After 30 years of reading tarot cards and pursuing psychic development, Kerry King has learned that psychic experiences are usually fleeting, fragmented, and mundane. They are not often ghosts or visions of terrible events, but rather sudden images, names that pop into your head before a phone call, strangely relevant dreams, or gut feelings that change your route home.
King believes everyone has psychic ability. She says it is in our "factory settings," very visible in childhood, but fades into adulthood. For those who want to reveal this ability, she highlights three main signs to look out for.
1. You just know things before you know how
The most common sign is called claircognizance. You might instantly get an impression about someone you meet, know something has happened when you walk into a room, spot a fake smile from a mile away, or get an inkling whether an idea is good before hearing details.
King advises keeping a record of these impressions. For one week, write down any strong, unexplained feeling before you know if it is right. Be specific. At the end of the week, check what matched reality. This is important because memory is slippery—our brains convince us we "knew all along." A proper psychic experiment needs a paper trail.
2. Your dreams are vivid and occasionally come true
King notes that dreams bypass much of our usual mental chatter. Most fade upon waking, but occasionally a dream feels different. You might dream about someone and they contact you later that day, or see a place you later visit.
She suggests starting a dream diary. Keep a notebook beside your bed and write down whatever you remember immediately upon waking, even just a colour, person, sentence, or feeling. After a few weeks, look for recurring people, places, symbols, or themes. Notice if any details correspond with subsequent events. The conscious mind is a natural pattern-seeker, so you will likely form a narrative—and you should. Your interpretation can be the missing link that makes it meaningful.
3. Strange coincidences pursue you
These experiences are often called synchronicities—meaningful coincidences that connect events in ways that are hard to explain. Examples include thinking of someone from the past and seeing their name that afternoon, encountering a song or number pattern repeatedly, or having frequent déjà vu.
King suggests an experiment: pick a day with free time, go somewhere historic like an old building, garden, church, or museum, and take a notebook. Before starting, ask: "what do I need to notice today?" Walk around without trying to find anything. Notice where you are drawn to linger, and pay attention to sudden thoughts, names, images, or emotions. Write them down and take photographs, especially reflections in windows or glass. Later, review your notes and photos to see what stands out. The experiment is about becoming more receptive, not forcing a paranormal experience.
King believes most psychic experience is about receiving information in ways you don't always understand. What matters is learning to recognise your own signals and testing them. Keep a record, look for patterns, and notice what repeats. Be careful not to give every passing thought mystical meaning—sometimes a coincidence is just a coincidence. But occasionally, something happens that makes you stop, and that is the moment to pay attention to.
