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Disaster Predictions: When People Claim Premonitions

The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The Japanese tsunami. The sinking of the Titanic.

These were unfathomable disasters that cost thousands of lives, and yet some people claim that they had premonitions that foretold these catastrophic events.

Dr. Larry Dossey studied numerous examples of premonitions for his book, "The Power of Premonitions." To combat skeptics, Dossey cites such examples as the 1950 explosion of a church in Beatrice, Neb. The explosion happened during a scheduled choir practice, and yet the church was empty. Each choir member was either absent or late for practice.

"Nobody had a clue that anything bad was going to happen. But yet everybody found some reason to not go to church," Dossey said. "I think that the unconscious works in very strange ways."

But those who don't believe, such as Matt Hutson, an author and writer for Psychology Today, said that science debunks the idea of premonitions.

Continue reading at abcnews.go.com
 
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  • Winston

    As a believer, I would take anything said in "Psychology Today" with a grain of salt…or less. Personally, I started having what I call some dreams of premonition or even apololyptic dreams. The Bible tells us in Joel 2:28 “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions." I told a younish pastor about it and he told me "don't bring that kind of talk into our church"…. so I didn't go back. That church pastor is also a Cessationist, so another reason not to go there. Too many church pastors are keeping the Holy Spirit in the closet.

    • Despeville

      That pastor advised you well for you do not understand Joel 2:28 and even if it would apply to you your pastor whom you have despised was right about testing it and confirming it first which takes time rather than allowing you to spread it in the Church unchecked, unconfirmed and untried… Submit yourself to the discipline sometimes rather to be a lone ranger with "visions"…

      • Winston

        I follow no man, especially those who reject the work of the Holy Spirit today. You may be a blind sheep if you choose, but I follow only Christ Jesus. Many pastors create new laws, or rules, as so did the Pharisees and Nicolaitans. Jesus tells us to beware of them.

        • Despeville

          I don't think you were able to demonstrate a single thing against that pastor. You just went against him for he did not give you the acknowledgement for your "gift". You have smeared him just as you smear me now and just for suggesting that you might be a rebellious, church discipline despising individual with his "me Christianity" which is nothing else but pride blasphemously dressed up as "Holy Spirit". BTW, there are no blind sheep for all sheep have their Shepherd and because of that they do see…

  • John Adams

    I do not believe in premonitions. However, I do believe in a sovereign God Who does all things for His honor and glory and for the good of those who are His children.

  • Evermyrtle

    There are premonitions. People are given warnings many times that a disaster or maybe something else is about to happen. I believe these come from GOD to warn, or to tell them to beware of some coming occurrence. If you have sudden feeling that you should not enter the house, that is a premonition. It is only a feeling, given to you by GOD, that there is something wrong. They are not dangerous, They do nothing,nothing at all but warn you, or simple to tell you "beware,something is wrong"

  • EstebanCafe

    An interesting story. I think premonitions are personal, if they are not, in fact, "a spot of mustard" affecting the digestive tract.
    I think premonitions are a problem only when the receipeint goes beyond the personal and tries to extend it to others, as in "giving the will of God" to others. Think Jim Jones. Where do they get such authority ?

  • Randy131

    Most premonitions come in dreams, but others just through feelings that we can't shake, but a good example of a premonition is dejavu, which is really just the remembrance of a premonition from a dream that we dismissed and forgot about, until it comes to pass. The Bible is full of premonitions, such as Joseph's dream of the Angel telling him that it was alright to take Mary as his wife, since the child she was carrying was of GOD and the Holy Spirit, and when in a dream an Angel told Joseph to take Mary and the baby Jesus and escape to Egypt, because Herod was hunting them to kill the baby Jesus. Why do people think that GOD no longer performs miracles, or gives us premonitions through dreams and feelings, in order to protect us for what he has planned for us in the future? It's truly a shame that science can't accept what it can't see or explain, and therefore is absent of faith, the salvation of mankind for the reunification of their relationship with their GOD, and His gift for those who will accept it, for faith is truly a gift that not all receive, but not for reason that it is not offered to them, but because of their stubbornness or ego.