Psychic knowing, claircognition, or claircognizance, is arguably the most undervalued psychic perception preference, yet probably the most prevalent. These psychic ‘thought’ perceptions may seem mundane, even unglamorous, at first glance, but it is in fact a profound form of psychic perception that plays a much more significant role in everyday life than is commonly understood.
Claircognizance is the perception of spontaneous thought impressions, or the psychic ‘knowing’ of factual information and cognitive insights regarding the past, present and future. The claircognizant spontaneously ‘knows’ things without a rational explanation for how we know it. We simply know things in the same way people instinctively know which direction to open and close a water faucet, for example, without ever having been shown how to do it. We just somehow know.
Psi researchers refer to claircognition as the "anomalous appearance or acquisition of non-inferential information."[1] Claircognizance is also called superconscious telepathy or telepathic cognition [2], which essentially means it is the perception of psi from the ‘superconscious’ (note: it is not the telepathic interaction or transfer of thoughts between two minds). Author David Brown describes superconscious telepathy as "the ability to access the collective wisdom of the human race."[3] In other words, it is ‘akashic telepathy.’
The term claircognizance is a neologism derived from French clair in ‘clairvoyance,’ meaning ‘clear,’ and connaissance meaning ‘recognition, knowledge, wisdom.’ In psychology and neuroscience ‘cognition’ refers to the mental processes of knowing, understanding, and acquiring knowledge.
Claircognitive psychic impressions are therefore spontaneous psychic knowings, understandings and recognitions that are not the result of logical deduction, intellectual reasoning, or direct observation, but instead spontaneous mental ‘flashes’ of nonlocal, omniscient knowledge, insight or wisdom.
The claircognizant psychic or medium consciously perceives factual and sagacious (wisdom) information that is otherwise unconscious, or has spontaneous understanding of a question, problem, or pressing issue. It includes an infinite range of ‘cognitions’ perceived as thoughts, ideas, insights, factual knowledge, and at times uncanny answers and solutions to some of life’s most complex challenges and problems.
In pop culture claircognizance is sometimes misconceived as being a ‘subtype’ of clairsentience, clairempathy, or clairintuition, but feeling a presentiment (emotion) or having a premonition (foreboding) is not the cognitive knowing, recognizing, or understanding of something.
Parapsychology, on the other hand, traditionally views claircognizant perception as a form of telepathy, ‘mind-reading,’ or ‘thought transference,’ but claircognizant psychics and mediums know from experience that this simplistic, mechanical notion of knowledge ‘transmission’ or ‘transfer’ does not accurately reflect true claircognitive perception. In fact, the true source of psychic ‘knowings’ is numinous, supernatural, transcendental, or divine. It originates from the spirit realm, the universal consciousness, the akasha.
At times, it can be dramatic, in the form of amazing ‘aha’ epiphanies or unexpected ‘light bulb’ moments, but it can also be a simple, subtle knowing what someone is about to say, or knowing accurate facts about strangers.
The cognitive information I typically perceive in a reading cannot possibly come solely from the minds of other people, much less my own mind. My typical experience of claircognizance is that it feels like a recalling of my own memories and personal knowledge, but the information I perceive is mostly novel or unfamiliar.
At times, it can be dramatic, in the form of amazing ‘aha’ epiphanies or unexpected ‘light bulb’ moments, but it can also be a simple, subtle knowing what someone is about to say, or knowing accurate facts about strangers. It often happens that I will state to a new client certain factual information about themselves, or their life, or the people around them, while they are gasping with surprise.
“What? Oh my! How did you know that!?”
Sometimes they are truly perplexed, even distressed. It puzzles them how it is possible for me to know something so deeply private about them — things that often nobody else in their life knows. At times, some are downright suspicious, especially the psychic newbies who have never had a reading before. Yes, indeed, sometimes a psychic or medium can actually be ‘too psychic’ for some people’s liking! It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes by author Neil Gaiman: “Agnes was the worst prophet that's ever existed. Because she was always right."[4]
After almost two decades of doing professional channeling, I still find these surprised reactions a little awkward. I am not always sure how to respond? In the early years, I often used to remain clumsily silent, because I honestly had no idea what to say. These days, I just dryly reply, “Uhm, is this not why you decided to consult with me…because I know things?”
My discomfort in these moments probably stems from those unpleasant childhood experiences when I blurted out people’s embarrassing secrets, often spilling the beans at the most inappropriate moments — about private matters nobody was supposed to know about. This repeatedly landed me in trouble, and it to this day it still does.
However, these days I am no longer reprimanded or punished by adults, but claircognizance continues to complicate my personal relationships and social life. For example, it is the basis of the annoying propensity I have to constantly want to finish other people’s sentences for them (because I already know what they are planning to say).
