I am always curious as well in how people awaken. As for me, I had many spiritual experiences as a child but I didn't know what was happening with me. At age 25 I saw an article about Dr. George Ritchie's near death experience and I knew it was truth. From there on I read everything I could get my hands on about spiritual growth.

It is this knowing feeling inside that is my guide.

Popping out of the body a few times helped to convince me too that this body is not all there is to existence.

LightSeeker

Hello Sam,
You are sure to receive multiple replies to your quiry. In my life my mother was somewhat psychic and as a  child I recall she often dreamed of the future and would relate what would happen. She also had the ability to know where I was and what I was doing, which was a bit disconcerting!  My father was very much into science fiection, so I had a lot of that literature to help stretch my mind so to speak.
In my teens I had out of the body experiences, mostly flying around and enjoying myself.  But then it all gradually pretty much went away as I grew older- so I was left with mostly good recall of my dreams.  The event that brought back some of my psychic abililty was the death of my first wife.  With her passage I was suddenly able to have vivid color visions of her almost any  time any place but most often during meditation. I often saw her hold up and show me various cats that we had had in our life together.  She would gather groups of people to show to me as if lined up for a photo, or she would dance a gig and otherwise show off. She could show me her surroundings, what it looked like where she happened to be.  But, for all the visions there was no sound, only seeing her mouth the words. Anyway  after about six years I gradually lost the ability so that these visions only occurred a few times a year.
Nowadays I am working on learning to do retrievals
using Bruce's Guidebook and Tapes & CDs. I have made some progress and just need more time and experience. Sam I hope this helps you in your search for psychic knowledge.
Happy New Year,   Harry

September 11, 2001 was what shook my world.  I'd venture to guess that after seeing the disaster on TV, I started becomming concerned about the future of our planet, and about finding a permanent solution to war. 

Then, early in 2003, I heards about a speak on the Art Bell show.  This speaker claimed that we can explore the afterlife without even dying.  I missed the show, but I felt magnetised to Bruce's website.  One I arrived at his site, I felt like I had discovered a new continent.  I read through all of the articles on the site and shortly after picked up the first two books.

For a certain span of time, I had felt detached from Christianity and started becomming upset.  During this time, I frequented an Ex-Xian site.  However, I decided the Christianity itself was not the problem, it was doctrine so I from here I started picking up the pieces of my life and rebuilding.

Love to all
Stephen Updegraff

Growing up, my parents went through a phase where they kind of shoved religion down us.  Of course, being teenagers, we rebelled against it.   It seemed so hypocritical.  Then I completely rejected all religion.  When I read the Shirley McClaine novels, I couldn't ignore the nagging truth I was understanding.  Since then, I do believe in the afterlife, but still reject structured Christianity.  That form of religion seems very un"Christ"like.  Bruce's books draw me like a magnet as I totally relate to being seen as a "heretic", especially here in the Bible belt.  And his skeptism and continual doubt make me laugh as that's exactly where I'm at, but it just makes so much sense.  Everyone who has experienced alternate realities in various books I read speaks of coming to the same "truths".  It is all so consistent it can't be disregarded.