I discovered that I had a rather mysterious psychic ability seven years ago. It was September 17, my mother's birthday. My husband Larry and I had driven with Paul, our six-year-old son, from our home in Phoenix to Tuba City, where my mother had retired.

During the day, my mother called me into the bedroom of her home.

This was my mom's 65th birthday, but I could swear she was going on 19. She sat me on the bed and brought out a box. In it were several pictures of dad (we lost him nine years ago) and many pieces of jewelry. "Look," mom said, "I have no intention of leaving this planet any time soon, but someday it will happen. I have some mementos I'd like you to have. They don't have any monetary value, but they have meaning to me. I'd like to tell you about them so you can carry that meaning with you."

I was deeply touched. This meeting meant so much to me. She pulled out a few pieces of costume jewelry and told me how she had been given them as a child and how they were involved in certain events in her life. We laughed and talked about them. As I held them, it seemed as if they were filled with warmth from a life filled with love and happiness.

Next, she pulled out an old necklace. "This was originally from my grandmother; your great-grandmother. She was a really rowdy lady. You know, your grandmother was somewhat uptight, but great-grandmother Lucy knew how to have fun."

The necklace was of silver. It must have been fairly good silver, because it had many pock marks from where various sharp objects had hit the soft metal. The numerous stones were obviously glass. I figured it might be worth fifty dollars at most.

"She used to say that Charles Lindbergh himself gave her this in 1927 at the Cadieux Cafe, a speakeasy in Detroit. She never told me why 'Lucky Lindy' gave it to her, but she would always have a sort of a winsome smile when she talked about it." With that, my mother put the necklace into my hands. Everything went black.

My eyes fluttered open, and when I was able to focus a few minutes later, Larry was looking at me with great worry in his eyes. I know it's kind of trite, but all I could think of to say was, "Where am I? What happened?"

Larry gave a huge sigh. "You're in the hospital. You passed out while you were in the bedroom with your mother. How are you?"

"I'm fine," I said, getting up on my elbows. Immediately I felt dizzy and lay back down. "Well, maybe not 'fine,' but I feel okay."

"What happened?" Larry asked.

"I'm not sure," I said. "I almost remember something, but I can't put my finger on it..." Just then, a nurse and a doctor came in. Larry left the room as I was prodded, questioned, and examined. Their final analysis was that I was just stressed and had passed out. Still, they kept me overnight to make sure that nothing else popped up.

"Wake up, Carla." It was my mother.

I stretched and said, "Hi, mom. Where are Larry and Paul?"

"I asked them to stay at my home because I wanted to talk to you for a while without them being here." There was a long, sort of uncomfortable pause. I looked at my mother. I don't think I had ever seen her look as intense as she did now. It worried me. I think it frightened me, too.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

She looked around as if she had a great secret and didn't want anyone else to learn of it. "You have it, don't you?" she whispered.

"Have what?"

"The touch, Carla. The touch. Your grandmother had it and she hid it, becoming uptight and repressed as a result. I could hardly ever get her to even talk about it. I was always angry that the touch had skipped me. And now you have it, too."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said.

She peered into my eyes. Then her features softened. "You really don't, do you?" I shook my head. "Do you remember anything, anything at all, about what happened after you blacked out?" Again, I shook my head, signaling the negative.

"You have the ability to sense things, information and such, just by touching things. Scientists call it 'psychometry.' I just call it 'the touch.' Would you like to know more about it?" I wasn't sure, but I told her I thought I might be.

"Then may I put you into hypnosis?"

"Mom! You know how to hypnotize people?" I was totally surprised.

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Carla. So, may I hypnotize you?"I nodded my head. "Do you use a pocket watch?" She laughed and told me that's not done any more.

We adjusted the hospital bed so that I was sitting up as if I was in a comfortable chair. "Just sit back and relax," she said. Then she took my right arm and held it straight out in front of me. "Don't try to do anything or not do anything. Just let your arm be there. Eventually, it will want to slowly fall, seemingly of its own accord. As it slowly falls, you will begin to become more and more relaxed. When it reaches your lap, you will be in a deep, peaceful state of hypnosis."

For a while, my hand and arm seemed to hang in the air. Then, slowly, it started to sink. I thought it was funny and started to giggle. My mother simply said, "Yes, that's it. More and more relaxed. Deeper and deeper into hypnotic sleep." I stopped laughing and my hand, almost in steps, slowly sank to my side. As it did I became more and more relaxed. By the time it was resting on the bed, I felt deeply at peace and relaxed. I was also focused because nothing other than the relaxation seemed to matter for me.

