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