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[INFJ] Psychic INFJ's?

shadowstormz

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Oct 16, 2007
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22
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David Keirsey said:
It is an INFJ who is likely to have visions of human events past, present, or future. If a person demonstrates an ability to understand psychic phenomena better than most others, this person is apt to be an INFJ. Characteristically, INFJs have strong empathic abilities and can be aware of another's emotions or intents even before that person is conscious of these. This can take the form of feeling the distress of illnesses of others to an extent which is difficult for other types. INFJs can intuit good and evil in others, although they seldom can tell how they came to know. Subsequent events tend to bear them out, however.

Now I don't mean to come off as one of those introverts who think they're psychic because of their very strong desire to be, but I've had numerous psychic experiences. They weren't intentional, controlled, or defy the laws of physics, but I believe that Keirsey has a point. When I took the MBTI, I was surprised to see psychic as one of the descriptions just like anyone else, but I found it described me even more accurately nonetheless.

So why kind of psychic, mystic abilities do I possess? Well if you're imagining me as a stereotypical crystal ball baring psychic in a travelling caravan, you'd be wrong. (Hope I didn't offend anyone with that last sentence.) What I have experienced though is the uncanny ability to read feelings, personalities, experiences, and intentions. Perhaps it doesn't live up to the 'I can read your thoughts' hype of being a psychic, but I do believe this counts. (Who knows, there might be people who can read thoughts word for word?) On numerous occasions, my friends claim they feel that, compared to all their other friends, I could understand their experiences, an extended type of empathy if you will, as if I was sharing my feelings of their experience when the experience was being verbally shared with me. In other instances, I could predict what someone will do based on how I perceived his/her personality, their feelings, etc.

This may explain my desire to always get people to open up to me. Perhaps it's just the desire of feeling useful, but perhaps it was just a natural way of exercising this ability. I believe this psychic empathy is different from normal empathy compared to others is that I was never always able to connect at that level earlier in life (although I don't believe I have the ability anymore). It was as if the ability was practised and performed with increasing strength. I believe that it's a skill that one needs to practise in order to experience to its full potential by having people open themselves up to yourself and trying to deeply empathize with them. Prior to a life-changing event for myself, I took the cliche 'put yourself in another person's shoes' as a personal task I'd consider and perform in every action and every shared experience, taking myself and deeply imagining that I had gone through the same experience.

Anyway, let me hear your thoughts. What's your opinion and take on the psychic aspect of INFJ's? Share your own psychic experience if any. :nice:
 

Athenian200

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Now I don't mean to come off as one of those introverts who think they're psychic because of their very strong desire to be, but I've had numerous psychic experiences. They weren't intentional, controlled, or defy the laws of physics, but I believe that Keirsey has a point. When I took the MBTI, I was surprised to see psychic as one of the descriptions just like anyone else, but I found it described me even more accurately nonetheless.

So why kind of psychic, mystic abilities do I possess? Well if you're imagining me as a stereotypical crystal ball baring psychic in a travelling caravan, you'd be wrong. (Hope I didn't offend anyone with that last sentence.) What I have experienced though is the uncanny ability to read feelings, personalities, experiences, and intentions. Perhaps it doesn't live up to the 'I can read your thoughts' hype of being a psychic, but I do believe this counts. (Who knows, there might be people who can read thoughts word for word?) On numerous occasions, my friends claim they feel that, compared to all their other friends, I could understand their experiences, an extended type of empathy if you will, as if I was sharing my feelings of their experience when the experience was being verbally shared with me. In other instances, I could predict what someone will do based on how I perceived his/her personality, their feelings, etc.

This may explain my desire to always get people to open up to me. Perhaps it's just the desire of feeling useful, but perhaps it was just a natural way of exercising this ability. I believe this psychic empathy is different from normal empathy compared to others is that I was never always able to connect at that level earlier in life (although I don't believe I have the ability anymore). It was as if the ability was practised and performed with increasing strength. I believe that it's a skill that one needs to practise in order to experience to its full potential by having people open themselves up to yourself and trying to deeply empathize with them. Prior to a life-changing event for myself, I took the cliche 'put yourself in another person's shoes' as a personal task I'd consider and perform in every action and every shared experience, taking myself and deeply imagining that I had gone through the same experience.

