| Perhaps one of the more difficult challenges we may | | | | how they chose to communicate them. |
| face as we develop our spiritual awareness and our | | | | Hope may be a motivation as well. The tester may |
| psychic abilities is that of being tested by unbelievers. | | | | hope to find someone with genuine psychic abilities in |
| There are many people who are out to 'prove' that | | | | order to learn from someone who demonstrably |
| psychic abilities do not exist; or, if they concede they | | | | proves their abilities to the tester's satisfaction. |
| may exist, then they wish to test to see how accurate | | | | So hope, fear and ego are key motivational factors |
| or effective a particular individual's psychic abilities may | | | | which may result in a person testing the psychic |
| be. I have met psychics whose abilities appear to be | | | | abilities of others. |
| genuine and reliable so I have no doubt as to the | | | | With regard to hope, the tester will find what they |
| existence of psychic abilities. However, I may | | | | seek when it is best for them to do so. Tested parties |
| sometimes doubt my own abilities, and this self-doubt is | | | | may all fail, regardless of their genuine abilities if it is in |
| an open door that those who are seeking to 'debunk' | | | | the best interest of either the tester or the tested |
| psychics may enter. | | | | party for them to fail. |
| It is necessary to harbor some self-doubt, without | | | | With regard to fear, the tester may be unprepared to |
| self-doubt ego develops to the point where lessons in | | | | have their tests fail. They may be too overwhelmed |
| humility and powerlessness may emerge. None of us | | | | by the reality of psychic abilities, both because it |
| care to be humiliated or have our abilities fail us when | | | | changes a fundamental part of their chosen belief |
| put to a test. However, if we become too full of pride | | | | system, and because their fear will increase when |
| in our abilities then we may need an experience that | | | | faced with someone who can see into their heart and |
| sets us in our proper place. | | | | mind. One spiritual principle of psychic development is |
| Those of us so gifted that their talents are nearly | | | | that we must never introduce radical change in the |
| miraculous in nature should never need to worry about | | | | world view of a person unprepared to accept it. This is |
| being tested. Anyone in that state of being has | | | | the psychic equivalent of rape. No one truly gifted will |
| mastered the faults of their ego which might draw the | | | | do this under any circumstance. |
| sort of person who wishes to challenge them. Or, if a | | | | With regard to ego the case is much the same as |
| challenging person does appear, then the truly gifted | | | | with fear. The ego always fears for itself. But also, |
| psychic may easily deflect that person without having | | | | with regard to ego, we cannot put another person 'in |
| to prove anything. | | | | their place' in regard to that person's ego without |
| However, those of us who are developing their | | | | engaging our own ego in a manner that is |
| fledgling abilities are quite vulnerable to the sort of | | | | self-destructive. That is a one-upmanship game that |
| testing which is almost a sort of sport for those | | | | feeds our egos and makes our spiritual journey more |
| inclined to test our psychic abilities. | | | | difficult. |
| What is the underlying need for which some people | | | | We may all fail tests of our psychic abilities from time |
| are motivated to test psychics' abilities? | | | | to time through no fault of our own. These failures do |
| One motivation is ego; the testing person aggrandizes | | | | not mean we lack psychic abilities, or that our psychic |
| themselves by proving the tested person is able to fail | | | | abilities are particularly lame, it only means that the |
| their tests. But there is a poor logic here, the ability to | | | | circumstances in which our gifts arise were not ideal |
| fail a test can be applied in any situation. Failing a test is | | | | for the test in question. If we appear to have failed a |
| not proof in and of itself that the party tested does not | | | | test then we have acted in balance with spirit, for in |
| have the ability the test is alleged to measure. At best, | | | | the greater scheme of things spirit has given us our |
| failing a test only demonstrates that the person tested | | | | failure as a lesson to ourselves and as a kindness to |
| is not 100% reliable, which is quite different from having | | | | the person who tests us. |
| no ability at all. | | | | We know in our hearts our own accomplishments in |
| Another motivation may be insecurity; many people | | | | regard to our spiritual journeys and our psychic |
| want to believe that no one can have psychic abilities | | | | development. We should never allow ephemeral |
| because then their secrets might be an open book | | | | events to place us in a position of defense of our |
| should they encounter someone particularly gifted at | | | | abilities or in hostile opposition to another person's world |
| reading the hearts and minds of other people. They | | | | view. Let us be grateful for our gifts, however small or |
| want to reinforce their choice to believe that psychic | | | | infrequently they may appear in our lives, and accept |
| abilities do not exist in order to feel assured that their | | | | our lessons with grace, humility, and the determination |
| thoughts and feelings are their private business and | | | | to learn and to grow from all that spirit has given us. |
| cannot be known to anyone else except when and | | | | |