Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Clairvoyant, Medium, Psychic etc?

The words “Clairvoyance” and “Psychic” are often used to refer to many different kinds of paranormal sensory experiences, but there are more specific names:

Clairvoyance (from 17th century French clair meaning “clear” and voyant meaning “seeing”) is the ability to gain information about an object, location or physical event through means other than the known human senses, a form of extra-sensory perception. The ability to to see things either in their third eye or literally that are not physically present.    A person said to have the ability of clairvoyance is referred to as a clairvoyant.

Clairsentience (feeling/touching) (clair, “clear,” + sentience, “feeling) is a form of extra-sensory perception wherein a person acquires psychic knowledge primarily by means of feeling. Generally the term refers to a person who can feel the vibration of other people. There are many different degrees of clairsentience ranging from the perception of diseases of other people to the thoughts or emotions of other people. The ability differs from third eye in that this kind of ability can not have a vivid picture in the mind. Instead, a very vivid feeling can form, eg the medium or psychic actually literally feels the injury or say illness including the manner of passing.  * The term also plays a role in some religions. For example: clairsentience is one of the six human special functions mentioned or recorded in Buddhism. It is an ability that can be obtained at advanced meditation level. Generally the term refers to a person who can feel the vibration of other people.

Empath is also a term used to refer to a person with a feeling expanded sensitivity or clairsentience.

Psychometry is related to clairsentience. The word stems from psyche and metric, which means “to measure with the mind”.

Clairaudience (hearing/listening), (clair (clear) & audience (hearing) is a form of extra-sensory perception wherein a person acquires information by paranormal auditory means. Clairaudience may refer not to actual perception of sound, but may instead indicate impressions of the “inner mental ear” similar to the way many people think words without having auditory impressions. But it may also refer to actual perception of sounds such as voices, tones, or noises which are not apparent to other humans or to recording equipment. For instance, a clairaudient person might hear the voices or thoughts of the spirits of persons who are deceased. Clairaudience may be positively distinguished from the voices heard by the mentally ill when it reveals information unavailable to the clairaudient person by normal means.

Clairalience (smelling)(clair (clear) & alience (smelling) is a form of extra-sensory perception wherein a person acquires psychic knowledge primarily by means of smelling. An example of this may be a smell that has some connection either to the person passed over or a guide or place.

Claircognizance (knowing) [clair (clear) & cognizance (cognisaunce conoissance, knowledge)] is a form of extra-sensory perception wherein a person acquires psychic knowledge primarily by means of intrinsic knowledge. It is the ability to know something without knowing how or why you know it.

Clairgustance (tasting)In the field of parapsychology, clairgustance is defined as a form of extra-sensory perception where a person tastes a substance without putting anything in one’s mouth.  Similar to Clairalience this often involves experiencing a taste which is relevant to a loved one passed over but may also be diet or health issues relevant to those present.

Medium In the field of parapsychology The term “mediumship” denotes the ability of a person to experience and/or to tell others about their experiences of contact with spirits of the dead. By experiencing these visions, the medium generally is used to facilitate communication between non-mediumistic people and spirits who may have messages to share.  For example listen and relate conversations with those passed over to others in the physical.

Trance Medium is able go into a trance and speak without knowledge of what is being said; allow a spirit to enter his or her body and speak through it; or relay messages from the spirits those who wish to contact them with the help of a physical tool, such as a writing pad.  Also referred to as a *channel it is also a means of receiving messages from a “teaching spirit” of advanced wisdom.  It is more common for a trance medium to operate within a trained group rather than individual readings.  *Note from my perspective, that in the same way we are all psychic, so too are we all ‘channels’ for energy and information, even if there are varying degrees and levels of expertise.

Reference: Wikepedia Encyclopedia