What Do Psychics See?

Clairvoyance, Ghosts or Madness – Introduction by Ian Topham

The following article is constructed by an anonymous contributor who both Dan and I know very well and have worked with closely. This person started seeing apparitions in their mid teenage years and tried to catalogue the types he/she saw in order to try and make sense of the experiences he/she was having.

I think that many people when faced with somebody claiming to be a clairvoyant either view them as being a con artist, mad, or if they are inclined to believe in spiritual matters they are likely to accept almost anything the clairvoyant tells them. Neither approach will help in discovering what clairvoyance is. I believe it is important to accept that genuine people claiming to be clairvoyant are having some kind of experience, whether this is eventually found to be of a paranormal nature or not does not matter.

I have seen it far too many times where clairvoyants have come up with some information and that is all anyone seems interested in, completely ignoring the manner in which the information was received, which, for me seems to be the actual interesting part, regardless as to whether the information can be proved factual or not.

Studying the mechanism of how this information is received is more likely to answer the mystery that is clairvoyance. Therefore, in introducing these notes I would be interested to hear if any other clairvoyant or psychic can relate to them.

Many of the images he/she has seen have been extremely interesting and I will detail one of them at the end of the article. The articles author has spiritualist stage mediums in their family going back at least two further generations, but he/she has refused to accept that the imagery they receive, regardless as to how good the information is, can be seen as proof of survival of intelligence after death.

Ian Topham


Clairvoyance, Ghosts or Madness

Firstly we should decide whether the images were clairvoyantly produced, were actually apparitions connected to a haunting, or a projection from the mind, either consciously or subconsciously.
The main difference as far as my notes and memory serves, is that there are certain external factors or influences on the mind, that occur before a clairvoyant image or haunting occurrence that are not noticed before an experience probably related to visualisation or some kind of subconsciously projected image or hallucination.

For example, I was reading a Star Trek novel, whilst alone in my room. I was thoroughly engrossed in Spock’s logic and ears, when, low and behold, I turn too see Captain James.T.Kirk and First Officer Spock standing in the room. According to my memory and notes at the time there was no other factors connected this encounter other than the visual image. Therefore, no feelings of an otherworldly presence, cold spots, smells or voices etc, which I would usually associate to what I term as a clairvoyant experience.

External Influences

I have noticed that prior to visually seeing an image, I encounter one or more external factors, which I have always considered heralded the arrival of an apparition of sorts. However after further thought, I considered that it should be these prior encounters that are looked at first, and specifically the earliest external influence to be encountered. Working on the principle of suggestibility, all except the first encountered force, including the final apparition, could well be a figment of the imagination, brought on by suggestion. But how can this stand up if the end apparition ties in factually with a cases history?

Many of the ‘External Influences’ could in their own right be rated as anomalous phenomena, so, perhaps coming into contact with these cold spots, smells, unearthly noises etc, enables the clairvoyant to attune, slowly (As if going through radio channels to get the one with the best reception), until arriving at a picture. This may explain why some apparitions have two or three of these factors encountered, and others only one. Who knows, it’s just a thought.

So perhaps, and this is only an idea I’m throwing out there, possibly the key to discovering the secret of clairvoyant images (in my case), might lie in the initial stages of the encounter, and thus the whole encounter should be taken, dissected and compared to others. If, all the encounters but the first are hallucinatory and brought about through suggestibility then any combined sightings must be attributed too mass hallucination, unless there is some collaborating evidence, such as getting the unusual noises on tape, or recording the temperature drop when a cold spot appears etc. Personally I’m not keen on the idea of mass hallucination and not sure how it could work.

These are the commonly encountered external influences I have noted.

1) Cold Spots/Temperature Changes.
2) Audio Phenomena - This signifies unaccountable noises and voices. I do not hear this as often as I used too. The noises and voices were always heard, they were not impressions in the head. They tended to originate close to the right ear, and were invariable loud.
3) Feeling Of Presence — How does one explain when they senses another presence, it’s like a sixth sense everyone has. There are numerous occasions where this occurs in daily life, having nothing to do with the paranormal. However it is probably the most common of these factors that influence the mind. Perhaps now you will understand what was hinted on before. If you have a feeling something has entered the room, and your convinced, could it not be possible for you too imagine that you hear a voice, or feel cold, or see a decapitated head.
4) Physical Effects - Have been known too take the form of sickly feelings, energy drains (feeling suddenly weak), headaches (the most common of all) and what feels like full physical contact.
5) Aromas - Basically smells.
6) Sudden Feelings of Strong Emotions - These have also been encountered at the site of a clairvoyant or haunting experience.

All the above can be sub-categorised into range of temperature drop, type and position of headache, type of noise and of course whether it was heard by more than one individual.

Clairvoyant Images
A) DETAILED GREY APPARITION - It is the most common form I have encountered.
1) They are usually preceded by one or more of the external factors. Usually a feeling of a presence and or a cold spot. However at one time or another each of the listed factors have appeared in conjunction with this type.
2) When they appear, the air around the space they are due to occupy, breaks down into a cloud of swirling particles, usually white and grey. These then form together to produce the figure/ item etc, leaving also a slight aura. It has been noted that once the shimmering has occurred, it need not break down again to reform, although on occasions it does so, sometimes the images just change.
3) Why clairvoyant? Well, apparently others do not see them, although the external factors are usually group witnessed.
4) Scale. The scale varies, some appear life size, while others are reduced. (They might be smaller but their proportions always appear correct).
5) I would not attribute them with intelligence. They are just like moving photographs. However, saying that I did interact with one on Thursday October Fifteenth 1992. This female image moved toward me and stretched out its hand and held mine. It felt cold and my hand went numb. Whether this encounter should appear here is dubious. It was a detailed grey apparition, but the only one out of hundreds that interacted in anyway at all.
6) Movement. This varies, through full bodily movements too partial. Smooth rhythmic motion, to sporadic jerkiness.
7) Detail can vary from very patchy to extremely fine detail.
8 ) They are seen in normal household lighting conditions, day or night, sunshine or artificial light. Some aspects of them are easier to define in near or total darkness though. I do not believe that they have any luminosity qualities about them.

