What does being 'psychic' really mean?
Chances are, you’ve come across a number of sites that offer ‘psychic’ readings by ‘gifted’ clairvoyants and mediums. Many of these people claim they are ‘third generation psychics’ (sometimes even ‘fourth-generation’ psychics, with a great-great-great-great granny burnt at the stake etc. etc.). It is not my place or intention in this article to dismiss these people as frauds or question their inherited ‘gifts’. Instead, I’m going to attempt to give a down-to-earth realistic explanation of all these terms used and how it all really works.
Personally, I don’t like to call myself a ‘psychic’, a term which gives the impression that I can read people’s minds and predict the future in a fortune-telling style reading. I also don’t claim to have a ‘spirit guide’ or angel telling me about my clients’ life. People, who call themselves psychic also give the impression somehow that they are superior to the remaining ‘normal’ human beings.
Let me explain to you the most common terms used in the ‘psychic’ industry: clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience and spirit guides, and what is actually involved when using these skills.
Clairvoyance – the ability to ‘see clearly’:
This term gives the impression that the psychic has a vision about an aspect of a person’s life or what is about to happen. Personally, I use Tarot cards to identify certain aspects of my client’s life depending on the question asked and issues raised. I can see in the cards opportunities or possibilities about future occurrences. I do this by being objective in the matter. I am not the client’s friend with a hidden agenda; that’s why I can see what they can’t in that moment in time. In order to see 'clearly', you cannot afford to be emotionally charged or opinionated about a situation.
Clairsentience – the ability to ‘feel what the other person is feeling':
A more down-to-earth term to describe this skill is ‘empathy’, perhaps even ‘compassion’. You encounter a person’s feelings and emotions by putting yourself into their place without taking on the problems or issues yourself. You need to stay objective in order to be of help and offer new perspectives. Imagine the person’s situation – experience of loss, disappointment, hopelessness. Rather than bursting out in tears yourself, you can still feel the pain but are also able to offer a constructive way forward.
Clairaudience – the ability to ‘hear clearly’:
From what I’ve learned in my counselling course, I would call this ‘active listening’, whereby you listen very carefully to the person’s story, what they have to say and how they say it – reading between the lines so-to-speak. I do this all the time, otherwise my readings wouldn’t work. I also listen to my ‘inner voice’, which perhaps is a spirit guide in disguise! Listening to the person, listening to your own intuition, inner guidance and gut feeling (some more clairsentience here!),
Spirit Guides – a being from the spirit world guiding us with advice, encouragement and sometimes warnings:
I’ve just briefly mentioned spirit guides as your ‘inner voice’, which occasionally (or often) pops up in your head and gets you to do the right sort of thing. Sometimes you have dreams about people talking to you; perhaps these are your spirit guides. Whether you suddenly get the message ‘don’t go further’ in your head while walking along a lonely woodland path, or see an unknown person speak to you in a dream, these can be valid messages from your unconscious but, of course, you cannot rule out the possibility of the existence of spirit guides.
Overall, I am not here to discredit any belief. I’m just trying to put these terms into perspective, especially for all of you, who wish to learn Tarot and think they need to be especially ‘gifted’. The skills I have described above can be learned, trained and refined. You need to be aware though that this takes years to accomplish, and even then, you will never stop learning.
Perhaps one day I’ll move myself into new realms and claim to be a ‘psychic’ using my ‘clairvoyance, clairsentience and clairaudience, guided by spirits’! And if I do, you’ll know what these words really mean.
Until next time!
Christiane
PS: If you have an opinion on my post, you're welcome to comment!
Personally, I don’t like to call myself a ‘psychic’, a term which gives the impression that I can read people’s minds and predict the future in a fortune-telling style reading. I also don’t claim to have a ‘spirit guide’ or angel telling me about my clients’ life. People, who call themselves psychic also give the impression somehow that they are superior to the remaining ‘normal’ human beings.
Let me explain to you the most common terms used in the ‘psychic’ industry: clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience and spirit guides, and what is actually involved when using these skills.
Clairvoyance – the ability to ‘see clearly’:
This term gives the impression that the psychic has a vision about an aspect of a person’s life or what is about to happen. Personally, I use Tarot cards to identify certain aspects of my client’s life depending on the question asked and issues raised. I can see in the cards opportunities or possibilities about future occurrences. I do this by being objective in the matter. I am not the client’s friend with a hidden agenda; that’s why I can see what they can’t in that moment in time. In order to see 'clearly', you cannot afford to be emotionally charged or opinionated about a situation.
Clairsentience – the ability to ‘feel what the other person is feeling':
A more down-to-earth term to describe this skill is ‘empathy’, perhaps even ‘compassion’. You encounter a person’s feelings and emotions by putting yourself into their place without taking on the problems or issues yourself. You need to stay objective in order to be of help and offer new perspectives. Imagine the person’s situation – experience of loss, disappointment, hopelessness. Rather than bursting out in tears yourself, you can still feel the pain but are also able to offer a constructive way forward.
Clairaudience – the ability to ‘hear clearly’:
From what I’ve learned in my counselling course, I would call this ‘active listening’, whereby you listen very carefully to the person’s story, what they have to say and how they say it – reading between the lines so-to-speak. I do this all the time, otherwise my readings wouldn’t work. I also listen to my ‘inner voice’, which perhaps is a spirit guide in disguise! Listening to the person, listening to your own intuition, inner guidance and gut feeling (some more clairsentience here!),
Spirit Guides – a being from the spirit world guiding us with advice, encouragement and sometimes warnings:
I’ve just briefly mentioned spirit guides as your ‘inner voice’, which occasionally (or often) pops up in your head and gets you to do the right sort of thing. Sometimes you have dreams about people talking to you; perhaps these are your spirit guides. Whether you suddenly get the message ‘don’t go further’ in your head while walking along a lonely woodland path, or see an unknown person speak to you in a dream, these can be valid messages from your unconscious but, of course, you cannot rule out the possibility of the existence of spirit guides.
Overall, I am not here to discredit any belief. I’m just trying to put these terms into perspective, especially for all of you, who wish to learn Tarot and think they need to be especially ‘gifted’. The skills I have described above can be learned, trained and refined. You need to be aware though that this takes years to accomplish, and even then, you will never stop learning.
Perhaps one day I’ll move myself into new realms and claim to be a ‘psychic’ using my ‘clairvoyance, clairsentience and clairaudience, guided by spirits’! And if I do, you’ll know what these words really mean.
Until next time!
Christiane
PS: If you have an opinion on my post, you're welcome to comment!
posted by Cosmic Faery at 8:28 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home