(Q) My question is about psychics. Over the years I have been told (and promised) many things. A few things did come to pass exactly as was foretold, but most did not. Are psychics a reliable source of information? After a lot of soul-searching I am wondering if anything is worth believing in.

(A) We use the term “psychic” to describe people with a natural (or developed) ability to sense what others cannot or will not. I say will not, because most people don’t make an effort to develop these abilities. It’s not anyone’s fault. We were not taught that there are other ways to perceive the world beyond what is physically obvious. Over time, our ability to discover dimensional sensitivity decreases – a little or a lot – depending on our beliefs and how our life has been shaped. It can take years to unmake our minds about something, especially something that is subjective and unproven.

Here is an interesting fact that I want to share with you. Over the course of many years I have noted that people who are the most disgruntled about what psychics say and do, also have natural undeveloped abilities of their own! Could that be you? People with an axe to grind about the information they receive from psychics tend to ask how to get in touch with their own abilities. The same is true of those with a bone to pick with psychics who offer reliable information but deliver it with a yawning indifference to the plight of others. Sensory abilities and good manners do not always go hand-in-hand.

While good psychics do have well-developed sensory abilities, they do not have “extra” sensory abilities. The “extra” shows up in how they use what they have. Many people have psychic abilities, but only a small percentage of these offer their services professionally. In ancient times, psychics were also healers and natural philosophers. Most were well-educated people with a genuine interest in helping others. How did these well-intentioned individuals lose their high standing? Much like today, unprecedented and accelerated change swept through the ancient world. The best leaders and thinkers of the time could not protect the public from the likelihood of increasing threats; their most trusted seers were not able to safeguard the future.

Abilities are like companions. They travel with us – they don’t really belong to us – we access them. Nothing really belongs to us even when we claim to own it. Everything is borrowed; on loan for as long as we walk in this world. The ‘old masters’ fell out of favor. They could no longer see far afield. Their abilities died with them instead of being passed on to the next generation. Could the same be happening today? Will the sensory professions find new pathways of expression? I hope so. As part of our awakening consciousness, we must develop our sensory awareness and elevate its functionality.

So, should you believe in psychics? It depends on what kind of information you are seeking and how much responsibility for your own life you are willing to take. A psychic once told me that he felt a little like a laundromat – everyone walked in with their dirty laundry in tow and wanted to walk out with a sparkly new future. And who can blame them? We all want our future to be brighter than our past. Honest psychics and healers have to work with what we bring them. They can help us move forward with clarity, dignity, purpose, and vision. But we must be careful not to put words in their mouth or force them into promising a favored outcome. The most trustworthy psychics understand that the real client is our soul, even if our personality-self showed up for the appointment and signed the check.

Lastly, I can feel that you are exhausted and disappointed. You have done your best to figure things out, wait for better times, and regain hope and trust – only to falter and wonder why you bothered. We turn to psychics and other intermediaries when we cannot find our own way. Sometimes helpers become part of the problem – we weave them into our pattern. The stuff we are made of is worth believing in. But anything that lulls us into believing that it (or them) is the answer, likely is not. At best, it can only offer temporary solace. Eventually, we will find ourselves again, ask the same questions in a different way, and discover that we had the answers all along. We will also know why we made the journey in the first place, and what made it worthwhile. The real stuff is inside. You are there. You are that.