There are experiences I’ve had that are hard to name.

Moments where the veil between worlds seemed to vanish — uninvited. Where images, emotions, or voices would come through so vividly, I questioned whether something was wrong with me. I didn’t yet have the language of “Highly Sensitive Person.” I didn’t know that sensitivity could be both a nervous system trait and a doorway into deeper perception. All I knew was that I felt too much, saw too much, and often had nowhere safe to bring those experiences.

For many Highly Sensitive People (HSPs), the world can already feel overwhelming — crowded, fast-moving, emotionally loud. But for those of us who are not only sensitive to the physical and emotional, but also to the unseen — to energetic undercurrents, ancestral echoes, subtle knowings — that overwhelm can border on trauma.

And too often, it happens in silence.

The Isolation of Psychic Sensitivity

As a child, my nights were often filled with vivid nightmares and trembling awakenings. I remember lying in bed, heart pounding, overwhelmed by images I couldn’t explain and feelings that didn’t seem to be mine. My mother, though loving, often didn’t wake—leaving me alone with the immensity of what I was experiencing.

There were moments I felt the presence of something unseen: shadows that lingered too long, whispers in the silence, a knowing that something was there. Watching scary movies was out of the question—they only intensified the dreams that already felt far too real. I sensed things no one else seemed to notice, and that made me quiet. I learned to keep it in. To not disturb others. To carry the messages in silence.

That silence shaped me. I was afraid of the dark well into adulthood—deep into my twenties, even early thirties. Not just afraid of what might be there, but of what I *knew* could be. That fear wasn’t irrational; it was the result of years of unprocessed psychic trauma. I had no container, no guidance, no one to help me understand how to navigate what I was perceiving.

Even in spiritual spaces later in life, the psychic nature of my sensitivity wasn’t always welcomed. It was either brushed off or mystified, rarely held with grounded understanding. That loneliness—of having profound experiences without language, without support—can be deeply wounding for those of us who walk between worlds.

Research and Recognition: Sensitivity as a Real Trait

Dr. Elaine Aron’s work on Sensory Processing Sensitivity has given language and validation to what many of us have always felt: that sensitivity is a legitimate trait present in roughly 15–20% of the population. HSPs tend to process stimuli more deeply, are more affected by subtle cues, and often require more recovery time after emotionally or physically stimulating events.

But for some, that sensitivity extends even further — into psychic or empathic territory. Research from Dr. Judith Orloff and others in the field of energy psychology suggests that highly sensitive empaths may absorb the emotional and energetic states of others to such a degree that they confuse external information with their own.

When left unrecognized or unsupported, this can lead to heightened anxiety, chronic fatigue, panic attacks, and a sense of being “ungrounded” or disassociated from self.

The Cultural Silence Around Death and the Unknown

Part of what deepens the struggle for psychically sensitive HSPs is the cultural context we’re raised in. In many Western societies, there is a deep discomfort with the unknown — particularly when it comes to death, spiritual phenomena, and anything that can’t be explained through logic or measured in data.

Experiences that once belonged to the realm of sacred elders, medicine people, or intuitives are now often pathologized or sensationalized. There’s little room for nuance — for understanding that seeing or feeling beyond the veil doesn’t mean something is “wrong,” nor does it mean we are here to perform or prove anything.

For those of us with psychic or empathic gifts, this cultural avoidance of death and the unseen adds another layer of shame and fear. We may begin to internalize the idea that what we sense is dangerous, or that we are unstable simply because we feel more than most.

When there is no shared language, no collective reverence for mystery, and no trusted spaces to hold these experiences with care, we begin to carry them as burdens instead of birthrights.

The Call for Informed Allies

What’s often missing for psychically sensitive HSPs isn’t just validation — it’s informed allyship.

We need more people — friends, therapists, coaches, mentors — who understand that:
- Psychic sensitivity is not a pathology.
- Not every “gift” feels like a blessing.
- Nervous system support is essential before interpretation or spiritual analysis.
- Holding space means listening without needing to fix, define, or sensationalize.

An ally doesn’t have to understand everything you experience. But they do need to respect its impact. To walk alongside you without reducing your sensitivity to drama or delusion. To ask, “What do you need right now?” instead of, “What does it mean?”

An ally doesn’t need to fully understand the terrain we walk — but they must be willing to meet it with reverence. A true ally respects the impact of our sensitivity without minimizing or diagnosing it. They listen more than they analyze. They sit with us in the mystery, instead of rushing to interpret or explain it away.

Being an ally to a psychically sensitive HSP might look like: gently checking in after an energetically intense moment; helping ground us when we’ve received too much; protecting our boundaries when we’re too raw to do it ourselves. Sometimes it means simply saying, “I believe you,” or “I’m here,” when we struggle to find words for what we’re feeling.

Allyship is presence, not performance. And for many of us, it can be the bridge between fear and belonging.

A Hopeful Reclamation

It’s taken me time — and a lot of inner reweaving — to recognize my sensitivity as sacred. Not always easy. Not always light. But sacred, nonetheless.

If you are a psychically sensitive HSP navigating overwhelm, please know: you are not broken. You are not alone. And you do not have to carry the messages in silence. Your experiences matter, and you deserve support that honors both the intensity and the beauty of your sensitivity.

And if you love or work with someone who walks between the worlds — I hope this reminds you that listening, with compassion and care, can be one of the most sacred things you offer.

References

Aron, E. N. (1997). The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You.

Orloff, J. (2017). The Empath's Survival Guide: Life Strategies for Sensitive People.

 About the Author: Ixté Owul

Ixté Owul is a certified Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) coach, spiritual mentor, and intuitive guide. Through a blend of ancestral healing, energy work, and soul-centered mentorship, she supports sensitive beings in reclaiming their power and learning to walk in the world with both grounded clarity and mystical depth. Learn more at www.ixteowul.com.