Discover and Develop Your Latent Psychic Powers - Yes, You!

I was drawn to this book for two reasons. One is that, while I do have psychic abilities (as we all do), I felt that I’d never really devoted myself to developing them deliberately. Two, because the author is Ellen Dugan, and I love her down-to-earth and humorous writing style. The Natural Psychic definitely doesn’t disappoint.

Dugan, whose psychic talents manifested strongly beginning in her childhood, has written a clear and comprehensive guide to psychic abilities and practices. She says that she wanted to present “a nondenominational approach to psychic development,” because all of the works she had read over the years were clouded with myth and dogma.

She begins by describing the various types of psychic abilities. The reader is given not only the definitions, but also ideas about what it’s like to experience each ability. In my case, I was able to identify the talents that I’ve been working with for years. I had long considered myself an empath, and to learn that the psychic skill associated with it is called clairsentience (or clear feeling) was somewhat of a revelation.

If, after you’ve read and digested the descriptions of the various types of abilities, you’re still unclear where your own talents might lie, Dugan offers an exercise that will help. She guides the reader through four days of homework intended to give you a greater understanding of each ability, and to help you pinpoint your own psychic abilities. She follows that up with further ideas for psychic training, all of which I found useful and eye-opening.

Included in this detailed manual is some no-nonsense information on being a medium, one who can speak with the dead. In Dugan’s experienced opinion, you either are a medium, or you’re not. She tells the story of how she discovered her own abilities in this area, which came as a shock to her even though she had been using her other psychic talents for years.

Also included are chapters on the basics of doing psychic readings with Tarot cards, how and when to use psychic defense techniques, and descriptions of other psychic phenomena. One area that I found interesting was the concept of “SLIders.” Have you ever heard of this? It stands for “Street Lamp Interference Data Exchange Receivers.” Dugan writes, “SLI experiences typically involve the unexplained malfunction of electronic devices or the blowing out of light bulbs and street lamps around a specific individual on a regular basis.” Although I’d never heard of it by this name, I have experienced this phenomenon before. One friend in particular can’t wear watches or use cell phones, and is extremely hard on computers due to his personal energy field.

The Natural Psychic is both comprehensive and practical. Dugan includes a full glossary of terms and resources for further reading. The book is packed with personal stories that show how various psychic talents and phenomena can manifest in daily life, as well as tips and exercises for working with your own abilities. I found it fun to read and useful in my own life. If you’re at all curious about your potential psychic talents, this book is the place to start.

~review by Nikki Starcat Shields

Author: Ellen Dugan
Llewellyn Worldwide, 2015
pp.183, $16.99