| In the swirl of misconceptions, misunderstandings, and | | | | Many people have been able to obtain a psychic |
| general confusion surrounding the fields of | | | | reading of another entity and consciously channel that |
| parapsychology and psychic activity, most people | | | | entity – but professional parapsychologists |
| have no idea how to make distinctions between | | | | don't recommend trying it until you've been well-trained |
| different types of psychic abilities. Wait a minute, you | | | | and prepared. |
| say, I didn't even know there were different types! | | | | Three more (related) types of psychic ability are |
| You're in the same boat as most everyone else who | | | | clairaudience, clairsentience, and clairvoyance. |
| has a basic understanding of psychic reading and | | | | Clairaudience is generally defined as the ability to hear |
| activity. Little does the general public know, it's not all | | | | or sense sounds that cannot be perceived by a |
| tarot cards and psychic phone reading -- There are | | | | non-psychic person. Clairsentience is another type of |
| sharply defined distinctions between everything from | | | | extrasensory perception in that clairsentient people can |
| the obvious (tarot reading and telepathy) to the | | | | sense past, present, or future events through |
| surprising (clairaudience, clairsentience, and | | | | “sensing†them, though |
| clairvoyance). | | | | non-clairsentient people cannot perceive them. |
| First, let's discuss what defines psychic ability in the first | | | | Clairvoyance is a synonym for extrasensory |
| place! Extra-sensory perception (ESP), prophesies of | | | | perception – any knowledge or |
| the future, and a “sixth sense†could | | | | consciousness of an event outside of seeing, hearing, |
| all be defined under the blanket term “psychic | | | | tasting, touching, or smelling it. |
| abilityâ€. But where does psychic ability come | | | | Divination is another often-misunderstood type of |
| from? Actually, no one really knows – not | | | | psychic ability. Divination is the act of making |
| even psychic readers. People who claim to have | | | | prophesies or predictions through the practice of occult |
| psychic abilities describe a sense of just | | | | arts. Contrary to popular belief, this is different from |
| “having it†without having any | | | | intuition – which is defined as the ability to |
| conception of how it got there. Most say that it is part | | | | perceive or act based on “just |
| of their regular consciousness, and that they simply | | | | knowing†that it's the right thing to do. Tarot |
| “know†or “feel†| | | | Cards and tarot reading is a form of divination. |
| things before, during, or after they happen – | | | | Although the mainstream ideas of divination and |
| despite being unable to explain how. Though | | | | intuition have been tweaked to seem like anyone can |
| parapsychology has been heavily criticized, scrutinized, | | | | tap into this psychic energy field, the truth is that only a |
| and stigmatized, the truth is that as much evidence | | | | few people take the time to hone and develop their |
| points towards its veracity as against it. | | | | extrasensory perception skills. |
| So what are some of the different types of psychic | | | | What's the difference between psychometry and |
| abilities? To begin with, there is the art of | | | | psychokinesis? Well, psychometry is defined as the |
| “channeling,†which is defined as the | | | | ability to glean information about an object by obtaining |
| ability to receive and transmit information from another | | | | physical contact with the object. Good examples of |
| external consciousness while in a decidedly altered | | | | this are seen in countless movies. Envision it: The hero |
| state of mind. Though each incident varies in intensity | | | | touches a book and, upon contact, is filled with images |
| and resulting activity, many share the same basic traits: | | | | of its previous user and the fate that befell him or her. |
| a semi-trance like state and the appearance of an | | | | Psychokinesis is the ability to move objects through |
| outer entity expressing itself through the channeler. | | | | willing it or thinking it. |