How common is it to physically see and hear your companions?

[cairngorn]

2 Seeing the spirit as if they are with you where you are. They may actually be on another plane in one sense but somehow also with you where you are.[Third eye vision.]

I have experienced this. It's a really odd feeling, seeing something with eyes open and yet knowing you're not seeing it with your physical eyes. Like it's something superimposed on the physical. With an angel apparition it only lasted a fraction of a second, far too short a time to notice or remember details. I have also "seen" a wisp of white smoke rise from a vessel. (And from a crystal I found, a huge puff of smoke and a sort of "whoosh" sensation. I have no idea what that was, it's kind of worrying.)

Anyway, nothing that couldn't be my imagination but it's still encouraging.

[Tarvos]

I must say I haven't specifically tried to work on these abilities, but my impression is that a lot (?) of people seem to have some kind of manifestation when it comes to physically hearing and seeing things.

I experience nothing of the like. All I see is with my third eye. There are no orbs, shades, or apparitions in the corner of my eyes. Nothing. Nada. Same for my ears. If I ask for someone to speak out loud, the most I sense is a pressure and a slight pain. That's it.

These abilities cannot be trained as it depends on the individual companion whether or not they have enough energy for this type of manifestation, as it requires a lot of energy. While it may not be very common, it is also not rare. However, I may be biased because my own companions have physically manifested to me multiple times.

Distinguishing between the two types of manifestations, physical and third eye, can be difficult to some. Personally, it's easy for me. I find the physical manifestations to be very spot on, as any light source reflects on my companion's body and the shadows and highlights are more defined, making it appear very real. There's no way to miss it. The location, timing, presence of light or other factors all add to the magnificent manifestation. I truly appreciate their beauty and wouldn't take it for granted. Moreover, other people will also be able to witness it since it doesn't involve anybody's third eye.

When my companions choose to manifest in this way, they often take on an animal form, as it requires a significant amount of energy already. So, if you see someone in their full form, it is likely a third eye manifestation. Only immortals have the ability to physically manifest in their full form.

[VanNocturne]

Personally I'm not so sure, however I've been seeing an increase in people claiming they have such abilities, especially people around my age (30s and younger). I've heard a few theories as to why this is.

One being that there's more acceptance, understanding, and a higher tolerance in society for such abilities. People are being exposed to these in their media (for me it was the original Pokemon episodes, back when Ash was trying to defeat a psychic-type Pokemon gym leader, trying to capture a ghost-type Pokemon. This gym leader, named Sabrina, had telekinesis), as well as the original Goosebumps tv series, and tv shows such as "A Haunting"), and so on.

The other being not actually having such an ability, but instead these people are experiencing psychosis, and are refusing to seek treatment for their psychotic episodes due to how stigmatised the mental illnesses, which psychosis is a symptom of, are. It's also important to mention that psychiatric hospitals are terrifying places; between their morbid history, to simply drugging up a person and throwing them back out into society, and milking their insurance company for money without actually getting to the root of the patient's problem.

We now live in a society (at least here in the USA) where its become easier to determine whether someone has a mental illness that makes them experience psychotic episodes, or if someone has a legitimate esoteric gift.
I'm not a licensed mental health professional, however I've been studying psychology and mental health for 13 years. All of this Occultism and Metaphysical stuff isn't new to me, per se, because I've been dipping my toes into these subjects since I was in Middle School (early 2000s), however I'm more likely to use a (at the risk of stepping on some toes) rational and scientific way to explain an experience, opposed to being equally open to both explanations.

I'm hoping reading other member's experiences here will help me with this.

Anyways, I hope my post helps answer your question, and opens up a conversation about this topic.

[Sterling Birch]

I think it depends on the individual, and I also think having a deep bond with their spirit companions helps. My experiences include seeing shadows move and hearing spirits through “sudden” thought forms in the mind (telepathy). There was one time 10 years ago when I was consistently doing aura seeing practices, that I noticed energy congeal into a human form in my peripheral vision once when I was in public. It was quite shocking to me, I was used to observing auras emerge from objects and people I would view, but this aura emerged from seemingly nothing, and just shaped itself into a distinguishable human form.

Personally, physically seeing or hearing my spirit companions in the ways that I mentioned are still really uncommon for me. It’s more common for them to start energetically interacting with me after I mentally call to them, and I’ll usually feel their presence in a general location around me somewhere. Usually it’s through this aligning of our energies and through the experience of feeling and sensing them that I have an easy time tuning in to hear them with telepathy or seeing them in a shadowy or blurred “heated air” kind of way.

