Ascension Quest - Peggy Zeramby, Lightarian Institute
Interviewed by Kathleen Garrett, Temple of the Drum
Hello. Hello. We are here today to talk about what is an empath and how do we navigate
group consciousness. This time of year, it seems to be very much and added stress. If
you're an empath and overwhelmed. I also have here with me Kathleen Garrett. She is
going to ask questions, and we are going to have a lot of fun. Welcome. Thank you. I'm so
excited to talk about this and I have questions for you. Excellent. Hope I have the answers.
The first one is what exactly is an empath? So someone who is empathic is taking in the
information from somebody else's either energy field or their emotions. When they are
around other people, they can feel maybe their emotions, maybe they're hyper aware of
their energy field.
they're taking in All of this extra information and many times it can feel overwhelming. if you
don't know how to manage that as an empath, you might feel like you just need to go home
and not be around other people at all.
Okay. And what would healthy boundaries look like for an empath in order for them to
prevent emotional overload? And this is related to a typical day, not like a large gathering or
a concert or a big party just like a normal, typical day. Yeah. what I teach my students is for
those who are empathic is to understand that everyone needs energy.
Everyone needs energy. And so when we are going out into Another environment. It is
excellent to visualize divine light coming down through a pipeline to feed all parts of you so
that you're feeling nourished and replenished as you're going throughout your day. And then
as you are interacting with others, when you're taking in that maybe sometimes it's low
vibration when you're taking in other people's maybe they're really depressed or they're
angry or they're feeling victimized, right?
When you're taking in those low vibrations, it's not going to have as much of an impact
because you're taking in all of that divine light into your body. So I visualize a pipeline. The
other part of this is maybe you choose not to take in other people's energy. Maybe you don't
scan someone else to see how they're doing.
Maybe you sit back, and you honor their own ability, or they're learning how to
communicate for themselves. we don't do that extra Input from the other person, and we
ask a question. How are you feeling today? Or not, right? Like we, we allow them to
communicate for themselves without having that extra sense that we have the ability to do
take in that information.
it sounds like you can actually shut this off, if you choose to, if like you can pull it back.
Yeah, it takes a while to learn. Yeah, it does take a while to learn how to do it. And that's
where the healthy boundaries come in you decide you choose to take in that information or
not.
And it. Like I said it's a skill. for me, I will use that ability to take in information with say, if my
child is sick. if my child is sick, I want to know, maybe they can't put into words how they're
feeling or what they're feeling inside their body. And during that particular time. I want to
take in that information so I can be a better parent.
How can I help them feel better? we can use it for good. We can use it without being
invasive. And we can bring in that information to have it be highest and greatest. And then
When we are choosing to not take it in. I think the best way that I have done it and I've
heard from my students that they have successfully done it has been when we visualize
ourselves, and maybe a Divine bubble, right? Many times, we will bubble ourselves and
create this frequency that is around us so that as any low frequencies come towards us, it
might bounce off or maybe it will get channeled into being transformed, right? Into
something for good. we can create.
These energetic structures, if you will, to wrap around ourselves to create those
boundaries, those energetic boundaries. Okay. you touched on something. So now I'm
curious about it. So you said when you're, your kids are sick, sometimes they cannot
express to you how they're feeling. So that means you're not just empathic with other
people's emotions, but you can tap into Their physical sensations as well.
If they are feeling, maybe they can't put it into words, but they're feeling queasy or they're
feeling like they have a headache or maybe it's because of emotional distress and they're
feeling very life is not fair, which is a typical thing. A kid feels right. Life is not fair. then you
can.
Take that information. And a lot of empaths will feel whatever the person is experiencing,
they'll feel it in their own body. So maybe it's, they're feeling a lot of stuff in their heart
chakra, or they're feeling so much stuff in their solar plexus, and so there's a lot of feelings
that they might be experiencing inside their own body.