Anyway, let me hear your thoughts. What's your opinion and take on the psychic aspect of INFJ's? Share your own psychic experience if any. :nice:

You know, I actually have had one of the "mystical experiences" that people associate with INFJ's. One particularly odd one was when I was younger (about seven), and I heard or saw something say that I was going to die in an hour. I got really scared and told my mother. We were going somewhere in the car, and she drove carefully. About an hour after I said this, according to her, we were stopped at a traffic light. The light turned green, and she was so worried about me that she hesitated to go. At this moment, a truck sped through the red light. She thinks it was going so quickly (about 60 mph) that it would have been deadly. The weirdest thing about this was that I didn't know how to tell time yet.

Also, I occasionally know who's calling before they call, or can sense that someone is going to contact me at a specific time online. (although that could just be deja vu at work.) I also seem to resonate with certain people, pick up on something about them, and have a vague idea of what they're like inside. It's not exact or perfect, but I do have a sort of sense. I've also noticed that some types other than INFJ, mostly IN's, seem have similar things happen to them, so I'm really not sure that it's just an INFJ thing.
 

proteanmix

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I've also noticed that some types other than INFJ, mostly IN's, seem have similar things happen to them, so I'm really not sure that it's just an INFJ thing.

Honestly, I don't think it's a INFJ thing or an IN thing. It's like experiencing deja vu, everyone gets these "feelings." Because someone stuck it in an INFJ description it's something only INFJs experience, now? Have you never read Ladies Home Journal?
 

Kiddo

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I generally don't really believe in the whole psychic thing. When I was a child my mother, would always say that I must have an "old soul" because I would say things very unlike what a child would say, and even now I occasionally get accused of "knowing beyond my years." But I think that has a lot more to do with how I interpret the world, which can often come across as some sort of wisdom because I've always been very good at discerning the truth from any given situation.
 

cascadeco

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Well, I tend to agree, I don't know that what's being discussed is exclusive to INFJ. (Also, I don't really 'believe' the whole psychic/paranormal thing necessarily (i.e. new age type stuff) - I won't reject it immediately, but without my experiencing it or seeing the 'proof', what can I say, I'm skeptical)

My friend, who is also an INFJ, and I have discussed the concept of 'knowing' what a person might do next, or what they might say. We don't think it's anything to do with psychic stuff at all - it's more that we both pick up on tiny behavioral details, and **remember** them, and detect behavioral patterns, and assimilate all of the little details, even seemingly unrelated, and they become cohesive (a lot of this is subconscious I think...I'm just trying to put in words what is more of a 'vibe'/catalogue/indexing process I go through)....and aside from your more 'complex' people, it can be pretty easy to 'predict' what someone is going to do or say, or what choices they'll make. (My friend does this too, by the way -- she basically says -- 'People think I'm super intuitive and are amazed at how I 'know' things, but really all it is is I have a really good memory, and remember details of what people did 2 yrs ago -I don't forget'). So, we both might be able to predict what will happen, simply because we gather lots of info/details, assimilate patterns, and then 'know' what will happen. Or, I 'know' someone is going to send me an email response within 1 hour, vs 5 days, because I know that person, and I've seen a pattern emerge. Or I 'know' what the content of the email will be, because I know what's going on in their life, and how they tend to react to things, and what the previous 10 exchanges have been like...etc.

But --> I think everyone can, and does, do this to some degree; I think it just comes with knowing people well, and perhaps INFJ's just tend to pick up on all of that stuff faster than most (especially tiny nuances in behavior/expression) - it's more of a 'skill' that comes naturally, and I think a lot of it isn't even something I consciously do. I guess I don't think it's terribly 'unique' - it just comes with knowing people, and again, I think a lot of people do this.
 

