Claircognizance/Direct Knowing

[Sztar]

Ok, I'm curious... How many people have strong feelings of claircognizance? I mean direct knowledge of things that there's no way you could know about via rational means. I don't mean guessing or even being strongly intuitive, although these are arguably the same ability. I'm talking about *knowing.* I've had many of these experiences, some bizarre, some mundane, some revealed in dreams (but not *dream interpretation*--I mean experiencing direct knowledge or maybe clairvoyance in a dream).

I'm asking because I've always taken it for granted that maybe people experience these things all the time, but I was talking to some people tonight, and afterwards I started thinking maybe these are more unique experiences than I thought. I'm not sure. Anyway, it was a great conversation and got me thinking.

So I want to know...

Do you experience things like this? (claircognizance, clairvoyance, or any other clair--not the same to me as interpretation of dreams or tarot symbolism)

How often do you have these experiences?

Can you control them or do they come and go?

What percentage of the population do you think experience these things on a consistent basis?

Is it possible to hone this ability and if so, how did you do it?

 

[RiverRunsDeep]

I sometimes experience "direct knowing", not in my dreams, but while I'm awake. It's very difficult to describe, but it is as if there is a buzzing in my head, then I hear a voice (which is not my usual in-my-head voice), and it will say something, or I will be shown a picture. Then, whatever I have heard or seen proceeds to happen almost immediately in real time. I sound like a complete nutter, but that really is what happens.

I can't control when the experiences come and go, but I can control their frequency to some degree, depending on how often I meditate. In the past, when I was dedicated to a daily meditation practice, occurrences of direct knowing happened more often than they do presently. So, personally, I believe a consistent meditation practice is the way to hone such skills (with "consistent" being the key). When it becomes second nature to drop into that place of perfect silence and focus, it is easier to receive ....whatever we are meant to receive.

I recommend a book by Debra Lynne Katz, called "You Are Psychic" (which was recommended to me by celticnoodle ).

 

[Sztar]

Meditation. Maybe that's what I'm missing? I'm often "meditative" in the sense of being introspective, but I've never been a great "meditator" in the sense of clearing my mind. My mind tends to be overactive, and I have trouble letting go of thought patterns at the end of the day. In fact I often wonder what people mean when they say they "meditate." Maybe I need to more actively practice emptying my mind? This feels like a good suggestion.

What's your experience with meeting other people who have these same abilities? Whenever I share a story I keep expecting people to say, "Oh yes, I have this very similar thing that happened recently," but either people aren't having these experiences to the extent that I've experienced them or they aren't sharing. Could it be that people are averse to sharing because it comes across like bragging? If so, I hope that's not how I sound!

Partly I'm asking these questions because I want to know if I have a more unique ability than what I'd previously thought and therefore perhaps a greater responsibility to develop the ability and do something with it. But then again, part of me heavily resists the temptation to think of it in this way because I'm uneasy with the idea that I might have an "ability" if that makes sense. It just sounds so egotistical, doesn't it? Just writing stuff like this makes me feel like an a#hole...

Thanks for the book recommendation. I'll look it up.

 

[suk]

Great thread!

I don't know if I really experience this sense of 'knowing', but I have had some experiences of a voice that wasn't 'me', lately only during tarot readings. It isn't regular by any means, but I am of the view that it can be developed, so that the more open I am to it, and the more observant I am, the more likely it is to happen.

Meditation. Maybe that's what I'm missing? I'm often "meditative" in the sense of being introspective, but I've never been a great "meditator" in the sense of clearing my mind. My mind tends to be overactive, and I have trouble letting go of thought patterns at the end of the day. In fact I often wonder what people mean when they say they "meditate." Maybe I need to more actively practice emptying my mind? This feels like a good suggestion.

Hi Sztar,
This is a question that will be answered if/when you meditate more. I didn't get to the point of feeling the empty calm for about a year after I had been meditating every day. It takes time, and effort, but once you experience it, you will know what people mean by it.

Meditation isn't about emptying the mind; in fact, the more you try to 'empty' it, the more the mind rebels. This is where people get frustrated with the idea of meditation, they say 'I just can't silence my thoughts.' Usually, all the traditions say that you should let the thoughts or feelings arise, and observe them as dispassionately as possible.

