SO- What is a "Psychic" anyway? (In MY opinion)

Everything in this portion of my blog is either MY OPINION, or ANOTHERS OPINION, facts or information obtain from websites and are written here, again - as my opinion....Agree or disagree - You're prerogative.  Remember the First Amendment:

Freedom of the press 

In Lovell v. City of Griffin, 303 U.S. 444 (1938), Chief Justice Hughes defined the press as, "every sort of publication which affords a vehicle of information and opinion."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Freedom_of_the_press

That being said, a person from another Blog, condemned me for the practice of using Psychic abilities....It got me thinking....What does the Bible say about this and what exactly is a "Psychic" anyway? (You can read mine and her comments at:  
http://www.topix.com/forum/city/satsuma-fl/T6MQHF90SR26BCK1T/p233#lastPost) 

That being said, I did some investigating into the Bible re: psychics, etc....obviously the term "psychic" wasn't used in the Biblical verses - rather, sorcerers, witch craft, fortune tellers, etc....all words we commonly associate "today" with what someone "is" if they proclaim to be of a "psychic" nature.  But, if given the "definition" of each title used in the bible, in reality, they each are their own separate entity in themselves, and Yes - verse after verse condemns those who practice such acts....Yet, I also found a verse or two which speaks non-ill scripture of those who perform such abilities.... Definitions on the Web:
PSYCHIC:  "Of the mind, mental", also called sensitive^[1]) ........an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through  our "other senses", such as extrasensory perception (ESP), along with other forms of "abilities" within our senses.  Not every "Psychic" can utilize all these senses.

SORCERER,  magician, wizard, necromancer, thaumaturge, thaumaturgist (one who practices magic or sorcery) (MAGIC)    Magic means different things to different people. For believers in the paranormal, for example, it refers to the manipulation of events, people, and objects through supernatural means to create a desired outcome. This type of magic may involve spells, rituals, charms, and other tools to alter the practitioner's environment. This would be known as WITCH CRAFT - The word is also used to refer to tricks and sleight of hand which make it seem like things are appearing and disappearing, as though supernaturally, generally used for entertainment purposes & refers to a MAGICIAN.

The concept of magic has been present in human culture for thousands of years. Many cultures had versions of witches, wizards, warlocks, sorcerers, witch doctors, shamans, and other people who could supposedly harness supernatural powers for various tasks. Some religions incorporate a belief in magic, while other religions reject magic as the work of the devil, perhaps because these religions arose in opposition to the traditional practice of magic.


FORTUNE TELLER: a person who foretells your personal future......The scope of fortune-telling is in principle identical with the practice of divination. The difference is that divination is the term used for predictions considered part of a religious ritual, invoking deities or spirits, while the term fortune-telling implies a less serious or formal setting.

I DO NOT CLAIM OR BELIEVE TO POSSES ANY OF THE ABOVE, REALLY....OTHER THAN PERHAPS THE TERM PSYCHIC....and only to an extent......  I never tell the future, nor do I believe one should know the future.  (If I could, my life would sure be less chaotic!)  Not only that, if "Psychics" were able to perform such feats, they'd all win the lottery and be millionaires!   (I am not saying that some can't....but if they can, it is only to an extent and almost never in regards to their own self, In my opinion)   We learn as we grow / age...and we grow as we learn......If we knew things in advance, we would never error, hence we would never learn from our mistakes.  THAT BEING SAID, I do believe ALL of us, as I said before, are equipped with intuition, to assist us from time to time in avoiding dangerous situations / outcomes....something that "tells" us - "Go check on your daughter, she's in the street and could get hit by a car"....You go outside and find your daughter playing in the street and yell at her to get out of the street, just as a speeding driver zooms past...Some use and rely on their intuition and some ignore it....In general, INTUITION is instinctive knowing (without the use of rational processes) . A "gut" feeling about something or someone. "The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” –Albert Einstein

The following, I found on this website:  http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/What_is_Intuition.html

"Intuition is an incredible resource and gift that we have been given to help us live our best lives. I like to call it my internal GPS device. Unfortunately, not many people know what it is or how to use it. The word intuition means “in to you” in Latin. Theologian, Florence Scovel Shinn, once said, “Intuition is a spiritual faculty that doesn’t explain, but simply points the way.” It is also believed that intuition is your divine Spirit talking to you. If you would stop for a moment and ponder this concept, you would begin to realize the incredible power you have—that every answer to every question is right there within you. And you don’t even have to get any special training to start using it. All you need to do is raise your awareness about it and set your intention to harness, cultivate and trust it.

