How does a psychic or empath know the difference between their own thoughts and emotions and everyone elses?

Lol. I love startrek next generation. Is that what this is?

Well I don't know how the other psychic do it but with me it's threw vividness and a gnawing feeling - like a psychic dream is very vivid and you don't just forget about it in the morning it keeps bugging you. Not sure how an empath does it maybe thats more of an energy thing. Cheers!

That's easy.  It doesn't work that way.

You get information the same way your mind works at present.  You don't get taken over by someone else's mind.  That is channeling and that is a different connection.  Channelers are unaware as a rule what is coming through when another entitiy speaks through them. 

I am empathetic.  It has nothing to do with having a problem telling me from someone else.  I can feel what you are feeling.  That is all.  It's still me and my opinion.  When I have had psychic experiences, my mind is contacted and receiving intuitive thoughts just like you do when you get any idea. 

I just can tell instinctually that an important piece of information is coming to me that I should pay attention to or not.   Sometimes I get an experience and do not realize what it was until much later, but my own mind is always operating and aware of what is up.

Star Wars, I think it's 2 or 3.

Much as you can tell the difference between having a fever and overheating from being in the hot sun.  One comes from within and the other from an outside source.