The Various Expressions of our Sensitivity

In this short episode, I share the perspective that high sensitivity cannot be explained due to innate traits or genetic alone, but we need to consider the impact that our environment has on how our sensitivity is expressed.  I also propose that our sensitivity is linked to our individual soul's purpose.

I briefly introduce some of the theories that have inspired my work, such as Bruce Lipton's work on epigenetics which takes up away from the idea that we're simply biochemical machines to understand that we are very powerful in creating and unfolding the lives that we lead. I share the idea that we have a soul purpose and highly sensitive people have unique and amazing gifts to share with the world.
 
More about your host, Jules De Vitto...

Jules De Vitto is a transpersonal orientated coach and educator who is experienced at helping Highly Sensitive People overcome anxiety, stress and burnout. 

Jules is Highly Sensitive herself and is also passionate about helping Highly Sensitive People to step into their authentic power and align with their true purpose in life. She lived in Asia for eleven years before moving to London and integrates Eastern practices and modern-day mindfulness into her work.

She has a degree in Psychology, an MA in Education and an MSc in Transpersonal Psychology, Consciousness and Spirituality. She’s a published author through Changemaker Books and John Hunt Publishers and wrote Resilience: Navigating Loss in a Time of Crisis to help people through the Covid-19 Pandemic available here.

You can stay connected with Jules through her...   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/highly.sensitive.humans/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/highlysensitivehumans  

Join the 8-week course, 'Step into your Authentic Power as a Highly Sensitive Person' starts October 4th 2021, and is limited to 20 people! Join now!

