Gifted but scared -how do I deal with visions?

[Bluemoondreams]

Ever since I was small I could see things, they don't bother me what does is my ability to see stuff that is going to happen or is happening else were. Usually it's fairly being and shows me small thing but recently it's gone crazy. I 'm getting shown symbols and being told things as well as my normal seeing, or as grandmother use to say, oricalisation.

I don't know what to make of it. A friend of mine who owns a esoteric shop said I'm throbbing with power. I feel like so much is trying to get through to me at once.

I've picked up a few new spirit friends, a new angel, and goddess knows what else. I want to tell what I'm being told but I'm so scared what people will say or think.

[Imalorki]

Blue I know exactly how you feel. And in all honesty people can go bugger off. They're just jealous in my opinion

[Kassandra]

Ever since I was small I could see things, they don't bother me what does is my ability to see stuff that is going to happen or is happening else were. Usaly it's fairly beine and shows me small thnig but reacently it's gone crazy. I 'm getting shown simbols and being told things as well as my normal seeing or as gradmother use to say oricalisation.

I don't know what to make of it, a friend of mine who owns a esoteric shop said I'm throbbing with power. I feel like so much is trying to get threw to me at once.

I've picked up a few new spirit friends a new angel and goddess knows what else. I want to tell what I'm being told but I'm so scared what epople will say or think.

Your experiences as described in your post constitute a day-in-the-life for me ...probably for many others on the board, as well, hahaha Bluemoondreams, you are what is called a "psychic medium," and everything you are experiencing is normal, relative to your abilities. Everyone's psychic abilities differ somewhat, like eye color and nose shape differ on each person. But you are in good company here. Nothing to fear.

"Oracle-lization," hmm, nice word. An "oracle" is a person who gives prophetic messages, so it would follow that he or she "oracle-lizes." Nice. I like that, and I like your grandma already! Grandmothers are cool. They are great psychic teachers, even when they're dead (--discarnate, I should say; my grandma would not appreciate being called dead). What other cool things has your grandma taught you? She could probably teach us all a thing or two. Apparently psychic mediumship runs in your family.



.

[Bluemoondreams]

Grandmother likes you all already I can tell she be laughing. As for my other friends well I feel kind of relaxed here. People made me scared of what I could see. I want to tell people what I'm seeing so i can help them I can't see whats wrong with that. Grandad seems to think I am safe here too that you will all understand what I'm going threw and have been going threw since I was a child. Intrestingly though I have a two elf compaions and there is a whole story attached to how I got those two. The question now is what do I do with these vissions I'm having these messages. . . they don't mean a lot to me but I can't help but feel people need to know.

[Kassandra]

Intrestingly though I have a two elf compaions and there is a whole story attached to how I got those two.

Have you tried blogging? It's a great way to get it all off your chest, which is cathartic. Holding it in is frustrating. We have a Members' Personal Blogs forum, in which I invite you to open a thread! You could write about all your supernatural happenings, your messages and visions ...everything. It'll be your little neck of the woods. With that in mind, just how did you acquire those two elf companions, anyway? [blog about it!]....

I want to tell people what I'm seeing so i can help them I can't see whats wrong with that ....The question now is what do I do with these visions I'm having these messages. . . they don't mean a lot to me but I can't help but feel people need to know.

The Cassandra Complex

OK, there something called the "Cassandra Complex" that you should be aware of, everyone with pronounced ability should actually. It is a popular archetype that's used heavily in literature and entertainment:

In "Help," an episode of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a young girl named Cassandra "Cassie" Newton foresees her own death despite the attempts of the show's protagonist, Buffy Summers, to prevent it. She also foresees what will happen in Buffy's final battle with one of the show's antagonists, The First, and its army. Other notable examples are the character of River Tam from the science fiction TV series Firefly, the character Cassandra in the TV series The X-Files (an alien abductee that nobody took seriously), and the science fiction short story "Cassandra" by C. J. Cherry. [from Wikipedia]

And I would say Bruce Willis' character was a Cassandra archetype in "The 12 Monkeys," where he went back in time to warn people of an upcoming, manmade plague that would kill 5 billion people worldwide. No one believed him, and he was locked up in a mental institution.



Having precognitive
ability and suffering from
The Cassandra Complex, is
enough to make you want
to pull your hair out!


Origin of the Term, "Cassandra Complex"[from Wikipedia]

The Cassandra metaphor (variously labeled the Cassandra 'syndrome', 'complex', 'phenomenon', 'predicament', 'dilemma', or 'curse'), is a term applied in situations in which valid warnings or concerns are dismissed or disbelieved.
The term originates in Greek mythology. Cassandra was a daughter of Priam, the King of Troy. Struck by her beauty, Apollo provided her with the gift of prophecy, but when Cassandra refused Apollo's romantic advances, he placed a curse ensuring that none would believe her warnings. Cassandra was left with the knowledge of future events, but could neither alter these events nor convince others of the validity of her predictions.

