Exclusive interview: Sue Nicholson
The Mentalist , the show about the world of psychics sees Patrick Jane, (played by Simon Baker) investigate the evil actions of serial killer, Red John. But what is a pyschic? And what does it mean to live life with the ability to speak with the other side?
tvnz.co.nz were lucky enough to get the chance to catch up with Sue Nicholson, a gifted medium and one of the three hosts of Sensing Murder to find out about her life as a psychic.
tvnz.co.nz: When did you have your first psychic experience?
Sue: I've had it since I was 4 years old. I've always seen spirits, but I didn't know who they were, obviously, as I was only little. They'd come into my room and sit on my bed. But I was never ever frightened. I'm more frightened of the living then the dead. The dead can't harm you but the living can!
So really, to me, it was very normal. It wasn't until my father took lots and lots of photographs and I used to sit for hours as a child and spread them out and put my hand on them and it was as if the pictures would talk to me. I'd see flashes and say things to my father and he'd say 'No, no, no, you wouldn't know them, they've been gone a long time.'
I also found it wasn't acceptable to talk about it so I didn't come out of the spiritual closet until about 18 years ago or so.
tvnz.co.nz: How did your family and friends react when you told them about what you could see and hear?
Sue: It was awful. Eighteen years ago, I sat my husband down (and he always knew there was something different with me!) I just kept it to myself and I'd learn with spirit about things and they'd teach me things as I wasn't very good with reading and writing. We have what's called guides, like teachers, and they would teach me things. So I told him I had something to tell him and I told him I see dead people. And he said, 'Oh, ok, what do you want to do with that?' He's so supportive. He said he's always known something was up.
Coming out was very hard because there were 'so-called friends' who actually couldn't understand it. So it's been very hard and I've been cast out by people. I just think your friends should stick by you no matter what.
People ask if we have any information with the programme Sensing Murder. I can put my hand on my heart and I can tell you now I have absolutely nothing but the photograph. We work 12-hour days, it's a long process and what I usually do is turn to the side because I don't want to see any of the faces of the director or camera man and I talk away to spirits. They give me pictures and words and sometimes the names; whatever they want to show me. And sometimes I've got my eyes closed so I can't see!
There are sceptics out there but it's called Sensing Murder not Solving Murder. And I really work there for the families and to bring some closure and to help them.
tvnz.co.nz: Could you please describe in one sentence what it means for you to be a psychic?
Sue: It's a very, very responsible job. I take it very seriously. I will continue to do this until the end of my days. It's very responsible because you're working with grief and families and individuals who want answers, so you've got to be true to yourself and that person.
tvnz.co.nz: Do you believe you were meant to do this - to help others by relaying messages from beyond the grave?
Sue: Yes, to give others hope and guide them in their everyday life. But, at the end of the day every single person on this earth has choices and a free will. Whether they take my advice or not is up to them. When they leave my office they can either travel on path A or path B - that's up to them.
It is a very responsible job but there will always be sceptics out there. Some people believe in God and some don't and that's ok. That's what makes the world go around. I'm not here to prove to those people, I'm here to help whoever wants my help. Not to put all the effort into proving what I do and who I am. It's been a hard journey.
tvnz.co.nz: What have you learned about yourself through living with the gift you have?
Sue: I feel very privileged to have been chosen. Some people say, is it gift or a curse? I don't look at it as a curse, I look it as a gift and I feel very, very privileged that I have been chosen to do this and to help as many people as I can. But as I said, it is very hard at times. I feel sometimes I just want to be alone. I can switch it off and they know that. I've got my life beyond working with spirits as well, because I'm still in the human form and I still make mistakes! There's learning from me from them as well as giving it to other people.
tvnz.co.nz: What's the most profound or emotional incident you've encountered to date?
Sue: There's so many but I'd say Agnes (Sue covered the case of Agnes AliIva'a, Sensing Murder, Series 2). I was so, so angry at the way that poor girl was treated. But they're all not good. But I actually hear, see and feel what they went through. When they're being strangled, I'm actually being strangled. I nearly pass out and I have to stop filming. There's an imprint because everything has an imprint. Even though it's been many years, everything has an imprint and I walk into that and I sense it and I see it.
tvnz.co.nz: So you're re-living what they went through?
