Empathy

Empathy is the ability to feel and interpret other people's feelings and emotions. A user of this ability can feel exactly what another person is feeling, and for the same reasons, without direct contact with them.

The main receiver of this gift are Empaths, their power generally allows them to manipulate emotions and everything connected to: for example; powers.

Usage
Through empathy, An empath can:


 * Discover other people's true intents, desires and any secrets that they are trying to hide.
 * Hear emotionally charged discussions by feeling the heightened emotions behind the words.
 * Channel or replicate other people's powers.
 * Resist the effects of another person's power.
 * Enhance/evolve their other powers.
 * Guide and heal emotional wounds.

Overview
"You're nervous, I can feel it."

- Phoebe channeling Chris emotions.

"I can sense pain, and anger, a lot of anger, wants revenge."

- Phoebe using her empathy to sense the emotions of a group of frozen kids.

Expanding on their power, not only can empaths psychically feel what other beings are mentally and physically feeling, they can also experience verbal feedback when they channel heightened emotions across vast distances, allowing them to psychically hear the beings who's emotions they are channeling, speak.

Being an empath allows Phoebe to directly channel the emotions of those around her, this also includes animals and spirits. This initially causes considerable problems, as after encountering the emotions of others Phoebe would sometimes act on their whims.

Although initially Phoebe exhibited little control over her ability, her proficiency has noticeably increased over time, as she actively work to improve her power. As such, beings with malevolent intent are usually worried when they are around her, because she can correctly interpret the intent and desire behind each emotion, and could find out any secrets that they are trying to keep hidden. On occasion, Phoebe has been shown to channel emotions within a city wide distance, as well as in between realms.

During her brief time as an empath, Prue was able to channel other people's emotions from miles away. She was also able to hear the arguments people were having all over the city. This was due to her Empathy picking up on the intense emotion behind the angry words people were shouting at each other.

The power is associated with good, and is very common among angelic beings. Cupids, like Empaths, can channel what other people feel, including their wants and desires. Whitelighters are connected to their charges on a physical level, and will automatically feel what their charges feel, but only when a charge is in pain.

Empathic Healing
"They use their sensitivity to guide mortals, ease their pain, even heal them."

- Leo to the Charmed Ones.

Some empaths can use their empathy power to heal emotional wounds by using their intimate knowledge of what the other person is feeling or has gone through, and then offering them advice and comfort.

Phoebe, as an advice columnist, uses her gift to help the people who write to her. She answers their letters through her column, giving them helpful and insightful advice.

Aside from counseling, immortal Empaths can also heal emotional suffering, akin to Whitelighters healing physical wounds. Father Thomas used his hands to heal the emotional anguish of his parishioners.

Empathic Power Manipulation
"Well, our powers are emotion based, right? If I can channel Piper's feelings, why can't I channel her powers and then use them against her."

- Phoebe talking about her Empathy power.

A version of Empathy used to manipulate the powers of others, which is composed of two—and arguably the most powerful—aspects of the power; Channeling and Replicating powers. Since all supernatural powers are tied to emotions, it may also be possible to replicate the effects of spells as it's a basic magical power.

Phoebe can use this version of the empathic ability, and is particularly skilled in this area. Initially, Phoebe would channel other people's powers to the point of replication, however, as she gained greater control over her empathic ability, Phoebe learned to channel and use their powers without replicating them.

Empathic Power Resistance
"I can use my new power to counteract hers."

- Phoebe talking about her Empathy power.

Channeling powers through Empathy, makes the powers, when used against you, ineffective. However, overtime, and with more experience, a user could gain complete Immunity to replicated powers.

Phoebe has demonstrated she cannot be affected by the powers she replicates from others. The first power she ever channeled was Piper's Valkyrie powers, it made her powers, when used against Phoebe, ineffective. While channeling, Phoebe was able to withstand Piper's three telekinetic attacks, only flinching a little when she got hit.

Empathic Power Augmentation
"Yeah, but Prue, you got quite a power boost there. Are you gonna miss it?"

- Piper to Prue.

A version of Empathy used to dramatically enhance your own powers by channeling a massive amount of emotions into them, making you much stronger than usual. Prue Halliwell displayed this ability during her brief time as an empath.

She was able to enhance her wiccan abilities to far superior levels by channeling emotions into them. She advanced her Telekinesis to where Vinceres, a demon who was immune to witchcraft, became vulnerable to it, and allowed her to perform gravity-defying maneuvers. She also evolved her Astral Projection power into Cloning.

Advanced Empathy
"I used his own rage to kill him. Flooded his mind with his reflected emotion."

- A chilling quote from Phoebe.

An evolved version of Empathy used to channel and project back other people's emotions through the hands: creating a psychic blast made purely of emotions. The effects generate energy sparks which resemble Lightning Bolts.

Phoebe is the only known being with this power. With it, she is capable of vanquishing, or severely incapacitating even supremely powerful magical beings thought impossible to be defeated. She used this power on the first witch, Neena: projected back her emotions until she was knocked unconscious.

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

- Leo expressing concern for Prue.

Empathy can drive a person to insanity if they are not destined to have it, as it is a psychic ability that requires the user to be mentally strong. Demons can never gain this power naturally, due to the fact that they cannot handle human emotions. It would destroy them or drive them insane, as it drove the demon Vinceres almost insane, but shortly after it was taken away, he returned to normal.

Prue accidentally received this power from Vinceres through the use of a spell. Although she was fine with it at first, eventually, as its range expanded, she was unable to control it developing to the point where she was constantly taking in the emotions and noise of the entire city of San Francisco.

With Father Thomas help, she quickly learned to control the ability, using it to channel all the incoming emotions into her other powers, which significantly enhanced them, and then used them to destroy Vinceres. Although Prue had learned how to control it, the power left her immediately after the battle 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").

List of Users

 * Empaths
 * Father Thomas
 * Upper-level Witches
 * Phoebe Halliwell
 * Angelic Beings
 * Cupids
 * Whitelighters