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A “Sensitive” Topic

So many of you have asked, “Do you think I have a gift?” or other similar questions, that I decided to delve deeper into the topic of “Sensitivity”.

What is a Sensitive?
Well I suppose the answer to the question would depend on the context in which the word is used.
The Merriam Webster dictionary defines the word as:
1: subject to excitation by or responsive to stimuli
2: having power of feeling
3: of such a nature as to be easily affected
4: touchy 

The word used in the context of the Paranormal can be defined as:
One who’s heightened awareness enables them to be receptive to external and internal energies that are primarily undetected by the typical 5 senses.

In a nutshell, the person who is “sensitive” is picking up on stimuli not readily apparent or discernable by ordinary means.  This phenomenon can be very common to some and elusive or non-existent in others. Even so I tend to doubt that it is anything other than a natural human function.   I believe that this function serves a useful purpose and should not always be considered as an over active imagination.  While its true that the human brain can play “tricks”, and in fact reality is not always what it seems, there is a real exception when it comes to the perception of a “Sensitive”.

For those of us with a clean bill of mental health, we can rest assured that unless we are taking psychoactive drugs, delusional, psychotic or otherwise mentally incapable of discerning between reality and fantasy, we are not alone in our very real experiences of “Sensitivity”.

How does being a “Sensitive” differ from being a “Psychic”?

There is no rule that says a Psychic cannot be a Sensitive and vice/versa, however they are distinct and separate abilities.

A Psychic *receives* information which may include and are not limited to: mental pictures, voices, impressions, lucid dreams etc. via an outside source.

A Sensitive *perceives* information which may include and are not limited to; “feelings”, a “knowing” or the so-called “sixth sense” etc. via an inside source.

In both cases the stimuli while outside of one’s self, is attuned to by different means.

Its also important to note that each of these phenomena can be experienced in varying degrees as well as in conjunction with one another.

Lets consider this analogy:
Radio waves travel through the air and while we are constantly being bombarded by them there are only certain frequencies we can hear.  For instance, radio waves are bouncing off you at this vary moment; turn on a radio receiver and you will be able to hear them! Not a big mystery there, but you get the point. ;)

Being a Sensitive works much in the same way.  The energy is there, just waiting to be “tuned into”!  Some of us just happen to be tuned into the right frequency at the right time to pick up on these energies.  No matter what your ability there are ways to improve them, hone them if you will, as well as ways to shut them off.

Heightening Your Awareness

Most of us are aware of our surroundings by using the typical five senses.  Always available to us we may take for granted the amazing abilities they allow us.

Being able to identify an object by simply gazing at it, or recognizing a loved ones approach just by the sound of their foot falls, or knowing your furry friend wants your attention by feeling him rub against your leg or how about the unmistakable taste and smell of your Grandmothers apple pie? 

Going back to the radio analogy; we are being bombarded by our own mental stimuli via our senses.  Sight, sound, touch, taste and smell are constantly “tuned in”.  We use these abilities without question and yet how many of us can truly admit to being in control of them?   I’m not talking about looking away from an unpleasant sight, or holding ones nose to block out an offending smell. I’m talking about just the opposite.

You may have heard the expressions “seeing with a trained eye” or the person with a “high threshold for pain”, or “she has a nose for it” or an “ear for music” these expressions hint to heightened or controlled awareness.

Just as an artist is able to see not just the still life on the table but the negative space surrounding all the objects, a person with heightened awareness is able to pick up on the subtleties that another might overlook. 

I have a hunch that those who have this heightened awareness without any effort at all are what I would call right brain personalities. The right brainers are generally more creative imaginative and open, where as the left brain personalities are more rigid, logical and regimented.  The right side of our brain lets us experience our reality in its purest form, the left side of our brain gets stuck in symbolism, language and categories.

There is hope for the left brainers though!

The mind can be tricked into letting the right side take over for a while.

And you know what??

You’ve already had practice!

You know that mindless doodling where your pen scribbles around freely and your mind drifts into that relaxed state?  Someone could have been talking to you and you didn’t hear a word they said because you were off in La La land?

Then all of a sudden like a SNAP! You’re back in the real world with the person saying, “You didn’t hear a word I said!”

That was right brain time.

Rather than waiting for that natural drifting into right brain time, try coaxing it with repetition such as tapping, drumming, humming, doodling, watching a fish tank, listening to water fall, any activity or non activity where you are focused on repetition can trigger your right brain to take over. Once your there your typical five senses are dulled, their awareness lessoned.  Now you are primed for the heightened awareness of your “other” senses.

Your mental imagery is sharp; you are tuned into the frequency for “Sensitivity”.

You may feel temperature fluctuations, you may “feel” differently. Don’t be surprised by any lost sense of time, in fact that’s a sure way to know you’ve attained it.  You are now in a state of mind where reality IS more than it seemed before.

There are countless ways for attaining heightened awareness. Various religions and New Age groups have taken awareness to new levels using Transcendental Meditation, chanting and toning among other techniques.  Even the medical community has its niche with Biofeedback.   Find what works for you and fly with it.

This like anything else can be mastered with patience and practice.

Gift Vs. Curse

Is being a “Sensitive” a gift or a curse?

I believe the answer to that question can be found in where a persons religious belief system lies.

Its been my experience that those who e-mail me frightened that they are being haunted by demons may very well be “Sensitives” with pre-conceived notions as to what lurks beyond the physical realm.  On the other hand there are those who report unexplained phenomena with no clue as to what it was they’ve seen or experienced and their only fear is that they are losing their minds. Some are even intrigued and want to know how and where they can experience more of these bizarre phenomena.

We all know that the worst fear is the fear of the unknown.

With all of the people who described the same type of experiences there seems to be a fairly consistent pattern.

Sensitives with Christian backgrounds are either fearful of their ability and think they are experiencing evil or they feel blessed with a gift that allows them to experience the world of spirit.

Those with Pagan backgrounds are enthusiastic about their experiences and want more!

Atheists are looking for the scientific reasons behind their experiences and reassurances that they haven’t gone nuts. 

All in all these are the three groups that have inquired about their “Sensitive Experiences”, with only a handful of e-mails not able to fit into the above categories.

With the majority of reported “Sensitives” being Christian it may be that the repetition of prayer could have something to do with it or it could be that they are just simply living more in tune with their right brains. After all if the spirit world is going to contact you it’s your right brain that has its ears on. J

As Winston Churchill said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”.

Seeker
August 11, 2000

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