As you can see the above can be subcategorized many times.

B) DETAILED BLUE APPARITION - Only encountered twice in the last 18 years. Once at home and once at a haunted location I was involved in investigating. I think it may be a form of the above grey apparition, only in blue.
1) The external factors are present, as one has been encountered in a group. There was a cold spot and the feeling of a presence before it appeared.
2) The shimmering is blue and white, and the aura actually seems thicker.
3) Scale seems too be variable, unless there really are eight foot blue men.
4) Intelligence? Not sure, just an instinct when in their presence, that they are different.
5) Movement. Here is a tough one. The eight foot man was as rigid as a dead guy, while the girl at the vigil had languid flowing hair. Unfortunately there is only two examples.
6) Detail upon the two encountered was highly defined, but again there is only two examples. Possibly the blue colour highlighted it more.
7) Lighting. As the Grey apparitions above.

C) FULL COLOUR, 3D, DETAILED APPARITION - These are extremely rare, only having seen three or four, and each one brought about through ritual misadventure or encountered at a site known for occult connections. Of all images seen and encountered, these have been the most fascinating.
1) Appearing. Never seen one materialise yet. They enter the area through doors, into the room.
2) External Effects. The feeling of a presence hits you before its arrival, every time. A cold spot or more accurately a cold stream flows with them. The only emotional response has so far has been fear. The worst effect is an energy drain.
3) They moved very tranquilly, BUT, all three showed capabilities for immense speed.
4) Detail cannot be faulted, they are life like, in a full range of colours.
5) They have only been encountered in low light. Not darkness.
6) Scale seems to be variable.
7) Intelligence? Not sure.

The above statements here seem fanciful and fictitious. I would agree, if I had not encountered them.

I was midway through a meditation ritual with a friend referred to as MrB . It was not a major ritual, but I think I made the mistake of making it to general. This is when the presence was felt followed by a cold sensation noticed. I looked at the nearby chair and saw a skull hovering a few inches above the cushion. It looked REAL! MrB then told me to look at the same chair, because he could see a skull.(This is the only time he has ever seen anything).
Try as might, I could not banish it. I then decided to remove the circle of protection and tried to ignore it. The skull shot around the back of me and hit my spine. I was paralysed for about six or seven minutes, then felt extremely weak.

The most interesting of this type was during the investigation of an apparently haunted building. I felt the presence of something before a full coloured man walked into the room. He stopped about ten feet from the doorway and started to look around. His clothing dated from around the Victorian era. He looked at each of the two people I was with before finally noticing me. I swear he knew I was looking at him. He his face squinted as if he was studying me and he kept staring at me as if there was some intelligence there. Finally it was as if he gave me a warning to keep out of his way and left through the door. None of the others saw him and as I followed out of the room I queried a fellow clairvoyant who had been on the stairs outside the room. She had had mental images of a similar figure on the stair case just prior to my own encounter.

Comments:

As I have stated both Dan and I know the author well and have worked with them for a number of years as their approach is not one of total believer.

Late one night the above Clairvoyant was awoken by the feeling of a prescence. As he opened his eyes he saw a detailed grey apparition form. This image took up the whole bedroom. It was flicking grey flames and in the centre of the fire a wreck. He could make out the tail section and rotor blades of a helicopter. Two silhouette figures stepped from the wreckage and stood before him but he could not make out their features, even though the wreckage and flames were so detailed. I will not mention where this image was seen or when, because the following day as he awoke he was told that a helicopter had crashed not too far from their families business premises and two people had died, and I don’t want to cause any distress to the family members. As he/she had not checked the time when they saw the image I cannot say whether the crash occurred first of not and if my friend had not gotten so blasé about seeing these images perhaps they would have tried to get more details rather than just getting annoyed about being woken up.


Can anyone relate to this?

I think you would need to be a certain type of clairvoyant to relate to this. I have never come across a clairvoyant who has tried to categorise their encounters before. Everyone seems more interested in what information clairvoyants get and not how they recieved it. I wonder if Derek's Sam is actually visible to him or just in his head? Do a lot of clairvoyants see things or just feel impressions of things?

These are my experiences above. I'm not sure how often I will visit the forum but if you have any questions I'll see if I can answer them.

Hi Turtle, glad to see you found the forum

Turtle - do you ever see patterns of lights?

Question - has the clairvoyant ever brought their experiences to the attention of a doctor?

I don't wish to imply that there is anything medical going on here but I think it should be eliminated as a possibility.

Quote :

Turtle - do you ever see patterns of lights?

I don't tend to have these experiences now, but when I did I would see the a patch of space fracture into small dtos of lights before coming together into an image.

Quote :

Question - has the clairvoyant ever brought their experiences to the attention of a doctor?

I don't wish to imply that there is anything medical going on here but I think it should be eliminated as a possibility.

No is the long and short answer. There may well have been or is a medical reason which is fine but I never involved the medical profession. I have not had any epileptic episodes (not that I am aware of) and as far as I am aware don't suffer from anything such as migraines etc. At least two generations of my family were spiritualist mediums, I just eventaully accepted it as the norm. That sounds really stupid looking back now.