What's your experience with meeting other people who have these same abilities? Whenever I share a story I keep expecting people to say, "Oh yes, I have this very similar thing that happened recently," but either people aren't having these experiences to the extent that I've experienced them or they aren't sharing. Could it be that people are averse to sharing because it comes across like bragging? If so, I hope that's not how I sound!

I actually feel that these experiences are more common than we think. A lot of people I personally know have encounters with the paranormal quite frequently, and some of them aren't even spiritual. Others probably aren't as open, or don't find them significant, so they don't notice them, and consequently don't share.

Partly I'm asking these questions because I want to know if I have a more unique ability than what I'd previously thought and therefore perhaps a greater responsibility to develop the ability and do something with it.

After reading Colin Wilson, I've become convinced that *all* humans have this capacity, and we can all develop it if we choose to. That's not to say that you make a choice and just snap your fingers and bam! you're psychic; it's got to be worked hard at, like learning to play an instrument as a deaf person.

But then again, part of me heavily resists the temptation to think of it in this way because I'm uneasy with the idea that I might have an "ability" if that makes sense. It just sounds so egotistical, doesn't it? Just writing stuff like this makes me feel like an a#hole...

That's the thing, even if you did have it, you wouldn't be special! If you consider that we all have different capacities and capabilities, and we're all on different journeys, some 'further along' than others, all comparison between humans becomes nonsensical. Say that you develop this 'ability', it wouldn't necessarily make you better than anyone else, because there would still be just as much for you to learn as there was before.

I hope that made some sense, would love to hear everyone else's thoughts.

 

[DownUnderNZer]

I do from time to time.....

Like last year I "knew" one of my fave Post Office workers was DEAD. I just thought: "Shit Kate is dead! Frig I just know it - this feeling is not wavering anytime soon".

What a HELL of a surprise it was when she walked out of the back a few weeks later to assist me!.

But I wasn't wrong. Just the timing was not right.

She died in March of this year after learning she had cancer for only about 2 weeks.

Saddened me greatly as I really liked her and would have gone to her funeral.

Lovely soul and I miss her.

DND

Ps Not the only time I have "known" something as you put it, but not very often at all.

 

[Sztar]

This is a question that will be answered if/when you meditate more. I didn't get to the point of feeling the empty calm for about a year after I had been meditating every day. It takes time, and effort, but once you experience it, you will know what people mean by it.

Yes, I'm sure you're right. I think the reality is that I'm a bit lazy and tend to want to skip this step. I have definitely attempted meditation in the past--what I thought was meditation--but I'm never quite sure if I'm doing it right. I think you're right that consistency is key. I'll make a better effort to do this every day and exercise more of a dispassionate observance. This is very helpful advice.

I actually feel that these experiences are more common than we think. A lot of people I personally know have encounters with the paranormal quite frequently, and some of them aren't even spiritual. Others probably aren't as open, or don't find them significant, so they don't notice them, and consequently don't share.

This makes a lot of sense and is the way I ordinarily think of these things. I'm sure I have more natural ability than a lot of people, but like anything, if you practice, you get better at it, so even if I didn't have a ton of natural ability I could still develop it.

After reading Colin Wilson, I've become convinced that *all* humans have this capacity, and we can all develop it if we choose to. That's not to say that you make a choice and just snap your fingers and bam! you're psychic; it's got to be worked hard at, like learning to play an instrument as a deaf person.

I've always believed this as well, but then I wonder why more people wouldn't want to develop it because it has the potential to be so useful! Not everyone has that desire, I suppose. "...like learning to play an instrument as a deaf person..." SO TRUE.

That's the thing, even if you did have it, you wouldn't be special! If you consider that we all have different capacities and capabilities, and we're all on different journeys, some 'further along' than others, all comparison between humans becomes nonsensical. Say that you develop this 'ability', it wouldn't necessarily make you better than anyone else, because there would still be just as much for you to learn as there was before.

