| Clairvoyance, from 17th century French Clair meaning | | | | would be unaware of anything he had said or done. |
| "clear" and voyant meaning "seeing", is a term used to | | | | This behavior is somewhat reminiscent of the reported |
| describe the transference of information about an | | | | behaviors of the 20th century medical clairvoyant and |
| object, location or physical event through means other | | | | psychic Edgar Cayce. It is reported that although |
| than the 5 traditional senses. A person said is to have | | | | Puységur used the term 'clairvoyance', he did not |
| Clairvoyance abilities is referred to as a clairvoyant. | | | | think of these phenomena as "paranormal," since he |
| Usage | | | | accepted mesmerism as one of the natural sciences. |
| Within Parapsychology, clairvoyance is used | | | | Clairvoyance was a reported ability of some mediums |
| exclusively to refer to the transfer of information that | | | | during the spiritualist period of the late 19th and early |
| is both contemporary to, and hidden from, the individual | | | | 20th centuries and was one of the phenomena studied |
| said to be receiving it. It is differentiated from | | | | by members of the Society for Psychical Research |
| Telepathy in that the information is said to be gained | | | | (SPR). Psychics of many descriptions have claimed |
| directly from an external physical source, rather than | | | | clairvoyant ability up to the present day. |
| being transfered from the mind of one individual to | | | | While experimental research into clairvoyance began |
| another. | | | | with SPR researchers, experimental studies became |
| Outside of parapsychology, Clairvoyance is sometimes | | | | more systematic with the efforts of J. B. Rhine and his |
| mistakenly used to refer to other forms of Anomalous | | | | associates at Duke University, and such research |
| cognition, most commonly the perception of events | | | | efforts continue to the present day. Perhaps the |
| that have occurred in the past, or which will occur in | | | | best-known study of clairvoyance in recent times was |
| the future (known as retrocognition and precognition | | | | the US government-funded remote viewing project at |
| respectively), or to refer to communications with the | | | | SRI/SAIC during the 1970s through the mid-1990s. |
| dead (see Mediumship). | | | | Some parapsychologists have proposed that our |
| In some circles, clairvoyance is also known as remote | | | | different functional labels (clairvoyance, telepathy, |
| viewing, although the term "remote viewing" itself is not | | | | precognition, etc.) all refer to one basic underlying |
| as widely applicable as clairvoyance as it refers to a | | | | mechanism, although there is not yet any satisfactory |
| specific controlled process. | | | | theory for what that mechanism may be. |
| Status of clairvoyance | | | | Developing clairvoyant abilities |
| Within the field of Parapsychology, there is a | | | | Current thinking among proponents of clairvoyance |
| consensus that some instances of clairvoyance are | | | | posits that most people are born with clairvoyant |
| verifiable. There is also a measured level of belief from | | | | abilities but then start to subliminate them as their |
| amongst the general public, with the portion of the US | | | | childhood training compels them to adhere to |
| population who believe in clairvoyance varying | | | | acceptable social norms. Numerous institutes offer |
| between 1/4 and 1/3 over the last 15 years. | | | | training courses attempt to revive the clairvoyant |
| Year Belief | | | | abilities present in those early years. |
| 1990 26% | | | | Another school of thought says that our "sixth sense" |
| 2000 32% | | | | grows when we do spiritual practice. With regular |
| 2005 26% | | | | spiritual practice done according to basic spiritual |
| The notion of clairvoyance also gained some support | | | | principles we increase our "spiritual level" and are able |
| from the US and Russian government during and after | | | | to perceive and experience the "subtle world" to |
| the Cold War, and both governments made several | | | | greater degrees. Clairvoyance is one of the abilities |
| attempts to harness clairvoyance as an intelligence | | | | that may be gained by such discipline. |
| gathering tool. | | | | According to many Taoist- and Buddhist-related |
| According to skeptics, clairvoyance is the result of | | | | practices, abilities such as clairvoyance and many |
| fraud or self-delusion. | | | | other 'supernormal' abilities are by-products of spiritual |
| Clairvoyance and related phenomena through history | | | | awakening and the realisation of divine consciousness. |
| There have been anecdotal reports of clairvoyance | | | | Integral to spiritual and mind expansion is breathwork |
| and 'clear' abilities throughout history in most cultures. | | | | and meditation. The vast majority of people only |
| These episodes are often reported as being | | | | normally use one-third of their brains and one-third of |
| experienced through early adulthood.[citation needed] | | | | their lungs. In Taoist and Buddhist thought this is not a |
| Often clairvoyance has been associated with religious | | | | coincidence. By expanding lung capacity and learning to |
| or shamanic figures, offices and practices. For | | | | use the lungs as a 'bellows' to direct qi around the |
| example, ancient Hindu religious texts list clairvoyance | | | | body and open the subtle energy channels we also |
| amongst other forms of 'clear' experiencing, as siddhis, | | | | naturally expand the mind and refine consciousness. |
| or 'perfections', skills that are yielded through | | | | This is how these seemingly miraculous powers |
| appropriate meditation and personal discipline. But a | | | | develop, though they are not truly miraculous. They are |
| large number of anecdotal accounts of clairvoyance | | | | considered to be latent abilities that everyone |
| are of the spontaneous variety among the general | | | | possesses but need 'waking up.' |
| populace. For example, many people report seeing a | | | | Such abilities in some schools of thought are |
| loved one who has recently died before they have | | | | considered distractions from the true path of |
| learned by other means that their loved one is | | | | Enlightenment and can lead to the practitioner falling off |
| deceased. While anecdotal accounts do not provide | | | | the true path. The re-discovery of these energetic |
| scientific proof of clairvoyance, such common | | | | abilities relies on the activation of the 'Dan Tien' that is |
| experiences continue to motivate research into such | | | | the central energy reservoir just below the navel. |
| phenomena. | | | | When the practitioner learns to 'turn' it and move it as if |
| Clairvoyance was one of the phenomena reportedly | | | | it were a fifth limb then qi can begin to be pushed |
| observed in the behavior of somnambulists, people | | | | around the body. The Dan Tien is strong as a baby |
| who were mesmerized and in a trance state | | | | but quickly slows to a crawl as one ages. A major |
| (nowadays equated with hypnosis by most people) in | | | | part of Taoist and Chinese Buddhist practice is learning |
| the time of Franz Anton Mesmer. The earliest record | | | | to activate the Dan Tien once again. This may also |
| of somnambulistic clairvoyance is credited to the | | | | explain why such abilities are a bit stronger as a child |
| Marquis de Puységur, a follower of Mesmer, who | | | | and quickly disappear as one ages but can be |
| in 1784 was treating a local dull-witted peasant named | | | | awakened again at any time by the proper practice of |
| Victor Race. During treatment, Race reportedly would | | | | arts such as Nei Gong and Qi Gong to expand the |
| go into trance and undergo a personality change, | | | | mindstream and spirit. There are many abilities that can |
| becoming fluent and articulate, and giving diagnosis and | | | | be developed in this way — telepathy, |
| prescription for his own disease as well as those of | | | | prediction, astral travel, pyrokinesis, telekinesis, levitation |
| others. When he came out of the trance state he | | | | and energetic healing. |