Have you ever wondered what the difference is between ESP and clairvoyance? Are you ever confused by the many different terms that apply to psychic phenomena and psychic abilities? Take a look through this glossary of some of the many different terms pertaining to psychic abilities.
Astral Projection- An out of body experience (sometimes referred to as OBE) that involves the projection of the conscious mind to various astral planes. This is done through the use of the etheric or energy body.
Channeling- The alleged ability of a person, often referred to as a medium, to receive messages from spiritual, non-physical being. There are various methods of channeling, which can involve a spontaneous or induced trance state, channeling through dreams and the use of automatic writing or divination.
Claircognizance- Meaning “clear knowing, claircognizance is the ability for a person to glean knowledge of topics, events or people that they shouldn’t know, but they do. This knowledge and insight is not passed to a person through visions or touch, but simply comes to them.
Clairsentience- A person who is clairsentient has a strong ability to feel things instinctively. Clairsentience may sometimes be referred to as a “gut feeling”, one that often comes across almost as a physical feeling in concern with a place, a person or a situation.
Clairvoyance- Meaning “clear seeing”, clairvoyance is the ability to see such things as auras, spirits or visions. A person who is clairvoyant is often very skilled at energy work such as aura cleansing and Reiki.
Empath- A heightened sensitivity to the emotions of other people. Empaths have the ability to pick up on the emotions of another person even if that person isn’t physically present.
E.S.P.- Extra Sensory Perception, which is the ability to gain information without using any of the five senses or through any previous experiences in life. E.S.P. can sometimes be a catchall term and may be applied to psychic abilities such as clairvoyance and precognition.
Medium- A person who has the ability to channel. (See Channeling)
Some well known mediums include Allison DuBois, Edgar Cayce and Jeane Dixon.
Precognition- The ability to foresee an event that is coming in the near future, usually within 24 to 48 hours.
Premonition- The ability to foresee an event in the distant future. Premonitions typically have to do with warnings about possible dangerous or catastrophic events.
Psychometry- A form of psychic divination in which a person can use their sense of touch to get a mental impression from an object. This theory that was first developed by James Rhodes Buchanan holds that objects have an energetic history within them that can be drawn upon when a person touches them.
Telekinesis- The ability to move objects without using any physical contact. Individuals who have telekinetic abilities are said to be able to move and manipulate objects purely through the use of psychic energy.
Telepathy- The process of transferring thoughts from one person to another without the use of normal sensory channels. Telepathy is done purely through the mind and besides the transferring of thoughts can also involve the transferring of visual or emotional energy.
This glossary can help you get a clearer understanding of the fascinating world of psychic phenomena and the many different terms that apply to this paranormal field.
