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I get a very particular sensation from what I think is empathy. The only analogy I can use is if I was standing in the rain, crying, I would feel two different sensations. The sensation of my tears and the sensation of rain hitting my face. However, in the end, they both get me wet.

What I think is empathy is the same thing happening, except with emotions instead of raindrops. Now, I have been hit more than once by these "raindrops" and sometimes it is incredibly difficult to keep from becoming part of whatever emotion I am picking up. Is there any sort of shielding or methods that would let me block it out?

I've found that a lot of the general psychic shielding such as what most psy vamps learn is relatively good for keeping what you don't want out, but I suggest looking into meditations and other forms of shielding
http://www.psivamp.org/shielding.htm

I once learned, that knowing yourself very good will help you too. It is quite easy now for me, to differ between the rain and my tears.
To get to such a state meditations all by yourself will surely help.
You may also try to listen to music and note the effects to yourself. Learn to know your self better and better.
But also learn to know people better and better. This will greatly help to recognize other patterns more sure.

Next after differing is the part of not getting touched by the rain, although in my humble opinion, it is just a step between differing and the state I think I have reached now.
Real rain can be blocked by an umbrella, a coat or something alike.
I used to imagine a strong shielding like an egg shell around myself, rotating and trowing off the rain. This is all a matter of will and inner strength one have to learn by time. I for example often had to leave the scene of rain in this times.

My actual state is best compared with the already mentioned method of channeling.
If you once can clearly differ the tears and the rain you can decide, wether you want to become wet or not. If not, breath in, exhale and blow the rain forth. There is no wonder I just love wide open spaces. It just sounds simple, but hey, it works with me. I often expose myself to strong wind or storm and clean myself this way. Remember: the breath of the person in front of you is a wind, too.

I but feel, there is still a further step after this, but it might again take years to reach it, again with no help all by myself.

(Please blame any spelling mistakes to my english lessons in school a very long time ago. I am a native german speaker.
Erster Eintrag.)

sounds like that would be hard to deal with some times I hope you find a way to shield it some what.

The problem is that at the beginning I have no problem telling the difference, but by the time 5 or 10 minutes go by, it starts to feed into whatever I am feeling...

try looking for a book by Melita Denning and something Phillips.

good read and has lots of stuff for just such an occasion.

Actually, shielding takes practice and meditation. Being aware of one's own mood and monitoring your reactions to things will help you in time to learn how to detect intrusions into your own emotions. I meditate at least once a day for 20 minutes usually. In this, I create a daily shield that is black on the inside so that I may 'absorb' the emotions of others and 'mirror' on the outside so that others cannot see my emotions and likewise, their emotions bounce off unless I specifically draw them in.

It works for me, and it will be different for everyone. Just meditate and you will find something that resonates with you. I learned shielding through several witchcraft books.

my shielding is a little different.... I take what I feel and use it to my advantage and if I can not do that I push it back out my feet..... remember feet are not just for walking on... they keep you grounded!!

meditation is a good tool ot help focus it in a way it dont disturb, it also helps to increase your chackra (no I am not talking about naruto here) it will make your abilites more focus and constructive, allowing you to continu what you do and your concentration, allowing you to have a stable normal life, the focus, meditation and increase of chackra is a good way to deal with empathy and its impact on the system.

well i personally have to picture my aura pulled in very close to my body, its the only way i can keep other peoples emotions from mingling with mine and getting me all messed up from it, usualy when i do that i ground myself at the same time, there are lots of ways to ground yourself, you just have to find the way that works best for you.

I shield mysel by visualizing my aura crystallizing into a shell of diamond for protection. It does take meditation and time to develop a technique of protection. This will also work against psychically inclined vampires.

I have always visualized a swirling whirlwind surrounding me...nothin g gets through it but what i choose to let through

The is always becoming emotional numb which worked for a while but I find the best is correcting the problem, if you feel someone is upset ask them. The truth is their is a reason why we feel what they feel and i don't think its trying to block it. I find now that I'm doing that I feel so much better, because I know I'm helping people where others might not have been able to. Reason why I'm training to become a Social Worker, to help.

embrace it.... its not all that bad.,... with someones sadness comes their happyness and life experience

my experiences tend to come whenever I actually touch someone- that is when I tend to get the most powerful imput from someone else-I can usually look at them and get an idea there is a problem, so over the past few years, I have learned to overcome my natural tendency to automatically touch someone I can sense is in pain. It isn't always perfect, but it helps me to get a grip on whatever is going on before I have to deal with it-
Several friends have suggested concentration exercises, in general focusing on shileding myself more. I am always afraid though that the one time I don't help someone out of fear, is the one time I could have really helped

As a Psyvamp and a minor Empath, I must admit that the idea of everyone learning to shield would seriously cut down on my dining choices. LOL But ...I have really never had much luck with shielding. It uses up energy that has to be replaced, which means more feeding, which means more energy needed, and as the King said, etc. etc. etc. As an empathy I can see who has positive energy as opposed to negative. The negative hurts and drains me dry. The positive is the best high in the world. Happiness, laughter, new love are the, dare I say tastiest? Anger, hate, betrayal, can have the effects ranging from a rough washcloth to a serrated knife twisting in my skull.

