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I want to share a small victory with my psychic intuitions. Trivial, really — the kind of thing that, a year from now, I sincerely hope no longer excites me. But the point isn’t the one result, the point is that psychic information is finally working, and that’s pretty darn exciting.
Last week, I was doing my laundry, preparing to leave for Singapore. There isn’t a facility in my apartment building, so I use a laundromat a block or so away, and run errands while everything cycles. I’ll usually swing by my apartment a few times to drop things off over that hour of errands.
Around the time I put the laundry in, the sky looks like rain. I return home to get an umbrella, but the rain doesn’t come, and eventually I drop the umbrella off so I have two hands to carry groceries.
Toward the end of the hour, while walking home, I got a psychic message: “Hurry up.” Huh? That didn’t make any sense, what’s the rush? I dropped my bag at home and left to get my laundry.
On the way to the laundromat: “Don’t dawdle.” That thought came in like a warning, with more pressure and urgency than a normal message. But what does it mean? Who dawdles at the laundromat? Not me — I run errands.
Then I’m emptying the dryer, and it all makes sense: My laundry is still damp. I want to run it through another round of drying (15 minutes). This must be the dawdling I’ve been warned about.
It sounds like the psychic software is telling me that the rain will start in the 15 minutes it’ll take to finish drying my clothes.
Immediately, I’m nervous about the specificity. Predicting rain within 15 minutes is precise enough to clearly fail, to show me that my psychic information still isn’t working. It’s been looking like rain for an hour, and nothing has happened, why would it start now? And I’ve been so excited that psychic info seems to be working — wouldn’t it be more pleasant to soften this prediction somehow, to make it more vague, so that it’ll succeed by pure luck, even without any actual magick?
Yes, those thoughts still go through my head. Not often — this is the first time I’ve felt that with psychic intuitions since getting it working a few weeks ago. But no matter how much you train yourself to be honest in your predictions, you still flinch sometimes.
The key is to only let yourself flinch for a second. So I say my prediction to myself: Rain 15 minutes after arriving home. Then I empty the dryer and head home, because wouldn’t it suck to ignore the info and discover it was right?
Remember how I talked about doing quick testing to make sure you’re on the right track, and that it will become apparent if your magick is working through normal use, as long as you’re honest about your predictions? This is what I meant.
Fifteen minutes later, I head out to meet friends for dinner. (I know the timing because I got a text when I walked in my door.) It’s pouring. Not drizzling, not raining, but a downpour. My dry laundry would have been soaked by the time I got home. The psychic info was right, and I’m pretty excited.
If you liked this post, consider visiting my current blog at mikesententia.com.Tags: Case Studies, Psychic, Testing
Hey, I just wanted to ask you something; well, more of a challenge, if you don’t mind.
I’m still skeptical about “psychic information”, “remote viewing”, “projection” (astral or otherwise) in regard to obtaining useful, accurate, objective information (that couldn’t be otherwise obtained by physical means or mental faculties).
So… could you, for the next month or three, write down every piece of information you get from your psychic software (as it was received by you, letter by letter – not as to how it was interpreted by you). Every piece of information, without missing one bit, or putting down incorrect information. A small journal or pocket-sized notepad (or even a tablet or mobile phone with the right app) will work. Then, also besides it, write down the information you did have (physically and anything your brain could figure out) to determine how much beyond yourself (and any information or processing power your mind has) your psychic software is or isn’t, objectively – establishing a sort of “difficulty” or “range” of said psychic software.
Next, if/when it does come true, mark a little check box with a “check” (or green circle or checkmark), but if it fails (or you can’t understand it for whatever reason), mark it with an “X” (or a red “X”).
Later, after the information is collected and processed, make a percentage of the success/failure ratio. Remember, configuring said software to give you accurate, easy to understand information is part of making good software – similar to how a raw binary data file isn’t useful to most users, unless it can be parsed by a good software to make it be easily understood.
Also, by analyzing the data (periods of greater success and/or failure), you should be able to refine your psychic software, and/or determine objectively whether it’s reliable and/or how reliable it is, objectively.
(Remember, magick is about the end result. If the end result of your psychic software and/or your use of it isn’t satisfactory, perhaps you should reevaluate it, redesign it, or refocus your efforts and/or time elsewhere.)
If it does show to be incredibly reliable and accurate, offering more insight than what would be physically (or mentally) possible, that will be a very interesting result, and I’d very much look forward to reading such findings.
I’m not sure you’re interested in such a challenge, but I’d find it an interesting read anyways, as a skeptic in this sort of field in esoteric/magick/psychic work.
