In spite of doing readings professionally for people, I’m still not keen on stepping out into the world with a t-shirt that has a big ‘P’ on it for Psychic.
Why?
The parts of me I choose to reveal (and to whom) – that’s my business.
Who am I?
I’m a linguist, a psychic, a languages teacher, and a creative/writer. I’m also mad about cats and food. I’m a traveler who is beginning to settle down. I don’t think I’ll ever let go of the role of student.
Which one of these roles defines me?
Which of these do I want to put on my t-shirt that I wear when I’m out in the world?
It depends on who’s asking.
If you’re interested in psychic abilities, then you can Google something I’ve written about (like developing psychic ability) and find me that way. Otherwise you won’t know about my spiritual side. And why would you? If you don’t inquire about my spiritual beliefs I am not going to shove it down your throat that I’m a spiritual person who believes in Spirit Guides and psychic abilities.
I’ve done that before.
A couple of years ago, I was in a room full of Catholics, most of them having attended the very stuffy University I went to (I used to share a flat with a couple of Catholic girls who went to the same University as me, and they were having a house party) and when people asked me what I do for a living, I answered ‘I’m a psychic.’ It was a big waste of my energy, emotions and time.
I got into an argument with a Catholic nuclear physicist who wanted me to see that I was on the wrong path and doing people harm.
I told him it was perfectly OK that he didn’t believe in what I do. This seemed to bamboozle him further and he repeated his thoughts several times, each time more vigorously, as if he thought I might be persuaded by his logic.
Although I maintained my composure on the outside when I was talking to him, the reality was that it did affect me and I came away from that exchange angry and drained that my beliefs were up for scrutiny. And the verdict was in: I was both stupid and crazy.
Since then, I protect myself from those experiences, and use both intuition and past experiences to guide me. I have found that people in the medical profession can be particularly closed off to the spiritual side of life (although I’ve met some who are open). I’m also not interested in revealing what I do to those who I know have hardcore Christian beliefs. Of course, being intuitive helps with this. I can feel when people are tolerant and open to the spiritual side of life and I also can feel when they are not.
So, I select who I reveal myself to, in order to minimize drains on my energy. I also do not get into arguments or discussions about my work.
Part of my purpose is to share what I do here on my blog and to connect with like-minded people.
It is not to convert others to my way of life or thinking.
“What Do You Do?”
I have also had the experience of being ‘out there’ 100% as a full-time psychic when I moved to Brisbane in November 2009. When people asked me what I did for a living in this new place, I told them straight. But I was not at all happy with the way people treated me. People either saw me as an oracle who was a go-to person for spiritual wisdom, or they were freaked out and thought I might be able to read their mind. Calling myself a full-time psychic changed the way people viewed me and I could not control that. So I decided to take another approach.
So, if you’re in the same position and thinking of coming out of the psychic closet, here are some things to think about:
- Do I want to ‘come out’ to everyone? Will it be a drain on my energy and emotions?
- Am I wanting to come out of the psychic/spiritual closet as an excuse to eliminate incompatible people from my life? (do you have any in mind? 😉 )
- Why do I want to reveal myself more? In which life area is it important to me, to do this?
- Am I trying to justify myself to someone?
Declaring yourself as a psychic to all and sundry (anyone you meet, including those who think you’re of the devil) is energetically a bit like getting naked and going out onto the common and waving a sign about it. Kudos to you if you can do it. For me that attracts unwanted attention (in this context, I’m talking about the wider world. It’s obvious that I’m already online and waving my sign for those who are interested.)
Friends and Family
I definitely recommend revealing yourself – as much as possible – to those who are close to you. My close friends and family have known me as someone who is interested in psychic development for so long that it probably wasn’t surprising to them when I chose this path. As for new friends, revealing that part of me to them (and gauging their reaction) might be part of my friend selection process.
I only choose friends who are tolerant people. And I prefer talking with those who do some research before writing something off out of hand. I also get on better with people who don’t feel they have ALL the knowledge and data that there is to be had in our universe. If you believe adamantly that there is no life other than Earth in the Universe and that life here is an accident, then we might have a laugh together (and we might like each other), but on a deeper level, perhaps we wouldn’t see eye to eye nor would I ever feel understood fully by you, and vice versa. Telling people you’re a professional psychic does weed out the more intolerant (or just incompatible) people from your circle. That is an energy-saver.
