Citation: Kelly, T.M. (2014). Classification & Statistical Manual of Extrasensory Experiences. Copyright © 2014 Theresa M. Kelly, MsD. Interested professionals are welcome to Download a Complimentary Copy of the CSM-EE. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Phenomenological Features

The essential feature of the (CC) type of clairvoyance is the phenomenologically indirect knowledge of an individual, object, or event via Nature. In cases of clairvoyant cognition, an experient is retrieving information from Nature, i.e. the experient is able to “pick up on” the information recorded in Nature. The informational system from which the information originates does appear to play an intentional part in the information teleportation processes. In other words, the process is not assumed entirely evoked by the receiver, whereby possibly suggesting Natures ever-present contribution to the survival (well-being) of the experient.

Again, in regard to clairvoyant cognition, the experient is an individual capable of evoking clairvoyant processes, or allowing the occasion for Nature to evoke such processes. Here, the experient will become aware of Nature-based information (e.g. states), but should be able to clearly identify that the information did not originate in their own mind. Here the information is received and perceived by the experient, but the information did not develop from a chain of prior thoughts belonging to the experient. Instead, the information appears to “pop up,“ but is immediately associated with a specific event, object or individual other than the experient, or simply identified as not originating from the experient (Kelly, 2011b).

Mental mediumship is defined as the anomalous communication with immaterial entities most commonly referred to as discarnate spirits (i.e. ghosts) or spirit guides, which are believed to have a form of consciousness and element of personality (Irwin & Watt, 2007), or the anomalous communication with Nature, which some believe to be an aggregate of consciousness, or “universal consciousness,” assumed “friendly,” (Braud, 2011), but possessing a neutral personality (i.e. behaviors, temperament, emotions, etc.). However, anomalous communication with discarnate spirits is more commonly associated with mediumship, while the anomalous communication with Nature is more commonly associated with clairvoyance, or clairvoyant cognition. Mental mediumship typically involves a medium communicating with, or receiving information pertaining to a discarnate spirit. How-ever, other types of entity communications such as “demons” or “angels” are also commonly reported (Kelly, 2011b).

Mental mediumship is a mode of clairvoyant cognition, in that the experient is communicating with Nature or an entity that is not “physically” present. Information is transferred through intuitive, or emotional, modes or through several hallucinatory sensory modes including visual, auditory, olfaction, gustatory, and somatosensory modalities. The most common sensory modalities utilized by mediums are the audio (clairaudient) and visual (clairvoyant) modes with the occasional exception of sensory modes associated with clairsentience. Mental mediums tend to report having an open connection with Nature, or entities, or employ a spirit guide to relay information back and forth to other entities (Kelly, 2011b).

Intention Specifiers

The first set of specifiers is for identifying whether the experience was intentional or unintentional.

A. Spontaneous. This specifier applies when information appears to “pop into mind” rather than being intentionally requested by the percipient.

B. Intentional. This specifier applies when a percipient selects or specifies the type or source of information required or entity to contact (discarnate or other).

The second set of specifiers is for identifying the subconscious or conscious need or goal that is assumed to be the catalyst for initiating clairvoyant cognitive processes.

A. Adaptive. This specifier applies when information acquisition is initiated to assist the percipient in understanding and/or adapting to an individual, object, or event to which they typically have some level of emotional investment. This specifier also applies when the experient perceives information in order to assist another in under-standing and/or adapting (e.g. a sitter in regard to the loss of a loved one, a discarnate in regard to his or her own passing, etc.).

B. Decisive. This specifier applies when information acquisition is initiated to assist the percipient in coming to a decision involving an individual, object, or event in which they typically have some level of emotional investment. This specifier also applies when the experient perceives information in order to assist another in coming to a decision.

The third set of specifiers is for identifying the temporal feature of the clairvoyant cognitive experience.

A. Precognition. This specifier applies when information acquisition pertains to the potential trajectory of a future state of an individual, object, or event. In other words, when probabilistic information is perceived by an experient. This specifier includes presentiment and premonitions (i.e. where information perceived in regard to future events involves only emotional content).

B. Contemporaneous. This specifier applies when information acquisition pertains to the present/current state of a local, distant, or unseen individual, object, or event (i.e. information pertaining to real-time states).