"Good," my mother said. Now I want you to go back in time so you can safely watch me giving you the necklace. You will observe, but you will feel safe and secure because nothing can harm you. Tell me when you can see us."

The image came into my mind. "I can see," I said in a soft voice.

"Good. You're doing very well. Now, tell me what has happened."

"We're talking. You put the necklace in my hand. I pass out."

"Yes. That's exactly right. Now, while feeling safe and secure and being only an observer of what happened, tell me what you saw that overwhelmed you."

Immediately, my mind was filled with visions. "An old nightclub. A big band. A woman wearing strange clothes; the term 'flapper.' The woman is helped onto a table and dances energetically. She wears several long, loose necklaces. A man surrounded by people. He gives her another necklace. She hugs him. The images get dim.

"That's very good, Carla. Very good. Now I'm going to count to five, and you will come out of your state of hypnosis and be back to regular consciousness. One, feeling more and more awake. Two, taking a deep breath. Three, feeling better and better. Four, your arms begin to move and your eyes start to open. And five, wide awake, alert, and feeling wonderful."

My eyes blinked open. "That's not what I expected with hypnosis. I remember everything. What was it all about?"

"All objects are made of atoms, which vibrate. They are capable of holding information within those vibrations. Some people, like you, are able to sense or feel those vibrations and sense or experience or just 'know' that information. You literally experienced the thoughts and events that happened to my grandmother. We'll talk more when you come back to my house."

They kept me in the hospital for another day. Then Larry picked me up and we went back to my mother's house. I took it easy that day, just watching TV. That night, after dinner, my mother went to her bedroom and we discussed the things that had happened. For example, she told me that "flapper" was a term used to describe some of the wilder young women of the 1920s and 1930s. "Their shoes buttoned on the side and they would leave them unbuttoned. The shoe leather would flap in the wind, giving those women the name." Finally, she gave me a small book, How to Do Psychic Readings Through Touch, by Ted Andrews and told me to read it.

According to the book (p. 10), psychometry "...is the ability to detect something about a person or event through the sense of touch." That matched what my mother had told me. On page 25, the book reads, "Psychometry literally means 'soul measuring.' It is the ability to read part or all of an object's history or the history of those people who may have handled it. While it deals most often with the past, it may often reflect present states as well."

Beginning on the same page, the book reveals that there are three kinds of psychometry:

Object Psychometry "is probably the most common, and the form most people are familiar with. Every object has its own energy and is often imprinted by the owner of that object in a unique manner...

"In this form of psychometry, you learn to establish a rapport with the object and the energies imprinted upon it. Most often, the touching of objects to read their imprints occurs in one of three ways:

• Held in the hands.
• Placed against the forehead and/or face.
• Placed against the solar plexus."

"By holding the object in the hands or placing the object against the forehead or face, impressions are received about the owner of the object or events surrounding the object's history."

Location Psychometry is similar to feelings of deja vu, the sensation of having been somewhere before although you've never been there. It's also similar "to forms of dowsing and divining, such as in attuning to an ore sample to determine the feasibility of mining...

"Events, particularly those that are strongly emotional, leave traces. They imprint the location where they occur. These imprints can be read."

Person Psychometry is based on the concept that we each have a unique energy field around us. "Person psychometry is used by everyone. How often are we able to assess the mood of someone without speaking to them? When we meet someone for the first time, are we instantly attracted or repelled? We may not know why these impressions occur, but they often register quite strongly."

After reading the early pages of this book, it became clear to me that there was far more to psychometry, the power of psychic touch, than I had previously realized. In the past, I had frequently been able to tell what people were thinking without a word passing between us. I had always thought I was just intuitive, but this book made it clear that the talent I had—raw and undeveloped—was far more than just intuition. I really wanted to learn how to develop and control this ability.

Andrews gives some guidelines for being able to develop this ability (p. 67-75). Here are some of them:

• Relax and Enjoy. He says to be relaxed when doing psychometry. "You do not want to force or struggle with it." Also, you should keep it enjoyable, like a game.
• Keep it simple. The book says that you don't need to have the lights out or special incense.
• Keep an open mind. Fear and doubt are the greatest blocks to success.
• Keep a record. This will show how you improve with practice.
• Make preparations. For example, have a wet cloth to wipe your hands with between readings.
• Choose your object. If there are several objects from which to select, "[i]nitially, use objects that have only been owned and used by one person. This helps eliminate confusion. Jewelry is good, and so are locks of hair. Photos are also good, particularly Polaroid. Letters can also be psychometrized. Beginners should avoid antiques, as they will have been charged by many people. The impressions can be confusing."
• Attune to the object. "Begin by making a silent intention to gain impressions. It's a means of communicating to the subconscious mind exactly what you wish it to do for you.

