Energy Sensing And Mind Reading

I have always thought of myself as having "extreme intuition", but a change has been happening in me over the last year that I find strange, interesting, and a little scary. I have had some experiences that I can only describe as mind-reading. I was out at a store when I suddenly became flooded with thoughts on a certain subject that had been farthest from my mind, when the stranger standing next to me started talking. She spoke out loud to me, and it was everything I had been swirling around in my head. At first I thought maybe MY thoughts were being read, but I have had several experiences since then and I've come to realize that I am picking up others thoughts. Sensing others' energy, and having "gut" feelings about things, or knowing things through a sixth sense is nothing new to me, but hearing another person's thoughts feels like a deeper ability and almost a natural progression. I have never been able to utilize this ability at will. This intuition and knowing only happens when I am not even thinking about. It just comes to me. Mind reading? I never would've thought I would have that kind of ability. Nor have I heard of anyone who has these experiences. It's starting to happen quite often, and there is no doubt that I am unwittingly hearing what a person is thinking. It sounds crazy to me. I hope there are others out there who share similar experiences and can explain to me why it only happens when I am least expecting it, and do others consider this a negative trait in an otherwise valuable psychic toolbox?