But on the other hand, for those who might never fully know you (such as acquaintances or strangers), I believe it can be draining to walk around with the psychic label. Doing that does not help me express my life purpose. It just gets me into discussions and exchanges that take my energy away from actually doing my work.
At the end of the day, my path of psychic development has helped me to heal things from my past. I feel like I’ve come a long way from the girl I was in my teens, and since my Christian days.
Psychic developers, spiritual people and professional intuitives – who do you reveal yourself to? And how do you do it? Are you trying to come out of the psychic/spiritual closet? How far do you want to come out of it?
Amen Sista lol I still have magnetised car advertising I’ve not put on, theyre stuck to the fridge. lol. I’ve never received criticism for what i do if i have to say what i do, but i surely dont offer it up.
Anna, this came at the perfect time. Thank you. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your experiences Anna. I haven’t had the same experiences as I’m not a Psychic but I can identify with this. For some reason telling people I have a Psychology degree often gets a strange response – a lot of people ask me if I can read their mind! 😉
I agree about choosing what you share with others. I like being open with people too but if like you if I sense someone is not going to ‘get’ me or is on a different wavelength I’ll do the same and keep some bits to myself – it’s just easier all round.
Jen
Hi Anna,
Thanks for posting that. It really helps me consider what I want to do in my own process of determining who I want to tell, and where I want to reveal myself.
I’m currently interviewing a few different psychics (including Slade) to compare their “coming out” experiences. If you’re interested too, I’d be happy to include you.
Kara
Hi Anna,
What a great article! This has been an ongoing issue with me and it’s fantastic that you are providing a voice on the subject. Bravo!
Maxine
Hi Jen,
Hehe I can imagine the strange response you might get here and there. I remember somebody who would not talk to me because he thought I’d be able to delve into his thoughts just like that, which of course I couldn’t. Thanks for commenting 🙂
Kate,
I remember you telling me about your car magnets and I thought wow that is brave. I think the biggest myth about psychic ability that the general public have is that it’s switched on all the time, as if psychics have the energy and inclination to go around picking up on what everyone wants and is thinking.
Hi Julie,
I’m glad this was timely for you! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Kara,
Well thank you for sparking the inspiration in the first place. Is this on your blog? I’d be happy to be interviewed – just get in touch if you want to include me in it.
Hi Maxine,
Glad this was relevant to you and thanks for your comment!
Talk about synchronicity! Coming out of the proverbial psychic closet is what I made a decision to do about 2 weeks ago and here I am. Took me longer than I want to admit, but I did it and am settling into my new 6th sensory-skin, so to speak, with others outside of my ‘comfort’ zone; non-6th sensories. So I put my entire body out of the box instead of just my toe. I’m happier for doing so in many ways.
My upbringing (dad) was always against what my mom and I did when I was growing up and into my 20’s as “mysticism/occult” and against God. That influenced me more than I thought (until recently) so mom and I just did things together without sharing with anyone unless they thought like we did.
Mom crossed over at the end of March and I that has made me think about my life now more than ever; my purpose, what I desire, where I want to go, my fears, and a personal definition of who I am, to me. So I made a decision to be… ME. If others are uncomfortable with me for whatever reason, there is nothing I can do about that but I refuse to allow (because it is my choice to allow or not allow) what others may think or say about me any longer to influence who I AM. I am happy with me and don’t need anyone else’s approval or acceptance. Lesson learned even if it took awhile.
You don’t have to wait for someone in your life to cross over (a major personal event in your life) to think about your life and if you are your true self or not. I am more whole now since I’m accepting who I am and out of my own box.
There is always Light in the darkness. Mom crossing over was and has been difficult emotionally but I know she’s great and doing well, she’s come back to me several times already, but it’s the physical loss I miss, such as visiting her or talking on the phone. So out of the loss, I found myself, and that’s a good thing.
