Do "practice" methods of psychic-development work?

[Tanemon]

Well, a lot of people come to this forum on the Pavlina site. After logging-on here for quite some time, enjoying it and getting a feel for the people here and the cyber-space involved, this morning a question 'materialized' in my mind: Do practice-based methods of psychic development actually work to develop psychic skills?

If you say "yeah", then why do you say so? If you say "no", then why do you say so?

[Nimue]

It worked for me. Not miracles, of course-I'm not a pro or anything-but I did observe some improvement. I like psychic games, and after playing around with reading peoples' energy, remote viewing, and cards I improved in "getting in sync" and getting more accurate hints about the present and the future. I'm still exercising in remote-viewing stuff and keep seeing some improvement. If I were more serious or passionate about it I'd probably have better results.

But you may want to look around until you find a method you like. I always found the popular 5 cards' game boring and it never really worked for me.

[Anniebugs]

I don´t know. Since joining this forum, I am trying to become more methodical in my approach to psychic abilities. I have never considered them a big deal. I believe we all have them though they get lost when we become "too civilized". I don´t think it's a question of acquiring them but rather to awaken what is already (and always has been) there.

All my life I have trusted my hunches, intuitions and first impressions regarding other people and situations. I can´t remember being wrong. Even after giving something or someone the benefit of the doubt, I have always gone back to that first impression sooner or later. The problem with these abilities is that I have never controlled them and I would like to. They just come and go as needed. Remote viewing is new to me and I am yet to discover if method can help me focus in the direction I choose to. I find focusing on small, specific details tiring and boring not to mention how annoying it is to get it wrong! However, I hope methodology will be useful in the long run if I am patient and disciplined enough. As usual, I always find learning something new sets me back but it's part of the process.

[Tanemon]

Originally Posted by Anniebugs

All my life I have trusted my hunches, intuitions and first impressions regarding other people and situations. I can´t remember being wrong. Even after giving something or someone the benefit of the doubt, I have always gone back to that first impression sooner or later. The problem with these abilities is that I have never controlled them and I would like to. They just come and go as needed.

I know what you mean, Anniebugs - a lot can be grasped in a 'first impression'. Yet I know I've been wrong (or significantly incomplete) in some of my impressions, in terms of how much personal integrity an individual actually has (which is a quality that sometimes takes time to be revealed). My impression may have told me a lot about the person in numerous ways, but maybe not enough about integrity!

But another part of your reply is the matter of "controlling" the abilities (or I might say: having an ability on-tap when you feel the need for it). Yes, this I believe is what people become interested in a method for... it's why they may choose to try practicing.

[Anniebugs]

[QUOTE=Tanemon;777627My impression may have told me a lot about the person in numerous ways, but maybe not enough about integrity! [/QUOTE]

I know what you mean. When I was younger I gave out the benefit of doubt much more than I do at my present age. Some of the blessings I have found in getting older are freedom from expectations which leads to much less dissapointment and an understanding of people that enables me to make much better choices. It's very difficult for someone to let me down today but not because I build walls around myself but rather because I understand human behaviour (starting with my own) much better and there are people/situations that nowadays I wouldn´t touch with a bargepole.

Regarding psychic abilities, I have found that nothing can cloud them more than my own wishful thinking. Looking back on times when I have felt misleaded about questions of integrity, a red warning light had always flashed. Maybe for not more than a split second, but I chose to ignore it.

[old dead wood]

Someone once said, "Everybody wants psychic experiences until they start to have them". I'm in this boat. I love meditation, but am scared of the shifting perceptions of "self" that can come at anytime, so I don't do it too long or too often, just being aware of breathing. I would be very content with stable personal peace, non-anger, good sleep and dreams, and a bit of enhanced energy, creativity, and focus without any "extras". Depression and anxiety episodes in my life gave me my fill of out-of-the-ordinary states.

[Nimue]

True. For years I couldn't stay in a crowd for 10 mins, until I found out I was an empath and learned how to properly handle that part of myself. And I had a chilling moment or two via "seeing" things (also nearly ruined several book endings ).
There are still the fun parts, though.

[Tanemon]

Originally Posted by old dead wood

Someone once said, "Everybody wants psychic experiences until they start to have them". I'm in this boat. I love meditation, but am scared of the shifting perceptions of "self" that can come at anytime, so I don't do it too long or too often, just being aware of breathing. I would be very content with stable personal peace, non-anger, good sleep and dreams, and a bit of enhanced energy, creativity, and focus without any "extras". Depression and anxiety episodes in my life gave me my fill of out-of-the-ordinary states.

I can relate to what you're saying here, ODW. Obviously, one can be overwhelmed, inconvenienced, and confused by too much info coming in from 'extrasensory' sources or faculties. Maybe that's why so many people posting on forums such as this one express a desire to be able to control their psychic fuculties - to have an ability when they want it or feel a need for it, but to be able to just be a normal, at-peace individual most of the time.

To this point in my life, I've striven for balance. Balanced personal development. To grow in wisdom. To be integrated, centered, strong, and capable - "capable" in terms of everyday tasks and responsibilities.

But my question about the value of practice-oriented methods still stands, and I'm interested to get other people's views.

[Andrew Gubb]

I just refer to my intuition for everything. That's practise I guess, but it's also serious usage.

I find for things I don't care about, my intuition is often not as good. So real life usage seems to be the best practise. At least for me.

[Anniebugs]

I think psychic abilities are extremely useful and in my opinon they have been meant for our self-preservation since the time we were clubbing each other in caves.

In our world today there is excess of input and data which certainly doesn´t help. Good filtering and taking "holidays" is essential. I used to curse being able to "see or know" more than I wanted to but it was never a choice so I had to learn to live with it and go with the flow bearing my well being in mind. Of course one can "dull" these senses with booze, drugs, excess food, TV or many other things but I don't think it's a good idea.

[Federer]

See, Every method has its own power and its capacity to solve your question. So if you believe this method is right and is working for you, you see the way. Then it will work.

It looks like how doctor heals their patients? Because patient believe that this medicine will solve or will heal my wound/problem.

If you have bigger goal then you need very high vibes.

[Tanemon]

Originally Posted by Anniebugs

All my life I have trusted my hunches, intuitions and first impressions regarding other people and situations. I can´t remember being wrong... with these abilities is that I have never controlled them and I would like to. They just come and go as needed. Remote viewing is new to me and I am yet to discover if method can help me focus in the direction I choose to.

Oh, yeah... glad to get back to this topic.

Anniebugs, I get hunches like everybody. Hunches tend to be kind of general.

There are also psychic 'inputs' (whether seen, or heard, or just 'known' inwardly) that are specific. Very specific information. To have access to this when one needs it could be useful.

By the way, I'm not talking about eavesdropping or prying into the lives of people.

The ability to use these faculties or powers at will is definitely related to what I'm inquiring about.

Also, your interest in astral projection is possibly an interest something related to my question in the original post.