Seeking to gain entrance into Troy, clever Odysseus (some say with the aid of Athena) ordered a large wooden horse to be built. Its insides were to be hollow so that soldiers could hide within it. Once the statue had been built by the artist Epeius, a number of the Greek warriors, along with Odysseus, climbed inside. The rest of the Greek fleet sailed away, so as to deceive the Trojans.

One man, Sinon, was left behind. When the Trojans came to marvel at the huge creation, Sinon pretended to be angry with the Greeks, stating that they had deserted him. He assured the Trojans that the wooden horse was safe and would bring luck to the Trojans. Only two people, Laocoon and Cassandra, spoke out against the horse, but they were ignored. The Trojans celebrated what they thought was their victory, and dragged the wooden horse into Troy.

That night, after most of Troy was asleep or in a drunken stupor, Sinon let the Greek warriors out from the horse, and they slaughtered the Trojans. Priam [Cassandra's father] was killed as he huddled by Zeus' altar. The city of Troy was destroyed, its men all killed and its women all taken as slaves.

What "Cassandras" see is something dark and painful that may not be apparent on the surface of things or that objective facts do not corroborate. They may envision a negative or unexpected outcome; or something which would be difficult to deal with; or a truth which others, especially authority figures, would not accept. In her frightened, ego-less state, the "Cassandras" may blurt out what they see, perhaps with the unconscious hope that others might be able to make some sense of it. But to them these words sound meaningless, disconnected and blown out of all proportion.




Wisdom of the "Don't Ask/Don't Tell" Policy

For years, someone close to me used to call me Cassandra and tease me about my precognitive ability, until I finally learned not to volunteer information. Jokes aside, it was --and still is-- somewhat distressing for me to see things happen to people, to whom I told beforehand the things would happen but they didn't believe me. It's been cathartic for me to do readings, if for no other reason than to have an outlet for my abilities. I have learned that if someone asks, then it means they might just listen to what I have to say (often, however, they still don't listen).

It lead me at some point to adopt the following policy, which you may think about adopting: Don't offer a read on any situation for anybody unless you're asked to. Period. If someone asks me something like, "what's your take on this?" then I'll offer what I see/feel about it. Otherwise keep what I see or feel to myself, and maybe mentally toss out a positive affirmation: "May his gods be with him through that. When things get difficult, I am confident he will make the right choice for his life path." Then I let it go and leave it alone. Simple as that.

But once in a while, however, in trying to "help" someone I break the policy. Then, I always regret it when I do. Time and again, I had to keep relearning this lesson, which then lead me one day to ponder thus....




The Psychic-to-the-Rescue Complex (OK, I made that one up, but...)

Our psychic abilities, including clairvoyance, precognition and empathy, are just abilities, albeit "extra-sensory" abilities to their counterparts in the physical abilities of hearing, smell, vision, etc. ...but merely abilities, none the less. Therefore, when speaking or writing about psychic ability, I'm usually careful to refer to them as abilities and not "gifts" because everyone is born with some degree of psychic ability (or "intuitive" ability, which makes some people who are uncomfortable with the word "psychic" feel more comfortable, though the two words are referring to essentially the same phenomena -oddly though, when I say "psychic" it's like I've cursed their mothers, or something. I don't get it). Psychic ability is not "gifted" to a chosen few, though it may show up more pronounced in some than in others.

We don't always act on all our other abilities, right? For example, regarding your ability to "hear" with your physical ears, say you overhear a conversation between two people (may even be about a topic that really, really interests you). But just because you can hear this, does it mean you should budinski yourself into their conversation, and start adding your $.02? I would hope not.

So why do we feel so compelled to act on our psychic ability when we experience it? Could it be some degree of "ego" masquerading as "being helpful," which underlies and propels the behavior? "I'm special, I'm gifted, I'm psychic, and what I'm seeing could help someone ...therefore I should always be heard when I speak, in fact people should be thankful I'm voluntarily helping them, though didn't ask me to," etc. Ew. I know of at least two psychics who run up to people in public and just start doing unsolicited readings for them. Then they brag about it to everybody later. It's a big ego trip for them. One of them did it around me one day. I was so embarrassed. I never hung out with her again.

I concluded that it's important that everyone who undertakes metaphysical work of any sort has to constantly check, and double check, his or her underlying motives and ego, as well as do the following...



Respect the Value of Lifelong Learning

I have also learned the hard way that people with psychic ability would do well to respect that a course in The School of Hard Knocks is sometimes the best "help" another person could get, not our "messages" and visions, etc. Just remember, the School of Hard Knocks accepts every applicant, doesn't charge tuition, and is always open for business every day of the year --if your the person you're concerned about wants to attend, let 'em!

