As a Medium I rely on clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, and claircognizance - what I call my four core abilities - to provide insight and information during readings. These extrasensory gifts allow me to telepathically communicate with those in Spirit. Allow me to explain what these particular gifts are, and how Spirit and I work with them to relay messages.
First, I should mention that there exist many more extrasensory gifts than those I have noted above. There is also clairgustance, which is clear taste, and clairalience (sometimes called clairscent), which is the ability to smell things that others may not. Clairtangence (more commonly known as psychometry) is the ability to read the energy of objects. Finally, precognition is the ability to know something (such as an event) before it occurs. While I have accessed all of these abilities at one time or another, I primarily work with my core four.
Core gift 1: Clairvoyance - You’ve mostly likely heard the phrase ‘third eye’ in metaphysical, new age and yoga circles. The third eye is a phantom eye that allows for seeing beyond your physical sight. More than that however, it is a spiritual eye that provides insight into our own psyche. This metaphysical eye is the seat for clairvoyance and seeing beyond our three dimensional world. Many yogic practices, including meditation, place a good deal of focus on opening the third eye centre or third eye chakra. In doing so it is thought that you will see beyond the illusion of the physical into the truth of our multidimensional existence.
Before a reading I do many things to prepare myself and engage my abilities. To initiate and engage my third eye, I meditate and clear my body using a light-body exercise (essentially visualizing myself as a being of pure light energy). Once I am able to see myself this way, I then see my lightbody (myself) beaming into the universe, visible from the most outer parts of space. I connect with and see all beings when I initiate my third eye.
Following this exercise, I do what I refer to as the ‘mini-me’ exercise. I begin by visualizing my physical self as ultra small and able to look out from each of my upper chakras, one by one. I will start by seeing a mini-me sitting in lotus posture looking from the inside of my heart chakra, outside to the rest of the room. With my eyes closed, I will survey the room from this chakra while reciting a mantra to open my heart chakra ability of clairsentience. I then continue this practice looking out from my throat, third eye and crown chakras, and reciting different phrases that correspond to each ability governed by that chakra.
Using clairvoyance, spirits provide images, pictures and sometimes little movies of what they are intending to communicate. This ability really is my primary way of speaking with spirit, but can be difficult to decipher at times. For example, Spirit may draw my attention to the hair and I have to decide what about the hair is special or significant based on the image. Spirit is amazing at providing details in this way, and I am learning all the subtle nuances that are important to convey as a communicator for the Spirit realm.
Core gift 2: Clairaudience – I must say this is probably my favourite ability because when Spirits speaks, they are often hilarious. With clairaudience, Spirit provides a word or phrase in their voice, which I must relay to the client. This is an ability that is the most straightforward in that exactly what I hear is exactly what I relay (no interpretation required). The client always knows just what the person in Spirit is talking about.
In one reading I clearly heard, “I was a bit of a pain in the ass” which I relayed to my client, who laughed and agreed wholeheartedly. When she had stopped laughing, this man in Spirit spoke again.
“Don’t laugh so hard, you’re a pain in the ass too (client’s name).” I hesitated for a moment but I am bound to convey all messages, so I had no choice but to repeat this last phrase to the client. She laughed even harder.
“That’s him alright! He’d say that all the time!” I was so glad she had such a good sense of humour.
Spirit uses words or phrases with me, and often uses songs as well. There are times when I will hear just a few words and the rest of the reading will be primarily received through clairvoyance. Other spirits will give me phrase after phrase punctuated with images, creating a story. Each reading is unique and calls upon different abilities.
Core gift 3: Clairsentience – While I feel blessed beyond words for my ability to bring through Spirit, this gift can be a tough one to deal with at times. Clairsentience is clear feeling, meaning I will actually feel the spirits feelings (and sometimes my client's) or, worse - I will feel how they died. If the person died from a gunshot wound, brain cancer or Alzheimer’s – Spirit will give me unique sensations in my head to convey this. For example, I will often get a chest pain or tingling down my arm if the spirit died from a heart attack. While sometimes I will hear Spirit simply say “cancer” or see a car accident, I mostly receive manner of death information through clairsentience.
On a positive note, Spirit also uses this ability to convey hope, happiness, and understanding. Mostly I feel their profound love for the person I am reading for and this often causes me to cry (with joy). Next to how I feel about my own daughter and grandchildren, I have never felt so much love as I do in readings. It is truly beautiful to be able to feel this with and for complete strangers. Although these aren’t my feelings, and I am not involved in them personally, it is amazing to be able to communicate love in this way.
Core gift 4: Claircognizance – I think I use this more frequently than I realize. Claircognizance is the ability to clearly know something (similar to an inner knowing, or telepathic transference of knowledge). This form of communication comes in like a thought bubble – a tidbit of information that just pops into my head out of nowhere. The information has no voice or distinctive feeling like clairaudience. Another example is that I frequently receive this type of message first thing in the morning as I wake up. (One morning I received this flash of information, “April 2”. Turns out that was the date of birth of a client’s grandfather who came through in a reading later that day.)
Some spirits communicate with me in this telepathic transference kind of way, as do many Guides and angels.
We are all able to develop our extrasensory abilities with dedication and practice. While some of us are more advanced on our spiritual paths. that does not mean we are any more deserved of such gifts that anyone else. I found that once I began using energy on a regular basis (in my Reiki practice), I was given access to all forms of energy, and my abilities expanded the more I practiced. These abilities are latent in all of us and waiting to be awakened. Just remember to use your abilities for good and you will never go wrong.