Intuitive messages range from an inkling to a strong sign or message. Your inner self is persistent and consistent. It will keep trying to get your attention until you receive the message. An “inkling” is like a glimmer or fleeting thought that comes from somewhere inside that you can’t quite put your finger on. A “hunch” is a bit stronger in that you may feel a certain knowing about something. Intuitive urges are accurate information from a higher intelligence. An intuitive message ranges from hearing actual words, seeing a clear picture, or a deep inner knowing. Some people experience intuition as a feeling, others a gut reaction, some experience intuition as thoughts, others see images or have a dream, while some hear an actual message. Become familiar with how your inner self communicates with you. Then you will easily recognize it and begin trusting your intuition."

What I "CLAIM" to be able to do "Psychically"  or "Intuitively" (as described above) is: 
Clairvoyance: The ability to use your senses at range, and see or hear things happening in other places. Usually it requires a focus, such as someone you know being at the place to be observed. Perception + Alertness is rolled against a difficulty of 8. While sending your senses out, you cannot see things happening where your body is. You also cannot affect events you witness in any way. You are but an ob- server, and are usually "seeing" things / events that have already taken place.  This is not a form or "fortune-telling".....A person with this ability seeings things in different ways / states of mind:  *In a dreamlike manner, (meditation) within any room of a house or area that you are in.  The greater the focus, the stronger the ability is to perceive "further".....from actually being able to sometimes hear events as well, though the sounds are distorted and These visions and things heard are easy to misinterpret.   There may even be times you can "mentally" touch things also, though they feel vague and amorphous.   Not all who proclaim to be Psychics can perform the same abilities...In addition, Clairvoyance, and it's partner, Remote Viewing, are really not in the "Psychic" realm - as society perceives it anyway; but is still classified there..
We are all equipped with senses.....6 of them within our brains.......Because someone maybe psychic, it doesn't mean that she can see things, hear things, or tell the future.  But the general term "Psychic" is used for someone who can perform 1 or all of the abilities within our 6 senses....Just as the term "Doctor" is used for anyone who has an MD degree and practices medicine; A heart specialist, wouldn't generally have the knowledge or ability to perform surgery on the brain and vice verse.....

Clairvoyance comes from a French word meaning “clear seeing.” It is a form of extrasensory perception (ESP), which refers to knowledge of external things or happenings that is gained without the use of the senses and the ordinary methods of perceiving and reasoning, thus one of the different "psychic" experiences. Specifically, clairvoyance provides information through “seeing” or visualizing things and happenings beyond the range or capability of physical sight. When hearing is involved, as it sometimes is, the phenomena may be referred to as Clairaudience, meaning “clear hearing.”

In addition, I "believe" I am capable of “remote viewing,” which is a subset of clairvoyance.
REMOTE VIEWING is a mental faculty that allows a perceiver (a "viewer") to describe or give details about a target that is inaccessible to normal senses due to distance, time, or shielding. For example, a viewer might be asked to describe a location on the other side of the world, which he or she has never visited; or a viewer might describe an event that happened long ago; or describe an object sealed in a container or locked in a room; or perhaps even describe a person or an activity; all without being told anything about the target / event -- not even its name or designation.

From this explanation, it is obvious that remote viewing is related to what some call PSI (also known in general terms as "psychic" or "parapsychological") phenomena such as clairvoyance or telepathy. Whatever it is that seems to make it possible for human beings to do remote viewing is probably the same underlying ability that makes such things as clairvoyance work. But remote viewing (or "RV") differs from other, more traditional parapsychological activities in a number of ways.   Unlike most other PSI disciplines, remote viewing is not precisely one thing, but rather an integrated "cocktail" of various phenomena. Despite the "viewing" part of the term, remote viewing is only partly about experiences associated with what might be visible about a target. It also involves mental impressions pertaining to the other senses, such as sounds, tastes, smells, and textures, as well as limited telepathy-like effects, and in some cases just plain intuitive "knowing." RV owes some of these qualities to the fact that lessons learned from research in clairvoyance, telepathy, and even out-of-body experiences -- traditionally considered separate entities -- played a role in its development.   Remote viewing is not used to give "psychic readings," "tell fortunes," "read auras," or other sorts of popular- and disbelieved, or "evil - un-Godly" activities of this nature, but today, is rather a means of doing serious science research and for performing operational-type tasks in criminal investigations, such as missing persons or murder investigations) government intelligence work, commercial applications, etc. Many who want to explore their individual human potentials also become interested in it, on a personal level.

Finally, one last point related to  remote viewing and even clairvoyance type activities....It is not really a "psychic phenomenon" as such, but actually an imposed discipline or skill that helps the viewer to facilitate or "harness" his or her own innate, underlying PSI abilities.

A web page that facilitates some proof of this phenomenon, if your interested is:
http://www.remoteviewing.com/

And what are our 6 SENSES anyway?  We all have them......this is fact.

Sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing are the five most well know senses, but we also have a kinesthetic sense, referred to as the "6th Sense", which enables us to be aware of our surroundings; Seen or Unseen with the eye.  A very common and simple ~ everyday example for this would be, if someone walks into a room without making a sounds behind you, and you know that they are there, its because you sensed them unconsciously ~ your 6th sense kicked in.
"Kinesthetic"  refers to hands-on methods, or being "active"......Kinesthesis refers to sensory input that occurs within the body." .....Unconsciously being aware.....
In reality, what this "sense" does for us is everything that the other 5 do not....For example, If you have ever been caught driving intoxicated,  then you have probably been asked to either walk in a straight line or touch your nose with your eyes closed. If you are drunk, then chances are that your kinesthetic sense will fail you and you will not be able to locate your nose. Kinesthetic sense or proprioception, as it is more widely known is the type of sense that allows you to judge correctly the position of the different parts of the body, in relativity to one body part. Other than the five basic senses, sight, taste, smell, touch, and hearing, that we all are aware of, there are some other senses that are essential to the human system. These includes the sense of temperature, balance and equilibrium, direction, pain, internal senses and proprioception or kinesthetic sense. This type of sense is the only one that provides us with feedback based on the internal status of the body. It lets us know, whether the body moves with effort and where the body parts are located, in relation to other parts of the body.
Now that we know in brief, what is kinesthetic sense and what does the kinesthetic sense detect, let us try and understand this sense modality in more detail. Though used interchangeably, kinesthetic sense and proprioception have a slight difference, which is the greater importance that kinesthetic sense gives to movement. Also, kinesthetic sense has little to do with balance or equilibrium, which is more of a proprioceptive sense. This confusion in the definition of the terms is a result of the original description of kinesthetic sense under proprioception. It is though assumed by most researchers, that if one of these senses is affected, it also affects the other sense and therefore, it is completely logical to club the two terms together.

Kinesthetic sense is closely related to muscle memory, which is the memory that we posses due to constant repetition of a motor task, for example signing your name or walking. Hand eye coordination is also largely related to the sense of kinesthesia. This sense becomes automatic because of constant training. So, how does kinesthetic sense work. According to researchers, kinesthetic sense works by activating a receptor of proprioceptory senses in the periphery. The information that this sense receives, comes from the neurons located in the inner ear, which determines our balance. This sense also receives information from receptors in the muscles and ligaments. The receptors for the proprioceptory senses are called proprioceptors. Recent research has shown that the sense that allows us to recognize objects by touching them is also based on the sense of kinesthesia. This is called haptic perception.  VERY CONFUSING.....But, in general - Kinesthetic sense is applied to a huge range of fields. As mentioned earlier, proper kinesthetic sense of a person helps determine sobriety of a person. If you are intoxicated, then you will definitely face difficulty in locating your limbs with relation to their other body parts. Kinesthetic sense, because of its visual and tactile sense, is also used to create tests for the diagnosis of nerve disorders. Kinesthetic learners actually learn new tasks, by doing them constantly. It allows them to walk in the dark or learn a new skill like painting, which is highly dependent on the proprioceptive senses of a person. Skills like driving, walking, etc are kinesthetic sense examples.

OK...OK.....NOW THAT YOU'RE ALMOST ASLEEP AND HAVE HAD A THOUROUGH LESSON ON THE KINESTHETIC PORTION OF YOUR BRAIN.....I will clue you in on why it is known as the "Psychic" part of your brain.....Research has concluded that kinesthetic sense or proprioceptive sense can be heightened by training it or by using methods like meditation.  This is the only portion of our senses we can strengthen - and as we strengthen it, our other senses become stronger as well. You can challenge your sense of kinesthesia by doing these activities with closed eyes, as your sense of sight becomes strengthened, eyes closed also strengthens your other senses....What you're really strengthening is your "unconscious" mind ~ allowing it to be "open" and excepting......Within the field of parapsychology,  this is considered to be a form of extra-sensory perception (ESP) or anomalous cognition in which information is transferred through PSI. And PSI comes in many forms, depending on which of your senses have their greatest strength.
Although not yet widely recognized scientifically, Scientist who study certain types of paranormal phenomena are referred  to the field as parapsychology. Parapsychologists claim that some instances of PSI are in fact proven and real.....There will always be skepticism regarding the validity of PSI, ghost, spirits, etc.....And nothing will ever change that. 

