The act of going to a special individual for spiritual and/or esoteric guidance has existed in one form or another since ancient times. Depending on the cultural setting, this could have included activities as varied as making a pilgrimage to the oracle at Delphi in Ancient Greece, consulting a tribal Shaman, or visiting the local Witch on the outskirts of town. Yet regardless of the setting, exactly who are these special people we ask to impart to us their visions and wisdom? In what ways are they different from the rest of us? How do they manage to acquire the insights they are sharing? What does it mean to be Psychic?
The human brain is perhaps the most profound Machine in the Universe, but where do our thoughts come from? We each possess consciousness, but what is our awareness made of? Modern Physiology will tell us that we use only 10% of our brain’s capacity, which would then mean that 90% of our mind’s potential remains dormant within us. If that is the case, then perhaps in the same way that the genetics for an entire tree can exist within a tiny acorn, maybe all the secrets of the universe can also be explained within the untapped portions of the human mind? If this is true, then maybe the Gurus and Psychics we go to for insights are really nothing more than normal people like ourselves who have found a way to activate more than 10% of their innate intelligence? Maybe the late Psychologist and Philosopher Timothy Leary was right when he said, “The Brain is God”?
Clairvoyance, clairaudience, and clairsentience, or the abilities to see, hear, or perceive expanded realities and non-ordinary states of being are among the sorts of powers commonly considered Psychic. Yet the relative truth of these abilities is extremely difficult to verify, or even comprehend in terms of conventional understanding. To the general public, the popular idea of a Psychic is someone dressed up like a gypsy or a witch who predicts the future using Tarot Cards and a crystal ball. However, if one can manage to put such stereotypes aside, the actual truth is that real Psychics, while in possession of one or more of the aforementioned abilities, are also often highly trained individuals in an Esoteric/Occult sense who are capable of offering valuable insights and guidance to those who are in psychological or spiritual crisis.
Because of its counseling-like format, a legitimate Psychic Reading can sometimes be looked upon as a form of Psychotherapy, yet the distinction should be made that a Reading is not Psychotherapy.
During a psychic session, the Reader will use their paranormal abilities to cut directly to the chase and provide the client with immediate insights to digest. On the other hand, therapy encourages a Client to confess their fears and neuroses to the Practitioner over an extended period of time. As a result, during a session, a psychotherapist will mostly listen and occasionally direct the client with a comment or leading question that is designed to help the subject arrive at their own epiphanies.
In my work as a Psychic Counselor, I do not consider the service I offer to be a long term one. If I have done my job properly, then a client does not need to see me more than once or twice a year except under certain circumstances. That means once a Reading is over, it is the client’s responsibility to continue exploring what was revealed in the session and do the daily work necessary for behavioral transformation. Where therapy differs is that a patient will return on a weekly basis for follow-up sessions that are designed to guide, shape, and direct their ongoing growth and transformation.
That means the essential difference between a Psychic Reading and Psychotherapy would be that a Reading opens a door for the client, while Therapy is designed to help the individual adjust over time to the new room they have chosen to enter.
Another important matter regarding Psychic Readings is the difference between Psychic abilities and Spiritual evolution.
I have been talking about what it means to be Psychic, but what does it mean to be Spiritual? Over the course of my career as a Reader, I have come to believe that being Spiritual means accepting that everything you encounter in life is necessary for your evolution. Such an understanding can be arrived at in any number of ways, thus the famous saying, “Paths are many, the truth is one.”
Another common misunderstanding is that Psychic abilities are synonymous with Spiritual understanding, when in fact it is often the opposite. Once a Spiritual perspective has been developed according to the inner work that is required in most esoteric traditions, then Psychic Powers usually develop as a matter of course. On the other hand, there are also individuals who have been blessed with natural Psychic abilities that end up becoming nothing more than performers or hustlers looking only to profit from their talents without ever considering any sort of ethical or spiritual foundation. The danger with such common opportunism is that unless one’s Psychic gifts are practiced with humility and a concern for the general welfare, blinding arrogance and vanity are often the result. With this in mind, it is therefore important for a quality Psychic Reading to always include a substantial amount of ethical teaching, compassionate understanding, and good common sense as a reflection of the Reader’s Spiritual Maturity.
The next matter I would like to discuss concerns the negative or superstitious aspects that conflate Psychic Readings with evil forces.
Occasionally, I am approached by people that tell me another psychic has said they are cursed. I usually explain to these individuals that anyone who would tell them that is a Con Artist, not a Psychic, and the whole thing is nothing more than a scam to hustle a fee for getting rid of the curse.
While the preceding might sound simple enough to anyone reading this, why would otherwise intelligent people believe such nonsense? Unfortunately, many people who go for readings are doing so for the wrong reasons. Going to a Psychic to deal with fears about the future, or hoping one’s problems can be made to magically disappear is asking for trouble. That kind of desperation allows any Charlatan posing as a Psychic to exploit the situation by suggesting that dark and malevolent forces rather than personal responsibility are at the root of what is occurring. Needless to say, Readers who prey on people in this fashion are criminals and need to be dealt with accordingly. The problem though is that by the time a Client comes to me about something like this they are either totally freaked out, or too embarrassed to want to do anything about it. As a result, our subsequent session usually ends up focusing on how they can forgive themselves for being so naïve.
Another type of unfortunate situation that can exist in a Reading is when a Psychic is willing to tell a Client whatever they want to hear in order to take their money. The most common example of this is when someone can’t let go of a romantic partner and the Reader will have them returning for session after session, assuring that the individual they are asking about is really their soul mate and the relationship is destined to have a happy ending. Of course, this is the worst sort of manipulation and often ends with either the client eventually catching on (if they don’t run out of money first) or with the Reader ironically becoming annoyed by the neurotic behavior they have agreed to indulge.
Though it has pained me to mention these negative aspects of my Profession, I have done so only because I believe it needs to be known that going for a Psychic Reading is very much a situation of “let the buyer beware.” On the other hand, I also believe there are many honorable practitioners out there and it is entirely possible to receive an enlightening reading from a legitimate Psychic if one is willing to do their research and ask around. As a Reader, I have built my practice based on referrals, believing that a recommendation from a common trusted source creates a safe guard for myself as well as for those I work with.
If you’re interested in getting a psychic reading, make sure to do your research, trust your own intuition, and ask around for a referral.
Hopefully, we will meet each other soon.