Clairsentience, also known as clear feeling, is the ability to feel the present, past or future physical and emotional states of others without the use of the normal five senses. Those who possess this ability are able to pick up on the energies, emotions, and sensations of others. They can feel what other people are feeling physically and emotionally, even if they are not present with them. Some associate clairsentience with being an empath.
The word clairsentience comes from the French words “clair,” meaning clear, and “sentience,” meaning feeling. So a clairsentient person has clear feeling abilities beyond the normal physical senses. This is considered a psychic ability by many in the paranormal world. However, a biblical perspective provides some important insights on this phenomenon.
What Does the Bible Say About Clairsentience?
The Bible does not directly mention the term “clairsentience.” However, Scripture gives us principles that can help us evaluate practices like these that come from outside the Christian worldview.
First, the Bible affirms that God sovereignly gives different gifts and abilities according to His will and for His purposes (1 Cor 12:7-11). Some people are extraordinarily discerning and perceptive when it comes to understanding the feelings and motives of others. This kind of spiritual gift is mentioned in passages like 1 Cor 2:15 and Heb 5:14. However, the ability to supernaturally sense feelings at a distance or to pick up on past or future emotions by psychic means is not listed among the spiritual gifts in the New Testament.
Second, the Bible condemns occult practices that seek to supernaturally access hidden knowledge or give powers only God possesses. Passages like Deut 18:9-12 and Lev 19:31 warn against activities like divination, sorcery, witchcraft, spell-casting, mediumship, and spirit channeling. While some psychics attribute clairsentience to natural human intuition and empathy, many in the New Age movement associate it with tapping into the divine consciousness or energy fields around people to psychically discern information.
Third, Scripture calls us to evaluate spiritual experiences carefully and hold them to the light of God’s truth (1 John 4:1-3). 1 Cor 12:10 says the gift of distinguishing between spirits is needed to discern whether a teaching or ability is truly from the Holy Spirit. Any spiritual experience that contradicts the clear teaching of Scripture or that fails to align with God’s character revealed in the Bible should be rejected.
Overall, a truly biblical perspective would be cautious about accepting clairsentience as a supernaturally-given ability to feel at a distance. Discernment and perception are God-given gifts, but we are not omniscient. For followers of Christ, our focus should be on developing discernment and empathy out of love for God and others, not seeking psychic or occult powers (Phil 1:9-10).
Dangers of Clairsentience
Attempting to develop psychic sensory abilities can be spiritually dangerous. Here are some concerns:
- Contacts spirit guides: Those seeking to unlock clairsentient abilities often attempt to contact their spirit guides or divining spirits. This is extremely dangerous from a biblical perspective (Lev 20:27). Only the Holy Spirit should be our guide according to Scripture.
- Opens one up to deception: Relying on subjective psychic feelings leaves one open to deceiving spirits and false guidance (1 Tim 4:1). It can distort one’s discernment and impair spiritual wisdom and judgment.
- Feeds unhealthy obsession: An obsession with developing and relying on psychic senses can lead to an unhealthy introspection and self-absorption. It can become a distracting spiritual “dependencies that compete with one’s commitment to Christ (1 Cor 6:12).
- Leads people away from God: Clairsentient practices tend to lead people into New Age philosophies that deny biblical truths. Instead of looking to the Holy Spirit, it encourages looking within oneself and trusting one’s own feelings for guidance and revelation..
Rather than seeking clairsentient abilities, Christians should pursue the development of spiritual fruits like love and joy (Gal 5:22-23) and spiritual gifts like mercy, teaching, generosity and discernment (Rom 12:6-8). These strengthen our relationship with God and others in a healthy, biblical way.
Clairsentient Accounts in the Bible
There are no clear examples of clairsentience in the Bible. Some point to Jesus’ supernatural knowledge, like knowing Nathanael before meeting him (John 1:45-49) or knowing the Samaritan woman’s history (John 4:4-19). However, sensing information at a distance through psychic means is never attributed to Jesus. His knowledge came from His divine identity as the Son of God.
Others point to the apostle Peter sensing the deception of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11. However, Scripture does not indicate Peter used psychic discernment. More likely, this was an example of the gift of distinguishing between spirits (1 Cor 12:10) and the Holy Spirit revealing the truth to Peter.