Many people come here to the EUTM message board looking for spells to make pain from a relationship or situation "go away." But some types of pain serve as teachers, and should not be banished magically with spells, neither anesthetized medically with drugs. Some "pains" have lessons to teach, and when one doesn't learn how to integrate the lesson into one's life, we keep subconsciously recreating similar circumstances for the same pain/lesson to reappear again and again (in this lifetime and in future ones...that's the underlying principle behind past life phenomena, and reincarnation). It isn't right for us to stand in the way of them learning those lessons.

The right question sometimes isn't "How do I make this pain go away?" but rather, "What wisdom is this situation trying to teach me right now, and how do I apply this wisdom to my life now and in the future?" As our psychic abilities grow, we do well to respect the importance of giving people space in their lives to explore these questions. Once they're ready to get off the merry-go-round and get help, then offer a "read" on their situation ...after they've asked you for it. But, again, be prepared in your mind that even then, they still won't listen to you. It'll make you wanna pull your hair out like Cassandra. Once you've done your part, learn to just let it all go, and move on.

For example, some women/men keep attracting the same no-good lovers into their lives --different names, but the same stock-character, time and time again. Will interjecting unsolicited visions and messages help them? I speak from experience: No! In fact if anything, sooner than later they'll tell you to butt out of their business. So bottom line, let people come to you first, then tell them what you see. Then, as the Buddhism teaches us, un-attach yourself to the outcome of the situation: if they listen to you, fine; if they don't listen to you, fine. Either way, it's all good. Don't be a Cassandra; avoid the Psychic-to-the-Rescue Complex, and respect peoples' need to get more Lifelong Learning credits.




Bringing Order to Your Psychic Chaos

Orderly outlets for your visions and messages might include:

Blogging
This is a really cathartic outlet for all the visions and symbols and spirit
beings who have bombarded your consciousness of late (I know how you
feel, believe me; happened the same way with me). Maybe people will
read it, maybe they won't; who cares. It's great just getting it all out. But
often you will get feedback on your blog entries so it's interesting to read
the responses you get.

Journal Writing
Everybody who regularly experiences psychic phenomena should
be documenting it all in a journal, especially those with precognitive
ability like you. That way when things come to pass you could see
patterns, timeline correlations (like, what is the average turn-around
time for your visions? etc). Also, for those things too private to post in
a blog, you can write in your journal.

And if you choose to practice witchcraft, your journal could eventually
turn into your Book of Shadows, a resource to record what you do,
how you do it, when, and why. This could prove vitally important to
your descendants, some of whom will share your abilities since psychic
abilities tend to run in families. Imagine how helpful it would have been
to you if you had received information about such abilities as a head's
up, so you wouldn't have had this hit you all of a sudden with (seemingly)
no forewarning.

Creating Artwork
Paint, draw, write poetry or songs, create trippy artwork on Photoshop,
etc. Be your own art therapist and use artistic ability to express the
visions you see. You'll be surprised what you come up with. And the
great thing is you don't need to explain any of the imagery to anyone.
It'll be just your "artwork," nothing more ...unless you want to
explain what it all means. That's up to you

Write a book
I've heard several successful authors say that the seeds for their books
began germinating within their journal writings. There was a day when
you had to get an agent, jump through a bunch of hoops, kiss a bunch of
asses to get a book published. Now, you don't need very much more than
internet access. People use handheld reading devices now, so this is
a great time to turn your thoughts into e-books

Participate in a development circle near you
This is a good way to share and practice your abilities with others.
Inquire at your local metaphysical store for where circles near you are.
People with psychic ability tend to think they always know what's best.
But one common pitfall of this ego-based attitude is never learning to
discern between what things you should be listening to, and what you
seriously should ignore. Psychic ability like anything else, needs to be
trained and harnessed, and until you reach a very high level of
development, you should continually train around other people, and
learn as much as you can.

Do oracle readings for fun at parties and get-togethers
This is a light-hearted way to share your messages. There are a
number of fun card decks to choose from for this: fancy tarot decks,
"angel" decks, "animal spirit guide" decks, etc. Choose a deck or
theme that fits the particular occasion. For example for a bachelorette
party you could offer guests "What's Ahead in Your Love Life?" readings,
or something.

Do public intuitive readings
You could do readings at a Spiritualist Church near you (Google it, and
you don't have to become a member and all that), or even do them
professionally. It's fulfilling, makes you feel as though all the
inconvenience you go through because of your abilities
is worth it. You got to use your abilities to help someone.

Perhaps you could think of others.



Don't Be "Givin' Everybody the Creeps"

This was all just food for thought ...do what you like with your visions. I am sure your gods will be with you through whatever you do, and that you will make the right choice for your life path. But remember, if you don't get over urges to volunteer unsolicited visions/messages, you may end up like this guy, who's got a bad case of the Cassandra Complex: Ed Glosser, Trivial Psychic

.

[Bluemoondreams]

thanks for the advice I've started to write it out it does feel better. I was an already practising witch so I've started to add anything I see to my book too. I'm going to start bloggin it here too just incase it means somethnig to others. I've started to draw the syboles and people I see and since you asked abotu my elf compaions I'll try and settle down to write about them.