C. Retro/Postcognition. This specifier applies when information acquisition pertains to the past state of an individual, object, or event (i.e. information pertaining to historical states that may or may not be recent, but are not current).

The fourth set of intention specifiers is for identifying the source of the information acquired.

A. Nature. This specifier applies when information acquired is not directly from a living individual (e.g. human or animal), not from a discarnate, and not from some other described single entity.

B. Discarnate. This specifier applies when information is acquired from a once living but now deceased individual (e.g. human or animal).

C. Other Entity. This specifier applies when information is acquired from an entity that has never lived in the physical sense (e.g. human or animal) but is described as living non-physically and possessing a single consciousness (e.g. angels or spirit guides that never lived as human).

The fifth set of intention specifiers is for identifying what the information perceived pertains too (i.e. the target).

A. Individual. This specifier applies when information is acquired pertaining to the experient or another individual(s) (i.e. person, animal, discarnate, entity), such as features of that individual (e.g. the individuals location, viewpoint, eye color, health, etc.).

B. Object. This specifier applies when information is acquired pertaining to an inanimate physical object(s) (e.g. a watch, necklace, home, etc.), such as features of that object (e.g. the objects current lo-cation, size, color, position, previous owner, etc.).

C. Event. This specifier applies when information is acquired pertaining to a situation (e.g. a birth, death, meeting, divorce, crime, wedding, car accident, etc.), such as features of that event (e.g. effect, consequence, issue, outcome, probability, result, state of affairs, etc.)

Development and Course

Childhood onset may present itself through dreams, visual and/or auditory hallucinations, with intuitive impressions (i.e. gut feelings, intuition) being also common. Adolescent onset primarily presents itself through visual and/or auditory hallucinations with clairvoyant dreams and intuitive impressions being also common. However, other types of hallucinations (e.g. olfactory, tactile, etc.) are less common. Adult onset primarily presents itself through clairvoyant dreams, intuitive impressions, or during crisis situations, in the form of hallucinations subconsciously deem most appropriate for notification.

Course Specifiers

These specifiers are for identifying the characteristic course of clairvoyant cognitive experiences over time.

A. Single Episode. This specifier applies when the percipient experiences a clairvoyant intuitive impression or hallucination without a prior history of episodes.

B. Episodic. This specifier applies when the percipient experiences clairvoyant intuitive impressions or hallucinations of which seem to occur irregularly and of which the duration of the experience is very momentary. An episodic hallucination may involve a quick flash of an image or an auditable single word or short phrase with the duration of the experiencing lasting only a maximum of a couple of seconds. An episodic hallucination may also involve a more “movie-like” or dynamic image or auditable whole sentences or rhymes (e.g. songs) with the duration typically lasting no longer than a few seconds. While the percipient may appear distracted during a clairvoyant cognitive episode, the experient should still be fully aware of their surroundings.

C. Continuous. This specifier applies when the percipient experiences clairvoyant intuitive impressions or hallucinations of which seem to occur in a continual manner, or when episodes are so frequent it is difficult for the percipient to determine where one episode ends and another begins (e.g. prolonged and closely spaced episodes).

Modality Specifiers

These specifiers are for identifying the characteristic mode(s) of a clairvoyant cognitive experience. In any case, some emotional in-vestment in the individual, object, or the situation on the experients, or sitters, behalf is expected.

A. Dream. Refers to clairvoyant information acquisition during sleep.

B. Intuitive Impressions/Emotional. Refers to non-hallucinatory sensations of which can be described as clairvoyantly received emotional content.

C. Auditory Hallucinations. Hallucinations of hearing/sound. Typically only involves verbal hallucinations as opposed to non-verbal hallucinations. While the origin of clairvoyant auditory hallucinations are external, they are typically perceived as internal (i.e. heard within the mind as op-posed to seemingly heard by the physical ear), and stem from an often identifiable source (e.g. Nature, discarnate, other entity).

D. Visual Hallucinations. Hallucinations of sight. Involving a perceived complexity classified as simple or complex. If the entire environment is replaced by the visual hallucination, the hallucination is classified as scenic or panoramic hallucinations. Visual hallucinations in which are located beyond the visual field (e.g. in the back of the mind, third eye vision, etc.) are classified as extracampine hallucinations. Using the perceived shape of the hallucination, visual hallucinations can be classified as formed, organized, or unformed (i.e. abstract).