Carebear

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Thinking about someone right before they call is most likely just a result of how the human brain works. We think about people we know regularly, almost subconsciously, but don't put any significance to this, and since we filter thoughts according to significance, we don't store it. When people we know on occasion do call us, we'll immediately see any thought about the person the last 15 or so minutes as very significant, and think it happened only then, and just because the person was planning to call. That's the most likely explanation of what happens, so why assume something paranormal is at work?

That said, I still do believe INFJs have "psychic" abilities and have seen them at work, but only in the sense that they're ultra-sensitive to the patterns behind the patterns of human interaction, so they'll often be able to see hidden motives and predict a persons next thoughts and actions even when the person himself might not be totally aware of them yet. It's not about paranormal powers, but about picking up on extremely subtle details and intuitively seeing these in relation to the picture people try to portray.
 

Kiddo

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[...] it's more that we both pick up on tiny behavioral details, and **remember** them, and detect behavioral patterns, and assimilate all of the little details, even seemingly unrelated, and they become cohesive (a lot of this is subconscious I think...I'm just trying to put in words what is more of a 'vibe'/catalogue/indexing process I go through)....and aside from your more 'complex' people, it can be pretty easy to 'predict' what someone is going to do or say, or what choices they'll make.

I pretty much agree with everything you had to say. This particular part reminds me of my manipulative days when I was young. I got to the point that I knew just what I would need to say and do to get someone to do exactly what I wanted them to do. I would have made Tom Sawyer proud, and I even use to incite people in certain situations because I enjoyed watching everything play out exactly as I knew it would. Thank God I grew out of that, but now my little brother is the master manipulator and it drives me nuts.

Do unhealthy INFJs act like INTJs?
 

hotmale

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Anyway, let me hear your thoughts. What's your opinion and take on the psychic aspect of INFJ's? Share your own psychic experience if any. :nice:

My sister's always had an uncanny ability to predict future events and understand the mindset of the people around her. I think it's exercising Ne+Te+Ni+Ti. She's very skeptical however, and does not believe in "psychic" powers which she views as wishy-washy. I think her belief stands on the fact that certain doors of perception, once opened, cannot shut out the world. That is the closest to how I can describe her mind.

She is not an INFJ
 

spirilis

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You know, I actually have had one of the "mystical experiences" that people associate with INFJ's. One particularly odd one was when I was younger (about seven), and I heard or saw something say that I was going to die in an hour. I got really scared and told my mother. We were going somewhere in the car, and she drove carefully. About an hour after I said this, according to her, we were stopped at a traffic light. The light turned green, and she was so worried about me that she hesitated to go. At this moment, a truck sped through the red light. She thinks it was going so quickly (about 60 mph) that it would have been deadly. The weirdest thing about this was that I didn't know how to tell time yet.

Also, I occasionally know who's calling before they call, or can sense that someone is going to contact me at a specific time online. (although that could just be deja vu at work.) I also seem to resonate with certain people, pick up on something about them, and have a vague idea of what they're like inside. It's not exact or perfect, but I do have a sort of sense. I've also noticed that some types other than INFJ, mostly IN's, seem have similar things happen to them, so I'm really not sure that it's just an INFJ thing.

That is interesting. It sounds like a synchronistic event (something you either hear outside your mind or inside, coinciding with an event that was very meaningfully related to it)... only your mother had the wisdom to listen to your premonition, which saved the inevitable from happening.

On a different note, my ENTJ friend (who seems to focus on his intuitions very strongly) often finds himself identifying synchronistic events a lot. He seems to have a knack for noticing them.
 

shen

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i have an infj friend and she is psychic too. but then i know other types that are
a bit psychic so i dont know
 

The Ü™

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I am either psychic, or you all are predictable, that's what I always say.

So, INFJs might be psychic, or the INFJ will find others predictable.
 

