Empathy

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

Empathy is a rare gift and can only be handled by beings that are meant to have the power. When others gain this power, it will eventually overwhelm them, which can drive them insane and even kill them.

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

- Phoebe Halliwell to Chris Halliwell.

At its most basic level, Empathy involves feeling what other people are feeling, either automatically or by focusing on them. Sometimes, the user have to ask the person they are channeling why they feel the way they do. However, this is not always the case, sometimes, the user can immediately interpret the reason(s) or truth behind the emotion, thereby gaining insight into the desires and intentions of others. Other times, they have to probe deeper into the emotions and use their intuition to uncover what caused them and why they feel that way.

Other than the emotional, it can also involve feeling the physical sense, i.e. touch, medical effect, etc.

The power may initially be hard to switch off and as such, can cause inexperienced users to act on the emotions as if they were their own or become overwhelmed, but meditation and practice will solve this problem.

Cupids cannot feel the whole spectrum of emotions, as they are messengers of love, not true Empaths. Their empathy is limited to feelings of love and emotions that are tied to love, such as heartbreak, hate, etc. Whether, Cupids ever struggled to control their power is not known.

At its strongest level, Empathy involves channeling emotions from any being that can produce them (for example; magical and non-magical beings, animals and ghosts). They can also verify a person's existence by sensing their emotions, be alerted to nearby disasters by picking up on the volume of the victims' emotions and pain, and can even become able to use the power as a lie detector. Empathy at this level also involves channeling emotions across great distances.

It's rare, but another aspect of empathy is being able to experience verbal feedback when channeling heightened emotions across great distances, thus allowing the user to psychically hear the being(s) they are channeling speak.

Phoebe developed this power in her late twenties, and is one of the strongest form of Empathy possessed by any being. She struggled to control it, which caused considerable problems, as after encountering the emotions of others she would sometimes act on their whims; for example, once when an employee felt extremely angry at Elise, Phoebe was overwhelmed by his anger that she knocked her boss in the face.

However, her proficiency has noticeably increased over time. She can now interpret and understand each emotion without being overwhelmed. As such, beings with malevolent intent are usually worried when they are around her, afraid she will find out any secrets that they are trying to keep hidden. Phoebe can sometimes channel emotion across a city wide distance and in between dimensions.

"You despise us. In fact, until I became an empath I never realized how much you truly hate us."

- Mitzy Stillman to Margo Stillman.

One memorable user of this power was Mitzy Stillman. Mitzy gained this ability temporarily when she stole Phoebe's identity and powers. Mitzy's empathy power let her realize how much Mabel hated both her and her younger sister, however, the power also gave her headaches.

Another memorable user of this power was Prue Halliwell. She gained the power for a few hours in 2001 when the spell she casted to remove the power from Vinceres backfired and made her an empath. Her empathic ability allowed her to channel emotions from miles away and listen in on the arguments people were having all over the city by picking up on the intense emotion behind the angry words people were shouting at each other.

Empathy and Different Planes/Realities
"I don't know, maybe try feeling her? The demon created these worlds by using our emotions, right? I don't know, maybe use him as a conduit to tap into her feelings."

- Paige suggesting Phoebe use her power to sense Piper.

Empathy is one of the very few powers that is capable of stretching through different planes of existence and alternate realities. Phoebe first revealed this while in one of Gith's emotion/desire fueled realities and used her power to tap into Piper's emotions, sensing her sister's fear even though she was in a different reality. Once this connection was made, Phoebe and Paige were able to use their combined desires in order to shift themselves through Gith's realities and transport themselves to Piper.

Phoebe later showed this aspect of her power again when Piper and Leo were trapped in The Ghostly Plane. Phoebe was able to sense Piper's presence and even feel her pain when she was injured. Since Piper is the common denominator in both these examples, it is possible that Phoebe's power was amplified in both cases by the strength of her sisterly love.

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.

The power of Empathy can drive a being insane if they are not destined to have it, however, 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 took 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 of the entire city of San Francisco. However, with Father Thomas help she was able to the power. The power left her immediately after she destroyed Vinceres with it as she was never meant to have it.

Whitelighters and Charges
"I don't know. Feels like a witch is being hurt. I can feel her pain."

- Leo to Natalie and the sisters.

The connection Whitelighters share with their charges has a limited aspect of empathy; they are connected to their charges on a physical level, and will automatically feel what their charges feel, but only when a charge is hurt and is in pain. In special circumstances, a whitelighter may feel the pain of a another whitelighter's charge. Natalie and Leo have both done this; they felt the pain of witch who wasn't their charge because the elders had recalled all whitelighters from earth and their were the only two earthbound whitelighters.

When triggered, this connection may cause a whitelighter to double over in pain, as they are feeling the some pain as the charge in question. Since this connection cannot be switched off, in extreme cases of agony, the whitelighter may be compelled to rush to the charge's aid, regardless of the danger that awaits them. However, a whitelighter with a strong will can endure the pain and not be ruled by it.

This aspect of their connection should not be confused with the power of Empathy.

Branches of Empathy
Empathy is capable of manipulating emotions and various elements connected to emotions. However, empaths, who are the main receivers of this gift, are the only beings capable of using empathy in this manner. It should be noted that, whilst so far no empath has ever demonstrated empathy in its totality, certain empaths can control more than one branch.

Empathic Manipulation
A branch of Empathy that is centered around manipulating other people's emotions. A practitioner of superior psychic abilities, such as Phoebe Halliwell, can channel other people's emotions — whether it be their enemy's, their enemy's victims or a mixture of both — and project, reflect or amplify those same emotions through the hands in the form of two tiny electricity bolts.

Empathic Augmentation
A branch of Empathy which is concerned with augmenting the user's powers. Augmentation can also happen automatically if the user cannot control their empathy power. As all magical powers are connected with emotions, the more emotions they channel in, the more powerful they become. But if the user cannot control their power of empathy, their enhanced powers can be destructive and dangerous to oneself and others. The only known Empath to have ever used this aspect of empathy was Prue Halliwell. She was only able to do this during her brief time as an empath.

Empathic Channeling and Replicating
Arguably the two most powerful extensions of Empathy. Due to the fact that all magical powers are tied to the user's emotions, both work by feeling the same emotion that others feel. The only example of this is Phoebe Halliwell, because Phoebe can feel the emotions of others, her empathy allows her to counteract and replicate the powers of other beings.

Empathic Power Resistance
A branch of Empathy which protects the user from magical injury; however, this branch only works in combination with Power Channeling and Replication: for example, channeling the power of another makes one resistant to said power, when it is used against them. In Phoebe Halliwell's case, her body's resilience is extended to an even greater degree, allowing her to withstand the powers she replicates from others, when they are used against her.

Empathic Power Granting
The possessor can transfer their power into another being through a touch. Depending on the receiver: for example; a demon, this power can act as a curse, forcing the demon to feel the pain he or she inflicts.

The only known Empath to have ever done this was Father Thomas. In 1996, when he was attacked by the demon Vinceres, he placed his hands on the demon's chest and transferred his empathy powers to him. Father Thomas knew the power would make the demon insane and unable to set one foot outside and thus not being able to kill.

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

- Leo to the Charmed Ones.

A branch of Empathy that is centered around guiding mortals—for example, someone who practices this aspect can ease human suffering by using their intimate knowledge of what the other person is feeling or has gone through, and then offering them advice and comfort— and healing emotional wounds, akin to Whitelighters healing physical wounds.

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 advice. Aside from counseling, Father Thomas also healed the emotional anguish of his parishioners. It should be noted that, he channeled his power through his hands.