Yes, I agree. That's why it bothered me so much to put this into writing. On the one hand, I think it's human to want to think of yourself as "special" in some way, and on the other hand, I resist thinking of myself like that because I don't want to think I'm "better" than other people. Everyone is special in their own way, right? (In my defense, a girl who works for me told me recently that she prefers working with me over other project managers because I *don't* come across as thinking I'm better or more important or out ranking people. This made me feel great because I actively try to make myself approachable, but then another side of me wants to interpret this as "I'm better than other project managers." LOL! I don't really think that, but it's human nature.)

 

[Sztar]

I do from time to time.....

Like last year I "knew" one of my fave Post Office workers was DEAD.* I just thought: "Shit Kate is dead! Frig I just know it - this feeling is not wavering anytime soon".

What a HELL of a surprise it was when she walked out of the back a few weeks later to assist me!.*

But I wasn't wrong.* Just the timing was not right.

She died in March of this year after learning she had cancer for only about 2 weeks.

Saddened me greatly as I really liked her and would have gone to her funeral.

Lovely soul and I miss her.

DND

Ps Not the only time I have "known" something as you put it, but not very often at all.

Interesting. For a long time I hadn't had anyone close to me die--only great grandparents, plus a couple of acquaintances. As a result, I had this feeling that I would one day experience a tragic death. As it turned out, my first husband died tragically much too young for completely nonsensical preventable reasons. I don't want to go too much on a tangent, but after he died, I had very clear feelings of his presence. While I tried to write it off as imagination or coincidence (we were both avowed atheists at the time), it took a *lot* of effort, and ultimately, it's this experience that unraveled my atheism and brought me back to a more spiritual path.

Here's what happened: I was listening to a Pandora station on my cell phone, which I left laying on the counter. At some point it went silent for a long time while I went about my business. Not sure how much time elapsed but at least 30 minutes. Then suddenly, out of nowhere it starts playing one of his favorite songs (don't laugh but it was "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey) and it was just totally surreal. How could that have happened at that moment? The station I was listening to was tangentially related at best (I think it was a Devo station if I remember--so they were both 80s bands but come on). It was so clear that this was his way of saying goodbye and asking me not to forget about him. I couldn't write it off as pure coincidence. Something had happened that had transcended my evidence-driven day-to-day reality.

So now, for a while, I've been thinking that one day, inevitably, more people that I know would begin to die, as is only natural, but whenever I get this thought, I always think of the same friend, and I hope he will not be the first one to go... Someone has to be though, right? A rather morbid thought this Thursday morning...

Bottom line: premonitions, claircognizance, possible contact with spirits, etc.... It's a strange animal.

 

[DownUnderNZer]

Not laughing - I do not doubt that he wanted you to know it was him and there are enough people out there that would share similar stories and experiences. Beautiful really.

And hold on to that...do not ever forget it.

I also "knew" when a very close friend of mine (when a teen) was going to die a week before it happened and 100% the day before.

The day before when I looked into her eyes - there was just no "life" there. I was actually shocked and wordless. I still regret to this day not saying something. I knew and didn't do a thing.

A week before, she told me what would happen when she died, and that it would not rain at her funeral. Seriously. And we had an argument because "culturally" if it "rained" it meant the person was "happy". Our culture. She told me it would be sunny at her funeral and it would mean she was happy.

Not only that, but she added at the end: "I will prove it to you!"

We were walking to my sister's for lunch. Never forget it as long as I live. And it was when we were eating it HIT ME. "She is going to die!". And I shook it off as being "silly" and "it will never happen". But that "knowing" stayed with me for the rest of the day. Bothered me no end.

And she was TRUE to her word - sunny for the whole damn week that she died!!! Exactly one week later.

And you know what?

She came to say "Good bye" too. My little sister and I were in bed and the room (middle of winter) suddenly went warm and I saw this "figure" outside the window sweeping from one side to the other. My little sister saw it too. So, I looked to see if it was a shadow being cast from the neighbor's clothes line or someone out there. Nothing on the line and no one walking passed or hovering. When I got back in to bed - same "figure" back and forth and then up towards the roof.

My sister and I were not scared at all and we just knew it was "her". Not sure why, but it was a "feeling" I suppose.