That is not theirs. And so that's the healthy boundary part to if you do decide to take in
somebody else's vibrations and feelings, you need to make sure you also clear yourself
afterwards, even if it is your own kid to clear yourself afterwards so that you don't get sick
so that you don't end up having those emotions, those residual emotions and that touches
on one of my other questions, which is, can being empathic impact your physical and
mental health? it sounds like there can be just residual, so you're feeling someone else's
feelings, maybe even something that's happening in their body. And because you're feeling
it, that means that same, maybe vibration of energy is in your body as well.
Yeah. for me, when I was in my early twenties, probably throughout my twenties, I could
only go out and do one errand at a time. if I went to say the mall to pick something up, I
could only go to the mall and back. And then I needed to take a nap or go for a walk, be with
nature.
I needed to restore because it was just too much input, too many people with all of their
stories and all of their energies. I could Go out and then I'd have to go home. Then I could go
out and do the next errand and then I'd have to go home. And so if I had a day that was very
busy, I had to build in that time to go home and restore and decompress all of the energies
that would impact me.
And I think a lot of empathic people experience that. As time went on, I started to do what I
said at the very beginning, I started to bring in that divine light. So now I have this one-way
system that's coming in divine light coming in divine light coming out. actually, that benefits
all the people around me.
as I walk through, say that mall, I'm now like leaving a trail of divine light all around. That's
so beautiful too and I do not feel drained. I do not feel like I need to go home. I can go out,
do several errands. I can come home at the end of the day. And I feel fine. I feel restored. I
feel like I can still do more where I could never do that.
All those years ago, you didn't have that skill in place yet to know to pull in the divine light
yet. Correct. Okay, correct and have that one-way system right that's a one way system
empaths take in from other people, they take in from other people when you're taking in
from other people, you know you're, that's almost risky because you're taking in headaches
you're taking in.
Maybe it's like really low depression or, there are so many, it's the whole gamut. You're
taking in so much. It could even be happy energy from people, which is great. But at the
same time, when you're taking in from other humans, that's a lot of energy of so many
different vibrations and our bodies will need support to handle all of that.
It sounds like using divine light is a great self-care tool that you use. And is there any other
self-care practice that you recommend? Yeah. when I say I'm going out and I know I'm
going to a party or a business event, or even to church or anything like that, I might have,
some plans of what I would like to have happened for myself.
I know that I really want to connect him with people who are kind and loving. I might even
visualize myself connecting him with people who are kind and loving. I might, if it's like a
business event and I know that I want X, Y, and Z, I might visualize that happening. I'm
actually putting out like future plans.
That I'm walking into that anchor into my experience that I am expecting to have and I'm
wanting to have and I know will be for my highest and greatest. And anytime we're
manifesting for our own highest and greatest, that's highest and greatest for everyone. It
can't be anything other than that. It's high vibration.
it works for everyone. I have a pre plan and put some energy toward that so that there's An
outcome that's waiting for me that already nourishes me already lifts me and lifts all the
people around me. Awesome. Now, sometimes we can't plan for stressful situations like
they just pop up unexpectedly and we're caught off guard and our energy can be drained
really quickly.
when you're on the spot and you know what, maybe you're overwhelmed and
overstimulated, are there any techniques? I can replenish and empath energy really quickly
in that stressful situation so they can like, get back on track, get, like getting more in control
of themselves quickly in that situation.
Yeah. Yeah. That's interesting. So I think that empaths tend to be people pleasers and
empaths because we're always. Taking in other people's energies, we prioritize other
people many times above our own needs. Learning that we can say no, and no is a
complete sentence. We don't have to give a reason for the no.
We don't owe anyone a reason. We can in that moment even state, I just need a moment to
think about this. And then stepping away, I'll circle back to you after I have more time to
think about it, having some phrases that. You can go to that really help and serve you in
those moments. Like you're already drilling them into your head.
Like those are your go to statements in tough situations, that you already have preplanned.
