Character Talents and Skills: ESP (Clairvoyance)

As writers, we want to make our characters as unique and interesting as possible. One way to do this is to give your character a special skill or talent that sets him apart from other people. This might be something small, like having a green thumb or being good with animals, to a larger and more competitive talent like stock car racing or being an award-winning film producer.

When choosing a talent or skill, think about the personality of your character, his range of experiences and who his role models might have been. Some talents might be genetically imparted while others are created through exposure (such as a character talented at fixing watches from growing up in his father’s watch shop) or grow out of interest (archery, wakeboarding, or magic). Don’t be afraid to be creative and make sure the skill or talent is something that works with the scope of the story.

Clairvoyance

Description: The ability to “see” a mental image or know information about a person, place or event through means outside of the senses. Some clairvoyants have visions, read auras, see colors, symbols or even spirits. This ability is commonly used to find lost things, discern information about specific individuals, places or things that one has no prior knowledge of, or to make prediction of the future. Clairvoyance often comes through Clairsentience, in which information comes through the act of feeling or touching an object; Clairaudience, in which information comes through an auditory sound or word, Clairalience, in which information comes through smells; Claircognizance, in which information comes through an intrinsic sense of knowing or intuition; or Clairgustance, in which information comes in through the ability to taste something vividly without actually consuming it.

Beneficial Strengths or Abilities: while many believe that any psychic ability is simply there or it is not, others feel it is a latent ability that any can access if willing to. Others still believe no such thing exists. For those who do believe in this discipline, having strong control over one’s mood and emotions, the ability to relax immediately and a willingness to be open to extrasensory awareness and listen to one’s intuition are all important to becoming a clairvoyant.

Character Traits Suited for this Skill or Talent: focused, calm, intuitive, determined, unbiased, helpful, diplomatic

Required Resources and Training: Learning to meditate and take in all the sensory information around oneself will increase mental clarity, acting on one’s gut will hone one’s intuition, practicing with different types of divination (tarot cards, crystals, etc.) to find one that resonates, and following hunches to see if they are correct will reinforce the pathways needed to discern extrasensory information. Continually practicing and testing oneself by handling items or paying close attention to what one feels while speaking with someone, visiting a place, etc. may also strengthen one’s intuitive responses.

Associated Stereotypes and (Mis)Perceptions:

• That most people claiming psychic abilities are fakes who are actually using mentalism to discern information
• clairvoyants are shunned by small-minded individuals
• clairvoyants have a strong affinity for nature
• clairvoyants believe in the occult

Scenarios Where this Skill Might be Useful:

• finding a missing person
• interpreting dangerous situations and people (either for one’s own interactions, or on behalf of others, such as working in a terrorist prevention task force)
• to prepare for what will come and warn others
• to find lost objects that have great importance or value (monetary, historical, power, etc.)

Resources for Further Information:

Unlocking Extra Sensory Perception (ESP)

Improve Your Clairvoyance

How to Develop Clairvoyance

You can brainstorm other possible Skills and Talents your characters might have by checking out our FULL LIST of this Thesaurus Collection. And for more descriptive help for Setting, Symbolism, Character Traits, Physical Attributes, Emotions, Weather and more, check out our Thesaurus Collections page.

Image via Antranias @ Pixabay

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