While claircognizance is sometimes a source of amusement in my professional practice, it tends to be problematic in my personal life. It is not always ideal to know certain things you are not supposed to know. I have lost several friends over the years for ‘knowing’ certain things and being too honest and direct about it.
I have however received a few sincere apologies from offended parties after the fact (sometimes many years later). “You were right after all,” they will say. “I wish I’d listened to you back then, but I was in denial and blind to the truth.” I have also received similar feedback from clients over the years.
I met Anthon almost 2 years ago during a very hard time of my life. I had talked to three more psychics until I talked to him. He said exactly opposite things that the rest of the psychics had said to me. I was disappointed, and did not believe what he said, since he was not telling me what I wanted to hear. I wish I listened to him.[5]
I am also known among some friends and long-time clients by a nickname I acquired due to my penchant for claircognizant 'straight-talk.’ When I complained to a friend years ago about a mutual acquaintance who was offended by my telling them certain truths they did not wish to hear, his sardonic reaction was simply: “Well, maybe it’s time you accept the fact that you are the ‘soothsayer of the tribe,’ and that it’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it.”
DIVINE INSPIRATION
One of the significant ways that claircognizance or so-called ‘anomalous cognition’ manifests for many people is divine inspiration. Many artists, philosophers, scientists, and inventors through the ages have attributed their ideas and innovations to a ‘flash’ of insight, or a ‘spark’ of inspiration. The knowings and insights of claircognizant psychics and mediums are channeled from the same omniscient source, namely the superconscious, universal consciousness, or the akasha.
In fact, I believe all forms of profound inspiration and creativity, be it artistic, scientific, technological, mystical, or prophetic, are always the result of a spontaneous or intentional channeling of nonlocal energy data. I believe these divine or numinous inspirations are the foundation for all exceptional human creativity, artistic ideas, technological innovation, and scientific advancement. Computer scientist Rafael Espericueta agrees, "spiritual epiphanies inspire the evolution of science."[6]
All forms of profound inspiration and creativity, be it artistic, scientific, technological, mystical, or prophetic, are always the result of a spontaneous or intentional channeling of nonlocal energy data.
In Greek mythology the process of divine inspiration is said to be the work of inspirational goddesses known as the ‘muses,’ but the phenomenon is even better described by the words of famous composer, Johannes Brahms, who says, "the powers from which all truly great composers like Mozart, Schubert, Bach and Beethoven drew their inspirations, is the same power that enabled Jesus to do his miracles."[7]
It is also reminiscent of French composer Charles-François Gounod who when asked how he came up with all his beautiful melodies, simply replies: “God sends me down some of his angels and they whisper sweet melodies in my ear."[8] In a conversation with Engelbert Humperdinck in 1880, the composer Richard Wagner says, “An atheistic upbringing is fatal. No atheist has ever created anything of great and lasting value."[9]
Science has many theories about the nature of the so-called eureka effect (also known as the ‘aha! moment’) but what is not commonly considered is the possibility that the spontaneous insight that inspired the famous Greek physicist, Archimedes, to shout, “Eureka! Eureka!' (I found it! I found it!) is not much different from the everyday ‘anomalous cognitions’ that claircognizant psychics and mediums experience. Just like Archimedes, the claircognizant also perceives sudden insights and inexplicable answers to everyday questions.
The idea of divine inspiration has become less fashionable since the advent of modern science and a material worldview, but it does not make the concept any less bona fide for those of us who perceive these cognitive miracles in our everyday channelings or readings.
Ironically, Isaac Newton, arguably the most central figure in the emergence of modern materialist science, wrote about more than only science and mathematics. Author John Chambers reveals Newton secretly ventured into the realms of alchemy, religion, spirituality, and prophecy. He even searched for lost civilizations like Atlantis and predicted an Apocalypse in the year 2060.[10]
According to Sarah Dry, Newton even conducted a forensic analysis of the Bible, in which he attempted to decode its divine prophecies. She reports that the mystical aspects of Newton’s work are lesser-known today because his descendants preferred to suppress his so-called ‘heretical’ papers after his death (about ten million words, or enough to fill about 150 average length novels) thus keeping it hidden from public awareness for a century.[11]
It is also claimed that the famous physicist Albert Einstein owned a copy of The Secret Doctrine (1888) by Helena Blavatsky, which he kept on his desk at all times. It is even rumored that he advised a fellow physicist to get a copy and “dip into it when he’s handicapped by some problem."[12]
Blavatsky is a Russian philosopher and author who co-founded the Theosophical Society. Her book is said to reconcile ancient eastern wisdom with modern science. Max Heindel says it is necessary for us to realize that Madame Blavatsky was, as she herself often expressed it, only the compiler of her books. Behind her stood the real teachers, the guardians of the Secret Wisdom of the ages, who taught her all the occult lore which she transmitted in her writings.[13]
Gary Starkweather, the inventor of the laser printer, also credits his success to divine inspiration.
