If you were ever to pass John Porter on campus, he would have appeared like any average, non-traditional student would: decked out in a red Bradley sweatshirt, attending classes and going about his day unnoticed. However, if you were to engage in a conversation with this 2013 Bradley graduate, you would soon find out he has the capabilities to tap into the undetected.
Porter first discovered his abilities at nine years old, after witnessing an apparition in his grandmothers home.
I couldnt figure out who it was until many years later when I was going through some old photographs, and I saw a picture of my grandmother with my grandfather, Porter said. Of course, I never knew my grandfather because he passed away in 1946 and I grew up in the 60s.
From there, he started picking up on peoples feelings, doing readings, using tarot cards and getting a handle on his gift. Porter defines his intuitive abilities as the process of utilizing your psychic aptitudes without having any external assistance.
Its just the part of your brain that most people dont use, Porter said. When I say psychic abilities, everyone has it, everyone has the intuitive capabilities, some just have it stronger than others.
In his late teens, Porter met a psychic in Phoenix who recognized his abilities right away and became his friend and mentor. They worked together for nearly 30 years before she passed away. Her influence still inspires Porter, as he described her as sharp and one of the most accurate psychics he ever knew.
Hes also had the opportunity to work with Chip Coffey and met with James Van Praagh, two well-known psychics.
Theyre very talented in their own ways, but I was told by them that I cant go off of what they do. I have to do what comes natural to me, Porter said.
When Porter moved from Phoneix to Peoria in 2005, he started doing readings out of a shop in Peoria Heights called The Moon Dancer. He informed people on everything from their career paths to relationships, but stresses the importance of not taking anything as the end all, be all.
What I see for the future does not necessarily mean that it will all come to path exactly, because the message of the universe changes. It undulates, Porter said. No one is 100 percent accurate, no one, because things change, because of our free will and the people we interact with, and it just sets things off in a different direction.
One of the most memorable instances of a tough undertaking involved the cold case of the murder of Mason Citys Dustin Englebrecht. After being awakened by the apparition of Englebrecht with a goatee, jeans, black and white tennis shoes and a white t-shirt, he knew he needed to help the family.
[At first], I didnt think anything of it because it happens to me all the time, but the very next morning, I was watching the news and they were talking about Dustin and his picture came up and he was wearing the exact same outfit, Porter said.
He went on to help the family directly, rather than through the police, informing them of what he was seeing. He urged them to stop the searching because they were destroying evidence, informed them that Engelbrecht was buried a lot closer than they believed and assured them that the police would find his body within five days. On the fourth day, police uncovered a shallow grave in a cornfield, and the police report relayed a lot of the details he already told Englebrechts family.
To me, it was a satisfaction that I could finally help this familys grief, kind of minimize it, because I had the chance to meet with the mother and some of the family members, Porter said. It was very gratifying to know that they were at peace with all the information I gave them.
Porter has also given readings at more large-scale events, including a Southwest Airlines convention, for the Dairymens Association in Arizona, as well as bridal events and girls nights out. He also isnt afraid to dabble in the spooky, oftentimes visiting haunted locations to gauge what is occupying the space at the time. He has branched out into cities like Galesburg, Champaign, Chicago and St. Louis.
When it comes to skeptics, Porter isnt opposed to listening to them, especially considering his wife is one.
Its kind of an interesting dichotomy between the two of us because it can promote some tension, but she understands where I come from and I understand where she comes from, Porter said. I like to talk to the skeptics to learn why they feel that way, or why they believe the way they do. There are times when you just cannot meet on even ground I have my beliefs and they have their beliefs, and thats just the way its going to be.
Porter always tries to answer all of his clients questions, and has a policy of being upfront if he doesnt know an answer to avoid wasting time or money of the client.
Im not going to pose myself as someone that knows everything, because I dont, and Ill be the first one to tell you that, Porter said. There are times that I will have a client in front of me and I cannot read for them. Its like theres a block wall, and I will tell them, Im sorry, Ive tried several times to get a bite on you, but I just cant.
Porter said he hasnt been able to read a client only about half a dozen times throughout his life.
If you are interested in a psychic phone reading at a discounted rate for students, you can reach him at jhporter@mail.bradley.edu or (309) 339-2680.
