The beginning of a new year often brings a list of improvements to make in our lives. During this time of focus on self-improvement I am often asked by clients how they can find or tune-up their psychic senses, the sixth sense-E.S.P. What seems like a difficult question actually has a simple answer: The more focus and effort put into finding your psychic sense the more elusive it will become. We are all born with extra sensory perception yet the sixth sense is a subtle energy that resists being pinned down, working best when allowed to flow freely and uninhibited in its natural state. I was recently asked by a seven year old what being psychic felt like.
In return I asked her to name the five senses. Proudly she recited, “Sight, sound, taste, smell and touch.” “Very Good”, I congratulated her on her eagerness, “Psychic ability is the sixth sense. Take your sight for example. Do you ever ask yourself how its feels to see?” She giggled a little at the silly question and replied “No”. “Ok then.”

Psychic ability works the exact same way. It just happens, you experience it without attaching any thought to how it feels or making it work.” This answer provoked more thought, and after a moment provoked more questions, “So if I have the first five senses are you saying I have the sixth sense, too? Am I psychic?” she asked with a hint of wonder in her voice. “Of course you are. Every human being is psychic. Your psychic sense is as important as your sense of sight or hearing. .” “Well”, she continued, “then how do I get really, really psychic like you?” “It takes some practice and some balance,” I began. “Your psychic sense is like a muscle, the more you use it the stronger it gets. It is in the way that you use it that allows it to strengthen. Have you ever heard a phone ring and knew who was calling before you answered the phone?” “Yes, it freaks my Mom out when I do that”, she answered. “Great, that is a very good example of your psychic sense in use naturally. At what other times have you experienced being psychic?” “Well,” she continued hesitantly, “I can tell what my best friend is thinking or what they are about to say. I can also tell when my brother is telling a fib.” Her responses are typical examples of psychic phenomenon most people experience everyday-without thinking about it, or trying to make something psychic occur. The error made in trying to force psychic ability is when forced the psychic energy loses flow-it loses its subtle yet affective power. How then does one increase their psychic energy without focusing directly on it? A great way to start is by awakening the more tangible senses-the traditional five: sight, sound, smell, taste and touch.

Senses work together in synergy. For example when there is a loss of vision the hearing becomes keen. When taste buds are impaired the sense of smell increases, etc. For years scientists have tried to prove this synergy but have yet to agree on all the answers. What if the answer is as simple as the body knows what it needs to survive and will compensate with and grow certain functions, like sensory functions, when needed? What if by re-awakening and re-experiencing the traditional senses we can harness that synergy for psychic development?

To awaken the senses and strengthen synergistic effect try a holistic technique or inspired action designed to align, enliven and energize. Color therapy uses color vibration to enhance or affect mood. Colors can enhance the intensity of emotions. Hospitals use shades of green for a relaxing effect. Yellow can be used to arouse curiosity in a school setting and shades of pink are used to stimulate appetite in restaurants. A color therapist uses the light frequency of the full color spectrum as a healing enhancement for emotional and physical health. Healing with sound is based on the belief that each chakra responds to a musical note and when out of tune the chakras can be re-tuned with sound vibration. Sound healing therapy was an ancient tool used by Hindu yogis in 2,500 BC for holistic balance. Today the most common medium used to re-tune the chakras are crystal bowls. Each bowl emits a sound that causes the corresponding chakra to vibrate on the desired note. A less common technique to re-align the chakras is to use an instrument such as a didgeridoo or hand drum to replicate certain notes the chakras will respond to.

Enhancing the sense of taste is a more subtle action than enhancing sight or sound sense, but it is undoubtedly more pleasurable! Who doesn’t love to eat? We eat together as a shared experience that brings joy and comfort. Because eating is so pleasant we often over-indulge. Over time the sense of taste becomes dulled. This can lead to over-seasoning food. Eliminate any added salt and sugar from the diet for a few weeks and you might be surprised at what happens when you re-introduce flavor enhancements to your taste buds. The foods that were once bland and dull will now be full of flavor, even too salty or sweet. A greater appreciation for flavors will result, it may even seem as though you taste the food for the first time.

The practice of using the essential oils from plant materials to enhance or balance mood, health and mental clarity is called aromatherapy. Smells can trigger emotional response easily. Some smells evoke pleasant memory. When visualizing a feeling you wish to create try using a smell that evokes a pleasant or active feeling like vanilla or citrus, eucalyptus or rosemary.

The human body is very receptive to the sensation of touch. As receptive as the body is to touching it equally absorbs the sensation of being touched. Massage is an ancient modality for health and well-being. Craniosacral massage is an alternative therapy for mental health disorders such as depression and ADHD that has been gaining popularity among holistic health practitioners for it’s effectiveness.

Kathleen Johns is a Bozeman Holistic Advisor and Psychic with a desire to bring Bozeman’s metaphysical/holistic community into the spotlight monthly with her column “Metaphysical Moment”. Kathleen can be contacted at Kathleen@KathleenJohns.com