Expert: Justin Choo - 1/19/2006

Question
Hello, how are you!

How do you think is it possible to develop the sixth sense, or maybe  some people just have it and others don't? Have you ever heard of people who made use of the sixth sense and did some extraordinary things? thanks!

Answer
Hi Luke,

Welcome back.

We all have experience(s) of some uncanny "abilities" of some sort during instances in our lives.  Examples: Feeling of certain events that will happen next.  Familiarity of certain place during our first visit.  Familiarities during dreams.  Extraordinary feeling in certain places, especially in errie locations.  Some have the "ability" to "see" and "communicate" with spirits.  While others could foretell the future.

These are the extraordinary characteristics that we brought from our past lives.  They are usually residual remnants of little significance.

A lot of people misuse these "special abilities" to make a fast buck from ignorant and greedy people.  Of course we also have bogus healers and seers.  In "black magic", you can acquire these abilities through "communicating with and controlling of" some lower spirits.  However this is a very dangerous practice because once the person loses power and control over these spirits, he is in for trouble.   

In Buddhist meditation, when one is pure and has cultivated to a certain degree in mind concentration, one may acquire certain mind power or as you call it, the sixth sense.

Please remember that the Buddha taught only the truth and the path to inner peace, by seeing the true nature of this world and this life.  We strive on to check our defilements and improve our lives through purification of our minds by reducing our greed, hatred and delusion.  Whether we have the sixth sense or not is actually irrelevant.

Smile from justinchoo :-)