When you first start on your psychic development journey, you might come across some terms that leave you tilting your head. So whether you’re an intuitive newbie or a seasoned pro, get the full scoop on all the common psychic definitions here!
Psychic Definitions 101
Affirmation
There’s a sign above my dresser that says, “It is well with my soul.” I’ve used that phrase as an affirmation for the last few years, and I always find peace with it.
Affirmations are motivational phrases or words that inspire you. You can repeat them during meditation or throughout the day.
Ascended Masters
These enlightened Spirit Guides were ordinary humans who underwent a spiritual process and reincarnated as Ascended Masters. Think: Jesus, Buddha, and Confucius. They were put on Earth to lead and inspire people, and continue to guide us from the spiritual realm.
Auditory impressions
Auditory impressions are thoughts, ideas, words, phrases, or blocks of thought that pop into your head out of the blue. They are heard in your own voice in your own mind by those who are clairaudient (have the ability of psychic hearing).
Auditory impressions come from your Higher Self, Spirit Guides, spiritual team, and loved ones in heaven! All good stuff, right?
- Learn the signs that you’re having a clairaudient experience
Aura
All living things have a glowing energy field of color around them. It can be any color in the rainbow — or even a sparkly white!
Auras reflect the state of the soul, and change based on what you’re feeling, if you’re sick, or if you’re stressed.
Tip: Learning to see auras is one of the most fun ways to develop your intuitive gifts!
Binaural beats
These are so cool! They’re scientifically proven to alter your brain waves and mental status; and are AH-MAZING for developing psychic ability.
The beats are created with two tones that alternate in your left and right ears (you have to wear headphones with them). Sometimes it’s just the tones, but most of the time they include music or nature sounds as well.
- Quality binaural beats can be hard to come by. You can find my favorite binaural beats here (and listen to a free sample).
Chakra
Picture 7 gorgeous spinning wheels of color running up and down your spine — from the tip of your head to the base of your tailbone. Pretty, right?
Those energetic points are chakras, responsible for different parts of your existence. For instance, your heart chakra has everything to do with love and connection, and your root chakra deals with safety and groundedness.
When your chakras are open, all is right in the world! But things like anxiety and sickness can block or close them. Learn how chakras and auras work together.
Clairalience
Even though it’s not one of the most common psychic gifts, clairalience is powerful. It’s the ability of “inner or psychic smelling.”
Those with clairalience may smell their grandpa’s aftershave even though he’s nowhere near. This could indicate that his spirit is there if he’s passed away, or that he’d appreciate a phone call if he’s still alive!
Clairaudience
Clairaudience is one of the four main psychic gifts. Translated to “inner hearing,” those with clairaudient ability receive psychic impressions through the auditory channel.
They may hear intuitive messages from their Spirit Guides or their Higher Self.
Claircognizance
Claircognizance is the next of the four main psychic abilities. Translated into “inner knowing,” those with claircognizant ability receive intuitive messages with a strong sense of knowing.
Their sense of knowing might not have any logical base to it, but they know it to be true as much as they know that double chocolate brownies will cheer their teenage daughter up!
- Being Claircognizant – Ultimate Guide to Psychic Knowing
- 7 Surefire Signs That Claircognizance is One of Your Psychic Gifts
Clairsentience
Another psychic gift, clairsentience translates into “inner feeling.” Those with clairsentience receive psychic impressions in the form of sensing and feeling.
They pass by someone and get a bad feeling or a good feeling, or they may hug their sister-in-law and feel excited before she shares good news.
- Beginner’s Guide to Clairsentience (psychic feeling and sensing)
- Are You Clairsentient? 12 Unmistakable Signs
Clairvoyance
Clairvoyance is what most people traditionally think of when they hear the word psychic. Translated, it means “inner seeing.”
Someone with clairvoyance receives intuitive impressions visually, in the form of visions, images, and colors!
