Empath

An empath is an individual who can perceive the emotional state of others on a psychic level. It is a form of psychometry, which affords the user greater perception and accuracy in determining one's emotional state than with general observation. Depending upon the strength of the empath and/or the emotional intensity of the subject, the empath may even begin to exhibit signs of the other's state of mind. A subject who is in a state of great agitation may cause similar symptoms in the empath. The same applies to emotions such as anger, fear, sadness, etc.

In film, empaths are usually found in movies of the science fiction or paranormal fantasy genres. One of the most notable empaths in film is Deanna Troi, who was one of the main characters on the syndicated television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, who also appeared in the latter half of the Star Trek film series beginning with 1994's Star Trek: Generations. Deanna's ability to perceive the emotions of others was a combination of proximity as well as line-of-sight. If she were on the bridge of the starship USS Enterprise communicating with an individual via view-screen, she could still determine their emotional state and give advice as to how to proceed.

Another empath of note is Dan Smithson, who was one of the main characters featured in the 1995 sci-fi/horror movie Species. Smithson's talents were called into use in 1995, when a team of specialists headed up by Doctor Xavier Fitch were brought together to track down a renegade alien/human hybrid dubbed Sil. Smithson's empathic abilities not only kept the group trained on Sil's motives and whereabouts, but were also key in gathering information about her intended targets.