Siúil a Rúin

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I don't care for the suggestions that INFJs are psychic. It can leave us with all the complete internet nutjobs claiming the type. While I do invest a lot of energy understanding people, analyzing behavior, remembering many details about their feelings and internal worlds, I have found that the more quickly I assume to have insight, the more flawed that insight tends to be. I find my most meaningful insight about others comes from a deep sense of humility, constant questioning and reanalyzing, respect for the enormous complexity of each person's inner world, and a clear sense of my limitations.
 

Carebear

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I find my most meaningful insight about others comes from a deep sense of humility, constant questioning and reanalyzing, respect for the enormous complexity of each person's inner world, and a clear sense of my limitations.

While most INFJs have no sense of humility, never second guess their analysis, disrespect people's inner worlds and have no sense of their limitations? :smile:

It's exactly the attributes you describe that make them appear psychic to others. But yes, I agree with you. They aren't. Just excellent at understanding how people tick and seeing how a person's patterns might make them likely to go down a certain path. And no, I don't believe most INFJs see themselves as psychic, just able to see what should be obvious to anyone who cares to look behind the veil.

And yes, psychic is a terrible name for this ability.

Awake, sensitive, aware or intuitive is better.
 

nightning

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Psychic? Nah! I don't think so... Ni Fe is just really adapt at picking up patterns based on subtle cues when they involve people and situations. Because most of the time we can't explain why we know things, people just associate it with psychic abilities. It's just an unconsciously learnt skill in my opinion. Also there are times when stuff I "know" are nothing more than an overly active imagination. It's just that people never recall those things. Nothing more than leveling and sharpening in people's memories.

Although I would really like to know exactly what cues I was using when guessing at the weather...
 

Siúil a Rúin

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While most INFJs have no sense of humility, never second guess their analysis, disrespect people's inner worlds and have no sense of their limitations? :smile:
I'm not sure what you mean, but I think they would since they are genuinely interested in these things.

Some people (not necessarily all) claiming to be psychic on the other hand....

I don't see these two categories as equivalent. I see psychics as tending towards presumption about insight into other people, and INFJs as tending towards interest in analyzing people.

edit: at any rate this can be a very old, worn topic thanks to the Kiersey site. It causes so many hassles and misunderstandings that I weary of the whole implication of it.
 

Haight

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In all seriousness, my mom thinks she's psychic and she's an ENFJ with a weak E.

. . . for whatever that's worth.
 

Carebear

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I'm not sure what you mean, but I think they would since they are genuinely interested in these things.

Some people (not necessarily all) claiming to be psychic on the other hand....

I don't see these two categories as equivalent. I see psychics as tending towards presumption about insight into other people, and INFJs as tending towards interest in analyzing people.

edit: at any rate this can be a very old, worn topic thanks to the Kiersey site. It causes so many hassles and misunderstandings that I weary of the whole implication of it.

Sorry, I edited the heck out of that post right after posting. I agree 100% with you. My post was only an attempt to point out that exactly because you and other INFJs tick the way you do, you'd be one of the first to reject the label "psychic". It's others who see you as psychic, much like a caveman would call a glowing light bulb magic.
 

Siúil a Rúin

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The way the tests are designed, anyone who thinks they are psychic are likely to come out NF of some sort - possibly more often INFJ. So it only measures how people see themselves, not how they actually are. If a tests asks someone whether they have insight into others without any proof of it, it doesn't tell you much. I have met so many 'intuitive', 'psychic' people who were just flagrantly prejudiced with severely distorted perceptions that made the world continually look the way they predicted it to be. That can mean that not only did the person not have insight ahead of time, but they were blind in the moment as well. Double-blindness does not equal insight.
 

Carebear

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In all seriousness, my mom thinks she's psychic and she's an ENFJ with a weak E.

. . . for whatever that's worth.

So that's why I wasn't able to impress or surprise her when I... (ok, you get the joke and someone had to do it)
 
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