Sue: I'm re-living what they went through and it takes
me days to get over it. I feel sick through what they went
through their last moments.
tvnz.co.nz: You've talked about some of your experiences in connection with Sensing Murder, do you meet good and bad spirits outside of that?
Sue: Every time I work I always say a prayer of
protection because it's a bit like I'm asking the people from the
light to come through. It's like on earth, there are good and
bad people who can still have that angry energy. I did a
house blessing once and he (the spirit) was so angry, he literally
pushed me up the wall. And if show fear, then that breeds
fear. They've got me. And I said 'Listen, you don't
frighten me, move out the way', and he did. It doesn't
frighten me. I'd love to do haunted houses or buildings
because I love those.
tvnz.co.nz: Have you ever been really scared by something you've
seen or heard?
Sue: You don't show it because then they think they've got you and they will make you really frightened. I just say 'You're not staying' and talk to them and ask them to be realistic.
I tell you, my job never gets boring!!! They move things around. I have lots of crystals on my desk and suddenly one will just jump off the table. They're just trying to give me signs that they're there. Or the light will go out... and it's spirit. I've got a four-year waiting list of people wanting to come and see me...
tvnz.co.nz: In what form do you see spirits? Can you describe the difference between clairaudient, clairsentient and clairvoyant?
Sue: I've got all of the three. Clairvoyant is seeing, clairsentient is feeling and clairaudient is hearing.
tvnz.co.nz: Do you think anyone can learn this ability?
Sue: I do workshops and I do train people but it's a bit like wanting to learn the piano. Some people will go on to be a concert pianist and some won't. I think we're all born with a sixth sense - a lot of us won't use it. A lot of us are afraid of it but it's there for us to tap into if we want to and there are many different levels of doing that.
Not everybody will have the three senses. Some people may
feel things or just have a knowing. Some people will hear a
voice or voices in their head and it's not schizophrenia.
Some people will see things and swear they've just seen someone
standing there or just walked past. I believe we all have
gift but a lot of use won't use it here and some of us are stronger
than others.
tvnz.co.nz: Have you met any charlatans out there?
Sue: Yes. The thing that makes me annoyed is there are good ones and bad ones. They are out there. People come and see me and they say they went to see someone and they said 'I've only got two years to live.' And these people are paranoid. It's all about power and control. I urge them to let it go. It's terrible.
I work with cancer patients and people ask me how long they've got and I say it's not how long you've got, and I start working with them and telling them what it's like.
I've been to the other side, twice. I went over at 9.50 and I came back at 4 in the morning. I checked everything out over there - it's an amazing place. I didn't want to come back but they said you haven't finished your life there but you must tell other people (I was 19 at the time) about life here. They said I must tell other people about this place and that there is no fear of death and that I will work with people and tell them about this place.
tvnz.co.nz: How does this place differ to our world here?
Sue: It's in another dimension. We are all treated equally, there's no creed or colour. There's no hatred. It's this really beautiful energy and it's like being loved a million times - it's amazing. Our life continues on the other side and we learn until we are reincarnated again. Some of us won't and some of us will. Some of us will be born back into the same situation again - ie. mother/daughter, daughter/mother.
You go to the halls of healing first of all until you're ready for the next level and then you move on. And it's all by thought form. It's an amazing place, it's just so beautiful. When we're here our body is cremated or buried and the essence of us, which is our soul, continues on the other side until the soul decides when to re-incarnate again.
tvnz.co.nz: Do you believe in multiple life times, in past lives and future lives?
Sue: Yes. I believe in karma as well. Karma is an energy of what we give out we receive back sometime, in time.
I look at thought and energy like a boomerang. Life is like a boomerang of your thoughts and our thoughts and thrown out there (the negative and the positive). That boomerang with whatever it's labelled on will come back to you and with that label.
Visit Sue Nicholson's official website
