Not sensitive?

[Haugatysja]

This thread was inspired by the "Anyone else feel too thick-headed to notice God/dess contact?" thread.

I work in a metaphysical bookshop and I'm around "spiritual" people all the time, mediums, sensitives and what ever you want to call them. There's talk about seeing auras, sensing spirits, getting signs etc. I don't feel anything like that at all. I don't see auras, I don't feel anything when I pick up a stone or crystal I don't sense spirits or anything. I'm a bit sensitive to energies in a room when there's a bunch of people and there's a specific "feeling" in the room. I often react to smells and can get memory flashes to when I was a kid for example, from a specific smell. During ritual (mostly solitary), I know when something is going well and it works and when it doesn't, but I don't know why.

It seems to me that everyone I meet is a sensitive, and I feel left out. I practice witchcraft and read the tarot for myself mostly, but It's all just so rational or logical to me in some way, it just works, or so I believe. There is supposedly a bunch of spirits hanging out in the shop where i work. And besides the fact that I imagine hearing noises when I'm there alone in the evening, I don't feel or see anything.

I'm trying to figure out if I'm closed of in some way, or if I'm just extremely insensitive to the supernatural. Does anyone else feel like this?

[Kylara]

This thread was inspired by the "Anyone else feel too thick-headed to notice God/dess contact?" thread.

I work in a metaphysical bookshop and I'm around "spiritual" people all the time, mediums, sensitives and what ever you want to call them. There's talk about seeing auras, sensing spirits, getting signs etc. I don't feel anything like that at all. I don't see auras, I don't feel anything when I pick up a stone or crystal I don't sense spirits or anything. I'm a bit sensitive to energies in a room when there's a bunch of people and there's a specific "feeling" in the room. I often react to smells and can get memory flashes to when I was a kid for example, from a specific smell. During ritual (mostly solitary), I know when something is going well and it works and when it doesn't, but I don't know why.

It seems to me that everyone I meet is a sensitive, and I feel left out. I practice witchcraft and read the tarot for myself mostly, but It's all just so rational or logical to me in some way, it just works, or so I believe. There is supposedly a bunch of spirits hanging out in the shop where i work. And besides the fact that I imagine hearing noises when I'm there alone in the evening, I don't feel or see anything.

I'm trying to figure out if I'm closed of in some way, or if I'm just extremely insensitive to the supernatural. Does anyone else feel like this?

 
Just a thought, but perhaps you don't sense things from a sight/touch perspective?  Looking at what you posted, you specifically mentioned that you don't see or feel things, but sometimes you know things or have scent triggered information.  Do you smell things that other people can't smell?

I don't typically see things in a visual sense.  Sometimes I feel things, though I am more likely to smell or hear something.  I also just sometimes 'know' something with no sense attached to it.  It bothered me for a long time because I kept trying to 'see' things and I really am junk at seeing.

[tihana]

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I have a strong sensitivity to scent myself. Like a wooshing movie-type flashback. Kinda like how some people love the smell of apple pies and cinnamon during the Fall? Well I REALLY like it, lol. Such good fuzzy memories.

Everybody seems to have their own strengths dealing with the senses. I can smell like a bloodhound, some have pinpoint hearing, or can see small details. I learned you have to play to your strengths. You can miss out on a lot trying to force yourself to see or hear something you probably will never be able to. You probably get that inexplicable whiff of a fragrance just for it to disappear on your next inhale? While it's not as dramatic as seeing something or grasping an items and being flooded with visuals and emotions, but it's something you can do.

[Asch]

 
The sense of smell is strongly linked to memory in most people. In many ways smell has become largely vestigial in modern peoples it's largely used for taste and determining if food is spoiled.

Considering you work in a fairly public venue it is also possible, even likely, that many of the people you encounter are bragging or exaggerating, deliberately or not, about their perceived abilities in order to save face, gain credibility, or drum up customers - particularly if they're offering services at the same venue. So take their claims with a grain of salt.

As far as your abilities or perceived lack thereof I agree with the suggestion to go with your strengths. In addition do research and practice what you learn you may be able to develop the skill/s you currently feel you lack.

[Agonistes]

I'm trying to figure out if I'm closed of in some way, or if I'm just extremely insensitive to the supernatural. Does anyone else feel like this?

That's how I feel, all the time. Most people talk about the aura and the spirit of objects. When I'm in the middle of a field surrounded by trees I definitely feel something, but it can be faint.
 
Although I lack that aspect, I know I was given the ability to read and absorb information at length. I read and read and read and wish to become a wealth of information, which I love to do, and I retain information with ease. So, this is my niche, and I accept that because I have this great capacity and I'm understanding in my lack in other areas.

Stin iyia sou

[Altair]

Considering you work in a fairly public venue it is also possible, even likely, that many of the people you encounter are bragging or exaggerating, deliberately or not, about their perceived abilities in order to save face, gain credibility, or drum up customers - particularly if they're offering services at the same venue. So take their claims with a grain of salt.

This.

