Empathy Expanding?

My back story is as follows, I am 21 years old, and I have several psychic abilities. These abilities include empathy, clairvoyants, and lately even what I believe to be telepathy. I have a great grandmother on my father's side that possesses the ability of clairvoyants, and she has helped me tremendously in controlling this abilities. I also have an aunt on my fathers side who is an empath. She has taught me several techniques in order to control this ability (Eg. Crystal blocking, meditation, herbal brews, etc.). This has been tremendous in allowing me to gain control of both of these abilities, but unfortunately I have lost contact with both of these individuals due to early signs of dementia.

My dilemma is that for the past several months my empathy has spiraled out of control. When I go out into the public I start taking in the energy and emotion of everyone and everything around me and I can't seem to turn it off or block it. It has become so strong that the minute that I lock eyes with another I instantly connect and start feeling their emotions and lately even some of their memories. This has caused me to wear sunglasses pretty much any where that I go and aside from all the stares that I get for wearing sunglasses in many public facilities. It creates a temporary escape.

Another incident happened last week at my job, I was waiting on a customer when I heard him clearly say "I have never been myself since Brice died". Out of concern I turned around to see if my coworker had heard him. She said that he did not utter a word but then went into detail explaining how he had lost his son several years back. I have always been able to plant tiny suggestions into another's head and can go as far as creating minute details in the way that they perceive their surroundings, but I have never been powerful enough to actually read another's complete stream of consciousness. Could this be an extension of my empathy or could this be a whole new ability all together? If so is there anyone out there that could offer me some advice. Thank you all