex and drug binges. Not just emotional, but physical symptoms can emerge, including fatigue and exhaustion. But do not fear. There are ways to address the situation after you finally recognize what is going on.
When you recognize these feelings you can find ways to ground and center yourself. Here are a few practices to keep centered and in control:
- Use quiet time to emotionally relax. Take regular small breaks during your day to stay calm. While you breathe in fresh air, stretch up high reaching for the sky and stand on your tip toes. Feel yourself in your own body.
- Use mini-meditations. Close your eyes and focus on the sounds around you for one or two minutes. It keeps your energy centered and grounded so others’ emotions don’t get caught in your energy field.
- Understand and honor your empathic needs. Know that you can say “no” to something without needing to make excuses. Honor your own feelings.
- You can still hang out with friends if you want, but in small ways: Only be with a few friends at a time. Find quiet spaces to take a break if you need to.
- Large crowds and big events can be very overwhelming. You can still be there at these events, but stay off to the side, and know when to take a break to breathe and relax. (Sometimes I use the restroom for that.)
Learning about Boundaries
Communicating with Spirits and Angels – Instill the knowledge in your child that they have control of what they witness. Your child may see spirits in the spirit realm, just moving around in the other realm. Communication then is not necessary. If some spirits know the child can see them, the spirits may try to communicate.
Just because you see ghosts does not mean you must interact with them. The child can tell the spirit that now is not a good time to communicate. But if the child wants to have some kind of communication (like with a grandparent, for example), it is good to set up a time to connect with the spirits.
Special Time – To develop psychic and medium abilities, you must set aside a special time each day to open and connect with your guides, angels and teachers. This creates a positive environment to receive information that is always around you so you can understand what it feels like.
It is just as important to do the same thing if you are constantly bombarded with invading ghosts and spirits that will not leave you alone. You need to know how to close off the subtle bodies during the majority of your day, in order to deal with the regular world.
Also, the spirits around you need to learn when it is the right time to connect with you. So sitting at a special time every day to connect with them on your own terms is important.
Learn to Open the Umbrella (Your Subtle Bodies)
As you sit quietly, pay attention to your breathing.
Imagine that you are inside a giant umbrella that is all closed up. –just like a big umbrella on the beach or your patio table. This closed umbrella is a protective energy around your physical and spiritual body. It allows the “real you” to be safe and comfortable.
Say to your spirit guides that you are ready to open up and understand what information they may have for you.
Pay attention to your breathing and relax.
Now pretend this big umbrella opens up. As it opens, you become more aware of your ability to see and hear psychic things. You are able to communicate with your spirit guides. And you are able to feel the energy of others (like relatives that have passed away).
Notice the sensations that you feel, see or hear. You can also ask your guides to filter information that other spirits want to tell you. You might see this filter as a large fishing net or a special colorful blanket draped around you just for that purpose.
Set up an agreement with your guides that they only allow positive and uplifting information to be sent to you. Your spirit guides are only with you to help you and can be your mediator with other spirit people. And they only bring loving and supportive energy and thoughts to you.
If the spirits try to tell you to do things you are uncomfortable with, then they are not your spirit guides, and you should tell them to go away and stay away from you.
Close the Umbrella (Your Subtle Bodies)
When you feel like you are finished with this experience (2-3 minutes), pretend to close the big umbrella around you again. Know that when you close it, you will be totally shut off from outside energies and spirits. You may even like to make a special word or saying to go along with that, such as: “I’m locking the door now.” Or “Shields Up.”
Thank your guides for being with you, and say to them that now you are closing your energy.
Then get up and walk around to break the connection. Or you can drink some water and change your breathing. After doing this several times, you will start to recognize what it feels like to open and close your energy.
In Conclusion
Younger children and some adults are not only psychic, but might be empathic too. So gaining control of your psychic gifts and empathic sensitivities is a great thing to do. Now you can understand how to open and close your energy field as a very special technique to use. That way you are in a protected mode. By using your imagination, and pretending there is an umbrella around you to keep you safe, you will be more in control of your life. Your sensitivities will be filtered and you can practice your psychic gifts and work with your spirit guides.
Resources:
Emotional Freedom: Liberate Yourself From Negative Emotions and Transform Your Life by Dr. Judith Orloff (Three Rivers Press, 2011)
Psychic Integrity, The Respected Practice of Modern Day Mystics by Melissa Leath (Balboa Press, 2011)
Elise LeBeau, Professional Empath Coach (www. eliselebeau.com)
About Melissa Leath
Being a Certified Medium for the past 30 years, Melissa’s learned so much when it comes to metaphysical and spiritual concepts. She also has seen plenty in the seance room. Rev. Leath is a recognized meditation and spiritual growth expert and has worked with thousands of clients and workshop attendees spreading the idea of empowerment. She is an author of several books and CD’s including the newly published (November 2011) “Psychic Integrity: The Respected Practice of Modern-Day Mystics,” which is a guide book for novice and seasoned psychics and mediums as well as their clients. (Balboa Press, a division of Hay House Publishing)
