Do you have vivid dreams? Can too much sound or bright lights become overwhelming to you? Have you ever been told that you are too sensitive? Do you need alone time as part of your daily routine? One of the books I am working on reading is the Highly Sensitive Person by Elaine N. Aaron. I’ve pretty much always known I was sensitive to the world around me. Though didn’t know it had a definition till a few years back. In most cases being a highly sensitive person is an inherited trait, though there are some cases of people who have developed it. Those who are highly sensitive and are unaware that they are may find themselves walking through life questioning if they are crazy, when in fact they are gifted.
HSP’s absorb much more than the average person. Where someone who isn’t sensitive will walk into a room and notice one or two things like the furniture or the food available an HSP will walk in and sense the mood of the room and sometimes each individual person, the air quality, any smells present in any area of the room, the lighting, the noise, the colors. In other words, if you are looking for someone to recall details ask an HSP. Where most people can ignore loud music, sirens, and crowds, glaring lights, weird odors, and chaos in general they can really bother an HSP. Hence the need to spend alone time somewhere quiet and not as stimulating in order to come back to center. Highly Sensitives are very misunderstood and can be labeled as shy or weak, or emotional.
Highly Sensitives are very intuitive. We are highly conscientious people. We can achieve deep levels of concentration when in an area free of distractions. Highly sensitive people tend to fill the advisor roles in this world. We are the writers, historians, philosophers, judges, artists, researchers, theologians, therapists, and teachers to name a few. It has been proven that we utilize the right side of our brain more.
Most of you will be familiar with Carl Jung as the father of Psychology. A few quotes from him were used in the chapter I’m reading and I wanted to share them with you. Jung says that “a certain innate sensitiveness produces a special prehistory, a special way of experiencing infantile events” and that “events bound up with powerful impressions can never pass off without leaving some trace on sensitive people.” Jung says that the intuitive ones, HSP’s are naturally more influenced by their unconscious, which gives them information of the “utmost importance,” a “prophetic foresight.”
For those who are familiar with working with your conscious mind vs your subconscious mind, you can see how this could give an HSP quite the intuitive advantage. Hence, why we are “gifted”. However, we will walk a tougher life for this gift unless we know how to control it. I will leave you with the test from the introduction of the book to help you decide if you are an HSP. 🙂
Are You Highly Sensitive? A Self-Test from the Highly Sensitive Person by Elaine N Aron
Answer each question according to the way you feel. Answer true if it is at least somewhat true for you. Answer false if it is not very true or not at all true for you.
– I seem to be aware of subtleties in my environment.
– Other people’s moods affect me.
– I tend to be very sensitive to pain.
– I find myself needing to withdraw during busy days, into bed, or into a darkened room or any place where I can have some privacy and relief from stimulation.
– I am particularly sensitive to the effects of caffeine.
– I am easily overwhelmed by bright lights, strong smells, coarse fabrics, or sirens close by.
– I have a rich, complex inner life.
– I am made uncomfortable by loud noises.
– I am deeply moved by the arts or music.
– I am conscientious.
– I startle easily.
– I get rattled when I have a lot to do in a short amount of time.
– When people are uncomfortable in a physical environment I tend to know what needs to be done to make it more comfortable. (like changing the lighting or seating)
– I am annoyed when people try to get me to do too many things at once.
– I try hard to avoid mistakes or forgetting things.
– I make it a point to avoid violent movies and tv shows.
– I become unpleasantly aroused when a lot is going on around me.
– Being very hungry creates a strong reaction in me, disrupting my concentration or mood.
– Changes in life shake me up.
– I notice and enjoy delicate or fine scents, tastes, sounds, works of art.
– I make it a high priority to arrange my life to avoid upsetting or overwhelming situations.
– When I must compete or be observed while performing a task, I become so nervous or shaky that I do much worse than I would otherwise.
– When I was a child, my parents or teachers seemed to see me as sensitive or shy.
Scoring Yourself
If you answered true to twelve or more of the questions, you’re probably highly sensitive.
I scored a 22 What about you?
Have a magickal day!
Much Love and Many Blessings,
Jasmeine Moonsong