Teacher by day, psychic by night

By Catherine Amos

Published: September 18, 2008

About a half dozen teens handed out fliers warning of “the stronghold of divination and involvement with the occult, witchcraft and counterfeit gifts,” outside the Depot Tuesday night.

A tall man with gray hair wearing pressed chinos, a navy polo and a black lanyard around his neck eyed the group before returning inside where about 15 people sat in blue plastic chairs.

A black and white poster hanging at the front of the room bore the words, “intuition,” “vision,” “prophecy,” and “feeling,” along with a series of symbols, from a stick figure to images of science and religion.

The tall man was Richard Lassiter, a graphic design teacher at both Culpeper and Eastern View high schools, and he was preparing to lecture. But this lecture was not about graphic design. Lassiter, 62, co-founded the Balanced Living Institute with Melissa Kitto, and the two lead workshops and seminars worldwide to help people explore their “psychic gifts.”

“People who work with me know I’m just a guy,” Lassiter said. “There’s nothing special about me. The only thing different about me is what I listen to. I listen more to what’s inside than what’s out there; I listen to how it feels.”

Lassiter has worked for Culpeper County Public Schools for 15 years, and in the past four has begun an ESP group for students to encourage the use of their psychic sensitivities. He requires students to have their parents sign a form agreeing to let their child participate, but said that was usually not an issue.

Julie Rosewarne, 18, graduated from CCHS in May and was a student of Lassiter’s. It was in his class that she learned about Lassiter’s psychic interests and was eager to pursue her own.

“I thought, ‘This man should run for president,’” Rosewarne said after Tuesday’s workshop. “Everything he said, it just clicked. Going to his (ESP) club just turned around a lot of things in my life and I became so much happier.”

But not everyone thinks so highly of what Lassiter teaches outside the high school classroom.

“God loves you and has an awesome plan for your life,” read the flier from the protesters. “He wants to give you his true gift of prophecy. Don’t settle for a counterfeit gift from a source other than God.”
Lassiter shook his head at the dissenters and continued with his workshop.

“You are what you think,” he repeated throughout the seminar, “not what you think you are.”

Catherine Amos can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 138 or .

Exploring Inner Dynamics
Who: Richard Lassiter and Melissa Kitto
What: Workshop on expanding your psychic sensitivity and your understanding of your life purpose
Where: The Depot
When: Sept. 23, 7 to 10
Cost: $10 for the first hour; $30 for the full three hours
Learn more: Visit BalancedLivingInstitute.com or ipmers.org