Breaking away from the cliches, we take a quick look at what being Psychic means, as well as at the possibilities and perks it presents us with in everyday life.

For many being psychic conjures up visions of Whoopi Goldberg in the movie Ghost or your neighbourhood 'guru'. Flashy clothes, crystal balls, charms and amulets- the dramatics come bundled with the prophecies. Good marketing never hurt anyone. Yet inundated with cliches, we associate the skill with the packaging more often than with its very essence.

​In truth though, being psychic isn't an externally acquired skill or a label; it is essentially a quality of who you are. Not just for Whoopi in the Ghost or for your neighbourhood mystic, but for me, for you... for each one of us.

Taking Things a Notch Up

To live, experience and learn from the world around us, we engage with it constantly. Our senses, mind and heart work together to process and colour these experiences, help us put our spin on reality. Psychic abilities take this process just that notch further. In place of your eyes largely being in command and dictating what to focus on, and what not to... the senses come into a balance of sorts, with the unseen being just as much a part of the perceived world as the seen.

Yes, I know that conversations with ghosts and peeking into past lives, being able to control our destiny or predicting the hand of fate is a far more glamorous way of describing it. All of this may well be part of the domain, but really all being psychic is, is being sensitive to, aware of and tangibly experiencing what lies around and beyond us. This awareness could be of things seen in a whole new way- like feeling somebody's emotions in your own body, or things previously unseen- like non-material energy, spirits and more.

Is there a point to it?

This is where it gets exciting, for bringing the seen world under control, into some sense of order is challenging enough for us already; the unseen is a whole new ballgame with its own rules and landscape! But no matter how charged this experience may be, the real purpose of being psychic, of extending our perception is to enhance our every day, is to bring more insight, wisdom and clarity into our choices and experiences. It is easy to get lost in the realm of the unseen, but once those psychic abilities are strongly anchored and mastered, it is the ordinary, daily routines that take on extraordinary charm.

So why would anyone want to be psychic isn't the question. Why would anyone want to develop their psychic abilities- that is the real question. Each of us is likely to have our own take on it, but here is a reminder.

1. Being psychically developed is a choice. Like pretty much any other aspect of your self, you have a choice here to explore who you are, what you are capable of, and the gifts and experiences it brings to you.

2. We are defined by our awareness. There is no channel more potent in enhancing this awareness-of both, the seen and the unseen- than the psychic senses.

3. But more than that, being psychic isn't just about how you relate to people, places and situations around you. It is also about how you relate to yourself. Understanding your own place in the grander scheme of things- our physical environment and feeling our connection with it, our karmic context and how we are responsible for it, our spiritual pathway and just why we attract the challenges we do. It all sheds light on who we are.

4. The boss of stress management, being psychically developed teaches us to find our centre and state of harmony, no matter what the situation. This is an art to master, but it comes with the territory.

5. There is no greater adventure than exploring the unknown. And I promise you, adrenaline junkie or not, the psychic realms are guaranteed to keep you fascinated and inspired.

Of course, you could just read someone's thoughts or impress them with your insights, speak to loved ones long gone or guess the lottery numbers. But there is just so much more on offer here, and maybe it is time you set off to explore with us!