Still think of her as one of my closest mates and I know she actually stays a lot around me and my sisters only as another good friend of mine (Psychic Medium) brought her up once. It was the first time she had ever come through to talk. 20 years maybe? But it was then she told me what she was up to as in being around all of us. My sisters have no problem with it - my little sister thought the world of her actually so fine with it as well.

Anyways, very sorry about your loss, cherish those memories and moments as much as possible.

DND

Interesting. For a long time I hadn't had anyone close to me die--only great grandparents, plus a couple of acquaintances. As a result, I had this feeling that I would one day experience a tragic death. As it turned out, my first husband died tragically much too young for completely nonsensical preventable reasons. I don't want to go too much on a tangent, but after he died, I had very clear feelings of his presence. While I tried to write it off as imagination or coincidence (we were both avowed atheists at the time), it took a *lot* of effort, and ultimately, it's this experience that unraveled my atheism and brought me back to a more spiritual path.

Here's what happened: I was listening to a Pandora station on my cell phone, which I left laying on the counter. At some point it went silent for a long time while I went about my business. Not sure how much time elapsed but at least 30 minutes. Then suddenly, out of nowhere it starts playing one of his favorite songs (don't laugh but it was "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey) and it was just totally surreal. How could that have happened at that moment? The station I was listening to was tangentially related at best (I think it was a Devo station if I remember--so they were both 80s bands but come on). It was so clear that this was his way of saying goodbye and asking me not to forget about him. I couldn't write it off as pure coincidence. Something had happened that had transcended my evidence-driven day-to-day reality.

So now, for a while, I've been thinking that one day, inevitably, more people that I know would begin to die, as is only natural, but whenever I get this thought, I always think of the same friend, and I hope he will not be the first one to go... Someone has to be though, right? A rather morbid thought this Thursday morning...

Bottom line: premonitions, claircognizance, possible contact with spirits, etc.... It's a strange animal.

 

[Sztar]

Not laughing - I do not doubt that he wanted you to know it was him and there are enough people out there that would share similar stories and experiences. Beautiful really.

And hold on to that...do not ever forget it.

I also "knew" when a very close friend of mine (when a teen) was going to die a week before it happened and 100% the day before.

The day before when I looked into her eyes - there was just no "life" there. I was actually shocked and wordless. I still regret to this day not saying something. I knew and didn't do a thing.

A week before, she told me what would happen when she died, and that it would not rain at her funeral. Seriously. And we had an argument because "culturally" if it "rained" it meant the person was "happy". Our culture. She told me it would be sunny at her funeral and it would mean she was happy.

Not only that, but she added at the end: "I will prove it to you!"

We were walking to my sister's for lunch. Never forget it as long as I live. And it was when we were eating it HIT ME. "She is going to die!". And I shook it off as being "silly" and "it will never happen". But that "knowing" stayed with me for the rest of the day. Bothered me no end.

And she was TRUE to her word - sunny for the whole damn week that she died!!! Exactly one week later.

And you know what?

She came to say "Good bye" too. My little sister and I were in bed and the room (middle of winter) suddenly went warm and I saw this "figure" outside the window sweeping from one side to the other. My little sister saw it too. So, I looked to see if it was a shadow being cast from the neighbor's clothes line or someone out there. Nothing on the line and no one walking passed or hovering. When I got back in to bed - same "figure" back and forth and then up towards the roof.

My sister and I were not scared at all and we just knew it was "her". Not sure why, but it was a "feeling" I suppose.

Still think of her as one of my closest mates and I know she actually stays a lot around me and my sisters only as another good friend of mine (Psychic Medium) brought her up once. It was the first time she had ever come through to talk. 20 years maybe? But it was then she told me what she was up to as in being around all of us. My sisters have no problem with it - my little sister thought the world of her actually so fine with it as well.

Anyways, very sorry about your loss, cherish those memories and moments as much as possible.

DND

I read this earlier this afternoon but didn't have time to respond. Your story brought tears to my eyes. Such an incredibly beautiful and bittersweet memory. I feel you about that nagging feeling like "what if I'd said something? Could I have stopped it?" But how could you know? Trusting our intuition can be so hard, especially when it's something we don't want to hear or we don't want it to be true.