For instance, when I call for my first spirit companion for interaction, pretty instantly she’ll respond by creating strong heat and energy sensations in my feet and legs. This’ll usually very quickly be followed by hearing somewhat loud tones in my ears. I’ve tried tuning into this sound, and the experience of it seems to be evolving somehow. I’ve also heard the interesting “clicking” sound I’ve heard people talk about (not sure if that’s strictly an ubi spirit experience). This interaction usually evolves into more kinesthetic sensations, and can also include telepathy.

Other times if it’s night, and I’m in bed reading or researching something, she’ll make her presence known to me by creating weight on the side of the bed, subtly rocking the weight of the bed, moving or subtly pressing the fabric of the blanket or what I’m wearing against me, creating subtle heat, touches, or sensations of energy in the feet/legs. She has also moved my arm before. The physical phenomena is really unmistakeable, and common enough that it happens pretty much every night.

Worthwhile to keep in mind though, these manifestations have been building with our bond over time. In the first two months of bonding, I spent an hour a day meditating with her, and there was next to no manifestations at all, but I just continued bonding, genuinely connecting, and appreciating even the subtlest of interactions. Fast forward to today, now her manifestations are not so subtle, lol. This is the spirit companion I have the deepest bond with, and I’ve spent a decent amount of time genuinely connecting with her almost everyday in the past 6 months. That kind of bond is what helped me really awaken my kinesthetic senses after I learned to sense energetically. I’m hoping to awaken my sight and hearing to be as present to my experience as the more energetic and kinesthetic manifestations.

Hope that gives some food for thought. I’ll also second that the classes Lewk linked on “creating a connection pt 1 & 2” are fantastic resources.

[Adair Lasair Bán]

For me, I don't hear them all the time. The main way of communication is energetically, as in feelings and sensations, since I am quite sensitive to energy. In saying that, I believe hearing may become more frequent with time and practice. I've only recently returned to the paranormal.

I have not seen physical manifestations. Third eye manifestations, yes.

[Adair Lasair Bán]

Nothing. Nada. Same for my ears. If I ask for someone to speak out loud, the most I sense is a pressure and a slight pain. That's it.

When I do hear a companion, it's not with my physical ears. It isn't the same as someone in real life speaking to me, their voices don't come from the outside environment.

[Lewk]

[...]
Anyways, I hope my post helps answer your question, and opens up a conversation about this topic.

Experience v Theory

I think (myself) that a good way to approach this is to ask: what have human beings' experiences been for the last several hundred thousand years or so that homo sapiens has been around for?

I think right from the start we humans have probably been seeing people in our dreams who are no longer with us, thinking of them and talking to them. Our mind/body system (let's say our neurological setup) is capable of experiencing seeing our dearly departed with eyes shut - in our mind's eye - and also with our eyes open.

Whether or not a cause can be pinned down may not be the main issue. We experience this. (As a species.)

Wellness v mental distress

If for a second we dodge the question of the cause / aka explanation, the main issue surely is: was the experience okay? Or is it a distressing one? My understanding is that modern, enlightened psychology nowadays focuses not so much on looking at whether people think in what are judged to be 'normal' ways. Instead the focus is more on whether the person is able to function well enough in their life and whether they feel well in themselves.

I hope I'm making sense so far.

Distortion v clear seeing

When someone's consciousness is mal-aligned, I think that's when the pathological stream of consciousness occurs. From a psychic/paranormal perspective, the input is real, it's just kind of out of whack and can't be shut off. When the consciousness is clear / well aligned, things are less problematic.

I've experienced both states. That's one main reason why I know that seeing spirits - as I do - is genuine and not psychotic. But it's the human facility - neurological or psychic - to be able have such an experience that underlies all of this (in my opinion).

[Adair Lasair Bán]

As far as psychosis/mental illness goes...

This is partly why I don't pay much attention to the "my spirit said" posts.

[Anonymously anonymous]

For me it runs in my family, so maybe it is an innate ability. I don't experience in the physical nearly as much as I do in the metaphysical. As far as the mental illness aspect because my experience was so wild I was trying to get diagnosed. I was also letting society get to me. Anyways, I tried to get diagnosed because I thought there was something wrong with me. I do have a lot of anxiety and I am neurodivergent but no psychosis; which is what I thought I had. This is just my personal experience though. I am not a professional and can't speak for everyone.

[madgar29]

Every human is capable of the same psychic ability. I believe biggest hurdle is having the needed belief in it and self.