Whose Stuff Is This? Finding Freedom from the Thoughts, Feelings, and Energy of Those Around You

When I bought this book, I thought it was for people who hadn't quite realized that they were empaths, to teach them how to deal. Before I began this review, I just reread the info about the book on Amazon; that's what it says! But, reading this book, I was really disappointed.I can tell the author has a lot of information and a lot of experience, but I have to wonder where her editor was when the author handed in her rough draft? Did nobody tell her, "Know your audience"? If I'm just discovering that I'm an empath, I really don't want to hear stories about picking up entities in dark alleys and be inundated with references to a bunch of techniques and studies I've probably never heard of. Is the author trying to bewilder and freak out people who aren't used to such talk and ideas? Or is she just attempting to brag about everything she knows?Despite this, I trudged on thru the book, because several years ago I did read quite a bit about new-agey subjects, and I could disregard without much difficulty. Then, I ran into the next problem: the author's anger and unforgiveness toward the religious community. I believe you can be a sane empath and still embrace Christianity, and, again, it was something else I had to disregard in order to get to the real information.The author has written a book for beginner empaths that will bewilder, confuse, frighten, and even possibly offend beginner empaths. I'd like to say that if you can get past all that, it has good information. But if you can get past all that, you're not a beginner (and also probably not a Christian, or one just as angry and unforgiving as she is) and you don't need the book in the first place. If you're truly a beginner, there are probably many other books that are better organized, less scattered, and less frightening, perhaps truly written for beginners.I was also annoyed that throughout the early chapters, the author kept repeating over and over to see Chapter Nine. At some point, I seriously considered just turning to Chapter Nine and forgetting the rest of the book. Once I got there, I saw that Chapter Nine was full of ways to cope, and it probably was the best chapter in the book, but it DID NOT HELP ME IN THE LEAST. All of the exercises I had already figured out myself, been taught in therapy in a more psychological sense, or had tried before and hadn't found success. For Chapter Nine being the best chapter, the author could have gone into much more detail about each technique.I bought two other books on the subject and I'm hoping at least one of them is much better. I am thoroughly disappointed in this book. If she retitled it "Bizarre Tales Of A Psychic's Life" and marketed it toward the horror movie or Halloween crowd, I would give it a different review. As a beginner's manual on how to cope, it utterly fails. I give it 3 stars because I can tell she is knowledgeable.

I'm a pretty skeptical person, so the language of this book got very mumbo jumbo on me at times. Especially the author's true life account, though I surmise that for someone from a religious background that part could be especially helpful. I am not however, the type of person who thinks that anything outside of current scientific knowledge has no grounds in reality, to the contrary, I believe that we use this mumbo jumbo language to describe things that we observe, but can not yet describe scientifically. Whether that means the answers lie in the mind, or in quantum physics. To summarise, this book makes intuitive insights rather than scientific. But it is still helpful.What I got out of this book can all be boiled down to this. An empathetic child growing up in a turbulent environment will learn for his/her own safety, to put out "feelers" into other people's "aura", learning to pick up subtle clues about what another person is feeling. That the problem does not lie in other people "invading your aura" but you being trained basically to pull information from other people's "aura" into yourself so you can examen it for danger. But when you do that, you get all their "stuff", emotions, desires, needs etc. And it can become hard to differenciate between what is yours, and what is theirs. What struck me was the author posing the question, whether or not this unwelcomed prying is moral, or good for either person. I think a lot of empath's feel it is their duty to do something about the "stuff" that the detect, and that is something they need to hear.

I've always been a highly sensitive person. Could stand up for myself when necessary but could also fall to pieces if the wrong words were said to me. But I couldn't understand why I've always felt so overwhelmed in crowds or why I had to leave the room if someone was in a really terrible mood. I never realised that I was essentially absorbing the feelings/energy of those around me and that it was having such a great impact on my own feelings. This book was a great help in teaching me how to switch it off, and even (to some extent) use it to help others. I really appreciated having something to read on the subject having never found anything to help before now. I think I need to read more about how to use this ability, rather than just shut it off when I need to. But overall I'm much better off for having read it.

This book is an answer to my prayers on how to deal with my empathy without being destroyed by it.I have been looking for answers for many years now and nobody was able to give me answers or methods that actually worked.The great understanding that has been artfully portrayed in the book finally led me to see how I could change it and what I needed to do to be able to transform myself and my life.The book is rich in wisdom and deeper understanding into why one might land up with empathy destroying you instead of using it to help yourself and others. This helped me to realise many of the incorrect beliefs I held that were preventing me from living a fuller and happier life.It seems so logical and simple once you know it and yet sometimes, until it is actually pointed out to us we wonder why we never saw it before - and this book does exactly that, simple and poignant and uplifting.

I found this book to be very clear, helpful, as well as psychologically and spiritually accurate. I've been a strong empath since childhood and have read and studied many many approaches and avenues for how to have a balanced, healthy and God oriented life. My background includes nursing, a PhD in the neurobiology of trauma, early childhood developmental, and a sincerely profound and varied Spiritual journey that is grounded in Biblical teachings. Yvonne Perry's book is not only an excellent overview but provides practical, and I believe extremely useful tools for finding your way as an open hearted empath.

Great stuff

i have learned so much from this book, it has really been useful in helping me determine whats my stuff and whats other peoples and to help me understand that just because i feel their emotions through having a heightened sense of empathy it doesn't mean i have any responsibility for or business trying to process their emotions for them. Its helped me to be able to think through these things enough in the moment that i am able to keep better boundaries and support people without immersing myself in their energy - I'm learning techniques to stay in my own energy in ways that may have seemed selfish to me in the past. If you're an empath then all of the above will make sense to you.

just started this and it appears to be worth the money. It does answer a few questions of how ones inner feelings of uncertainty and depression could stem from, just leave out the god business if your not religious and it can help with understanding the meaning of empathy.

Quite a lot of detail of the writers history etc. It was a good book but it didn't deliver on what I wanted whether that is down to the book or me I don't know but I am certainly not free from the feelings of others.

I can fully recognise I am an empath and sometimes take on everyone’s issues so I am allowing myself space to breathe and ensuring I don’t take on everyone’s issues