I believe that to a great extent, the creativity we possess is because the Creator put it there. God put things [in us] as tool developers and creative individuals and I think it has to please him when He sees us use those faculties to make something new.[14]
According to author Warren M. Mueller the popular assumption is that human thoughts originate in the brain, but where exactly this occurs in the brain "continues to defy scientific methods to quantify this."
Perhaps this is because human thoughts originate outside the body. The brain does not create our thoughts, but rather processes them and tries to adapt them to our ability to understand and function. Thoughts enter our brain from a source that is outside of our physical body and, only when they reach the brain, does it begin to act and decipher them.[15]
Satish Kumar, former monk, and environmental activist, writes that “science and spirituality make a great partnership.”
If those engaged in science spend some time in the silence of their own selves, inspiration will come and lead them to the answers for which they seek. A sense of unmanifested wonder and curiosity, and a sense of intuition and inspiration exist before there is empirical knowledge through experiments, or evidence and proof to create a scientific hypothesis and a theory. Dismissing that unmanifest intuition or inspiration, as some materialist scientists do, is a grave folly.[16]
Psi researcher Helané Wahbeh proposes channeling or ‘the process of revealing information and energy not limited by our conventional notions of space and time,’ is quite common in society.[17]
I think of channeling as being like a spectrum. On the subtler side, people experience clairempathy, claircognizance, lucid dreaming, and telepathy. Somewhere toward the middle are precognition and mediumship. And at the far end of the spectrum are rarer experiences like trance channeling, geomancy, psychic healing, pyrokinesis, and levitation.[18]
She cites a study done by the Institute of Noetic Sciences that surveyed, among others, scientists, engineers, and the general public about their channeling experiences. The survey finds that as much as 90% of participants had at least one channeling experience in their lifetime.[19]
A 1976 paper on spirit possession, trance channeling and spirit mediumship, further finds such channeling-related beliefs to exist in 74% of a sample of 488 societies in all parts of the world. These beliefs are often also associated with ritualized altered states of consciousness.[20]
Wahbeh further cites a survey among psychic channelers in which they were asked what they perceive to be the source of their channeled information. It finds that 56% of the channelers surveyed attribute their channeled information to the higher self; 50% say it comes from the universal mind; and 47% believe that the source is the unconscious mind. Some participants also report channeling spirits, deities, extra-terrestrials, or other spirit entities.[21]
RETROCOGNITION & PRECOGNITION
Two noteworthy forms of claircognizance are retrocognition and precognition, or psychic knowledge regarding the past and the future.
Retrocognition, also called post-cognition, hindsight, or past evocation, is the perception of facts and knowledge of past events not learned, inferred, or logically deduced by the psychic or medium. These psychic impressions are often a sage (wise) discernment of past events. The retrocognizant psychic or medium ‘knows’ or ‘recognizes’ things that have happened to you, without you telling them those details of your past. Retrocognition does not only relate to our current lifetime, but is also perceived as past life memories.
Precognition or prescience is the prophetic, predictive, or ‘advance knowing’ of future events. It is foreknowledge that is cognitive, cerebral, intellectual. The term precognition is from Latin praecognitio, based on cognoscere ‘to know.’ A simple example is knowing beforehand that someone is going to call you, and then the phone rings and it is the person you expected. Precognition is mistakenly called ‘future sight’ or ‘prophetic vision’ by some, and sometimes also confused with clairvoyance.
Although claircognitive knowing can indeed be accompanied by visions, presentiments, or premonitions, the claircognizant does not always ‘see’ or ‘feel’ or ‘sense’ a future event. Instead, we might only know what will happen, why it will happen, and so on.
Prescience is a more precise, delineated term that specifically means foreknowledge or ‘knowledge of events before they take place.’
The term precognition is mostly used in the field of parapsychology, but seldom heard in the psychic community. Psi researchers define precognition as “the ability to obtain information about a future event, unknowable through inference alone, before the event actually occurs."[22]
Parapsychology, however, does not differentiate between the sapient and sentient aspects of the different forms of predictive psychic perception. All types of ‘future psi’ are merely referred to as ‘precognition,’ regardless of it being clairempathic, clairvoyant, or clairintuitive instead. For example, presentiment or ‘pre-feeling,’ is simply described as an ‘unconscious form of precognition.’[23]
To distinguish more clearly between the sapient and sentient qualities of true psychic perception, I therefore prefer the old-school term prescience in the context of claircognizance, instead of the psi notion of ‘precognition.’ Prescience is a more precise, delineated term that specifically means foreknowledge or ‘knowledge of events before they take place.’ Prescience is from Latin praescientia meaning "foreknowledge," and praescire ‘to know in advance," with prae meaning ‘before’ and scire ‘to know.’
