PsiPog.net : 'Normal' Uses for Unusual Skills by Rainsong

# 'Normal' Uses for Unusual Skills

by Rainsong

By way of introduction, this article came about as a result of a mis-typed address. It started out as a short note to Peebrain, but the note in question never got there. At around the same time, on half a dozen mailing lists and three or four message boards (yes, I do spend way too much time at my computer) similar topics were brought up, often with some degree of surprise over the possibility of 'practical' uses for psionics.

Taking mental swipes at each other in telepathic sparring matches, moving small objects telekinetically, and playing psi-games seem to be the usual activities of psions. It must be admitted that such activities might appear a little strange to someone who doesn't do these things himself. "If 'grounding' is a real effect," an observer might ask, "Does it have any use in normal situations?" Or, "Sure, telekinesis is cool, but can you do anything with it?!"

The answer to both of these questions is "yes". In fact it takes very little imagination to come up with rather a lot of practical 'normal' uses for psionic disciplines. What follows is a smattering of these.

We'll begin with Grounding. Although techniques vary widely, Grounding is common to most forms of magick, as well as to psionics, and most energy workers with any training at all know how to ground... even if they don't do it as often as they should.

It is Springtime, here in Canada, as I type this, and students across this country and a few others are either preparing for exams or have recently finished them. If, when facing an exam, you find yourself to be, ahem, "less than perfectly calm" (somehow the concept of "frazzled" comes to mind, as does "panicked"), ground both the excess energy and the excess emotion to earth. One of many simple ways to do so is this: Put your feet flat on the floor, and your hands flat on the desk or chair. Close your eyes. Take a nice deep breath. Now focus on the excess energy and the excess emotion, and send them down your arms and out through the palms of your hands. It may simplify matters to visualize the energy and emotion being sent as being water or sand flowing along pipes. In any case, don't force it out; just let it flow nice and easily. The entire procedure takes less than a minute and may be repeated as needed. It isn't only good for exams, either. Grounding in this manner is useful for maintaining composure for job interviews, presentations and public speaking; and before going 'onstage' for musical and dramatic performances or athletic competitions.

Still on the topic of exams and composure, it happens sometimes that even a well-prepared student might forget a bit of information when under pressure. If this should happen to you, ground again, repeat the test question to yourself (silently, of course), and clear your mind. Quite frequently, the answer will then 'pop' in seemingly out of nowhere. Obviously, the more practiced you are with the form of clairvoyance that uses roughly the same technique, the more workable this is. If 'clearing' your mind is too abstract a concept when under stress, try visualizing a white artist's canvas or a blank sheet of paper, and wait to see what is painted or written on it. It is probably wise to leave this procedure until after you've answered all the 'easy' questions on a written test, so you won't be so worried about how long it takes; in some people, this technique tends to distort time perception.

Speaking of time perception, deliberate time distortion is also a nifty technique to use when you need more subjective time to think about those test questions.

Those of you lucky enough not to require constant Shielding in public might still like to try out your shielding technique once in a while for purposes other than the obvious. For example, if you're out on the town with your "significant other" (or are single, but simply not interested in flirting at the moment) try a secondary Shield that projects an impression of "Back off".

As another example, have you ever wished you could fade into the woodwork, after doing something stupid, or when spotting someone you'd rather not talk to? The firmer the secondary shield, the better, for this, but the important part is that it projects an impression of being "uninteresting".... perhaps going so far as to project an illusion of being a potted plant, or a suggestion to "look anywhere but here".

Psychokinesis has so many possibilities that it boggles the imagination. First of all, it can be used to heal wounds, a rather involved topic that deserves an article ~ or perhaps a book ~ of its own. PK can also be used to start a car that isn't co-operating, but I don't really recommend it, because the last time I tried it, I blew up part of the engine. Oops. The trick there is to use enough of a burst of energy, but not too much. Messing about with locks, both traditional and electronic, is another useful PK bit if you tend to lock yourself out of your house. This one takes quite a bit of practice, though, for most people, and it really helps to know how the lock works. (I'm not very good at it, myself, but several of my friends are quite adept.)

Much like PK, telepathic applications seem too obvious to even mention. For those of you in places where cell phones are commonplace and reliable, perhaps this is nothing more than a novelty or party trick, but telepathy can actually be used for ~ surprise, surprise ~ communication! As an example, my boss sometimes telepathically bops me upside the head when he wants to contact me but the phone line is busy (remember what I said about spending too much time at the computer?). And, occasionally, 'chats' are arranged in like manner, online, and otherwise.

Less run-of-the-mill practical purposes for psi skills range from tracking and forensics to pendulum dowsing the location of your glasses which you know just have to be around there somewhere.... If nothing else, having 'real-world' applications for your skills might encourage you to practice more often.

Rainsong

Last Modified on May 24 2002

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