Empathy

Empathy is the ability to read and feel exactly what another person is feeling, and for the same reasons, without direct contact with them. It can be channeled through the hands or eyes, the latter being the most common way to use the power.

Application
There are four types of Empathic Channeling:


 * Tap into and reading another being's emotions.
 * Tap into another being's emotions to access their powers and control or copy them.
 * Channel a massive amount of emotions into your own powers to strengthen and advanced them.
 * Use your power to guild and emotionally and even physically heal another being.

Reading Emotions
Reading emotions also involves experiencing said emotions, an is a common power amoung angelic beings. However, they can only use a weak version of emotion reading, which is limited to reading and physically experiencing the emotions of their human charges. They will also be able to hear thoughts, like a telepath, while reading emotions. Empaths can use a vast spectrum of emotions reading. They can read the emotions of every living being, including creatures (ie) dragons. They can also read the intent or desire behind emotions, and know exactly what a person wants or truly desire. Other begins with malevolent intent are usually worried when they are around them; due to the fact that they can find out any secrets that they are trying to keep hidden.

The only way to block an empath from reading your emotions is with an empathy blocking potion. However, it's hard to make as the ingredients are extremely rare. The effects of the potion is temporary, because as a range expands, you will be able to break through the effect and read their emotions.

Chris and the sisters used the potion to temporarily block their emotions. Mordaunt found a way to block his feelings and his intentions from being read, mostly likely by using the potion. Cal Greene did not take anything to block the power, but on one occasion, his feelings could not be read.

Power Manipulation


The next aspect, after learning to read emotions, is using Empathy to manipulate other powers, which is composed of three—and arguably the most powerful—aspects of the power; Channeling, Replicating and Resisting powers. As long as the connection is maintained channeled power will be rendered ineffective when used against you. They can possible replicate the effects of spells as it's a basic witch power.

As powers are tied to emotions, manipulating powers through empathy works by feeling the same emotion that others feel, and then accessing their powers to deflect or copy them. Phoebe quickly learned and demonstrated total control over these three aspects the power.

Empathic Healing


Another aspect of the power is the ability to heal emotional wounds. Empaths are said to be able to use their power to heal people, by using their intimate knowledge of what the person is feeling or has gone through and offering them advice or comfort. Phoebe, as an advice columnist, uses her gift to help the people who writes to her. Her powers helps her to 'read people really well', so she's able to give them helpful and insightful advice.

Aside from counseling, Immortal Empaths can also heal emotional wounds akin to Whitelighters healing physical wounds. Father Thomas indicated he focused his empathic powers through his hands to heal the emotional anguish of his parishioners. He used this same method to curse Vinceres.

Power Augmentation


Another aspect of Empathy, is the ability to increase the strength of your own powers, which works by channeling a massive amount of emotions into them, which will enhance your powers and make you stronger. This aspect was used by Prue Halliwell who had temporarily gained the gift.


 * Her Telekinesis power advanced to a point were Vinceres, a demon who was immune to witches magic, was no longer immune to it. It also allowed her to perform gravity-defying maneuvers, and evolved her Astral Projection power into Cloning.

Pathokinesis
This power is an advanced form of Empathy. It is the ability to manifest and channel emotions through the hands, to create a psychic blast made purely of emotions. It is channeled through the hands when placed at the temples of a person's head. The effects generate energy sparks which resemble Lightning Bolts.

Phoebe is the only being with this power. With it, she is capable of vanquishing, or severely incapacitating extremely powerful magical beings thought impossible to be defeated. She used this power on the powerful witch Neena, magnifying her emotions until she was knocked unconcious. It's arguably the strongest offensive power of a Charmed One, evident by the Neena encounter.

Usage
Usually, in the early stages of gaining this power, it's very uncontrollable and most users receive empathic vibes automatically. They can be overwhelmed by the emotions and feel compelled to act them out. As one embraces their gift, they will gain control over it and will be able to turn it on or off at will.

However, if the empathic energy is strong enough, users will automatically receive an empathic hit, overriding their control and will. Prue channeled this power through her minds' eye to both read emotions and enhance her powers.

When activating and using this power, Phoebe often concentrate with little effort. She often channels this power through her minds' eye to both read and tap into emotions to access another beings powers, however, sometimes she uses both her hands and eyes, usually while power tapping multiple individual's.

Range


This power has been shown having varying range, depending on the user. As a person grows stronger, their empathic range will expand. They will be able to read, sense and maintain contact with beings from within a vast city wide distance, and in between dimensions.

However, if a person acquires this power from an Empath, who's range has already expanded, the range of the new owner will take a few hours to fully developed. Phoebe, a destined empath, has shown that her range is vast.

She once felt a large empathic burst of pain and fear from a group of people in the city, while she was at home, miles away. Later, she used it to reach into the ghostly plane to sense and maintain contact with her sister Piper, who was trapped there. She also indicated that she would also be able to sense if Piper had died.

There is a difference in range when reading emotion and access powers. Phoebe can read people emotions from across vast distances, but has to be within the vicinity of the other person whenever she want to control and use their power. Her range with continue to expand as her power grows stronger.

Insanity and Demons
"I'm afraid that your in danger, you weren't meant to receive this gift. You can't handle it."

- Leo expressing concern over Prue gaining empathy.

Empathy can drive a person insane if they are not destined to have it, as it's a psychic ability, which requires the user to be mentally strong. Demons can never gain this power naturally, due to the fact that they can't handle human emotions. It would destroy them or eventually drive them insane.

Prue accidentally received this power from Vinceres through the use of a spell. Although she was fine with it at first, eventually, as it's range expanded, she was unable to control it developing to the point where she was constantly taking in the emotions of the entire city. However, Father Thomas taught her to control it.

She then channeled the incoming emotions into her other powers, which greatly enhanced them, and then used them to destroy Vinceres. However, while she eventually learned to control it, she was not a destined empath, and immediately after the battle, the power left her, as she was never meant to have it.

To Release an Empath from his Gift

 * Free the Empath,
 * Release his gift,
 * Let his pain be cast adrift.


 * (It is important that when casting the spell there is no physical contact with the Empath as the power will transfer in the caster of the spell ("Primrose Empath").