Empathy Beyond the Brain

What is empathy and how can humans grow in their capacity for it?

In an interview by Edwin Rutsch, Dr. Aftab Omer reminds us of the many dimensions of experiencing empathy. Omer suggests that empathy is not only a brain process but is deeply involved in the ways humans care for and are accountable for one another. Omer’s explorations of empathy remind us that we are ever evolving in our ability to connect to others with vulnerability, courage and openness.

Empathy is a Skill

There is a skill to being in empathic exchange with an other. A skill that resides in the awareness for not only how I am being impacted by you but also how I am impacting you. Such empathic awareness increases our human desire for authentic connection as well as our ability to achieve it. It also shows us that there is more to this process than mirror neuron responses or perspectival shift of “putting yourself in another’s shoes.” In this way the felt experience of empathy extends beyond the self’s experience to the mutual exchange between I and thou.

Our next Evolutionary Step

Here we can expand our skill for connection to truly care self and others. When empathy becomes an exercise for how our thoughts, feelings and behaviors impact an other’s it can also become an exercise on how to set boundaries for how an others thoughts, feelings and action impact the self. We now know empathy is beyond a brain process and inclusive of perspective taking and emotional co-experiencing. It is at the heart of human connection and perhaps part of our next evolutionary step in caring for others through diversity and connection.

In Dr. Omar’s interview we find a truly nuanced perspective on what it is to be in a state of empathy, be in it with another and care for each others well being in the process.

Watch Dr. Omer’s interview linked below and find out what all goes into empathy.