"Then, choosing your object, hold, touch, and examine it. Hold it between your hands. Place it against your cheek, forehead or solar plexus. Touch and handle it in the manner you feel comfortable with. Pay attention to how you choose to handle the object. If you usually handle objects with just your hands, and then find yourself wanting to place it against the solar plexus, this is a clue for you. It has significance."

Begin by describing and commenting on the object you are psychometrizing. "This is essential. Always start by describing the object itself."

• Let your impressions flow. "Observe first your body responses and initial emotions as you handle and describe the object. Do you feel good handling the object, or uncomfortable? Are there any tinglings anywhere? Pain? Pleasure? Warmth? Cold? Also note the stronger emotions. Even if you cannot 'feel' the emotion, ask yourself: 'What is the strongest emotion associated with this object?' then trust what comes to mind. Even though you may not be feeling it, that thought is very likely what your subconscious has picked up from you handling the object."
• Give the impressions. Tell what you feel. "Be brief and balanced. Start generally, and move on to describe the finer points. You will find yourself naturally becoming more and more narrow and specific."

"Sometimes the impressions flow rapidly. Other times, they come slowly. Do not worry if they are not there immediately. This is why describing the object is beneficial. It helps allay nervousness and panic over not having immediate impressions. They won't come immediately every time."

• Confirm your impressions. After doing a reading for another person, ask him or her how you did. "You will surprise yourself with how your accuracy improves with practice. Maybe, initially, you only hit two out of ten impressions, with some of the others being close. This is good. Twenty percent is usually considered higher than the law of chance."

This seemed fairly direct and straightforward. And since my mother had told me that I have the gift of "the touch," I might have a much higher percentage of accuracy. I guess the first thing to do was just try it.

For days, I considered what should be my first attempt at doing a reading using psychic touch. I remembered how much of a shock I had experienced when my mother had given me that necklace, so I decided to try it with something "safe." Was I wrong!

Larry makes a great living in real estate. We've been happily married for ten years. I thought, "What could be safer than to practice psychic touch with something he regularly used?" Larry isn't vain, but he always tries to look good. He does have a fetish about what he wears to work. He likes long-sleeved shirts with "French cuffs." This is the type of cuff where the sleeves are extra long and fold back over on themselves. Rather than having buttons to keep the cuffs closed around the wrist, you need to use cuff links. Larry had a box full of pairs of them. I rummaged around in them for a moment, selected one at random, and put it down on a table.

I sat in a chair before the table and took several deep breaths, relaxing more and more with each breath. Finally, I picked up the cuff link.

I started to describe it aloud. "This is a cuff link that is gold in color. It has a flat area with diagonal gold and black bars. The black could be plastic, but it feels like it is more likely a stone such as onyx."

I held it to my forehead. It seemed like the right thing to do. "I get feelings of great peace and satisfaction. I feel..."

Suddenly, just as had happened when my mother gave me that old necklace, I had a vision of something. This time, because I knew what was occurring, the vision didn't shock me. What I saw in the vision, however, hurt me to the core.

In the real estate office where Larry works there is a new secretary named Chloe. I met her a few weeks ago when I took some papers to Larry that he had accidentally left at home. She's very pretty and quite young. In the vision, I saw Larry staring at her. She walked seductively toward him, unbuttoning her blouse. They kissed passionately. I tried to put the cuff link down, but I just couldn't do it. Larry shoved everything off of his desk and they had sex right in the office. I threw the cuff link across the room and broke into tears.

I was still crying, hours later, when Larry came home. "How could you?" I shouted bitterly at him. "How could you?"

"What are you talking about?" he asked, totally confused.

"You and Chloe. I know all about you two."

"I don't understand," he said. "What happened?"

I explained to him what I had done and what I had seen in my vision when I used psychic touch. Larry sat down. "I've never done more than shake her hand," he said.

"You've never lied to me, Larry. I don't know how I could have failed you or made you unhappy enough to cheat on me."

"But I never have," he said. "I've always been faithful to you because I wanted to be faithful. You mean more to me than anything. You and Paul are the only things in my world." Larry cocked his head to the side. "You did say that in psychic touch you pick up energy that is in an object, true?"

