Dear Julia:

I know you frequently recommend that people who want to develop their psychic abilities attend a special school, find a local Spiritualist church, or look for a psychic mentor to guide them, but I happen to live in the middle of nowhere. I really want to develop my psychic abilities, however, and am discouraged because I can't seem to find the proper channel. Do you have any advice on books, exercises or other processes for folks who want to develop on their own? Thanks much!
- Candy

Dear Candy:

There are two issues we should explore before delving into the main part of your question. First, I believe that your keen desire to develop your psychic abilities is in itself a sign that you are being guided in this direction. Secondly, it is wise to focus first on spiritual development, and to allow psychic abilities to unfold naturally as a result of your personal evolution. Every body of ancient esoteric teaching that I am familiar with warns students away from seeking psychic development in and of itself, and underscores the wisdom of seeking God and deeper understanding first and foremost. With this in mind, I always advise folks to pursue a conscious relationship with Spirit, for when you have established that, you will be able to tune into guidance on every other question that arises.

It's also important for you to realize that you already ARE psychic, and are using your abilities all the time. This is true of everyone. For example, we all frequently have the experience of puzzling over some problem and then having the answer suddenly hit us. When we can't consciously discern how our brains came to those answers, we can be pretty sure our "psychic abilities" were involved. Where else did they come from? If you say our subconscious, well, that is where psychic answers come from as well. Our higher selves, guides, angels, and other non-physical entities are speaking to us all the time - we are simply not conscious of it.

Since we are all using our psychic abilities every day, when we speak of developing them, what we really mean is we want to become more conscious of what is happening on a psychic level. While we can also refine these senses, conscious awareness is the first key step. This is why anything that expands our conscious awareness is so helpful, and why meditation is so often recommended.

As for how you can develop your psychic abilities on your own, you have many different options available to you, such as wonderful books, online courses, DVD's, CD's, various exercises - the possibilities are endless. Spiritual (and psychic) development doesn't just take a few months or a few years - it's an ENDLESS process. So while I applaud your desire to find a way to develop on your own, it really does help to have an established process to work with and someone to personally guide you when you're just starting out.

I could write several books on this subject, which is one reason I advise people to find a great school to attend, or a local group or mentor who can guide them. Since my space is limited here, instead of offering you specific advice, I'm going to advise you on how you can figure this out for yourself, and in the process, fulfill the very goal you're seeking.

If I was you, I would simply tell Spirit my burning desire, and then ask Spirit to guide me to a way to fulfill it. If it is meant to be, it will happen. I spent years traveling back and forth between my home in Michigan and the excellent school I attended in Lily Dale, New York. That all came about when I prayed to Spirit for just what you're seeking: a clear path to follow in order to gain better control of my psychic abilities. After I offered up that heartfelt prayer, within two weeks time, three different people had mentioned Lily Dale to me. The first time I went there, I saw a flier for the school, and I instantly KNEW I would attend. This was not something I merely wanted - I had no doubt that I would be there, and I knew it was the answer to my prayers.

This illuminates the point I'm trying to make. I believe it's always wise to pray for guidance and to allow Spirit to lead us through life, but it's especially true when what we are seeking is spiritual (or psychic) development. Instead of asking me or others for recommendations on specific books, exercises, etc., I recommend that you ask Spirit for signs and then act on those you receive. Based on my own story and the many others I've heard on this subject, I can tell you that if you ask for signs like this, strange and wonderful things will begin to happen.

You may be walking through a bookstore when a book falls off the shelf at your feet, which proves to be a life changing read for you. You may receive an email from someone who can help you connect with the teaching or the people you need to meet. You could even be sent a messenger from Spirit who delivers the answer you're praying for.

For example, a couple of years ago, my husband had to drive into town for a monthly meeting. For some strange reason, I felt compelled to drive him in and drop him off, and then go to a cafe and just wait for him while he was at the meeting. This was strange behavior for me - I had never done this before. In fact, my time is so precious that this decision was totally out of character. As I felt compelled, however, I simply did it.

When I walked into the cafe, I went toward the back, where there are two comfortable armchairs in a corner. This is where I really wanted to sit, but there was a woman sitting in one of the chairs. Mind you, they are arranged in a cozy little nook, so it was an odd thing for me to do, but feeling compelled again, I walked over and asked if I might sit in the unoccupied chair. She looked at me strangely but agreed.

As I sat there, I had the overpowering feeling that I was supposed to befriend this woman. She, however, was obviously not feeling the same way. In fact, I could tell that she was picking up on my unusual interest in her, and was feeling pretty uneasy. Being shy by nature, I sat there for some twenty minutes, pretending to read the paper I'd brought as I tried to summon the nerve to talk to her.

Then she pulled a new book out of her bag, which I noted was a title by Abraham-Hicks. I got very excited when I saw this, as I knew we were kindred spirits! To make a long story short, eventually I found the nerve to talk to her and we struck up a conversation. When I thought to ask Spirit why I felt so drawn to her, I heard the answer very clearly: the reason I had met this woman was because she was a natural medium, though she was totally unaware of this at the time. I was supposed to guide her to attend the same school I had attended.

When I told her all of this, she explained that she had been looking for the next step on her spiritual journey. Since she understands the law of attraction, she assumed that she had manifested the answer she was looking for. She also felt strangely compelled to act on this idea, and she did indeed attend and graduate from that school. (She has also proven to be a very gifted natural medium). Interestingly, not long after I delivered this message, she sort of fell out of my experience. I now believe that I was simply supposed to guide her to the next step in her spiritual journey.

I've gone to the trouble of telling you the full story because I want you to know that if you pray for guidance from Spirit on how you can move toward your spiritual goals, it can and will come to you in strange and wonderful ways. Further, this approach will connect you with the best mentor you will ever have - Spirit.

- Julia

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