I have one last, final thought - (and there will be some who will challenge me on this also, giving some type of explanation....when the truth is ~ there really isn't one.....)
We can probably all agree that the Bible is the most world-wide known and/or read published book ever created.  It is suppose to be a guide on how we are to live our lives in order to inherit the "Kingdom of Heaven" once we die, living in eternal peace forever and ever along the side of our Maker....Correct.....It gives us all the do's and don'ts, their consequences, etc....It tells us all about our past and how we came to be and it provides insight (warnings) into future events as well.....NOW - The faithful believers and Christians believe  that God is very adamant on His teachings, His word, and in having Blind Faith, that what is written is from the word of God & truth and those who do not believe will suffer eternal damnation. (More or less)  WELL then please explain to me - why God would leave so much room for interpretations, especially when it comes to portions which "foretell the future"....... ?   WHY would he have his latter Author's reveal God's word by way of "visions".......having them use their "Clairvoyance" abilities?  We ALL KNOW that everyone interprets things differently.  I can see a butterfly and say, "What a pretty red butterfly!" Only to have the person with me say, "It's not red, it's more like a maroon color."  Who's correct?  Neither of us!  I see it as Red, she see's it as maroon.   If God wanted to be very clear on our destiny, how we should live, what is to come, etc....why - WHY didn't he just reveal in words to his Author's what he meant?  Then, instead of reading  (King James - Rev. 6:13) ...."and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds it's winter fruit when shaken by a gale."   OR
 (Rev. 8:5) ...."Then the Angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on earth; and there were peals of thunder, voices, flashes of lightening, and an earthquake...."  We could be reading..... "and large asteroids and meteorites feel in great quantities upon the earth....or and then I saw a soldier filling his jet with fuel and flying over the earth, unloading weapons which caused great destruction and explosions of fire.....etc.."  (Those are my interpretations anyway, maybe not yours?)  The writings sound very much like the well known Astronomer, Nostradamus - Who many have interpreted his "predictions" as being true in regards to our future, thinking  that much of what he revealed has come true.....Either way, we know that something not so great appears to be in store for us.....Heck, In that sense, "not so great things" have been happening since I've been alive and before!   I can remember during a time in my childhood (about 3o yrs. ago, give or take) Several times that people believed the world was fixing to end due to something that happened-  What it all boils down to,  is it's left up to the interpreter.   Had God of been forth-right in what he revealed, rather than his Author's interpret visions shown to them, there would be no confusion over happenings; Having some say - "Oh, the end of times are here!  Things from Revelations are coming true!".......Who says they're coming true?  They say this because  their interpretation of the verses lead them to believe things are coming to pass; Whereas another may have interpreted the Author's visions completely different...and so on....Obviously, back in that time period, he wouldn't know that a jet, with fire coming out it's back pipes was a "jet"....and would describe it as a eagle on fire, or a great bird spitting fire, etc...(these are just examples!)  BUT, God is God...he knew then as he does now what a jet is and could have very clearly revealed this to his Author's so that His words were clear, exact, and gave no one room to doubt God, the Bible, and His words - Much of the Bible is written in this manner.....It will say (these are not exact verses, so don't shoot me!) "Those who believe in ghost, or practice fortune telling, witch craft, etc...will suffer the wrath of God" and then in a contradictory verse, he says, "to test the spirit in which you encounter to be sure it is really from God and not Satan deceiving you" (or something like that)......"If you leave your spouse and remarry you are an adulterer".....then, "Divorce is allowed because of the hardening of mans heart".....People talk about the "unforgivable sin", but then the Bible also says, "that no sin is greater than another, for a sin is a sin - and equal in the eyes of God.....and no sin is unforgivable...ask for forgiveness and it shall be done...etc..etc...Are we to believe that the smartest or best interpreter of the Bible wins and get's to go to Heaven?  I would hope not!!  My point is, through-out the Bible, you will find a verse condemning something, and then another verse stating the opposite.  (or verses similar to this)  I BELIEVE it was written like this with a purpose ~ not to confuse us, but to show us one simple fact.....That not one of us are perfect - NO ONE.  For the Bible also says, "Do not Judge others"  Yet, we have Pastor's / Preacher's, proclaimed Christians, etc....all pointing the finger and judging others who do not believe in the Scripture's as they do - therefore calling people evil, or condemning them (in words) to a life of hell for their ways, practices, or beliefs.  In other words, in the eyes of God, they too are sinners and their sin is no lesser or greater than the supposed sin of the one they accuse.  Only time and death in itself will reveal the truth and secrets of God and the Universe - until then, we are merely humans, living out our life - or our destiny - with free will - until we meet our own ending - and truth.

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) ~
"There are no facts, only interpretations."

Unknown ~
"To error is human; To Judge is Godly.
 Without evil, there would be no good ~
There are no mistakes, only lessons" 

Stephanie Almaguer
"It isn't what you have, who you are, where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy, it is what you think about.”