I have to say, and perhaps it’s because I’m female, that I’ve only been able to set boundaries about other people’s feelings with a few close people in my life. My husband and I talk about psychological hygiene a great deal, but with most people, I just watch them and think, “hmmmm.”

It’s why I developed the capacity to ignore people, because in most cases, it’s not my business what other people feel, so I like to give them privacy. I can turn it on when I’m consulting with people, but off again when I’m out in the world. I’ll never be completely immune to the emotional currents around me, because it’s just how I’m built.

I do have to say that leaving the metaphysical community and my self-identification as a “psychic” really helped as well. Now that I can see my ability as normal (though unusual), I don’t feel driven to perform my empathy for everyone. Whew, that was exhausting.

Thanks for writing back and sharing a proactive way of dealing with your ability!

see the links at the bottom of this page.
http://cultureofempathy.com/References/Experts.htm
Academic Research Centers Studying Empathy and Compassion

I think the European – Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences is a good place for research and study.
I met Tania Singer (head of empathy research there) when she recently gave a presentation at Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education Stanford University – Stanford, CA.
She gave a talk on empathy, mentioned Autism could be a deficit in identifying and articulating your own feeling which can inhibit empathy for others.. the problem is called ‘alexithymia’ and they will be doing research on that.

here is a list of empathy conferences which gives a sense of who’s who in the field and what they are studying.
http://cultureofempathy.com/References/Conferences.htm

Warmly
edwin

My experience with autistic youth and adults isn’t that they lack empathy, but rather that too much data comes at them in a painfully disorganized fashion.

Speaking of disorganized (but not painfully so)! Right now, I call myself an “al fresco academic,” and I’m studying everything I can get my hands on in regard to sociology, social psychology, neurology, primatology, and so forth. I’m hoping to get into a PhD program this year or next, but I haven’t found the right school yet. I think I’m ahead of the curve on this one. Let me know if you have any leads to programs that are working on empathy, compassion, altruism, and of course, the opposites, violence and conflict. I want a very rigorous academic program, and I’m not finding it.

I like your approach, – I also like to look at the opposite of empathy. – psychopathy, sociopathy, autism spectrum, etc. can all add insights into the nature of empathy.

How are you organizing your research?

Blessings!

Here’s a neurological study of physical empathy: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/303/5661/1157

Interesting study about empathy and its connection to violence: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100409093405.htm

Another study on empathy and reciprocity: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080321114214.htm

de Wall’s book covers a good number of studies on primates as well.

For fascinating studies that explore the lack of empathy, see Philip Zimbardo’s The Lucifer Effect and the classic study by Stanley Milgram, Obedience to Authority.

When I research, I like to look at the subject in as many ways as possible, including looking at its absence.

Happy reading!

Quick hint: Focus internally and make only minimal eye contact. You know, like insensitive people do! Haha, but actually, it helps to imagine yourself surrounded by a protective barrier, and to imagine others inside their own barriers as well. Soon, your brain may be able to make better separations, and you won’t be quite so overwhelmed.

I think I’ll post about it.