And so when you're in that moment and you're feeling overwhelmed, you might even be
going into fight and flight in your central nervous system. And you're like, whoa, what just
happened here? I don't even know like how to respond to this.
Those automatic statements that you've already thought about beforehand. This is a lot
and you're important and I want to really think about this and I just need to take a moment.
let's go ahead and I'll think about it and, and we'll plan out a time to get together and talk
about it.
we can always, we always have a choice. In those situations, I would think communication
of Yeah. What is and isn't acceptable. This doesn't feel right to me and I need some time to
think about it would be an okay thing to say, and then taking that time so in, in all of what I
was talking about, I'm standing removing yourself from the situation so that you can go
ahead and take care of yourself. And then come back after doing that Divine Light after like
thinking about the outcome after respecting all parties, which includes yourself. Awesome.
I love that. you pre plan for unexpected events by having those just ready to go. I love that.
And you already touched on this in your response to that, but I'm going to ask anyway.
How can an empath calmly and effectively handle conflicts or confrontations with another
person? While they're feeling the heightened emotions of that person that they're dealing
with. They said you can pull back and shut down, maybe, but you have any other
suggestions? Yeah, pull back and give yourself space to clear and integrate and to
empower yourself, right?
pull back and empower yourself. When you're feeling your own heightened emotions
because you are responding to somebody else's heightened emotions, that's a whole other
podcast. Because what we're talking about is, if we're reacting to somebody's. feelings,
then that's something that's giving us our own message about ourselves.
Like what's happening inside of us that is creating that reaction, that response. So if
somebody is acting very sad or even angry, and that has nothing to do with who we are, we
might feel drained, but we'll still be in witness mode.
if we're bombarded with other people's emotions, and then we start to become angry or
sad, or there's a big response, then that's our story. And so in those moments, I would say
the same thing. This is feeling uncomfortable to me and this conversation is important to
me. I really need to pull back and I need to think about it and let's schedule a time.
So then you pull back and you need to look at what is it that you're reacting to? What is your
story there? And go through that integration, that processing, that awareness of what, what
needs to release from yourself so that you can go ahead and show up in that healthy way.
That makes so much sense.
Yeah. That's logical. there's other type of situation that a lot of people might experience.
Such as a networking event where there is an expectation of interaction, unlike going to
church or just going to the mall where you're, bombarded by other people's emotions. But
this time you're going to be bombarded by lots of people's emotions, but you are required in
a way to interact.
That's why you're there. It's part of your job, maybe. It's an expectation. Do you have any
maybe behavioral techniques that you suggest or like rules that you can follow for
yourself? Maybe you stick to a rule that you only speak to each person for three minutes.
Unless your energy is being drained and then it's less or something like that.
Do you have any suggestions for that? Yeah. So I'm an introverted empath. So I tend to
observe a lot. In those moments, I am doing the energy work I am pre planning thoughts of
outcomes I want so in something like that. I don't know if I would do only a few minutes
with each person that could work for many people totally could.
And I'm thinking that your thought with that question is that you're just moving along. And if
they are someone that is an energetic vampire and taking all of your energy, they don't have
enough time to fully drain you and you're moving on.
That could be a strategy. And then I'm also thinking that I am aligning myself with people
beforehand. I'm deciding. Like what I was saying before I'm deciding what are the qualities
of the people that I want to interact with. And so I've already gone through that in my head
beforehand, and then I'm energetically aligning myself, like a magnet right , there are two
magnets that come together.
And sometimes they Pull towards each other. And if you flip them, sometimes they repel
each other, they push away. The. Interactions I want I'm pulling toward myself and the
interactions that I don't, I'm pushing them away. This becomes tricky though, right? We've
all been invited to a birthday party or Thanksgiving dinner or Hanukkah, Christmas, or, a
wedding or an event we want to show up at we feel like we should show up at and we are
there and we're inside of other people's rituals.
