Clairsenses and Psychic Communication
I’m often asked what it means to be psychic and intuitive. First off, being psychic, intuitive, or tuned into your clairsenses is all one thing. I use these terms interchangeably. Second, I believe we all have psychic and intuitive abilities. Most people have experienced them on some level. Ever just known something to be true, only to have your instinct confirmed? Most likely it was your intuition that nudged you.
Some people intentionally develop and engage their psychic and intuitive abilities, while others don’t. Those who nurture these parts of themselves often find their abilities grow in wonderful and supportive ways. Some people, like me, choose to use their abilities to help others, while others don’t. Either path is valid.
Using your abilities is not just about fate or fortune telling. I’m sure you’ve seen it depicted as such in movies, but it’s much deeper than that. Your intuition is your birth right and it can be a supportive tool for navigating life. That said, engaging your abilities doesn’t mean that you get to bypass difficulty. Life happens, but having the support of your intuition can bring some ease and comfort during troubled times.
To understand psychism and intuition it’s important to understand the clairsenses. “Clair” means clear. The clairsenses are super sensory abilities or experiences that go beyond what we know as the “five senses.” Touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste aren’t your only senses!
When we are comfortable with our intuition, we pick up on things that go beyond what is physically “there.” Once, I smelled burning herbs during meditation. It was as though someone blew fragrant smoke in my face. It made me feel peaceful, and I knew it was an initiation into the realm of my intuitive abilities.
The biggest obstacles to engaging your intuition and clairsenses are self-doubt and not trusting your inner guidance system. There can be lots of valid reasons for this. Be tender with yourself if you are just starting to cultivate your intuitive abilities and know that your journey will be unique to you.
I’ve always been connected to my clairsenses, but it took me a long time to understand what I was experiencing. I’ve since learned it’s common for intuitive or psychic people to not recognize their abilities due to a lack of social modeling. Luckily, over the years, I met people who have encouraged and supported me.
Even though intuitive abilities are a natural part of who we are our society doesn’t honor them the way the ancients and ancestors did. In your ancestry, it’s likely people with these skills played a special role. As a woman of Celtic and Scandinavian ancestry I’ve found this to be true. If you want to understand how these skills once played a role in society, I recommend discovering more about your ancestors and their cultural practices.
Below you’ll find some examples of clairsenses. This list is not comprehensive, but it will give you an idea of what some of them are.
Clairvoyance: This means clear seeing. It’s when a vision or image comes to you seemingly from nowhere. These images may appear in soft focus or flash into your mind’s eye.
Claircognizance: This means clear knowing. Information or truths suddenly present in the mind in the form of thoughts that seem to come out of nowhere. You just “know” something and feel very certain about it. I would put premonitions in this category.
Clairsentience: This means clear feeling. It’s when you pick up on feelings, emotions, or physical pain. You feel these things in your body. They may come from Spirit or directly from a person close to you. I don’t think being clairsentient is the same as being an empath, but I’m still exploring this idea. Clairsentience is often accompanied with information or knowledge that arrives intuitively along with the feelings (physical or emotional). If you’re clairsentient you might say to another person, “I sense you’re feeling (fill in the blank) because of (fill in the blank).” You pick up on this without the other person giving you any information.
Clairaudience: This means clear hearing and is when words, music, or sound presents. You might not actually be hearing anything through your physical ears. The “hearing” is in the voice of your higher self and may present in your third eye. Some people do hear things physically.
Clairalience: This means clear smelling. Basically, you smell things that aren’t physically present. Ever caught a whiff of perfume out of nowhere? Smelled cigarette smoke that isn’t there? That’s clairalience.
Clairgustance: This means clear tasting. You taste something that’s not in your mouth. Food is such an important part of our lives. It makes sense that loved ones would want us to remember them in this way, especially if they used to make something we loved to eat.
Clairtangence: This is when you can receive information by touch. You touch a person, object, or place and receive information. Places, people, and objects hold energy. By engaging each through touch you can receive information. I’ve visited several places and had information come through in this way. Old buildings and sacred spaces with a lot of history tend to provide a nice opportunity for intuitives to experience clairtangence.
My practices of journaling, committing to quiet time alone, meditating, studying yoga, mindfulness, connecting to nature, and working with divination tools helped me develop an intimate understanding of my intuition.
It’s likely you’ve also experienced your clairsenses and intuition. How did you respond? Remember, you get to explore your intuitive body in ways that feel good to you. Be open to possibility and pepper your practices with joy and gratitude.