Transcript

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Welcome, I'm your host, Jules DeVito, and you're listening to the Highly Sensitive Human Podcast, the show that offers an insight into the world of the highly sensitive person and helps those who identify with the traits of high sensitivity to feel more empowered and resilient without denying their authentic gifts. And it's a brand new year, and I'm really excited to bring you today's episode, which is slightly different from the usual. In the previous episodes, I've been interviewing some amazing guests all about high sensitivity and how it relates to other things like anxiety or lucid dreaming and storytelling. So if you haven't had a chance to listen to those episodes yet, I strongly recommend going back and giving them a listen. So in today's episode, we're going to be exploring what it means to be sensitive and what it is that contributes towards our sensitivity. So I'm going to be exploring a few different perspectives on this topic. So there's been loads of research carried out, specifically by Elaine Aron, who has long proposed that sensory processing sensitivity, SPS, which is the official name for highly sensitive people, is an innate trait associated with greater sensitivity or responsivity to environmental and social stimuli. So this includes things like having greater brain responses associated with awareness, memory, self-other processing, and empathy. So these neurobiological explanations for SPS or HSP are extremely valuable and it's important on top of this to remember that the traits or behaviors we develop as highly sensitive people aren't completely predetermined by our genes. And we can't just explain the traits of sensitivity down to biology alone. So Elaine Aron also suggested it's our primary parenting that decides whether the expression of sensitivity will be an advantage or a source of anxiety. So I'm really inspired by this area of research, which is otherwise known as epigenetics. And I'm also inspired by the work of Bruce Lipton, whose research really takes us away from the role of victim to creator. So it takes us away from the belief that we are a victim or victims to our genes or simply biochemical machines. And it takes us to the understanding that we are actually very powerful in creating and unfolding the lives that we lead. So our genes are simply a blueprint, and the traits of sensitivity are going to look different for everyone. So this is going to depend on a number of different factors, including the environment we're born into, the beliefs we hold about our reality. And highly sensitive people actually thrive in nourishing environments. And our gifts can lead us to become successful leaders, change makers, environmental activists or writers. So this all depends on our environment. And also whether society is willing to embrace our strengths and if we can step into our authentic traits, our authentic gifts. So I think it's really important to clarify, and this is a large part of the work that I do, in terms of sharing that sensitivity, doesn't mean being weak. It's not about being anxious or neurotic as a person, and it also doesn't mean that we're born fragile. So our sensitivity isn't an illness or a flaw. And if we do experience anxiety or depression or overwhelming emotions because of our sensitivity, then this might be because of our conditions, the conditions of our upbringing, or it might be because we've experienced traumatic events in our childhood or in later life. But this doesn't mean that we need to change or fix ourselves somehow. And instead, it's my belief that we need to find a lifestyle that is supportive of who we are and learn tools to navigate our sensitivity in a world which is often too overwhelming and is filled with challenges. So sensitivity can manifest in a number of ways, and it looks very different depending on the experiences of the individual person. So for someone who experienced a difficult childhood, it can look like anxiety or depression in later life. And yeah, this is true for everyone, but even more so for those who are predisposed to being highly sensitive. And as well as this, a highly sensitive person can be very successful, extremely creative, and deeply passionate because of their sensitivity. So again, remember that being a highly sensitive person doesn't put you into a distinct or separate category from others. And so, like so many things, it exists on a spectrum. And more and more the scientific community acknowledges neurodiversity, which suggests that we're all wired differently. So rather than there being something wrong with us or it being a weakness or us having a disease or a disorder, then neurodiversity states that there isn't a normal. So we're all unique in celebrating the struggles and strengths that come with our diversity, and this is so essential. So, on top of this, despite all of the research that's been done surrounding this idea of high sensitivity in a person, I come from a very transpersonal perspective. My background is in transpersonal psychology, and I work as a transpersonal coach. And transpersonal is all about looking at the holistic way of being in the world, and it's founded on the belief, the paradigm that there is a universal consciousness that we are all an expression of. So consciousness is fundamental to the universe, and we each are an expression of that consciousness, and this is my belief. My belief system rests on this. And when I work with people in a coaching context, I come from this idea that we are all interdependent, we're all connected to this universal life force energy. So it's also my belief that high levels of sensitivity are connected to a person's unique soul purpose, our reason for being here on this planet at this particular point in time. So, for example, many highly sensitive people are natural healers, intuitive, uh, very empathetic. And so I believe that being a highly sensitive person is correlated somehow to the archetype of the healer or the magician and the qualities of wisdom, insight, reflection, contemplation, and transformation. So, for example, we have a natural ability to see below the surface, to question what's directly in front of us. And we're usually very driven by meaning and purpose and a wish to contribute towards an alternative narrative of the world, to share knowledge, to create and manifest new things in the world. And for many of us as highly sensitive people, it is our intuitive, empathetic, and insightful nature that has been present since we were very young. So, as far back as I can remember, I've always felt this way. I've always been more introverted, reflective, and asking big existential questions about the meaning of life. So, as well as being born into this world with these inherent traits and what I believe to be a specific purpose, we are in some way also like sponges, and our life experiences and the conditions of our childhood will deeply impact our ability to develop heightened intuition, empathy, and an ability to know or intuit the feelings of others. So, again, of course, none of us are left untouched by difficulties in life, such as facing traumatic childhood experiences or things like chronic illness or the loss of loved ones. We all go through these really challenging life experiences. And these are the events that leave us wounded, but also propel us onto a path of healing and a search for greater truth. So I believe highly sensitive people are often more familiar in some way or impacted by these deep transformative life lessons. So we are in a way akin to the wounded healer. So the wounded healer is understood as a person that experiences a lot of painful or challenging experiences in life and feels the impact of these deeply. So eventually, this knowledge, the knowledge that is gained from these experiences, are used to transform and go on to help or heal others in some way. So I believe that highly sensitive people, as empaths and intuitives, are driven by the quest to heal ourselves and to heal others. So remember, we are more than our genetic makeup, and our sensitivity is not fixed. So we are the creators of our reality, and through embracing our authentic selves, we can learn to channel our sensitivity into incredible gifts. So if you're highly sensitive, remember you have so much to offer in this world, and the world desperately needs the gifts of empathy, compassion, and the ability to see beyond what is the surface right now. So you ask yourself what gifts do you have to offer the world and how can you take action right now? So that's all for today's episode. And I've touched upon some important areas that I'd love to go into in more detail. So talking about epigenetics, looking at the archetypes, looking at the wounded healer, considering that we may have a sole purpose in life. And I would love to hear from you and know which topics you'd like to explore more deeply in this podcast. So please get in touch and let me know. Thanks for joining me this week on Highly Sensitive Humans. Make sure to visit my website highly sensitivehumans.com where you can subscribe to my mail list for regular updates, or join the Highly Sensitive Hub, which is a membership area and growing community for highly sensitive people. In the membership area, I share monthly bundles of resources, tools, meditations, and we have a community forum and monthly workshops for us to get together and support each other on our journey. And if you found value in the show, I'd really appreciate a rating and review. Please share this episode with your friends or other highly sensitive people that will find this podcast helpful.