Hi John, I can tell you that I get at least one clear success with psychic information on most days, and that I get a clear failure only once or twice a week, always when I’m particularly distracted / tired. Just today, I got accurate predictions about which museums in Singapore I’d like (Singapore Art Museum is pretty awesome, the National Museum of Singapore, not so much — I ignored the psychic information, saw both, and regretted it.) In addition to those clear results, I also get accurate but unconvincing information several times a day, like telling me to go to a particular restaurant — I’ll reliably like that place, but then again, most restaurants are pretty likable. Oh, and another recent good result: I just did manifesting about a trip to India, and had a friend do the same manifesting, then compared results, and they were remarkably similar — I’ll probably post about that coming up.
I’m going to pass on the project you’re proposing, though. It sounds like a lot of work, and it doesn’t sound particularly conclusive — how would you know if my predictions were precise enough, or if I’m simply good at guessing (non-magickal intuitions), or that I’m even telling the truth? In practice, the only way for you to resolve your skepticism is to experience the magick yourself, and see your own results.
The real question, then, is: Do you want to be the skeptic, asking for more data, or do you want to be the researcher, producing your own data and techniques, and blogging about it as you do?
Well, pretty solid answer.
For me, I’ve really (really!) tried getting any good psychic information from a distance. I’ve never been able to do so reliably. Although the lack of training is clearly evident, I do have certain doubts that make me a little bit cautious:
– For example, how would you know if your psychic software isn’t, in fact (as you’ve mentioned), non-magickal intuition (or subconscious mental processing – same thing, effectively) ?
– How would you know whether or not your answers aren’t being vaguely interpreted to fit an answer to a possible future problem? (say, how would you know if “hurry up”, as per your article, wouldn’t have come true in some other event further ahead in your day, should the rain have poured 3 hours later?)
– How can you thoroughly test objectively your psychic software, in a way that virtually eliminates the possibility of false results? (say, the probability for misleading results is less than 2% – I know, it’s arbitrary, but it’s an example)
That’s one of the reasons I’ve been focusing on other areas of magick. Mainly, testing changes in the external world, and the internal self (more specifically, the way my mind processes information, my personality, my consciousness, my ego, my awareness, etc).
As for testing gathering information from through psychic softwares. Well, I’m sort of hesitant about that, because I’d like to have more data rather than just test this right off the bat.
For example, if somebody tells you that they were able to create a 1 ounce stone simply by using a magickal process that takes 4 years to learn, it’ll be hard to convince yourself to learn it, if there isn’t very much evidence to go by.
Likewise, investing time in something that doesn’t have much proof (other than somebody else’s word and a written method), is hard to believe.
Remember, time is a non-renewable resource and/or commodity. Meaning, you only have so much in this life – and there is no guarantee of a second (other than specific beliefs and/or experiences you might have) or any other ones after this one. Of course, time is of the essence, thus using it wisely is important. Which is why people often want to have some sort of substantial, empirical, objective proof before they begin any endeavor and/or take it to heart. People these days don’t want to put in a serious investment of their time if they can’t be sure they’ll have a return on that time, either through success (spiritual development, or magickal skill), financial compensation (say an investment in the stock market), a career (through training and/or academic studies), etc.
People seek some satisfaction and reward for what they do in life. So, they wish to use their time to find those things – which are different for each person. Some obtain satisfaction through pleasure, others through discovery, others through research… but normally, people want a certain sense of security about receiving a reward of some kind in the time they invest, even if that reward is only the joy of the experience and/or journey itself.
What I’m asking is, how can you show me that I’d be using my time wisely doing this, or anybody else for that matter? I know this is a question that extends beyond “psychic software”, and encompasses magick, divination, remote viewing, manifestation, and many other subjects… but, how can you use these subjects to prove objectively, rationally, and scientifically that this phenomena (or at least it’s results) are real, accurate, reliable and consistent?
Hi John, I think you’re coming from a good place with this, so I’ll answer you frankly, instead of getting defensive.
Right now, I’m developing my magick and blogging about it in my free time. I’m blogging for fun, and to spread the ideas to other mages who read a few posts, think “Yeah, that sounds like something worth adding to my practice,” and try it themselves.
I’m not evangelizing yet. Some day, I hope to put together a company of some sort, but I’m not there yet. When that day comes, I’ll have the sort of demonstrations to get people like you on board — folks who want a value proposition before investing time, or customers who would pay money for services.
But right now, I’m one guy exploring magick, writing about it, hoping to chat with interested folks. If you’re also exploring magick, awesome, here are some tips and techniques and ideas. But I don’t see it as my job to cajole / convince readers into practicing themselves if they’re not sure magick is real. That’s a problem I may solve eventually, but not now — time is a non-renewable resource, after all, and I have to be selective about which projects I take on ;)
(Although I do love that several readers have been inspired by my posts to start practicing — that’s a pretty awesome feeling.)
I do hope you stay around, though, and start exploring magick yourself. You seem like a smart, interesting person, and I’m curious to see where you take your magick.
Well, actually, I do practice magick. I used to practice quite frequently – but now I’m sort of inactive. I’m a period of my life as a mage where I’m reevaluating the path I should take as a mage, and as a person.
