There are a few ways to discern spirits. The most common is through reading energy. Everyone and everything has an energy field around it, called an aura. This aura can be read by someone who is sensitive to energy to get information about the person or thing. Another way to discern spirits is through psychometry, which is basically reading the energies of objects. This can be done by holding an object in your hand and “tuning in” to its energies. Often times, people will get impressions or images from the object about its history or the people who have owned it.
Another way to discern spirits is through channeling, which is when a person allows a spirit to use their body as a vessel to communicate with the living. Channeling can be done consciously or unconsciously, but usually requires some training to do it consciously. Some people are born with the ability to channel and don’t even realize they’re doing it.
Lastly, another way to discern spirits is simply through intuition. We all have intuition and gut feelings about things and sometimes these can be messages from our spirit guides or other Spirits trying to communicate with us. Pay attention to your dreams as well, as they often contain messages from Spirit