When you think of the term ‘psychic,’ many well-known names like John Edward and Theresa Caputo come to mind. Bringing the concept of the psychic world and the existence of psychic abilities into regular conversation here in the United States, their fame has opened the door for a number of interesting conversations, educating the average American on a topic that they may not have otherwise entertained.

Unfortunately, this also means that most of what the average American knows about psychics and their abilities comes solely from television and the movies. Many believe that all psychics are able to read the future, predicting everything that is going to happen long before it occurs. This creates inaccurate and unreasonable expectations, leaving people disappointed when they do have the chance to meet a psychic in person. For those that possess psychic abilities, this stereotype may be responsible for their inability to recognize their own gifts.

Psychic abilities can present themselves in a number of different ways, each unique and powerful in its own way. The first step to harnessing your psychic prowess is to identify and embrace the abilities that you have been gifted with.

Here 12 of the most common psychic abilities:

#1 – Precognition

The gift of precognition is the gift that is most recognized and associated with one having psychic abilities. This is the ability to actually see into the future, experiencing visions of upcoming events, or sensing what is to come. There are many who have claimed to be gifted with precognition throughout history, raising the question of how many people actually possess the gift versus examples of coincidence.

#2 – Intuitive

Determining whether or not someone is psychic based on a gift of intuition can be difficult, as everyone has an intuition that they follow from time to time. Those who use the psychic gift of intuition experience a more detailed sense of intuition, taking it to the next level. The message communicated through one’s intuition is far more detailed and clear for a psychic.

#3 – Clairvoyance

Clairvoyance is the gift of psychic sight, or ‘second sight’. It means that you experience some sort of extrasensory perception (ESP), such as the ability to see flashes of light or spontaneous images. This gift may also present itself in a number of different forms, including: ‘Clairalience’ or psychic smelling, ‘Clairsentience’ or psychic touching/feeling, ‘Clairaudience’ or psychic hearing, ‘Clairgustance’ or psychic tasting or ‘Claircognizance’ or psychic knowing. Often this ability is dismissed as nothing more than déjà vu.

#4 – Remote Viewing

The gift of remote viewing refers to one’s ability to shift their attention and awareness from their current location to that of a distant object or situation. This doesn’t require any type of altered consciousness or trance, allowing them to focus on another object while in their normal awakened state in real time.

#5 – Telepathy

Another psychic ability that is often portrayed in movies and on television, telepathy is the ability to communicate using solely one’s mind. This gift encompasses both the ability to send messages telepathically to another as well as the ability to receive and hear telepathic messages. It is said that those who are telepathic can actually make others feel something by use of their mind.

#6 – Aura Reading

While many psychics have the ability to see and recognize a person’s aura, the ability to read and interpret one’s aura is a gift bestowed upon a select group of people. Often described as a band of light encircling an individual, one’s aura allows someone to understand their emotional and energetic state at any given time.

#7 – Empath

Empaths are highly sensitive people, in tune with the feelings and emotions of the people around them to a level that is difficult for most to understand. They don’t just recognize the emotions in the people around them, they actually feel what others are feeling.

#8 – Divination

While a psychic with the gift of precognition is able to read the future through visions and sensing the future, those who use the gift of divination read the future through signs and rituals. This includes the ability to use powerful tools such as tarot cards and tea leaves.

#9 – Psychokinesis/Telekinesis

Psychokinesis or telekinesis refers to the ability to physically move or control an object through the use of one’s mind. This is arguably the most impressive of the psychic abilities, largely made popular by the character Jean Grey in the X-Men. Those who claim to possess this ability in the real world, however, show a much subtler gift.

#10 – Astral Projection

Astral projection refers to the ability of one’s conscious mind to physically leave their body and travel to other places through the use of the astral plane. This means that they have an out-of-body experience while awake, meditating deeply or during lucid dreaming.

#11 – Medium

The most common type of psychic to see on television, mediums are able to communicate with those that are in the spirit world. This communication may come in a number of different forms including mental impressions, images, words, energies or actual auditory messages.

#12 – Channeling

While channeling is similar to mediumship, psychics with this gift don’t just hear from those on the other side. Instead, they are able to allow a spiritual entity to use their body in order to communicate with the living. This allows higher beings to provide us with the knowledge and guidance required for spiritual growth.