If you’ve ever had a gut feeling that turned out to be true, heard a whisper of intuition, or felt deeply connected to something you couldn’t quite explain, you might be more psychically gifted than you realize. These abilities are often described as the “clairs”, a term derived from the French word clair, meaning “clear.” These gifts are ways in which we receive intuitive or psychic information beyond the physical senses.
Just as we each have physical senses like sight, sound, and touch, we also have intuitive senses. You may naturally be stronger in one or two of the clairs, or you may develop multiple as you grow spiritually.
Here’s a breakdown of the main clair senses
Clairvoyance (clear seeing)
Clairvoyance is the ability to see images, symbols, or visions in the mind’s eye. This is not always like watching a movie—it can be subtle, like daydreaming or having vivid mental pictures. Clairvoyants might receive guidance through dreams, flashes of insight, or symbolic imagery that comes during meditation or quiet moments.
Example: You might see an image of a rose when thinking about a loved one, symbolizing love or healing.
Clairaudience (clear hearing)
Clairaudience is the psychic ability to hear messages that come from the spiritual or energetic realm. These may sound like your own inner voice, or they might come through as distinct words, phrases, music, or tones. This can be subtle and internal, or occasionally external.
Example: Hearing a sudden phrase like “Go now” or “Call her” when you weren’t thinking about it before.
Clairsentience (clear feeling)
Clairsentience is the ability to feel energy, emotions, or physical sensations intuitively. Empaths often fall under this category. If you walk into a room and can immediately sense the mood, or if you “just know” how someone is feeling without them saying a word, you’re likely clairsentient.
Example: Getting a tight feeling in your chest when someone is anxious, or feeling chills when spiritual energy is near.
Claircognizance (clear knowing)
Claircognizance is a deep, sudden knowing without any logical explanation. You just know something to be true, even if there’s no evidence. This can feel like information being “dropped” into your mind out of nowhere.
Example: Having a strong certainty about a decision or situation, despite having no prior knowledge.
Clairalience (clear smelling)
Clairalience is the ability to psychically smell scents that aren’t physically present. This could be the scent of a departed loved one’s perfume, a particular flower, or something symbolic like smoke or incense.
Example: Smelling your grandmother’s favorite cookies when you’re thinking about her, even if nothing is baking.
Clairgustance (clear tasting)
Clairgustance is the ability to taste something that isn’t actually in your mouth. It’s less common but can be linked to spirit communication or memories from past lives.
Example: Tasting a specific food connected to someone who has passed, or during intuitive readings.
Discovering your own clair senses
Most people have access to more than one clair, but one or two may feel stronger or more natural. Pay attention to how you receive intuitive nudges. Do you “see” images, “feel” answers, “hear” inner messages, or just “know”? That’s a clue to your dominant psychic channels.
You can strengthen these abilities through meditation, journaling, mindfulness, energy work, and paying close attention to your intuitive hits. Like muscles, the more you use them, the more they grow.
Final Thoughts
The clairs are not rare superpowers; they are innate abilities that we all have to varying degrees. Tuning into your intuitive senses can help you make more aligned decisions, connect with spiritual guidance, and better understand yourself and the world around you.
You don’t need to be a professional psychic to experience the clairs. All it takes is openness, practice, and trust in your own inner wisdom.