I use to fantasize about how wonderful it would be to be a psychic.
I assumed that such a life would be full of positive moments, admiring, respectful clients, and enough money to buy happiness.
After reading Dougall Fraser’s candid book “But You Knew That Already: What a Psychic Can Teach You about Life,” the reality of such an “occupation” sank in and the fantasy turned into a deep respect for the path that psychic travel.
Fraser, while gifted with a unique talent, comes across as a very common person; one who suffers the traumas of childhood agonizes through adolescence and wanders through adulthood looking for answers to his own questions. From being a pudgy, angry child ridiculed by his peers, to an adolescent questioning his sexuality, and then as an adult who is demeaned for his “career path,” Fraser’s life unfolds in an unglamorous, but nonetheless interesting manner. Perhaps Fraser summarizes it best when he states, “It was a very strange life, having so much power with adults and so little with my peers.”
While discussing his youthful pursuits of meditation, tarot cards, and a spiritual quest to Sedona, Arizona, he admits that “As much as I enjoyed everything I was doing…there was still a large part of me that did not gravitate toward the more ‘airy’ parts of the New Age world. I didn’t want to wear a dream catcher on my head…I thought that to be a psychic, I had to…grow long hair and use crystal deodorant and have vitamin breath.” It only seems appropriate that on more than one occasion, he identifies his struggle as being one of “balance.”
Fraser also spends a great deal of time struggling with balancing such goals as wanting to live well, to respect clients, and to be affordable. He asks, “How does one charge for something that is supposed to be a gift?” Fraser truly wants to share his gift and identifies the goal of his work as trying to “help people connect with their purpose” and to help them answer “Why are you here on this planet, and what can you do to make your life the best it can be?” He identifies his personal priority as wanting to stay true to his clients, his abilities, and his goal of aiding people in living up to their greatest potential. The role that psychic telephone networks play in Fraser’s life, make the balancing act that much more eventful.
Fraser works hard to convey the message to people that he is not special. Even though he refers to his work as a “gift,” he believes that “…psychic ability is a trait that everyone possesses…no matter what our abilities are, we can all swing a bat and hit the ball sometimes.” Perhaps one of his greatest pet peeves, as it pertains to his gift, is when his psychic abilities are often improperly associated with the same type of work that a medium performs. I’m willing to bet that John Edward, the wildly popular medium on the now-canceled television show “Crossing Over,” was both a blessing and a curse to Fraser and the work that he does.
Fraser truly is a walking contradiction in terms. He gives out advice to his clients, yet he seldom practices what he preaches…and he is the first person to admit it. While his life’s mantra at one point becomes “Banana Republic,” he also states that he “could go to any diner in America and be very happy.” However, Fraser’s open duality and candid honesty are what endears him to me.
Dougall Fraser’s book, “But You Knew That Already,” is a very enjoyable read for those looking to gain insight into the psychic world. While he probably won’t succeed at “converting” any skeptics, I doubt that was ever his intention for writing the book. I personally would not hesitate to recommend this book…but Fraser already knew that.
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