No, You're Not Crazy, You ARE Psychic

Do you receive messages about people, places, things, or events and they seem to come from no where? Do you know things that you can't remember learning or hearing about? Do you have vivid daydreams or visions that present you with messages about things? These are just a few examples of everyday psychic experiences. They are basically various means of intuition. Many of us who have received messages like these have doubted their validity. We wonder if this is real, or are we just crazy. We hide these natural abilities out of fear or disbelief. Psychic abilities are as varied as the people who have them, but one thing seems to be coming to public awareness: everyone is psychic. No you are not crazy, you definitely are psychic...at least to some degree.

The word psychic scares a lot of people. It gives the mental image of a weird elderly woman, who looks a lot like a witch, wearing multi-colored scarves with dangling coins and beads gazing into a mystical crystal ball. In the past psychics were considered con men (or women), frauds, or devil worshippers. Today, psychics are out in the open more than any other generation. Gone are the old images of scary witches and wizards, and in comes the new age movement of spirituality.

Before we go any further, let's confront the elephant in the room. Not all psychics are out levitating tables, bending spoons, and stealing money from unsuspecting, naive people. Yes, in the past there were con men (and women) who have used psychic work, or a version of it, to take advantage of others. That is a sad, but proven, truth. This image is so ingrained in society that many people dispel any possibility that psychic powers exist. There are even laws in many states making practicing psychic work illegal, mine included. The topic has become taboo, something to be joked about and made fun of, which causes the mainstream population to shy away from any thoughts of psychic powers. Perhaps all that bad publicity has caused people to think that it couldn't exist, or could it be that the idea of psychic powers frightens people? When I tell people that I am psychic I get two reactions, okay maybe more than that, but there are two immediate ones: the first is laughter and disbelief, the second is "you don't know what I am thinking, do you?" The first response is out of societal conformity, and the second is fear-based. So clearly there is a stigma connected to psychics, so those who think that maybe they too are psychic think that they may just be crazy. Psychics don't exist, right? Wrong. Psychics certainly do exist, and yes, you are psychic. We all are. So let's get down to it.

What does it mean to be psychic? Let's take it apart logically. Merriam Webster (2015) defines the word psychic as having "strange and unnatural abilities" that are not explained by natural laws; the second definition is "relating to the mind." I find the definition "strange and unnatural" quite amusing. Sounds ominous, doesn't it? That fits right in with the public fear and disbelief of psychics. Now the second definition, relating to the mind, sounds much better, and is most likely more realistic. So how can something relating to the mind be considered unnatural?

There are many different types of psychic gifts. I call them gifts and not powers because...well, come on, they are natural abilities not superpowers. I don't see myself as a super hero who can read the future. Hmm? That sounds pretty good though. Just call me Future Girl! Alright, maybe not. So these gifts are like any other gifts which we are born having. Some people are great musicians, exceptional artists, brilliant thinkers, the list goes on and on, but the point is that we are all born into this existence with gifts, psychic gifts are no different. Yes, I am saying that you were born this way, go Lady Gaga! I will go a step further and say that everyone is born with psychic gifts. Gasp! Me too? yes, you too...and your mother, your father, that neighbor down the street that you like, and that coworker who takes your parking spot every day that you don't like. Everyone! But just like other gifts we are born with, we are better at some than others, such as with music. I can play the piano, granted I play one-handed and with great difficulty, but I can play. Anyone can play the piano, but only some are amazing at it. These people have a proclivity toward that gift making them exceptional in that area. Psychic gifts are no different. Making sense yet?

So what exactly are psychic gifts? They are your natural ability for intuition. Sounds simple, right? Even if we don't agree that everyone is psychic, we can agree that everyone has intuition. Everyone experiences it. You think of an old friend, and then you bump into her at a coffee shop. You get the idea to drive the long way home, and later you find out that there was road construction that held up traffic for over an hour on your typical route. You think of your favorite song, then you hear it on the radio. These are all examples of intuition. Sure we could argue that it is coincidence, but coincidence is basically luck...talk about superstitious! So would you rather believe in luck than intuition? Give that some thought. Although I do not totally disagree with superstition, we'll save that discussion for another day. Now let's discuss the different types of psychic gifts that bring our intuition to us.

There are different types of psychic gifts that basically deliver your intuitive messages to you, vehicles if you will. This means that messages you get come to you in a specific way, such as a vision, a thought, a feeling, a sound, or a scent. The four most recognized types of psychic gifts are clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, and claircognizance. These words may sound intimidating, but remember they are just terms. So let's break it down. The prefix clair just means clear, make sense? A clairaudient hears clearly, a clairsentient feels clearly, a claircognizant knows clearly, and a clairvoyant sees clearly. Simple enough. Don't get hung up on the terminology. They are just words to help us understand better. Sometimes these labels can freak us out, and rightly so, no one wants to be labeled or put in a box. In the past, when I have tried to explain to others what I do, I had to use the terms psychic and claircognizant, and I'll admit that it freaked me out a bit. I didn't like the way it sounded. But these feelings are the result of what society teaches us about these terms, as mentioned previously.

Education and understanding can help to clear up these misconceptions, and you can help with that. Recognize your psychic gift, your talent, and embrace it. Do you see visions that help with your intuition? Then you are clairvoyant. Do you hear things that convey intuitive messages? Then you are clairaudient. Do you feel things, emotionally or otherwise, that give you information about something or someone? Then you are clairsentient. Or do you just know things? Then you are claircognizant. This may all sound very odd, but it is actually all very natural. There are other forms psychic abilities as well, but I will detail them further in another article. The important point of this article is recognizing that you are in fact psychic, and it is okay. You are not crazy. Psychic abilities are as natural as seeing, smelling, and tasting.

Okay, so you have psychic abilities, now what? Well, that is completely up to you! Psychic abilities exist to help us, just like any other sense or ability. They assist you to live a better, fuller life. You can keep these gifts to yourself, which is absolutely fine to do. Use your intuitive messages in your daily life to help you in making decisions. It can help you see when there is trouble, people you should avoid, or how to proceed when you are stuck. The messages are always for a reason, to help you in some way.

The other option is to share your psychic gifts with others. This can be both frightening and rewarding. Frightening because there still is some negative connection to the label psychic. Rewarding because it feels great to help others, and 9 times out of 10 the person you help will be grateful. There are many ways that you can share your gifts. You can use them to help your family, friends, coworkers, classmates, or really anyone! The list is endless. Some people who have really advanced psychic gifts share them professionally, and yes, you can create a career using your psychic gifts that can be very rewarding.

Regardless what you do from here, know that your psychic abilities are a gift...a blessing if you subscribe to that line of thinking. These abilities are not a problem, not embarrassing, and not from some dark, negative place (like the devil). They are gifts to help you to live a wonderful life. So embrace your psychic side and use them well!