One more thing, working for a judge also made me stay in my psychic-closet for fear of maybe losing my job because people may talk. Well, they already know I volunteer at a local hospital doing reiki, so what’s one more area, right? lol Only a handful of other employees know I’m a psychic-medium right now or maybe more know about what I do but say nothing to me. Fear, it’s not a good thing not to look at realistically because it does hold you back. Been there, done that, not going back!
As you can tell, I’m good to go and encourage others to look at themselves without having a tragedy to occur and shake up your world in order for you to look at your own life.
Thank you for sharing this article. This is not the norm for me to give feedback but I just had to.
Light, Truth & Love,
Kim/Houston, Texas
Having only recently come upon this site, and just today reading the above article and the one from February after the quiet period, I’m really a bit confused, Guess that’s what happens when you skip around in reading a site you’re unfamiliar with. Anna, if you happen to read this post, it would be great if you could elaborate on what you regard as “hardcore Christian beliefs.” I ask that because it follows the story you relate about a maddening conversation with the Catholic gentleman. I’m a Christian, protestant and non-denominational, and in all the teaching I’ve gone through, Catholicism is regarded as a cult (in that it adds to and detracts from the basic tenets of the Christian faith). The other thing I’m wondering about is if you’ve gotten from Christians in general that psychic abilities are in some way at odds with Christianity(?) I’ve never been under that impression, since the bible has so many instances of revelations being given in dreams, personal encounters with spirit beings and angels, the magi coming to the place of Jesus’ birth by way of their workings in astrology, and the gift of prophecy being set apart as the highest of spiritual gifts bestowed upon individuals. The only admonitions that I’m aware of regarding psychics is that of consulting them and relying upon psychic advisors in lieu of reliance upon God as your source and “finisher” of our faith. Do you have a different perspective? My own personal experiences with both the light and dark aspects of the spirit world have been soooo overwhelming and inexplicable, including an instantaneous and total healing of a crippling, excruciating problem with my spine during a worship service two years ago (which I wasn’t even going to God about, but came through the pastor, mid message, in a prophetic word specifically for me). Talk about being blown away and having one’s world rocked! Anyway, not attempting to debate or defend, as my faith is what it is, very personal, having nothing to do with religiosity, and not of the blind variety. I’m just interested in knowing a little more about your views (if I understand them correctly) and what influenced them the most. Thanks! Enjoying the site very much as I learn to accept my own gifts.
Thanks for the reply, Anna! Yes, there are a lot of very strange people out there, in America especially it seems, that are not only perverting the bible and Jesus’ true message to suit their own purposes and agenda, but live highly hypocritical lives and hurt people.
I can just say that I’m extremely happy and blessed to be involved with a church that’s welcoming, accepting, very heavily invested in community outreach, and supportive of all types of soulful and artistic expression within the church. Plus, there are a multitude of activities and missions in impoverished countries (medical, food, schools, etc.) outside of regular service. I find nourishment there for every part of my being, and our pastor and I have a psychic bond that’s a source of a lot of funny and “WOW” moments.
I think you can judge a church very well by the makeup of its active membership. Ours is equally represented by teens, young adults, families with children, seniors, Latinos, the deaf, and people with other physical and mental disabilities. As a kid, I absolutely hated being dragged to church, and disliked everything about it. So it’s refreshing to find a place that feels right, and that both my young and older child can’t wait to get to.
Hi Kim,
Welcome! Thanks for sharing your story and experiences here. I was interested to read them, especially that some of your colleagues know what you do. That is brave of you. I will be keeping mine to myself in my job I think.
Hi Lemelia,
I have come into contact with Anglican Christians and have felt a lot of scorn and ridicule from them. Most Anglicans seem comfortable with talking to God, but if you hear anything back from God, you’re definitely crazy.
Then there were the Evangelical Christians that I wrote about in my article ‘Can developing psychic abilities send you to hell?’
They seemed to approve of mystical experiences and dreams from God, but only within their religion. Anything outside of that was against God and quite literally from the devil. But their practices and attitudes were rather cultish, in my opinion.
