I also have this problem of when I try to visualize I tend to see nothing but black. When I get so frustrated I start to dream and fall a sleep is when I start seeing. But by then I am one step from sleep.

I have had some experiences like this. I believe we are all mediumistic. It sounds like you've come across a gift that should be taken seriously. Don't force these issues, I find we are meant to understand things when we are ready. If you are mediumistic you will be able to fine tune your skills, some of us feel them before we see them. Some see hear and smell. Some are good at finding missing people. With me, It's their feelings they impress on me, I sometimes have to tell them to stop and set boundaries. Bless your room or home,better yet the bottom of the stairs an official cleansing is good for you and the spirit. Then ask the spirit to  convey to you it's intention or what it wants, in away that you can understand. I light a candle with a special scent for this purpose and tell them it is all right to converse but only when the candle is lit. I usually trust my gut feelings, only do what you are comfortable with,you could tell that spirit theres no need to shout, that your listening. I find most harmless beings will listen to your rules in your house human or otherwise. hope this helps  

Its symbolic of you opening you third eye and begining to realise that you have the ability of seeing more than just dead spirits as such.

It a meditation that helps you to become more consistant with what you are seeing and also more connected to you higher self.

I think i may have jumped the gun a little ther but i think that with a basic colour therapy method would suit you great.

If you dont really like the idea of meditation you can just work at disipling you mind. There are several methods that can help achieve this, one is just have a session where you just begin thinking about all the stuff that is going on for you and letting the thoughts flood in. The key to that is to let them roll and dont think into what you are thinking about be it an emontion you are feeling or a series of thoughts about a past BF or something. Try to be really subjective.

Another metod is to sit in a reclining chair, close your, eyes and slowly slow your thoughts down to a crawl, almost to the point that they are no exsitant.

Ive taught energy work to a few friends of mine and i think there is a method here that can work for you which i an empathic method which strays away from conventional visualisation and allow you trying to feel the Actual energy instead of visualising.

It kind of goes like this this is a good method for those that find it hard to visualise and it can really hasten your spiritual development, this is for energy sensitive and many others that feel that they can protray there awareness out side of their body. [ in due course you third eye will open.]

Energy creation and manipulation.

Energy creation.
Begin by feeling that you are holding a ball in you hand, try to be consciess of a samll weight or sensation there.
Feel the ball geting denser and denser, then just throw it.
Work on each time ceating a ball that is bigger and more dense than the last.

Enery Manipulation.
This required use of energy hand [moving your hand with out moving your hands]
Feel a new ball one that you feel is a ball of white light and then float that ball foreward about 2-3 ft infornt of you.
Mould the ball in to a shape any shape with you want with you hands, say a rabbit or some thing.
Fell the moulded energy become more dense as it fills with light highlighting all aspects of it.
Then blow it up, and try to feel the energy as it brushes past you, the shockwave.

Using this method to work the chakras is very effective as you are not just visyualising the energy you are actually using it to clense and fluch you body.

To begin this you need to become aware of the earth as in healing you want to draw on a large power source to supplement the energy used to heal and energy work [note this is a feeling exercise]

Earth chakra clense.
Fell the earth below you sense her presence.
Begin to draw up enrgey from her and create a ball of light below you feet.
As you begin to fell this ball develop into a strong enough focre draw it up wards with your spiritual hands.
As you bring it up let it pass into your root chakra felling the energy expanding and clearing that chakra as it passes into it.
[the sensation may be dramatic or it may just be a minor musscle twitch, but feel it none the less]
have the ball continue traveling up you body felling it open and clear each chakra as you go along.
When it reaches the top of you head move on to the next step

Primary chakra energy closer and clearer
[The function of this is to seal in the energy and close the chakras so that dark energy cannot remanifest into them.{excep if it is hard wired}]
Feel a firment of light above you head[this can apper to be the surface of water as you break through it from below.]
As it descends down over your head feel it sealing in the energy into your chakras and puching darker energys down.
Dont let it stall at each chakra just keep it pushing its way down fluching you out.
When it reaches the bottom of you [from head to toe] feel all you chakras closed
Relax take a few deep breaths and cherrie ho all done

This clenser is particually usefull as a warm down method after any spiritual outing [astral travel etc]

Now coming back to hard wired darkness, usually this is a recod of your current and past expirences that have had a negative influence on you life. Just for now try and work arround these as over time and with energy development these blockages will release them selves i just takes a little commit ment.

And back on the topic of mediumship there is something i feel compelled to say about astral relationships. First of all Find A Spirit Guide there are many meditaions out there that help you find that spirit out there that is just waiting to show you the way, help you understand the spirit world personal to you. These being are essentually people so whty should in turn treat them as such and base our telepathic conversations on that notion.

I started of with a dead friend of mine who i asked to come and help me when i was at a really low point im my life, now i can say that in the beginning that i treated him with the most intrest i just asked for his help and expected him to make all my dreams come true. It has taken me all most a year to build r relation ship to the pont that it is a now. Weve been through a lot now togther him watching me unfold in my life and i having fun bouncing spritual ideas of of him. Hes even taught me a few energy meditaions

Keep the posts coming im glad to help DK

Becoming a more adept medium is just a part of a persons spiritual development if you become more contemplative and less subjective you will find that all ares of you like incease as with learning stuff concerning spirit how thirsty are you?

But yes you are very correct with setting rules and barriers.

I just think that one can always come back to learn what they have forgotten

As it is said all truth becomes relative to/withing time and space