SP writes: “With demonic activity on the rise with support from the left and the media (i.e. TV shows “Lucifer,” “Long Island Medium,” etc.), I wondered if it is possible for one to be a legitimate clairvoyant and be Christian as well. Is it possible for ANYONE to be clairvoyant? Are there those who can “see” into other’s minds, solve crimes, etc.? If so, is this a “gift” from our LORD or always demonic in origin. Scripture is clear that occult activity is an abomination to GOD. But is it possible that certain kinds of clairvoyant ability is GOD’s will?”This is an excellent question because it highlights the confusion that exists between clairvoyance and authentic Christian prophecy.
According to Dictionary.com, the definition of a clairvoyant is “having or claiming to have the power of seeing objects or actions beyond the range of natural vision.”
Persons who fit this description are often referred to as psychics, telepaths, empaths, prophets, visionaries, diviners, fortune tellers, mediums, or seers.
We know from Scripture that God does give some people these abilities, as evidenced in the lives of the great prophets such as Daniel, Jeremiah, and Isaiah. We also know of several instances where Our Lady appeared and made predictions to seers that later came true.
Although these might seem like clairvoyant activities, our saints are actually exercising the charism of prophecy. As the Catechism confirms in No. 2115: “God can reveal the future to his prophets or to other saints.”
Because the Church has sainted many of its most celebrated mystics such as St Catherine of Siena and St Theresa of Avila, we know that the Church recognizes these abilities. She understands that a person may have a spontaneous dream or some kind of powerful impression concerning an event that eventually occurs. But in these cases, the person did not seek the information, invoke spirits or use occult techniques to make it happen.
Does this mean people can be “naturally clairvoyant?”
Believe it or not, St. Thomas Aquinas addressed this very question in his Summa Theologiae when he considered whether prophecy can be natural. In this section, he acknowledges that certain people might possess a natural disposition that enables them to anticipate future events, but he distinguishes this into two separate categories of foreknowledge.
First, he considers natural foreknowledge, which is when a person anticipates an event by recognizing causes, patterns, or subtle indications that other people overlook. For example, a trained physician predicting the course of an illness.
Second, would be supernatural knowledge which concerns future events that cannot be discerned from existing causes or clues. Aquinas asserts that this cannot arise from human nature alone, but requires divine revelation.
Thus, he concluded: "Prophecy strictly so called cannot be from nature, but only from Divine revelation." (Summa II-II, Question 172, Article 1)
As we're warned in No. 2115, “ . . . [A] sound Christian attitude consists in putting oneself confidently into the hands of Providence for whatever concerns the future, and giving up all unhealthy curiosity about it. Improvidence, however, can constitute a lack of responsibility.”
We're not supposed to be overly curious about the future because it can lead to the kind of carelessness the Catechism warns about. It has led many into becoming psychics who put their abilities to the wrong use. Instead of carrying authentic messages from God to His people, the clairvoyant begins to predict the future for anyone who asks, often charging fees or seeking media attention by claiming to solve crimes (which never happens, by the way - see Can Psychics Really Solve Crimes?) This person is not working for the Lord, but for themselves, and is tapping into demonic powers for the source of their information.
This is unlike the genuine “prophet” who depends solely on God for visions and accepts them whenever God chooses to reveal them. A genuine prophet always works on God’s terms rather than his or her own.
But what about when the clairvoyant’s prediction comes true? Doesn’t that mean their information came from God?
No! Consider the story of the slave girl with the “oracular spirit” in Acts 16:16-18. She had these gifts and used them to bring profit to her owners through fortune-telling. The girl began to follow Paul around, shouting, “These people are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.” She did this for many days until Paul finally had enough and, in the name of Jesus Christ, commanded the spirit to come out of her – which it did.
Satan was using the girl to give accurate information. Although Satan cannot see into the future, he can make much more accurate predictions based on observation than we can. And because the slave girl was not prophesying for God, but for her own and her masters' selfish gain, the Lord allowed her to be fooled.
Jesus warned us that “many false prophets will arise and deceive many” (Matt 24:11) which is why we are instructed to “test the spirits” (1 John 4:1).
Authentic prophecy is always sourced in God; clairvoyance is always sourced in evil.
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