I’m considering whether magick is the most effective means of achieving what I wish to achieve – because, if magick truly is “change in accordance to Will”, or, as I’d put it, “specific change in accordance to the mage’s specific Intent”, than it is the result I should be after, not the means towards that result.
I do believe (and know) magick is real – I’ve done some amazing things with it, and seen several incredibly things too. But, I’m reconsidering what the benefit is; which is why I’m taking a new approach with my path as a mage. I’m considering the effect of magick to change himself.
I’ve decided to take the approach that perhaps magick isn’t simply active change; but, it could be passive around the mage, in several ways. Perhaps “luck” (or what we perceive it to be) is just passive magick working for the benefit of the mage, who unknowingly has something working in his favor inside of him (his subconscious mind, True will, reincarnated spirit – whatever the term you prefer).
I’ve tried figuring that perhaps the mage could achieve this by living according to a certain standard, or way of life. And I’ve decided to use several training exercises to test it, as well as several techniques and guidelines outlined by religious texts, and mystical texts, both ancient and modern.
It’s still an ongoing work, but it seems to work – or, at least it shows promising results so far.
Cool. You may be interested in some posts on what I mean by “Magick.” I’d recommend the intro to my book, and an old post on Crowley’s definition:
https://magickofthought.com/an-initiation-into-direct-magick-book-1/
https://magickofthought.com/2010/06/what-crowley-got-wrong-about-magick/
By the way, to answer your questions:
1. To separate non-magickal intuitions from psychic info, look for things you couldn’t know, like whether the National Museum will be good based just on a map near the subway showing you it’s nearby. Another example: A friend who’s a nurse gets psychic warnings when a patient is about to crash, even if she’s not in that patient’s room — the warning tells her which patient it is, and they reliably crash within 5 minutes of that warning. (This is with the same psychic software I use.)
1a. As a simpler version, look for predictions that make you nervous — if you really expected it to be true, you probably wouldn’t be nervous.
2. To avoid re-interpreting info to match facts, I make concrete predictions when the info comes in. “It’ll be raining within 15 minutes of when I return home.” “The National Museum will be disappointing — not terrible, but not great, and afterward, I’ll feel it wasn’t worth my time.” Specific, clear predictions, before events happen.
Well, those are good examples. Yet, even though those are encouraging examples, remember that normally we do highlight the successes and tend to brush under the rug the failures – a tendency I’ve noted among mundanes, mages – everybody seems to do it.
And… well, sure, I see people always mention their successes in their examples? But, if you truly weren’t trying to convince me (or win this debate), why bring up solely the successes as examples? Why not include the failures?
Remember, if the objective is to prove the reliability of a technique, it’s important to mention the success/failure ratio (for reliability purposes), and the difficulty of those examples.
For example, the nurse example is pretty good. Then again, if somebody uses your technique to make a bet on the lottery, and thirty times it fails, but one time it works, what’s more likely he’ll use as an example? And again, how far can this technique work; to what extent can this technique work? Does it go just as far as what’s nearby the user, or can it be used to give him information that would be incredibly difficult to obtain otherwise?
For example, if you on a huge list with your linger, only with titles of, say sci-fi movies, can you pick out just by the title the ones that’ll please you the most? Could you pass your finger on top of a Google Earth map of Singapore, with no annotation or hints as to where something is, and find it – or find somewhere you’ll really enjoy yourself, or an amazing restaurant of something like a brazilian steak house?
Because these don’t seem like examples that stray too far off from the probability of failure. In fact, these seem like predictions of ordinary things that are well within the probability of a person’s natural intuition. (The nurse example being the exception.) And also, given that the software could generate expectation and/or a subconscious suggestion, it could very well that any psychic intuition might become a self-fulfilling prophecy due to the manner which it was made.
I’d like to point out that perhaps the best way to make the case about the psychic software is to test it in ways that are much more challenging, in ways that they really push beyond the person’s own mental capacities and/or natural intuition.
I’d very much like to see this becoming very successful – in fact, if it proves to be so successful and reliable that it could (with some refinement and study) become a class in colleges, although that would be a very difficult thing to achieve (remember, if reliable enough, and if methods are easily replicated, the results could speak for themselves – and remember, science is about results and repeatability).
So, I’m hopefully, but cautiously optimistic. I hope you are successful, but remember, you’ll need to be push the limits of your psychic software before it becomes truly amazing. I know you aren’t trying to convince me or others – but, what are the limits of your psychic software? If not for me, then your others readers and yourself – how far does it go?
I think knowing when it’s going to rain is one of the more easier things psychics probably going to pick up. Here in the desert of Mojave when it going to rain there a smell and and you end can feel the air pressing around you. And this just from a non psychic point of view.
Remember it had looked like rain for an hour. The point wasn’t predicting rain sometime that day, it was the timeframe.