I think a lot of people need to feel uber-special, not realizing that simply being themselves, being human--without paranormal bells and whistles--is the most profoundly special state of being there is. The few folks I've encountered who do indeed seem to have unusual insight really don't make a thing out of it.

So, to the original poster: I'm like you. I don't see auras, I don't have conversations with spirits, etc. My attempts at divination are muddled at best, and the things I'd count as actual paranormal insights on my part are exceedingly rare (twice? three times? in my 49 years) and completely beyond my control. That doesn't stop me from having a deep spiritual connection to the wild world around me.

That's fine by me.

[Dee]

This.

I think a lot of people need to feel uber-special, not realizing that simply being themselves, being human--without paranormal bells and whistles--is the most profoundly special state of being there is. The few folks I've encountered who do indeed seem to have unusual insight really don't make a thing out of it.

So, to the original poster: I'm like you. I don't see auras, I don't have conversations with spirits, etc. My attempts at divination are muddled at best, and the things I'd count as actual paranormal insights on my part are exceedingly rare (twice? three times? in my 49 years) and completely beyond my control. That doesn't stop me from having a deep spiritual connection to the wild world around me.

That's fine by me.

I would agree with this, I'm the same. I don't see anything special or anything but I do feel that connection.

Also I think that sometimes our 'logical' sides overpower our intuition - I know that happens to me. I struggle to listen to my instincts only, which I see as my sorta 'Witchy' side.

[Sharysa]

I'm trying to figure out if I'm closed of in some way, or if I'm just extremely insensitive to the supernatural. Does anyone else feel like this?

The "Your co-workers might be playing up their sensitivity because they need customers" advice has been stated a few times. As it is, you sound like you've got a perfectly good sense of smell and you just don't think it's "important." It's understandable since humans are visual creatures, but if you have a talent, try to figure out how to use it more efficiently.

Another note: Sensing energy/auras is nowhere near as exclusive as people say it is. After getting back in touch with my spirituality, I realized that seeing/feeling auras is a very specific form of what actors train to do: Actors need to keep the audience's attention, so they need to tune in to the audience's collective energy. When I talk to the gods, I can pick up on their energy and trust that they're listening because essentially, they're my audience.

As for my specific abilities, I don't see things--I hear them. I used to hear the Fair Folk's music drifting around, and when I walk past something that wants my attention, I hear a voice calling out to me. If you look at it from the "hearing voices might be a sign of mental illness" standpoint, then something might be wrong with me. However, a very important qualification for a mental illness is that the voices need to be intrusive, or telling you things that you know are wrong. And since the voices in my head are neither of those, then they're harmless at worst and genuine spirits at best.

The same goes for my Tarot cards, where they "talk" to me.

Considering I'm a bard, my sense of hearing would naturally be well-developed in the literal AND spiritual sense. That doesn't mean I CAN'T see auras/spirits--it's just going to take more training.

[Haugatysja]

Just a thought, but perhaps you don't sense things from a sight/touch perspective?  Looking at what you posted, you specifically mentioned that you don't see or feel things, but sometimes you know things or have scent triggered information.  Do you smell things that other people can't smell?

I don't typically see things in a visual sense.  Sometimes I feel things, though I am more likely to smell or hear something.  I also just sometimes 'know' something with no sense attached to it.  It bothered me for a long time because I kept trying to 'see' things and I really am junk at seeing.

That might be true, I react to smells and can sometimes sense things but I never see things. I don't hear things all that often, I'm not sure I have ever heard anything in a way that is out of the ordinary. But yes, it might have something to do with how we get "information" from the supernatural world.

[Haugatysja]

I have a strong sensitivity to scent myself. Like a wooshing movie-type flashback. Kinda like how some people love the smell of apple pies and cinnamon during the Fall? Well I REALLY like it, lol. Such good fuzzy memories.

 
Cool, I have been able to smell "winter" since I was a little girl. I think it was a specific smell where I lived as a kid, for some reason that smell comes back and I can be sure that winter is coming .

[Haugatysja]

Although I lack that aspect, I know I was given the ability to read and absorb information at length. I read and read and read and wish to become a wealth of information, which I love to do, and I retain information with ease. So, this is my niche, and I accept that because I have this great capacity and I'm understanding in my lack in other areas.

 Stin iyia sou

 
I'm like that too. Soon I won't have any space left in my apartment, because of all the books. On the other hand I don't always know what to do with all the information, I just think that sometimes it will come in handy.

[HeartShadow]

Cool, I have been able to smell "winter" since I was a little girl. I think it was a specific smell where I lived as a kid, for some reason that smell comes back and I can be sure that winter is coming .

 
I'm *smell-sensitive* too - sometimes I can *smell* an aura (for lack of a better way of putting it) or I get a sudden smell out of nowhere that doesn't actually exist.  I'm also VERY sensitive to actual smells, so sometimes that makes life tricky - I can smell the damn pilot light and think there's a gas leak!  (HATE THAT)

But we have the abilities we have - if it's smell, then use that!  If it's touch, taste, sight ... there's a lot of talk about sight being the *normal* one, but we've got other senses!  use 'em!