"Yes," I said, wiping my face.

"Could it be that you are picking up on feelings I have had and not on things that I have done?"

"I suppose so..."

Larry sat next to me. "There are beautiful, sexy, women all over the world. Including you. Including Chloe. They're attractive. I admit it. And the truth is, sometimes, I fantasize about them. Haven't you ever wondered what it might like to be with a sexy movie star?" I just looked at him. Of course I had. I think he must have read my mind because, for the first time since he had walked into the house, he smiled. "The truth is, I did have those thoughts about Chloe. But I would never, never, act on them. You mean too much to me!"

"I wish I could believe that," I said.

"You can. I can prove it. I had that fantasy on the Thursday that was two weeks before your mother's birthday. Do you remember that night?"

I thought for a moment. "Was that the night you came home, told me to get a sitter for Paul, and..."

"That's right. I took you to the hotel. By the end of the night the sheets were all on the floor. We were exhausted. It was the wildest night of lovemaking we'd had in some time."

I smiled as the thoughts and feelings of that night flooded my mind and body. "Oh, yes, I do remember that night."

"The thought of Chloe may have excited me, but you are the only one I want to be with." I looked at him, considering what he said. "Wait. I have an even better way of proving it." He took off his necklace. It had a small cylinder as a pendant. He always wore it. Now, for the first time ever, he showed me the pendant and how it unscrewed. Inside was a curled up piece of paper. When he unrolled it, I saw that it was a picture of me. "This is what matters. Take this necklace and do a psychic touch reading with it."

I held it in my hand. First, I described it. "It's a silver chain with a small tube for a pendant." I opened up to the energy of the necklace and was overwhelmed with the most powerful expression of love I had ever experienced. It was Larry's love for me.

I couldn't speak. I saw vision after vision. How we courted. The night he proposed. Our marriage. The first time we made love. The time we made love which resulted in me getting pregnant. The amazing feelings he expressed when I gave birth. And almost every time we made love—the quickies, the passionate ones, the slow, luxuriant ones, everything. There is absolutely no way he could have loved me more. I had no doubt that he would always be faithful to me. And it made me love him more than ever.

That night we hired a sitter for Paul and went back to the hotel. It was even better than before. And I also learned a powerful lesson. What I experience when doing a psychic touch reading may not have been an action, it may have only been a feeling or fantasy. I would have to learn to separate the feeling from the action.

I continued practicing feeling the energy in objects around my home. Occasionally, I would meet with friends and do readings for them. But I soon realized that for me to further develop my abilities, I would have to work with more objects and more people. So I came up with the idea of having a "Psychic Touch Party." I invited a bunch of friends for an afternoon meeting where I would teach them how to do it.

I read and re-read How to Do Psychic Readings Through Touch in preparation for the party. I described all of the guidelines and showed everyone how to consciously relax. We all put pieces of jewelry onto a small table. I picked up a ring, and started to describe it to show everyone how it was done.

"This is a gold ring with a small diamond. It's not a wedding ring, it's an engagement ring." I held it to my forehead. I immediately started to shiver with cold. "But I sense loss and abandonment related to this ring. I also sense shock and a car. Whose ring is this?" I asked, holding it in the air.

"It's mine," said Elizabeth, a woman who was a friend of a woman I'd invited. "I have no idea how anyone here could have known that," she said. "When I was seventeen and living in Canada, my boyfriend proposed to me with this ring. Two days later, while driving on a lonely road, his car lost traction on ice and slid off the road where he couldn't be seen. He was hurt and unconscious, but the injuries didn't kill him. He froze to death."

I was surprised at just how accurate I had been. It was a pleasant surprise. That afternoon, Elizabeth talked about all of the emotions she had about the loss of her fiancé for the first time in years. Before she left, she thanked me for helping her to finally free herself from the emotions that had bound her to the past.

Before the psychic touch party had ended, everyone tried the technique. It was so very easy. Just relax, feel the object, start describing it, and be open. Most of the people there had greater or lesser success with psychic touch. Since that time, we have met every two weeks to share what we have learned and let everyone practice with each other. The first party had seven women. Last week there were over thirty!

We are going to continue with our psychic touch parties. We're thinking of having a psychic fair where we could do readings for others. Some of the women in my group are really good. Some are as good as me, but they have had to practice more and work harder to achieve my level. For them, it was a developed skill. For me, it was a gift.