Tara Ward - Discover Your Psychic Self: A Practical Guide to Psychic Development and Spiritual Self

How would you describe our journey through life? A popular analogy would be to compare it to going down a road. There are various forks and turnings on the way, but generally its a pretty straight route. However, what if theres another route that runs alongside your straight road, mirroring its every twist and turn? Psychic development is like that second road, and you can choose to try it anytime. It doesnt mean you have to abandon your present journey: it just means you can dip off on to it as you wish and then return to your other road whenever you like. The choice is yours. You might find the second journey more pleasing, rather like driving through scenic countryside instead of a polluted city. At the very least, psychic development can be a positive influence on your daily life; at the very most, it can be a spiritual philosophy that has infinite possibilities. Remember, you choose which path to take, no one else. Perhaps thats why youre reading this book right now.

What does the word psychic mean to you? Try saying it to yourself. Does it sound unnatural or odd? Does the word make your thoughts spiral in new directions? Do you believe youve ever had a psychic experience, or would you call it coincidence? Has anybody ever told you that you might be psychic or that you have healing abilities? Have you ever experienced that odd sensation of dj vu: something happens and you know that its happened before, either because youve dreamed it or because you simply have a memory of it?

Youve just had a lot of questions thrown at you. How does that make you feel? Your ability to question everything is a valuable part of psychic development. This book is going to explore a wide variety of psychic phenomena; some concepts may be new and unnerving. You may find it demanding at times. This is because any form of growth or new awareness takes a certain dedication, a certain commitment. With psychic work, it also takes the ability to open your mind further and expand consciousness on to other levels.

To do this, you need to start looking at yourself and the life you see around you. You need to ask a lot of questions, not only of others, but of yourself as well. You need to be willing to delve into what is going on inside you and get in touch with the real you, not the face you present to others.

If you are willing to take this plunge, then you have the opportunity of discovering a whole new world that is enlightening and energizing. It will change the way you view yourself, other people and the world. Irrevocably. Youll discover new aspects of yourself that will enable you to treat everyone with greater awareness, love and tolerance. In fact, you will benefit in all areas of your life, because youll gain a true understanding of something important: how everything we give out rebounds and further feeds our growth. Its a process that has infinite possibilities, reaching ever outwards to a world without boundaries.

There is one condition, however. You have to be prepared to put in some work. It may be uncomfortable at times. It may even be distressing. It may feel occasionally as though youre banging your head against a brick wall and you may want to give up. You need to be prepared to accept both sides of the equation to gain from the experience.

Have you an enquiring mind? If you feel daunted by endless questions and probing, then you wont be able to progress very far. You have to be willing to constantly extend your vision and see past the deeply entrenched patterns that are buried in your thought processes. So many concepts explained in this book, particularly during the first half, may be ideas youve never heard of before. Your first reaction may be This sounds ridiculous or This isnt possible. These are natural reactions to something new, and most people initially respond this way. Theres a wonderful saying by American psychologist and philosopher William James:

A new idea is first condemned as ridiculous and then dismissed as trivial, until finally, it becomes what everybody knows.

The secret is to accept that youre feeling very sceptical and then, regardless of that thought, let your mind move on further. The more you practise this, the easier it becomes.

Think of it this way. What would your great-great-grandfather have said if someone had told him that soon two people could be miles apart and yet still be able to talk to each other via a bit of wire? Or that a metal container would lift off into the sky and fly hundreds of people across the world at once? You can imagine his response! Your present disbelief about psychic phenomena is just as understandable. If your great-great-grandfather could see the world today, he would no doubt think of the telephone, aeroplane, radio, television (to say nothing of computers) as the work of aliens.

Perhaps that is how you view psychic matters at present: very alien. The trick to moving forward lies in accepting that its difficult to believe and opening your mind just that bit further to let in the possibility of these new ideas. You neednt embrace everything without question. (As youve already read, questions are essential for growth). Instead, use your disbelief to question further and probe deeper into these areas. For instance, if your thought on a subject is This is ridiculous, then go on and ask yourself, Why am I thinking that? What element of this is ridiculous? Very often, the answer is that its ridiculous only because its a new concept! If you break that down further, the ridiculous element can be softened into an unlikely. Why is it then unlikely? The usual response to that is because you cant see the concept.

This is an important area to look at in psychic development. As humans were programmed to feel comfortable and reassured only after we have physical proof of something. We need to see something before we really believe it. Someone could tell you its raining outside. Your natural response is to look out the window to check if its true. If you hit your shin on the coffee table, physical pain tells you it hurts and thats validated by the cut or bruise that ensues.

With psychic work were dealing very much with the feeling and sensing elements within us and we tend not to trust these as much, although there are exceptions to this rule. These exceptions are our key to understanding more. What about the emotional pain you feel when splitting up after a love affair? Theres no visible scar, no real proof of pain, is there? But isnt it as real to you as the pain you felt on physically knocking your shin against the table? Conversely, what about that euphoric rush of utter joy that fills your body when you feel yourself falling in love or when your newborn child is placed in your arms for the first time? You cant see that emotion, can you? But do you doubt that youre feeling it? Of course not.

Psychic experiences work on a similar level. The stronger the experience, the easier it is to accept that its real. You may find it difficult to begin with, because development will take place gradually. For instance, it may take you a while to see universal energy, the aura, or chakras: all subjects covered at some length during the early chapters. However, the fact that you cant see them immediately doesnt mean they arent there; it just means you cant see them. All you need is the desire to keep trying and a belief that these concepts might exist, to make things happen for you.

Theres a wonderful story about the American inventor, Thomas Edison (18471931), who invented the electric light bulb in 1883. Its such a common object today that most of us take it for granted. Do you know how many times he is said to have tried to make a light bulb before he actually succeeded? Over a thousand times. Can you imagine the extraordinary determination it took to keep going under those circumstances, with no one believing it was possible? Its a fantastic example of a human being who wouldnt give up. This is not to imply that you may have to try a thousand times before you can see an aura! Its merely to point out that if someone like Thomas Edison can keep going without any support or encouragement, theres no reason why anyone reading this book cant start to develop their psychic skills. Unlike Edison, youll be guided, nurtured and encouraged along the whole route.