E. Tactile Hallucinations. Hallucinations of pressure and touch. Can include a wide range of sensations from a pat on the shoulder, a knee injury, a blow to the head, or hot and cold sensations. Tactile hallucinations are classified based on the type of sensation experience (e.g. painful sensations are classified as pain hallucinations; temperature sensations are classified as thermal/thermic hallucinations).

F. Somatic Hallucinations. Hallucinations from inside the body (e.g. heart, lungs, sensations within the limbs, stomach e.g. nausea). Also known as somatosensory hallucinations.

G. Olfactory Hallucinations. Hallucinations of smell. These hallucinations are typically extrinsic where the localization of the smell is outside of the body (e.g. the smell of tobacco, fumes from a fire, flowers and grass in a park, the perfume of a loved one, etc.).

H. Gustatory Hallucinations. Hallucinations of taste. May include a wide range of taste sensations classified as bitter, sour, sweet, “disgusting,” etc., but can be classified in more specific terms (e.g. tobacco, garlic, salt, blood, etc.).

I. Compound. Several modalities are involved, in which case each mode involved should be noted.

Associated Mental Health Findings

Mental health disorders somewhat common in experients of clairvoyant cognition include: Alcohol and/or Substance Abuse/Dependence; Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder; Depressive Disorder; Generalized Anxiety Disorder; Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; Panic Disorder with or without Agoraphobia, and Sleep Disorder (Kelly, 2011b).

Associated Medical Condition Findings

Physical medical conditions somewhat common in experients of clairvoyant cognition can include: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic Pain and Neurological Disorders (Asperger’s Syndrome, Autism, Myalgia, Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity, Fibromyalgia, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Myofascial Pain Syndrome, Sensory Processing Disorder, Temporomandibular Joint Disorder, etc.), Diabetes, Digestive Disorders, Food Allergies/Sensitivities, Hyperthyroidism, and Hypoglycemia (Kelly 2011b).

Differential Classification

A wide variety of extrasensory phenomena can present with similar phenomenology. These include:

• Empathy. Applied when there is evidence to support that emotional con-tent is the only type of content perceived by the percipient. However, if other informational content is involved, the experience should be classified as clairvoyance.
• Psychometry. Applied when clairvoyant cognitive experiences are limited to the experient obtaining information pertaining to objects.
• Clairvoyant Interaction. Applied when there is evidence to support that the percipient appears to be occupied by another entity’s consciousness or subject to controlled behavior (e.g. automatism, xenoglossy), discarnate or otherwise.
• Clairvoyant Interaction. Applied when there is evidence to support physical mediumship or psychopompic activity.
• Clairvoyant Simulation. Applied when there is evidence to support that the percipient is a participant in regard to information acquisition or shifting prob-ability to create an accommodating effect.
• Telepathy. Applied when there is evidence to support that information is obtained directly from a living organism (e.g. human or animal), rather than obtaining information about an individual from Nature, a discarnate, or other type of single consciousness entity. Information received telepathically is typically in first-person, second-person, or “direct,” while information received clairvoyantly is typically in third-person or “indirect.” (e.g. if the percipient receives information described “as though they are looking through the eyes of another individual,” this would be classified as telepathy. However, if the percipient describes receiving the information “as though they are looking at the individual and the individual’s surroundings,” this would be classified as clairvoyance. In a similar circumstance, if an individual becomes aware of an ailment in their own body, or the body of another individual, but no other individual was aware of the physical ailment, then this would be classified as clairvoyance. This is because telepathy is mind-to-mind communication, not mind-to-body communication, and telepathy must include at least two living individuals, and because the knowledge of the ailment did not originate from another mind.).
• Mental Mediumship. Applied when there is evidence to support that information is obtained from only a non-physically living being (i.e. discarnate), as clairvoyant cognition refers to other types of sources of information.

Citation: Kelly, T.M. (2014). Classification & Statistical Manual of Extrasensory Experiences. Copyright © 2014 Theresa M. Kelly, MsD. Interested professionals are welcome to download a complimentary copy of the CSM-EE. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.