INTRODUCTION TO EMPATHY IN HEALING

I feel your pain. Over the years of educating and training health and wellness professionals in the application of AMN methodology, I have encountered numerous individuals who are highly empathetic. It is not uncommon for these hyper-empaths to temporarily take on the symptoms of their clients and literally feel and experience the pain of their clientele.

This phenomena can even occur prior to an in-person meeting with the client. A sort of pre-sensory, empathic experience, often completely accurate to the location of the client's pain. Whilst unpleasant, this can serve as a useful form of feedback, offering some diagnostic insight as to the client's suffering. The cause of the issue would still have to be established, of course, and a reliable process utilised to resolve the problem.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND EMPATHY AND PAIN

While this appears to be a spiritual or highly esoteric phenomenon, the mechanism may have its roots in the relative activation of specific networks within the brain. Connectomics is the study of the connections in the nervous system. It explores how neurons in the brain and nervous system are connected and interact with each other to produce behaviour and cognition. Learn more about Connectomics.

THE BRAIN NETWORKS AT PLAY

There are 7 main brain networks: The sensorimotor network, Default mode network, salience network, Dorsal attention network, Visual, Central Executive, and limbic networks. We also have specific connectomes for empathy, compassion, and mentalization.

EMPATHY: NEURAL UNDERPINNINGS AND PHENOMENA

Meta-analyses of existing research shows that activation of the anterior insula (AI) and middle anterior cingulate cortex (mACC) are core regions underlying empathic responding when witnessing others' suffering and when suffering oneself. Interestingly, with regards to the perception of pain, areas such as the somatosensory cortex, which maps the sensory surface of the body, becomes active relative to the location and quality of pain. However, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) becomes active in all pain experiences.

Hyper-empaths may have far more active insular and ACCs than those of us who do not so readily ‘feel’ and experience the emotions and states of others. Precisely how the information is transmitted from client to the empath is open for debate, although the capacity of the human brain to register unconscious information is far greater than we may expect.

BEYOND SIGHT: UNSEEN CONNECTIONS

The study of blindsight, for example, where an individual has lost the use of their visual cortex and cannot perceive any normal visual stimuli but can accurately guess the emotional context of facial expressions, has been shown to involve ‘unconscious’ activation of the right amygdala. Indicating that the brain can register information normally only thought to be perceptible through vision via some other means.

At the level of the physical body, I would also suggest that the cardiac nervous system, as well as the capacity for the brain to perceive electromagnetic fields, also be involved.

MENTALIZATION

In contrast, the mentalization network is involved in one's cognitive awareness of the mind of another and to recognise that their thoughts, beliefs, and emotions are unique to them and not the same as our own. Mentalization does not involve the fat states of empathy, although there will often be couple activation of both networks in during social and emotionally based interactions.

THE ART OF HEALING: BALANCING EMPATHY & TECHNIQUE

Whilst I am quite happy to not feel my clients' pain, I am always in awe of practitioners whose sensory capabilities and feedback systems are far superior to my own. Thank goodness for the muscle test and my ability to remember how things work! Without that, I may be no help at all.

A balance between empathy, compassion, and mentalization makes for great healers, therapists, and practitioners. It is no coincidence that these people are attracted to roles in the healing arts, and it has been a privilege to offer such adept people a systematic process for resolving the suffering of their clients.

As we navigate the deep waters of empathy and neuroscience, I am continually awed by our ability to mirror the pain and joy of those we aid. This mirror effect isn't just an emotional bond—it's a profound scientific connection that shapes our practice and our presence.

Written by David Fleming. AMN Co-Founder and Director of Education

REFERENCES:

1. Omniscient Neurotechnology: Exploring Brain Networks.
2. Philipp Kanske, Anne Böckler, Fynn-Mathis Trautwein, Tania Singer. 2015. Dissecting the social brain: Introducing the EmpaToM to reveal distinct neural networks and brain–behavior relations for empathy and Theory of Mind.
3. E. Mohandas, M.D. 2008. Neurobiology of Spirituality.