The Eight Clairs
| Ability | Meaning | How it shows up |
|---|---|---|
| Clairvoyance | clear seeing | Images, symbols, colours or scenes in the mind's eye |
| Clairaudience | clear hearing | Words, sounds, music or an inner voice |
| Clairsentience | clear feeling | Emotions or physical sensations from people and places |
| Claircognizance | clear knowing | Sudden certainty without a logical reason |
| Clairalience | clear smelling | Scents with no physical source |
| Clairgustance | clear tasting | Tastes with no physical source |
| Clairtangency | clear touching | Information from touching objects (psychometry) |
| Clairempathy | clear emotion | Feeling another person's emotions as your own |
The Four Main Clairs
Most readers focus on four: clairvoyance (seeing), clairaudience (hearing), clairsentience (feeling) and claircognizance (knowing). Many people relate to one or two strongly. Take our Am I psychic? test to see which experiences feel familiar.
Other Psychic Abilities
| Ability | Description |
|---|---|
| Mediumship | Communicating with spirits of people who have passed — see medium readings |
| Precognition | Knowing about events before they happen, often via dreams |
| Telepathy | Sensing another person's thoughts |
| Psychometry | Reading information from objects (clairtangency) |
| Aura reading | Sensing energy fields and colours — see aura reading |
| Remote viewing | Perceiving distant places or events |
Are Psychic Abilities Real?
Scientific studies haven't confirmed psychic abilities, and many experiences can be explained by intuition, pattern recognition or coincidence. Many people still find the clairs a helpful language for describing their intuitive experiences. See are psychics real?.
How Psychics Use Their Abilities in Readings
Professional readers often combine a natural clair with tools: a clairvoyant might use tarot imagery; a clairsentient might focus on the emotional tone of a situation. When choosing a psychic, look for the abilities they list on their profile.
Whispered Questions
What are the 4 main psychic abilities?
Clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience and claircognizance.
What is the rarest psychic ability?
Readers often describe clairalience (smell) and clairgustance (taste) as less common.
Can psychic abilities be learned?
Many teachers believe intuition can be strengthened with practice; see our development exercises.
Dear seeker,
Your first sitting needn't cost a thing. New PsychicBook customers receive ten free minutes and half price on the remainder of their first session — ample time to ask what weighs on your heart.
— The Séance Parlour