We're inside of other people's choices of what They really want to do. And some of it might
feel really good. And some of it might feel a little awkward, depending on who's there and
what it is all about and what our own story is. So we come back to our own story, right?
Sometimes our own story has some trauma.
Sometimes our own story has some that this feels very foreign to us. So say if you were race
as a Christian and now you're inside of a different faiths way of doing their rituals. And so
it's unusual for you. And you're pulling yourself back, being in witness mode, taking in what
feels very comfortable or not.
with that, if we are I don't know, we're heading into Christmas and Hanukkah, Winter
solstice New Year's Eve right? We're heading into those holidays and we have a choice. We
can choose to participate. We can choose to say no thank you. We can maybe even choose
to have those same rituals, but with a different group of people, so that it's enjoyable to us.
We can have some choice there. It's really about knowing our own self. You talked about
the unexpected, but I'm talking about the pre planning of it right who's going to be there,
what's it going to be about, am I going to be comfortable with that.
No, then do I have to go. And that's always a question that you can say no to. You never
have to go, right? You never have to go. Should I go? That's the whole other very packed
word, isn't it? Like it's packed with so much stuff...shoulds. No, you can always answer no
to that. Do I want to go?
So that's really the question, do I want to go? And you can decide, you can say, no, you can
decide to do a movie day or, stay home and organize your house or go for a hike out in
nature or do whatever. You always have choice. Did I answer the question?
Yes, you did. That was great. I only have one other question for you. I just want to dive
just a little deeper on it because I've had people ask me this multiple people, and I
really don't know what to tell them. The number one thing that they have a problem
with. As an empath. And that's they don't know how to shut it off. We've talked about
pulling it back at certain times. And how do you? Is there a method?
Yeah. And I think this is where I think I do differ from most people, because I have a, I can
decide. I am one that keeps it simple. Keep it very simple. Years ago, I wanted to clear a
stone. I used to carry a rock with me, and As I walked all of my emotions and everything I
was feeling and thinking and everything would just go into this rock.
And it was a point in time when I was ready to release it all. So I, of course, this is before the
internet really was available like it is today. And I was asking people, how do you clear a
stone? How do you do this? And I was given so many rituals and so many like you need to
do 21 day clearing cycle.
You need to do...the moon... you need to do salt... you need to do this and that and
everything. And that's just too much for me. I like to just keep it simple. I just held my rock
and I said, clear, and I felt my hand pulse three times because the rock pulsed three times
and then it was gone from this rock.
And that's how I always do energy work. Like I, I hear all the rituals and I hear all the steps
and I think, wow, that's just so much. That's just a lot. So for me, I simplify for me with
something like this divine light pipeline down into me one way system done. It's done one
way system, and then it's done.
if you think about water and you have the divine light is water coming in, and it's coming to
this pipeline, things can't come back up that pipeline because the water is just so It's just
strong and it's just moving everything out and it's clearing what it touches. So as that
pipeline of divine light or water comes down and it's coming all the way through me and it's
going out into all that is around me, it's benefiting me, but it's benefiting everyone else.
And it's simple. It's so simple. It's a one-way system. And then the empathic stuff can't
happen because It's one way system that comes to a different whole other conversation
about being empathic. Many empaths want the feedback from the other people, because it
gives them sometimes power, it gives them knowledge. It gives them sometimes feeling
important. If you're still not wanting to shut off that empathic feedback loop. The question
that you need to ask yourself at that point is why. Why are you needing to take that
information in from another person? Why are you choosing to go out and have all of that
come towards you?
I know for some empaths, maybe there was an unsafe childhood, and they scan a room
when they walk into it so that they can know if they're safe. And when we're working with
divine light coming in, and you're working with that high frequency that creates safety. And
then we can let go of that need of taking in the low vibration, just to see and scan if we're
safe for others.
