Clairaudience, or “clear hearing”, is the rare gift of psychically hearing sounds, music or voices that can manifest spontaneously or be experimentally induced. The voices, sounds or music heard by clairaudients are perceived either subjectively and internally, or objectively and externally. Clairaudience can accompany mediumship or clairvoyance, be experienced just before, after or during sleep, and even occur during past-life recalls. Authentic clairaudience appears to be more sensitive to atmospheric conditions than many extra-sensory perceptions.

The five senses all have their higher expressions. Physical hearing evolves into psychic or astral hearing, called lower clairaudience, then into higher clairaudience of the mental plane, which involves aspects of mental telepathy. Hearing also exists on planes higher than the mental plane, and on etheric levels of the physical plane, but this type of hearing is much less common. Purification of the physical, etheric and astral bodies is vital to safely developing clairaudience. Additionally, one’s motives should be unselfish and good, with both the astral and mental bodies being steady, stable and under control.

Joan of Arc, known as the Maid of New Orleans, was a French peasant girl who was guided since age thirteen by disembodied saints that only she could hear. At first, the voices were accompanied by a light, and gave the young clairaudient moral instruction. Later, the spirit voices encouraged her to participate in French political matters, with Joan ultimately leading the French against the English in armed battles, where she was wounded. Wolfgang Mozart was a musical clairaudient who wrote down the music he heard in his head, note for note.

The English clairaudient, Mrs. Marjorie Livingston was a book writer in the early 20th century, with some books being clairaudiently received. Certain books were claimed to be inspired by Apollonius of Tyana, and based on remnants of writings from the Library of Alexandria. Mrs. Estelle Roberts, who demonstrated the highest quality of mental, trance and physical mediumship in England over many years, is likely the most- tested, gifted and credible clairaudient of Modern Spiritualism.

The development of clairaudience is not devoid of danger. When clairaudience is awakened prematurely and improperly, the clairaudient’s perceptions will be greatly distorted, uncontrolled and potentially perilous in their effects. In such cases, the clairaudient can unwittingly open themselves to the unwanted hearing of the numerous evil entities, deceitful spirits, and wickedly programmed artificial elementals of the astral plane. Like in all forms of spirit contact, it’s of utmost importance to always test the spirit to see if they are of God and good. Does the message relay spiritual platitudes with little or no truthful substance, or does it communicate advanced spiritual intelligence.

Because clairaudiently-received voices can originate from either one’s subconscious mind or from a separate spiritual being, determining the source of the message is crucial. Voices that unduly praise the clairaudient, or say only that which is already known to the clairaudient, most likely come from clairaudient’s own subconscious mind. Voices that convey accurate information outside the clairaudient’s knowledge are to be encouraged.

Shell-hearing using large seashells has often been used as an effective tool to unfold clairaudience. Clairaudients use shells for focus like clairvoyants use crystals. Holding the shell to the ear, one can initially hear the roar of the sea. With development, this can lead to clairaudiently hearing other sounds, voices or music.