The visions will play like a little movie in their mind and may just include bits and pieces of a story. For instance, you may pass by your co-worker and suddenly picture a birthday cake if it’s their birthday.
Clairgustance
This less common psychic ability means “psychic or inner tasting.” Yes, I’m serious!
Usually this ability shows up when a medium is doing a reading; if the spirit they’re connecting with loved key lime pie, it’s possible the psychic will get the taste of tangy key lime. Yum!
Crown chakra
Remember those energetic points that run up and down your spine? Your crown chakra is at the tippy top!
Located at the top of your head, it is associated with the color violet, and is responsible for your connection to the universe (SUPER important).
Crystal
These gorgeous tools can be used in a ton of different ways. Crystals have strong energetic properties, and people use their energetic vibrations to achieve certain effects.
For instance, I always carry a black tourmaline crystal while I’m out and about to ward off negative energies.
Diffuser
This nifty device is how you get all the aromatic benefits of essential oils. You fill it up with distilled water, then add a few drops of your fav essential oil.
You can also get creative and mix a few different oils together for a custom blend. The diffuser breaks up the oil and releases a fine mist throughout the room.
Empath
Empaths feel other people’s energy intimately and deeply – as if they are experiencing it themselves. It’s a psychic ability connected with the gift of clairsentience (psychic feeling and sensing).
Being an empath is different from just being empathetic.
For example, someone with empathy may watch a documentary about polar bears and be sad about the state of the environment. But an empath may watch that documentary and FEEL the polar bears’ desperation or fear.
Essential oil
If you’ve been around for half a second, you know about my love affair with essential oils.
These oils are extracted from plants around the world, and because they’re so condensed, they offer a ton of bang for their buck. (For example, one drop of peppermint essential oil is equal to about 28 CUPS of peppermint tea — don’t drink it, though, just diffuse it.)
Pop some oil in your diffuser or mix with a carrier oil and you’re good to go!
Grounding (spiritual grounding)
In order to do your best energy, intuitive, and mediumship work, you need your energetic frequency to be high. Spirit and souls don’t have physical bodies weighing them down, so their energetic vibe is super fast!
Because of that, connecting with your intuitive abilities can leave you feeling like you’re floating or drifting. Grounding reconnects you to the earth, and your spiritual self to your physical self.
Plus, it’s fun. Even eating organic dark chocolate can ground you!
Guided meditation
This fun version of meditation uses voice prompts to lead you through a set meditation.
It may sound something like, “Imagine a time when you felt totally loved. Put yourself in that moment, and remember the sights and sounds. Feel that love in the center of your chest, and allow it to radiate out to those around you. Picture that love as a gorgeous pink light that you can carry with you wherever you go.”
- If you’re a meditation newbie, this post will give you the full scoop on getting your Om on!
Heart chakra
This important chakra is located in the center of your chest, and manages your feelings of love, openness, and empathy. When it’s open and balanced, you’ll feel connected with your emotions and be able to find something in common with almost anyone!
Its green color is said to symbolize health, prosperity, and abundance.
Higher Self
Fun fact: Our physical body is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what makes us, us. We all have a soul — which is also called your Higher Self.
Your Higher Self is the purest form of you. It is everything love and never concerns itself with trivial things.
It has been around for a LONG time, and knows your purpose in this lifetime. We can connect to our Higher Self through our intuition and meditation.
High vibration (high-vibe)
Spirit and souls vibrate at a very high frequency because they don’t have physical bodies weighing them down. In order for us to connect with them, we need to adjust our vibration to a higher level too.
When our vibe is high, we feel spiritually healthy.
Mantra
You may have heard people say Om, during yoga class, which is a mantra! Mantras are phrases or words that you repeat to yourself during meditation to focus on your goal, or reach deeper meditation.
Meditation
This is probably one of the most common intuitive terms you’ll see. Meditation is when you connect with your Higher Self (soul) and your spirit team intentionally by entering a “witness” state of mind.