According to researcher Robert Rosenberg, precognition or prescience holds a special place among psi phenomena.
It is perhaps the most metaphysically offensive of rogue phenomena. In the past 130 years, a number of thoughtful investigators, none of them either naïve or foolish, have studied a growing collection of incidents…[and] have repeatedly come to the generally reluctant conclusion that true precognition (or something identical to it with a different name) exists.[24]
Parapsychologist Andrew MacKenzie agrees, “I am surprised that the strength of the evidence for precognition in its various forms in daily life is not generally realized.”[25] Psi researcher Robert Rosenberg concludes that the empirical evidence for precognition is undeniable. “Unless we ignore it, pretend it does not exist, it demands our attention.”[26]
© 2022 Anthon St. Maarten
REFERENCES
[1] Rosenberg, R. (2016). Precognition. Psi Encyclopedia. The Society for Psychical Research.
[2] Broad, C. D. (1953), Religion, Philosophy and Psychical Research. Routledge & Kegan Paul.
[3] Brown, D. K. (2016). Brain-Storm: When The Mind Becomes The Ultimate Weapon. Lulu.com
[4] Pratchett, T. & Gaiman, N. (2006). Good Omens: The Nice And Accurate Prophecies Of Agnes Nutter, Witch. William Morrow.
[5] Idil, A. January 16, 2016. BestPsychicDirectory.com
[6] Espericueta, R. (2020) Science and Spirituality – Complementary or Contradictory? LinkedIn.com
[7] James-Griffiths, P. (2016) Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers. ChristianHeritageEdinburgh.org.uk.
[8] Harding, J. (1973). Gounod. Stein
[9] Abell, A.M. (1995). Talks With Great Composers. Spiritualist Press.
[10] Chambers, J. (2018). The Metaphysical World of Isaac Newton: Alchemy, Prophecy, and the Search for Lost Knowledge. Destiny Books.
[11] Dry, S. (2014). The Newton Papers: The Strange and True Odyssey of Isaac Newton's Manuscripts. Oxford University Press
[12] Albert Einstein. (2017). Theosophy.wiki.
[13] Heindel, M. (1933) Blavatsky and the Secret Doctrine. Phoenix Press.
[14] Mueller, W. M. (2019). Truth Seeker: The Human Condition. WestBow Press.
[15] Mueller, W. M. (2019). Truth Seeker: The Human Condition. WestBow Press.
[16] Kumar, S. (2018). Embracing Spirituality With A Scientific Mind. TheEcologist.org.
[17] Wahbeh, H. (2012) The Science Of Channeling: Why You Should Trust Your Intuition And Embrace The Force That Connects Us All. Reveal Press.
[18] Wahbeh, H. (2021). What Is Channeling? The Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS).
[19] Wahbeh, H. et. al. (2018). Exceptional Experiences Reported By Scientists And Engineers. Explore.
[20] Bourguignon, E. (1976). Spirit Possession Beliefs And Social Structure. World Anthropology: The Realm Of The Extra‑Human: Ideas And Actions. Mouton.
[21] Wahbeh, H. & Butzer, B. (2020). Characteristics Of English-Speaking Trance Channelers. Explore.
[22] Franklin M. S. et.al. (2014) Future Directions In Precognition Research: More Research Can Bridge The Gap Between Skeptics And Proponents. Frontiers In Psychology.
[23] Radin, D. (2016). Presentiment. Psi Encyclopedia. The Society for Psychical Research.
[24] Rosenberg, R. (2016). Precognition. Psi Encyclopedia. The Society for Psychical Research.
[25] MacKenzie, A. (1974). Riddle Of The Future: A Modern Study Of Precognition. Arthur Barker.
[26] Rosenberg, R. (2016). Precognition. Psi Encyclopedia. The Society for Psychical Research.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anthon St. Maarten is a psychic medium and destiny coach with a global clientele of thought leaders, business executives, celebrities, politicians, academics, and luminaries in the arts and sciences in more than thirty countries spanning five continents.
He is also a metaphysics teacher, psychic development coach, podcaster, and spiritual blogger. Anthon is a hereditary psychic medium in professional practice since 2004 and a liberal arts post-graduate with a major in psychology.
Anthon publishes the spiritual life design blog, The S Word, and is the author of Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny and The Sensible Psychic: A Leading-Edge Guide To True Psychic Perception.
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