More people than ever identify as "empaths" — but some weaponize this trait, experts say

Meesh Carra, a psychic medium in Massachusetts, first came across the term “empath” on a spiritual journey, when she began exploring “energy work” and “intuitive development.” “As a psychic medium, I started to notice that I was absorbing the emotions of those around me, especially during readings and healing sessions,” Carra told Salon. “When I came across the idea of being an empath, it resonated with my entire identity.” Since then, Carra said being an empath is a key part of who she is. Stephanie Alice Baker, an associate professor of sociology at City St George’s-University of London who studies wellness, misinformation, and conspiracies, told Salon the term “empath” has been used in popular culture since the 2010s. Before Obama and the headlining survey on declining empathy in young people, former president Bill Clinton used a political catchphrase: “I feel your pain.” Ronald Purser, a professor of management at San Francisco State University and author of "McMindfulness: How Mindfulness Became the New Capitalist Spirituality," told Salon he associates the term “empath” with Bill Clinton when he reflects on it. “I would suspect that many so-called empaths have untreated psychological issues.” Purser said this is because empaths are “frequently in a state of emotional distress, but they mask that reality, confusing it for some superpower.” Even real empathy has its problems, he said, “if it blinds us to the problems and tribulations of larger groups outside of our immediate proximity.” We need your help to stay independent Subscribe today to support Salon's progressive journalism Notably, an “empath” is not a technical psychological term.