I agree with you that psychic advice from outside of you is secondary to the advice that comes from within you. In my case, I’d call that the spirit or the higher self. Maybe you’d call it God. My belief is that it’s the same thing, with different labels.
Thanks for this article Anna. I’m currently in the boat – “to tell or not to tell” and how far should I come out of the psychic closet and have been having a difficult time deciding to tell people I’ve known my entire life, along with new individuals I meet that I am an intuitive and do SR work/energy healing, etc.
This article helped me see that I don’t NEED to tell anyone. I can be who I am openly with other like minded individuals who are already searching for spiritual, intuitive and coaching aspects. But I don’t have to put myself in the line of fire in the small rural community I live in.
Thanks again! You gave me a perspective I really needed to hear at exactly the right time.
Crystal
Hi Crystal,
I’m glad this was helpful for you 🙂
Thank YOU SOO much for this website. I was always a spiritual person, so I thought I was just naturally sensitive. One day I started browsing the Internet, and one psychic ability was clairsentient/empathic. I was astounded although I am almost 15 years old I realised this is what i’ve been experiencing all of my childhood. I was always accused of being OVERLY SENSITIVE, that I shouldn’t get wrapped up in my emotions. I can easily BECOME someone else just by being intune with their Spirit. My parents know, but I don’t believe they FULLY understand. I am starting to develop clairvoyance a bit, but it’s not as natural to me. Again THANK YOU for this website you have helped me grow as a Spirit/Individul, THANK YOU!
First of, I’m so happy I came accross your website and blog.
I’ve been in the “psychic closet” for a LONG time. I’m still in it to some extent. Why? Well, I think the main reason is self-preservation. My nearest family/friends know that I am psychic and do readings, but many ppl have no idea. I used to think that in order to be 100% psychic I needed to tell EVERYONE who I was and what I did. And years later, I had a revelation: “No, I don’t have to tell everyone!”.
I had similar experiences to yours when I told people, and you know? Maybe that was Spirit’s way of taking those ppl out of my life, and looking back, I’m thankful for that!
However, I still haven’t “come out” to my mother. She has been the most outwardly against psychic stuff because of her religion. Fear of the unkown? Yeah, probably. I think she suspects I’m still delving into “devil’s work” (she’s pretty christian) but perhaps prefers not to ask in fear that her “fears” may come true. My father & stepmom know, and they both LOVE the fact that I’m psychic, admire me and support me 100%. My husband and in-laws know, and same thing, support me 100%. My best readings have been the ones I give to my Mother in Law! I’ve gotten the support of the ppl I least thought would be supportive, and I’m glad for that.
I must say, the fact that my mom’s against what I do has taken a play in my fears, to the point where I’ve doubted myself many times and have felt “paralyzed” to the point of not giving readings at all for almost 2 years. During that time, I even got reading requests from ppl out of the blue and I told them, “No, I don’t do readings or anything like that anymore.” After a near death experience when I was giving birth to my daughter, I vowed to myself I needed to be authentic, and so I returned to readings. My psychic abilities actually got even stronger, and now I even found a church (Unity movement) that not only encourages intuitive growth, has an energy healing ministry that I’m a member of now, and now I’m working towards becoming a Reiki master.
So, to wrap up (so sorry this is so long!), even though I’m still working on myself and gaining my confidence back, I can say I’ve made peace with my gift, and I’m here to do what’s really my purpose, regardless of what ppl think. 🙂
Hi Anna
I only come out to family,spiritually minded family, who know of my experiences and are like minded to share their developement over the years or even recent day’s. I enjoy sharing stories, experiences, trying to understand at the same time always wondering whether there is a lesson in the sharing, for me or the family member. I class myself as a student always in search for a the teacher, however continue with no avail. Sometimes I enjoy my experiences with family that I feel it can be too much, especially when they my family member cannot come back with experiences of certain degree. I don’t mean to sound over the top, it’s just how excited I get in the moment, sharing my stories, I guess can sound unbelievable too (I spose). Other wise I just sense sometimes I can’t share too much, when I bore them to death (family). This life can be pretty lonely and boring when theirs no one to share these spiritually growing moments with especially exhausted family.