Most of the time when I know things it's generally things that have already happened or things that are inevitable, meaning they're going to happen in the near future--similar to the way RiverRunsDeep mentioned. But I have also had premonitions. I would say premonitions of the future are a bit more rare. I think it's because the future generally isn't set yet, but who knows. I like to think we have free will, but then when I read posts such as yours there's an element of fate that's difficult to escape. I feel like I posted this somewhere else on here, but I have this theory that human existence doesn't even register in terms of geologic time. We're like a blip on the univeral time scale. Therefore, everything that happens is essentially happening at the same time, and it's possible to get glimpses sometimes--to know things. Like tapping into the Univeral Mind.

 

[celticnoodle]

So I want to know...

Do you experience things like this? (claircognizance, clairvoyance, or any other clair--not the same to me as interpretation of dreams or tarot symbolism)

yep. I have claircognizance, clairvoyance, clairgustance, clairaudient clairsentience, andclairalient abilities and prob. more. I think I've pretty much covered them all here.

How often do you have these experiences?

very frequently. Practically every day. however, you get use to it and sometimes ignore it or take it for granted.

Can you control them or do they come and go?

sometimes, yes, I can control them, but sometimes not. and, yes, they do come and go--or at least I think they do. I did feel like i went through a long period where I did have them--but I was at the time under a tremendous amount of stress and was also ill. So, it may be that I wasn't paying attention to them if they did come. When you've experienced them all the time for much or all of your life--its easy to also take them for granted.

What percentage of the population do you think experience these things on a consistent basis?

Is it possible to hone this ability and if so, how did you do it?

I think everyone has these abilities--but probably hide them or haven't developed them or don't even realize they have them.

I especially have a very strong bond with my daughter and I did have one with one sister of mine. I would often *see* what was happening to them, and I could even feel what they were experiecing--joy, surprise, hurtful emotions, ill, fear, -- all these emotions. I'd even know EXACTLY. It was like I traveled to them at that time--and I'd see it playing out in front of me in my head--though I live several hundred miles apart from them both. All of us are in different states of the U.S.

It always freaked them out when I would call them then to check on them and tell them what I experienced and it would be word for word exactly what did happen.

now, I do astral travel and have experienced many remote viewings for them--not trying and sometimes trying too. Can't explain why it would happen, but it did. Mostly for them and myself--but also for other members of my family, for friends and it happens for people I've never met before but will after my experience. Sometimes these people come to me for a reading - but I've *seen* something occurring in their life days before they came to me or even THOUGHT to come for a reading. Not sure why that happens--or how. I just go with it and share it with them if they come in for a reading. Generally blows their minds. (and mine too, tbh!).

I figure there is a reason for me to be able to do this and if I can share it with the people whom I get information about/for--I will do so. I love it when it happens and I can make the person its for happy to hear about it. Though, some people get fearful of it and me telling them, so if I know it'll be scary to them, I won't tell them. Sometimes its very odd--common everyday things. For one woman I met the first time through another friend that we shared, as soon as I shook her hand, I asked her, "is your husband and son shopping at the store and picking up taco things for your dinner tonight?" I could see them shpping and picking up this stuff. She was quite shocked and said, "yes! how did you know?" however, she did know I was a psychic--so she KNEW how I knew. I'm just not sure why that particular thing came to me. It just does.

I'm also an empath and I am able to pick up vibes about them when they are ill or something too. I just seem to *know*. I can pick this up also when I am beside someone I don't even know. That isn't always fun, but I'm getting better at controlling that.

It makes for some fun conversations though when it happens. Generally for my customers, it blows them away. Especially the clairgustant abilities and clairalient abilities. those two are a LOT of fun. I mostly get the clairalient abilities for past over loved ones though. My dad, I smell either his after shave and cologne that he always wore or mostly his cigarettes he smoked. My Uncle, I smell his pipe. My mil, her perfume, that sort of thing. I get this also for my customers sometimes. I can't generally make that happen, but I'm happy when it does and I can share it with my customers. They generally like it too.

oooh, nearly forgot to say, I love this thread & reading of others who have this experience too! fun!

also forgot to answer your last 2 questions, but its late and I am finally tired enough to go to sleep. So, I'll be back to try and answer them tomorrow some time.