It's about when they're doing their treatment work with their clients, they're taking in that
information to better serve. And so in those situations, sometimes it can be helpful, but you
have to make sure you're clear afterwards. The other way to do it is ask for, and this comes
to a whole other skill set, ask for the information that would come across the table, if you
will, across the room to come in through your crown chakra from...maybe they're higher
self. That way it's not part of this human vibrational variety of all different frequencies,
some low, some high, right? We don't have those lower frequencies coming into us. We
could choose to do it. For me, I like to keep things simple.
I think that scanning someone without their permission scanning someone for information,
just to feel safe there's something to that, that we can evolve in our spiritual path and get to
another place so that we don't feel that as a go to way of being, like we can operate
differently. And that way of operating differently can serve us, and it can lift everyone
around us.
I don't know, for me, that's like what I want to do. Yeah, absolutely. This has been really
enjoyable. Thank you. Yeah. Let me ask you, are you an empath? I feel like I am to an
extent, just not the level of other people. And I feel like it comes and goes. Okay. It can flare
up, and I'll have a really empathic hit, if you will.
And I'll feel a lot. And I'll recognize that it's not me. And that's how I know wait. It's like just
emotions out of the blue. But other times I don't feel anything. It comes in waves. Yeah,
and that comes to another thing that I was thinking about as I was speaking earlier,
sometimes, somebody is very loud energetically they come into a room and their energy
field is just very big and very loud and it bumps up against you. And it's Whoa, I just got
elbowed and I didn't even you know and they're just standing there looking so sweet and
looking so docile but energetically they're like, Okay.
Elbowing you or pushing or like being very big and loud, right? And so with those types of
experiences, always honor yourself. I've had the experience where people behave like that.
And then you're, you respond because you're like, whoa, what just happened?
And they're like, what? Oh, that was all you. Cool. Cool. That was all you that didn't happen.
So this is where we need to as empaths know that we need to trust our own experiences we
cannot let somebody tell us that didn't happen. When we know that energetically it did. So
this is where we also need to own our power.
Truly own our power. And if we are doing that pipeline example that I spoke about where
we're having that energy just flood us and flood everyone around us. Usually people like
that just get flooded away, that type of energy is not comfortable for them because they're
acting docile, right?
But they're also Elbowing and being very big. So they're not authentically living. And so
usually divine light, high vibration just moves them right along. And I have found that those
situations have. Just diminished you attract authentic people, because that is who is
comfortable around divine light so when you do that divine light pipeline , you're actually
declaring the quality of people right quality of people that are around you.
And it sounds like the use of that divine light bringing it in sounds like just a great daily
practice. And just get in the routine of it. Yeah. Yeah. That and Gaia. Gaia is your best
friend. So feeling grounded, right? And as you're feeling grounded, being able to take in
more high frequencies of divine light.
Yeah. That's really the secret sauce of having that. Ability to be an empath in the world as
you're navigating everyone, all of the masses. Yeah. Grounding with Gaia and bringing in
that divine light. Yeah. Fantastic. Yeah. Awesome. All right. Thank you so much. Thank
you. Homework people homework.
So your homework is to go ahead and do a quick meditation in the morning. When you
wake up in the morning, feel your feet touch the floor and take a moment and pause. And
then feel Gaia hugging your feet from below, feel that hug and be with that hug and take a
few moments of breathing into that. And then to have divine light come in through the top
of your head, your crown chakra, and touch all parts of you, your head, your shoulders, your
torso going all the way down your legs into your feet, and then connecting in with Gaia. Now
you have Gaia and you have divine light nourishing you all day long. And then when you get
up for the day, after you've had that hug and that divine light coming in.
Walk with it, get used to it. Like acclimate to all of those frequencies and see how it goes.
You might need to set a timer and just check in with yourself a couple of times that day,
each day and say, is it still connected? If not, simply do it again. It takes all of what? Three,
four minutes.
Breathe, connect in with Gaia, connect in with Divine Light and maintain that. Life will
change dramatically.
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(c)2024 Peggy Zeramby, Lightarian Institute, LLC. All Parts Reserved.