When you meditate, you mentally leave the physical world and connect with yourself and your purpose.
Meditation beads (prayer beads)
These pretty strings of beads can help you keep track of how many times you’ve said your mantra or affirmation. Simply hold them and move your fingers along the beads as you chant “Om” or any affirmation. They will help you stay focused during meditation.
Mediumship
Psychic mediums can communicate with souls who no longer have physical bodies. They provide a necessary and loving service to people who want to connect with those who have passed. They also pass messages from souls to their loved ones still on Earth.
Mind’s eye
Your mind’s eye is also known as your third eye, and is associated with clairvoyance and the third eye chakra.
It is where you see psychic visions, images, and even aura colors. You might see visions/images/color in the front of your mind’s eye or in the back.
Root chakra
Located at the base of your spine (tailbone area), your root chakra is responsible for your sense of safety, security, and feeling grounded to the earth.
While it’s important that all your chakras stay nice and balanced, it’s especially important for your root chakra to be open, as it lays the foundation for all the others!
When it’s balanced, you’ll feel grounded, safe, and less anxious.
Sacral chakra
When all is right with your sacral chakra you’ll feel creative, passionate, self-confident, and sexy!
This chakra is located in your pelvis, and is responsible for your relationship with other people and the world. It’s often associated with a bright, sunny orange color.
Solar plexus chakra
Located near your belly button, the solar plexus chakra is the center of your willpower and self-esteem.
When it’s open and balanced, you’ll feel confident, driven, and sure of everything. You’ll be a powerful force to be reckoned with (in the best way possible!)
In fact, its yellow color is said to resemble a bright sun radiating in the center of your body.
Soul
See Higher Self — your soul and your Higher Self are one and the same!
Spirit Guide
We all have Spirit Guides — and they’re WONDERFUL.
Spirit Guides are the spirits that help guide you throughout your journey in life. They communicate with you through your intuition along with your Higher Self to provide you with divine guidance.
You might have Guides that help you with parenting, your psychic journey, and anything else you need! You can ask them for anything from recipe help to where to go next with your business.
Spiritual team (spiritual family)
We all have spiritual helpers that will divinely guide us — without ever imposing on our free will.
Your team is made up of your Higher Self, angels, Spirit Guides, loved ones in heaven, Teachers, and Ascended Masters.
Their sole job is to guide you toward your most authentic and fulfilled life. Awesome, right? They will communicate with you using your natural psychic abilities, intuition, and meditation.
Third eye
Fun fact: everyone has a third eye! No, it’s not visible… it’s just below the skin right in between your brows (go ahead and touch it, I know you want to!)
Your third eye is your psychic eye. It’s responsible for the visions, images or symbols clairvoyants see.
It also corresponds to the pineal gland, which is where our body creates the all-important melatonin needed to regulate our sleep and circadian rhythms.
Third eye chakra
Your third eye chakra is responsible for keeping your third eye open and ready for use!
It also regulates your energy and keeps your mind from shifting into overdrive (It keeps you Zen when you’re on your 3rd cup of coffee, the kids are late for school, and your dog just tracked mud through the kitchen).
Throat Chakra
As you probably guessed, this chakra is located in your throat.
It’s in charge of all your communication — both listening and talking, and is associated with the intuitive ability of clairaudience (psychic hearing).
Those with a balanced and open throat chakra have no problem speaking their truth and communicating effectively. It’s often associated with a gorgeous blue color.
- Learn the signs of an open and closed throat chakra, and how it can affect your intuitive development
Vibration
Everything on Earth is made up of energy and has an energetic vibration. You, me, money, your pet, and the plant on your kitchen counter. When your energetic vibe is high, you feel more connected to your intuition, your psychic gifts, and the universe.
Whew! Quite a list, right? If you’re a psychic newbie, these terms will be second nature to you in no time!
Next, read up on 28 ways to develop your psychic abilities. It’s one of my most popular post, with over 6K shares.