I use visualizations as well. For me I don't focus it on my aura so much as my mind. I picture stones walling off the whole inside of my head. This keeps my thoughts in (as I'm knows to project at times) and others thoughts and feelings out.

This may sound strange, but works for me, a greta deal. Whenever you feel an "intrusion" or anothers "emotions"....simply imagine {this is where you really need to learn to place and use your energy wisely and know how to use it } a huge white light all around you,,,one like a sort of glob. In that white light, no-one can enter, sort of like a force field, but you do need to be able to keep that vision in your minds eye.
If your able, sit,as if meditating,in a quiet place if available, tune all surroundings out,place your hands on your knees (cross legged), then slowly start channeling your energy in a form of white light, or auras, as some call it. the lentgh your arms reach around and over, is your protection. You must know, as an empath, if you get ahold of the wrong energy, it can and will make you very ill. There are many books on channeling energy, which is a must for empaths. hope this helps....once your calm, you then can relax...but never ever let your guard down completely, for you are always at risk for gaining negative energy as an empath.

Being a social worker who has been trained to use empathy as a helping tool let me tell ya....learning to redirect the energy or shield is a tough thing at times and a hard lesson to learn. Some things I have learned to use over the years:
1. Remember you can not help everyone.
2. When the energy is draining, take a break---get away for a while.
3. Meditate and for me it was a white light in my head and heart and radiating out with it taking over my body.
4. Have stress relievers in place--exercise, friends, family, hobbies, etc and DO THEM.
5. Journal
6. Music...start where ever your feeling is and gradually increase the tempo...or decrease it as needed.
7. Self care is greatly important.
8. Last ---I have said the Serenity Prayer an untold amount of times.

Serenity Prayer - {God/dess, Spirit...what ever you chose} grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

You must look within yourself and set up your defenses. If you don't know yourself you maybe consumed by the emotion of others.

You must teach yourself to filter things out.If you don't you may be consumed by the overwhelming emotions of others.

i myself pick up and little things in other that alerts me of something wrong. I am empathic but I am in control. I also have friends that are empathic and have not learned how to control this gift. They have trouble going to places that have a lot of people.

Books will only teach you so much. My advise is self awareness. Know what your strengths and weaknesses are

The way I learned to shield myself for attacks is to ground yourself and find your center. Then imagine that you feel a field of energy flowing from your center to the rest of your body and down into the earth. It's been my experience that the attacks then flow in the same way that your field does.

here is a web sight that sells a book for empaths called "Survival Guide for Empaths, Clairsentients and Highly Sensitive Persons"
here is the link
http://www.quantumspirit.com/utility/showProduct/?objectID=3

why would you want to shield it? just take your time and learn the differencewhy would you want to stop a very powerful gift that can help you help others...

i trained myslef to block all out side energies until i needed to feel what others were thinking or feeling by sitting in a room with two or three songs playing at once and trying to pick out one sound on one of the songs and blocking out all other sounds and words (this works best with clasical music or heavy meatal

I think this will help me quite a bit. I saved the one link for psyvamp sheilding.

Someone asked why you would want to sheild it... my answer to that is simply the effects it can have on a person's stress levels, body functions, etc.

It's a matter of learning to sheild the negative but still be aware of what is going on so you can offer help if need be. The negative vibes/energy/emotions of a person can be draining on your mind and body in a way that can hinder your own health at times..not in a major way but stress adds to other issues if you have them and it can disrupt your energy flow.

I find the shielding I've used against other psys just has not worked with the physical empath abilities I have. Since they are sporadic and I never know what I touch or go near will set the ability off, I never try to shield....sometimes I wish I could for what emotions and visions I've experienced.

You can try "closing" your mind off.
Imagining a wall in your mind and letting the emotions of others- or of nature bouncing off that wall.
Different forms of meditation- I BELIEVE- may help this problem

Shielding is important with dealing with empathy, I am an empath and find that shielding filters out anything I don't want to come through. So just remember when you shield to allow positive emotions to come through. Also at the end of each day you should cut yourself off from people so you can ground yourself.
I do it by imagining a new shield that severs all ties I have had with people through the day including my love ones. In the shower is good because you can imagine those ties going down the drain as the water energises you and recharges you.

Another thing is to see empathy as a gift, not as a curse or burden it can be directed and used for many great things.