Psychics in the Suburbs

Psychics in the Suburbs by Director Cassie Charlton and Producers Rebecca Barry & Madeleine Hetherton aired on TV in late November. The documentary went around in a day in the life of Florence King, recently crowned People’s Choice Australian Psychic of the Year.

Spending time with Florence, her clients and her son gave Cassie front row seats for how the psychics business really works. Following both public performances and private sessions, they met a range of Australians anxious to contact their deceased loved ones, trying to come to terms with their grief.

Psychics in the Suburbs explored who we turn to when the answers seem bigger than the questions themselves.

A day in the life of a psychic isn't always the way it's shown here in the show. They're just like everyone else living amongst the rest of suburbia that don't go to psychic festivals and do TV readings on the psychic channel in Australia. Some are quirkier than others and some you would never imagine would be psychic. Being woken up at night while everyone else sleeps is normal.

But that's the whole point. We don't look like faeries or wizards. We're normal everyday people that have day jobs. We just have a secret identity a bit like wonder woman. Am I comparing us to superheros? Yes. Yes I am. We are superheros to those that can't see or hear the dead and the dead that need help. There is no one else that can help them. There is no “off button” or “pause button”. It's a 24hr job.

They sometimes aren't aware they're dead and need to be advised. They don't get offended if they're called dead or deceased. It's a bizarre misconception that they will get offended. They'll let you know if they do. I was always told off by clairvoyants in the past for calling them that. It's just something the living have decided for them. They call us “the living” so why not. They can't be anything else.

It can be terrifying for some to come to this realisation that this psychic ability will not stop. Some of us end up on medication as it can take its toll on your mental state. Medications don't work on me personally though to help block these visitors out.

Our day might start very early in the morning, getting woken up by a spirit talking to you or visiting you in your sleep. Maybe it's been bothering you for a few days and you haven’t had any sleep again.

So, you try and come to terms that you need to try again to help or actually help this spirit if it can't cross over. This takes time and energy.

You also have to get ready for work and also get into your work identity on your way to work. Leaving your true self behind so you can focus on your daily duties. The dead may also sometimes keep contacting you then during your break time too and whenever your free.

On your way back from work you may have contact with them and during this time you may need to tell the living family member they’re trying to contact what is going on without sounding like you are crazy. It might also be the case that the family member has contacted you and you are resolving issues before and after work with them both.

At home, there's no off button for the dead either. They don't sleep and courtesy seems to go out the window when it comes to your needs. They don't care. They're repressed and frustrated and just want to be heard. In a lot of cases you have to be blunt or rude to persistent ones that won't listen to you or won't let you sleep. There's also those that visit you that are just plain evil. They haven't crossed over because they're killed someone and don't want to cross over. They're mastering the art of harassing the living.

We may come across family that come to visit sometimes and this can be comforting and fun. Makes funerals easier. As you know they'll either be standing in the same room or will come visit you later for a chat or to play with your daughter for example. The only hard bit is telling certain family “hey I had a visit from such and such today! They said hi”. This isn't possible. It just has to be kept a secret, except to immediate family perhaps if you're lucky.

This ability can either be visual, auditory, images projected in your head or a combo of any of the three (full walking talking dead but not visible to everyone). I personally block out the visual and have asked not to receive this gift as to me it's a burden and extremely draining and very hard to control without regular practice and training from those that know what to do.

Sadly, many of those that have an ability to communicate with the dead chose to block it out. I don't think it's right to do that 24hrs a day. They've been given a gift to help not ignore it. It may also start affecting your health in forms such as headaches or worse. The day may end by attempting to go to bed and falling asleep. But some may find this difficult to do sometimes every night.

I've always been told by the very experienced that I know that the dead have no place amongst the living long term. They've taught me everything I know and have changed my life forever. They are white-lighters in human form that will never get truly appreciated. I dedicate this article to them and my sister who has been a super hero to the dead in silence for over 25 years.