Sam's still had prophetic dreams (the last was that sexy one about Bela, right?), but that's fairly ephemeral and certainly nothing beyond the abilities of numerous psychics we've run into over the course of the series.

I'd thought from the way he killed Gordon that he was developing Buffy-esque strength, but apparently whoever stunt coordinated that episode adheres to the belief that a regular person of Jared's size can decapitate someone by pulling on a wire loop really hard. @@

Sam's still had prophetic dreams (the last was that sexy one about Bela, right?), but that's fairly ephemeral and certainly nothing beyond the abilities of numerous psychics we've run into over the course of the series.

Yep, he's had visions and prophetic dreams. And at least once he's had telekinesis (when he moved that cabinet so he could get out of the closet and save crazed psychic kid from shooting Dean). So I think the groundwork was laid that Sam had a few abilities beyond the norm... so either Ruby's blood really increased his abilities, or Ruby's just allowing him to think that they're due to her influence.

Yeah, but weren't Sam's abilities all from having had demonic blood as a kid?

Yeah, but weren't Sam's abilities all from having had demonic blood as a kid?

Yeah, that was my point. We've seen no evidence that Sam has abilities beyond what Azazel gave him in the crib.

We've seen no evidence that Sam has abilities beyond what Azazel gave him in the crib.

So you think that everything he can do now he can do because of Azazel's initial infusion, NOT because of what Ruby's been feeding him?

Well I assumed that he had some abilities from the initial feeding, but more demon blood equals more strength. Of course some of the other demon-blood kiddies abilities got stronger as they used them more, so maybe not the only way to develop. But definitely seems one way.

The powers that Sam had pre-Ruby were telepathic dreams and some sort of shield against Lilith's power, right? Or did he have some sort of telekinesis too?

Or did he have some sort of telekinesis too?

In the Season 1 episode "Nightmare" one of the other kids with the same birthday/mom dead in a fire criteria turns out to have been repeatedly beaten by his dad and uncle. He kills them, making it look like suicide. The Winchesters try to keep him from killing the stepmother, and Sam ends up locked in a closet with a huge piece of furniture in front of it. He has another vision of Dean being shot, and somehow uses telekinesis to move the furniture out of the way so he can get out and go to rescue Dean and the stepmother. But I can't recall if it's popped up anywhere else.

That's right. I don't think he ever was able to do that again. (But did he practice? Not that we know.)

In AHBL parts I and II, we learned that if the psychic kids practiced, they can learn other powers. Perhaps they needed Azazel alive as a sort of conduit for bringing out these abilities. Which would explain why Sam abilities went "dormant" until Ruby caught Sam at the most vulnerable time of his life.