A sixth sense is an extra sense or ability that allows an individual to comprehend different aspects, determined by what that extra sense is. A healthy and average human would be gifted with sight, taste, hearing, touch, and smell. When you possess a sixth sense or potentially more, you're able to expand your consciousness in an indirect manner. Think, what would you do if you could no longer see or if you could no longer hear? We become dependent on our senses and our abilities throughout our lifetimes. Individuals with an extra sense(s) might have "rules" or "laws" that they believe in so that they don't misuse their extra sense, because it can happen. These rules or laws are usually determined by a belief or the intent of the individual who possesses it, though it's also not unheard for those individuals to feel it is a law or rule placed on them from one who is spiritually higher than them.
There are many forms of extra senses, though from my experience there are some "types" that are more common than others such as mediumship, future seeing, empathy (in extreme cases), soul reading, far-seeing, aura seeing, and a few others. There's a lot of abilities and it wouldn't be worth the time to search every single one up and share them. It would seem that most extra senses can tie together with the core five easily. For example, touching an object and seeing the energy of the past or present that object has absorbed. There are also different ways to explain how one might experience these senses and how it affects them. If you were to ask two people to explain an extra sense in-depth, it would be very likely they would both have a different way of explaining that. I will do the best I can to explain some extra senses depth.
Extreme Cases of Empathy
When I say extreme cases of empathy, I do so because every normal functioning creature has empathy of some form. Those who possess this an extra sense find it amplified several folds, until in some cases they begin to feel the emotions of everyone they encounter. This can be difficult to control in cases, varying in the strength of the ability. Going to the mall wouldn't be an option, or even watching a scary movie with your family if they're wusses. Learning to harness this ability can grant the individual relief from it. Like finally being able to close your eyes after a long day. Along with relief, you're able to create more intimate relationships with others because you can learn to open your ability more and more to those you can trust. Your advice can be strong, truthful, and guiding because you understand that person.
Some people are still sadistic even as empaths. If an empath learns to control their ability and they enjoy a particular feeling that people give if, he might go out and get people to feel that emotion. These empaths could be called psychic vampires because they immensely the feeling of that emotion. The conscience of others might not allow them to do such things. The best thing to remember is that each sense and ability is different in some manner.
Seeing the Deceased
Long have people claimed to see and communicate with the deceased, causing those who are heartbroken from recent death to go running to them. It became known that you could make money from helping the living and the dead communicate with each other once more, and this eventually introduced frauds. These individuals can report seeing the deceased in numerous different ways. Sometimes in the shape of their living body with almost a "mist" around them, or as shaped vapors or some other shape. From what I know, an individual can either hear them quite clearly or nearly not at all, however, I wouldn't want to be quoted on that. When individuals with this ability aren't able to control it, it can cause paranoia, suicidal thoughts, misdiagnosis of schizophrenia, and other side effects that some people might call you as insane for. To clarify, these are in severe cases and are not meant to sum up all of the side effects of letting this ability run wild and unchecked, because in some cases all you hear is a whisper from someone of the deceased every now and again.
Foretelling the Future
Individuals with extra senses have also reported being able to foresee the future, make predictions, and even search the future for specific things. From my experience, I have found that once you harness and control this ability, you can expand on it and before you open limitless possibilities. I can remember that a couple of years ago I was doing some research on this, and it told me of a tale where this man kept expanding his ability to see the future, he was able to directly communicate with gods in some manner. It wasn't very clear about what gods or how it was done, but interesting nonetheless and worth sharing. Individuals who aren't able to harness and control this extra sense can find themselves in a tricky situation. It's hard to say exactly what would happen, but I'm sure paranoia, constant confusion, and not being able to focus would be some side effects.
This ability offers an individual a great deal of power, and with great power comes great responsibility. If a person with this ability were to search the future for a possibility of something negative to happen to someone or something, they might be able to just make that negative possibility become a reality, wreaking havoc. Even with my in-depth research of this specific ability, it's hard to say where the limits and possibilities lie with these individuals. Even so, people have reported having dreams of loved ones dying or falling ill, only for just that to happen in a couple weeks or so. These individuals might feel obligated to warn people of what might happen for selfish reasons or out of care for others.
With all abilities, there seems to be great potential for seemingly anything to happen, and for most people they experience something "odd" in their life, be it a vapor shaped like a "ghost" wandering through the halls of an old house, or having a vision of the end of the world. When you critically think about these abilities as a whole, you can find numerous ties, or connections, that lead off in endless possibilities all through these ties and connections. That is why I have enjoyed researching this subject for nigh on eight years. It is, as I have come to call, an endless prospect, but a prospect nonetheless.
It can be easily said that those with an extra sense are truly gifted, though others may argue that they're cursed. To be gifted an extra sense or ability means you will be tested for your strength and control over them. These extra senses can affect you socially as well, you could find yourself trying to stay away from people as often as you can, or you might want to help them, or to reserve yourself to few people. It can also easily be said that these gifts affect our daily life and in some cases even more than that.
For reasons unknown to me, I felt it difficult to properly explain this. Maybe I have thought and observed what I could for too long and it's time to discuss and expand; either way, this is my contribution to the forums on Spells of Magic. I wish everyone to use this as you will, and that you enjoyed this short piece of literature, briefly explaining extra senses and abilities. If you have any questions that you think I would be able to answer pertaining to this, I invite you to message me with a subject line dictating the mail.
God bless,
Spiritus Servum