In the Old Testament, some suggest that Elisha exercised clairsentience in passages like 2 Kings 5 and 6, where he knew Gehazi’s actions at a distance and saw the Syrian army’s plans. Again, however, ESP is never mentioned. Elisha was a prophet uniquely endowed with God’s spiritual power and insight.
While Scripture records times when God gave people unique spiritual perception into motives and situations, this was presented as revelation from the Holy Spirit. There are no clear examples where psychic ability is attributed to someone through clairsentience.
A Biblical Response to Clairsentience Claims
How should Christians respond to those who claim to have clairsentient or psychic abilities to feel at a distance?
- Test the spirits (1 John 4:1). Look for confirming evidence that the ability is truly from God.
- Compare it to Scripture (Acts 17:11). God will not contradict His Word.
- Watch for doctrinal “red flags” (2 John 9-11). Psychic practices often accompany New Age teachings.
- Evaluate the fruit (Matthew 7:15-23). True spiritual gifts build others up.
- Guard your heart (Prov 4:23). Do not open your spirit to unreliable sources.
- Pray for discernment (Phil 1:9-10). Seek God’s wisdom, not psychic guidance.
- Invest in spiritual disciplines (2 Pet 1:5-8). Build your relationship with God on biblical truth.
The safest approach is to focus on developing the qualities and gifts affirmed in Scripture rather than looking to questionable sources of supernatural power and knowledge.
Developing Healthy Discernment
Rather than seeking psychic abilities, Christians should pursue discernment and wisdom from the Holy Spirit. Here are some biblical ways to develop deeper discernment:
- Pray for the Holy Spirit’s leading (John 14:17; Acts 1:8).
- Study and memorize Scripture (Ps 119:9-11; 2 Tim 3:16-17).
- Practice hearing God’s voice through His Word (John 10:27).
- Spend time listening in prayer (Eccl 5:2).
- Seek counsel from spiritually mature believers (Prov 1:5).
- Observe people’s lives and fruit over time (Matt 7:16).
- Ask questions to understand motives and perspectives (Prov 18:13).
- Look for confirmation from wise counsel or Scripture (2 Cor 13:1).
- Renew your mind by God’s truth, not the world’s thinking (Rom 12:2).
As we stay connected to the Holy Spirit through prayer, Scripture, and biblical community, He promises to give us discernment attuned to His will.
Cautions for Christians
For Christians seeking greater discernment, here are some important cautions:
- Avoid trusting subjective feelings or hunches (Jer 17:9). Measure against Scripture.
- Don’t act without confirmation from wise counsel or God’s Word (Prov 11:14).
- Don’t assume you know others’ thoughts or motives (1 Cor 2:11). Seek to understand.
- Keep your thoughts captive to Christ (2 Cor 10:5). Don’t entertain deceptive ideas.
- Stay humble and teachable (1 Cor 8:2). You never “arrive” in discernment.
- Realize your perceptions can be fallible (1 Cor 13:12). We only know in part.
- Seek unity in Christ (1 Cor 1:10). Discernment should build up others.
- Act and speak in love (Eph 4:15). Discernment without love is worthless.
Healthy discernment happens in community, based on God’s Word, aimed at building others up in love. This protects us from deception and prideful judgment of others.
Discerning Clairsentience from Soulish Intuition
Natural perception and “gut feelings” can seem like clairsentience but have different roots. Here’s how to discern soulish intuition from supernatural discernment:
- Check your physical state: Fatigue, stress, and hunger can influence perceptions. Get enough rest, care for your body, and reduce anxiety.
- Examine assumptions and biases: Experiences and worldview filter how you interpret situations. Ask God to reveal blind spots.
- Look at reasoning: Logical leaps, reading between the lines, or guessing motives can feel like “sensed” intuition. Stick to facts.
- Evaluate circumstance: Certain people or contexts naturally evoke stronger gut reactions for you. Consider this.
- Give grace: People have good and bad days. Avoid reading too much into one interaction.
- Wait for confirmation: Give feelings time to settle and solidify before acting. Get counsel.
