Hello.  These are some of the questions that are frequently on people's minds as they begin to explore tuning into their own psychic abilities.  These answers are written by Francine Marie-Sheppard, founder of the ACC.

Is everybody psychic or are only some people gifted with these skills?

Everybody has a physical body and an energy body, with chakras and within them, abilities and information for tuning into their energy aspect or spirit, whatever you may call it. No one is born without chakras or energy anatomy, you cannot exist with a body alone. You bring your life force, your energy your spirit into your body at birth. It is a matter of choice, permission, interest and intention to become more aware of this part of you.

How does the training work at the ACC?

Though we sometimes have in person workshops in different locations and countries, we are an international long distance school, and all our training programs are conducted online, in our live virtual classroom. There is no video used in most classes because we have our eyes closed as we focus through our energy abilities and learn experientially.  We do not give long lectures for your rational mind to be entertained by, but begin immediately immersing students into experiencing their own abilities, clairvoyance, clairaudience, knowingness (claircognizance). Rather than put the teacher on a pedestal and have students take notes, this training is about you, your growth, your path.  You cannot pretend for very long in our classrooms that you can't do anything or aren't already tuned in.  You will surprise yourself with your immediate progress, because in this generous, safe sanctuary, you are encouraged to take steps beyond your fears. You can trust the clairvoyant teachers and instructors who have been through this training to validate you and support you. 

What does the program training involve? Why focus on clairvoyance first?

Program classes meet twice a week online (yes, you can be in your pajamas while attending class). Training classes include tools, techniques and energy work.  Practice classes involve students practicing their skills as soon as they are ready, and we focus on clairvoyance quite a bit in the beginning. The reason we focus on clairvoyance quite a bit in the beginning is because we want you to see Your Truth for yourself, and own it.  In learning to see energy, you no longer have to be dependent on anyone telling you what they are seeing.   In owning your clairvoyance you begin to seamlessly integrate what you see into what you know and feel, you begin to integrate all your senses and abilities, including the ability to see an energy and know what it is or access your own information about it.  This creates a profound and life changing effect on how you navigate your world, and what you choose to create.

How can long distance training be effective? Is all the training long distance?

I've witnessed over the last 15 years of teaching psychic awareness, that spirit is not bound by space or time.  Physical distance does not matter. Yes, that means if you want to travel to the moon with your awareness, you can do it easily.  When a group of aware sensitives gather in an online class, it's as if they were all close by--except there is a lot more space.  You can focus just on yourself, wear your ugliest comfy clothes and slippers, and not worry about the usual interpersonal dynamics and distractions. Training in the live long distance classroom allows you to be in the comfort of your favorite chair.  You save time, money and the convenience factor is hard to beat. This makes us a green school too! When you are reading someone at a distance you go right into energy reading because there is nothing else to look at. Focusing is easier and more immediate.

As a teacher, I taught in person first, for many years.  Then, after teaching in foreign countries I realized how little training was available, how few schools there were in other countries.  I went through a long period of creating and testing a unique and dynamic curriculum that effectively trains people long distance. The ACC is the only school to offer long distance training of this caliber, integrity, and thoroughness. You could say we are pioneers. I know it works because I've graduated plenty of wonderful talented people.  And I've trained all of our teachers. So, if you attend any of the Psychic Tool Kits, workshops, Free Meditations and you like the teachers, they all have trained online, so they are familiar with the fears or challenges that come with entering into this new adventure in development. 

Why should someone develop their psychic abilities?

Should is never a good reason to develop your abilities.  If you are only developing a skill because you should, it will be hard to keep interested or get to class. Do it because you know you are already aware and tuned in, you just want to enjoy your abilities more, and integrate your psychic senses into your everyday life. Do it because it seems fun and interesting. Do it because you know if you heal your fears, you change your life. It is your destiny to be free, so if there is some part of you that is not free, you will forever be looking for a way to free that part, one way or another. Do it because it is a grand adventure, a way to get to know this magical aspect of yourself, you the eternal spirit, learning, growing, exploring and forever expressing itself.

Is meditation a necessary part of learning to use your abilities?

The meditation that is included in the ACC training is about learning to watch and affect your energy, and clear your chakras and aura, among other things. It's very active. It's designed to help you access abilities you already have. It's effective in clearing out other people's energies, pictures, cords, and all kinds of energies that we collect throughout our daily life.  The more you clear your space of what is not you, the more space there is for you, the energy being who is trying to be present and create an awesome life.

Why should meditation be included in the training?

It is tiresome how sometimes people try to make a should or a religion out of every good thing! Suddenly, meditation has become a chore we are supposed to do because we are supposed to be spiritual.  This is a belief, that creates a new set of rules that are based in competition, that encourage you to invalidate yourself before you even have a chance to sit down and try meditating. The goal of spiritual competition is to divide people and destroy communication.  This can mean dividing you against yourself!  Therefore, when you start with a should, you are already invalidated because you haven't been doing something.  This is a classic mistake that spiritual teachers make--making you feel bad before you've tried anything!! Making meditation into a contest that good people win at, and bad (not spiritual) fail at.

Meditation can be anything that helps you connect with yourself.  Decide to give it a broad definition, to allow it to be what it is for you, something nice you do in order to be more yourself, to enjoy your life more, or to just be able to hear yourself better. Kick everybody else's perception of what meditation is out of your head, and discover what it is for you. Maybe you enjoy a walking in nature meditation, maybe it's dance, maybe it's something unique and different.

The point of meditation in the ACC training is to listen to yourself and observe your energy, and make choices about your energy.  The meditation we teach at the ACC is very visual and creative, it's active and fun.  But, there is no right and only way to do it.  Everyone is unique. You can combine the ACC style meditation tools and techniques with anything you do to create your own meditation adventure.   Connecting with yourself is never a chore, unless you are struggling under somebody else's idea of what it should be.  We are all already spiritual, because we are energy beings in a physical body.  Take away the judgment and free your perceptions, and have your own meditation adventures.  Free yourself.

Why is the idea of developing abilities or seeing spirit so scary to so many?

Fear is something that has to be learned, so all your fears that you have about self development, psychic abilities, spirits, beings and everything else are learned and can be unlearned. In fact, some of the important leaps and changes you will make will be from unlearning crap of one kind or another, and by crap we mean LIES. Lies create pain in your body, pain of one kind or another, and keep you struggling under limits of who you can be or what you can create.The fear is designed to keep you safe-- that is the message-- but, if you really examine it, fear is designed to keep you under control.  So, who or what is controlling you? Or are you in fear because this is your best way of controlling yourself? What are your core beliefs about yourself and the world? The best way to have control over your abilities is to master them.  Then you can decide who or what you look at, what you engage or disengage, you are not the victim.  When you empower yourself, you set yourself free. This does not mean that you will never be afraid again, but you will learn to move through fear and make your choices freely, with awareness.  And you will let go of all the fears that are based in false beliefs--like the one that you are just a puny being with no control over your life.

If you have a question that isn't covered here, please send it to me, the Director, Francine Marie-Sheppard at francine@clairvoyanceacademy.com, or go to our contact page to get in touch.  We are always happy to hear from fellow seekers and explorers.