The Types of Psychic Powers
The Types of Psychic Powers
There are many types of psychic powers, ranging from the more common practices of cultivating intuition for guidance, to extra sensory perception, to channeling and communicating with spirits, even the spirit journey itself. Although a psychic has the inherent ability to learn any of these powers, since they are all related to one's ability to sense, understand and utilize subtle energies and information, most tend to specialize in specific disciplines. The following is an attempt to categorize different types of psychic powers, however, it is by no means an exhaustive or complete list. The psychic world is ever changing, like the waters of the Tao.
One type of psychic power is divination. This is developed by honing the intuition through practicing methods of gaining information. Reading auras is one method, focusing on a person until their energy field is revealed, either as colors, or some other sensory input. Another common method of divination is the reading of tarot cards. By practicing this psychic power, one becomes able to determine not only the current state of a person, place, or object, but information about it's past and potential future as well. Related to this power are the abilities of post and precognition, being able to sense the past and future, respectively.
Clairsentience, or remote sensing, is another of the more common types of psychic powers, related to feelings of de ja vu. It is also a common ability that people unconsciously tap into, such as when one can tell who's calling before answering the phone. This is the ability to project one's senses to a distant location and gain information as if one was there. A related ability is astral projection, the main difference being that one doesn't project only their senses, they travel there in full conscious awareness.
Communication is also possible through psychic means, the ability to read and contact minds both human and animal as well as with the spirit world. No this is not the same as possession, but more the realm of the ancient shaman, perhaps the first true psychic practitioners. Focus, visualization,and awareness are key skills to develop, since the mind must be clear of one's own thoughts before those of others can be sensed.
Among the more interesting types of psychic powers, healing is a power easily recognized from the media, both in fiction and in actual research studies. In fact, the Chinese have greatly refined this work over the centuries in a field of energy medicine called Qi Gong (also spelled Chi Gung). In it's simplest form, it is based on the theory that illness results from a lack of vital energy. The energy healer uses his own energy, which must be clear and flowing easily, to fill that void, sealing leakages in a patient's aura or energy body. This is a discipline that requires study and should not be attempted without full understanding of the process.
Of final note in this list of the types of psychic powers, there are the more physical disciplines. These include telekinesis, pyrokinesis, and other form of influencing physical objects. These powers are tricky at best and although it has been documented in research done in laboratories, such as testing a person's ability to control the side on which a flipped coin lands, these powers tend to be more difficult than the more subtle ones. If all things are energy, as quantum physics now posits, then the ability to sense and manipulate energy would be easier than trying to influence the denser matter.
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