While intuition isn’t infallible, discernment guided by God’s truth and Spirit can develop “senses trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil” (Heb 5:14).
Cultivating Healthy Empathy
Rather than seeking clairsentience, Christians can cultivate empathy guided by biblical truth. Here’s how:
- Spend time daily in God’s presence through prayer and Scripture.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to give you His compassionate heart for people.
- Listen well without judgment or interruption.
- Observe body language for unspoken cues.
- Study people and practice identifying different emotions and needs.
- Suspend your own assumptions to see life from their perspective.
- Identify people’s sufferings and imagine what they might feel like.
- Think about how you would want to be treated in their situation.
- Offer help in appropriate ways when you sense people are in need.
As we walk in step with God’s Spirit, He develops His heart of understanding and compassion in us in a natural, healthy way.
Warnings Signs of Clairsentient Influence
While Scripture does not confirm clairsentience as a gift of the Holy Spirit, discernment and wisdom are biblical gifts that can be distorted. Here are some warning signs that spiritual deception may be influencing your perception of others:
- You experience frequent dark or hopeless feelings with no identifiable cause.
- You struggle to separate your own thoughts and feelings from those you sense about others.
- You feel compelled to act on intuitive feelings without confirmation.
- You find your ability isolating you instead of building relationships.
- You obsess over developing psychic senses more than biblical discernment.
- You feel superior to those who don’t have the same abilities.
- You struggle with fears of spiritual attacks or demonic oppression.
- You find yourself relying more on psychic impressions than God’s Word and prayer.
If you notice these patterns, seek counsel from mature believers and re-ground yourself in Scripture and Christian community. The Holy Spirit guides us into greater love and truth, not isolation or darkness.
Guarding Your Heart
The Bible strongly warns against opening yourself up to unknown spiritual influences. Christians seeking discernment should be very guarded about what they expose their minds and spirits to. Here are some precautions:
- Avoid books, websites, or videos with New Age, occult, or psychic content. These can introduce deception (2 John 1:7-11).
- Be very selective about what you meditate or visualization practices you engage in. Many can invite demonic influence.
- Don’t try channeling unknown spirits, astral projection, or medium experiences that God condemns (Lev 19:31).
- Avoid “spirit guides,” “animal totems,” or any spiritual mentor besides the Holy Spirit.
- Don’t open your mind in unclear or uncontrolled ways seeking spiritual insights.
- Test any spiritual impression against God’s Word and reject anything contrary to Scripture.
- Fill your mind and spirit with godly truth that drives out deception (2 Cor 10:5).
By guarding your heart and mind and testing everything carefully, you can avoid the dangerous deceptions that often accompany psychic practices.
Pursuing Spiritual Discernment God’s Way
Rather than looking to clairsentience, Christians should pursue true spiritual discernment that comes from the Holy Spirit and God’s Word. Here are some biblical steps to grow in discernment:
- Study biblical examples of discernment (Acts 5:1-11, 16:16-18).
- Pray for wisdom and discernment (James 1:5, Philippians 1:9).
- Meditate on Scripture daily (Psalm 119:15, 99).
- Train your senses through practice and experience (Hebrews 5:14).
- Depend on the Holy Spirit’s leading and confirmation (Romans 8:14).
- Seek counsel and accountability from mature believers (Proverbs 1:5, 11:14).
- Carefully test impressions against God’s Word and character (1 John 4:1, 1 Thess 5:21).
- Evaluate the spiritual fruits in yourself and others (Matthew 7:15-23).
As we stay grounded in God’s truth and Spirit, He will develop His discernment in us in healthy, biblical ways.
Conclusion
Clairsentience involves seeking extrasensory perception of feelings and emotions through psychic means. While intriguing, a biblical worldview calls us to cautious discernment about such practices. Scripture affirms true spiritual gifts of wisdom and discernment from the Holy Spirit. But it condemns occult efforts that open one’s spirit to deception. For Christians, the wise course is to seek discernment based on God’s Word, not unbiblical sources of supernatural power and knowledge. By testing everything carefully and staying grounded in biblical community and truth, we can grow in spiritual perception God’s way.