Psychic abilities...could they be real?

[StrawberryJam]

Use the link, the information is all there. If you want to comment on the paper, or discuss it with me, then read it, I posted the link for that purpose, not so I could go do everyone’s research for them,.

Use the link?

JuliaMae,

With all due respect, you can’t be transparent for some reason.

If this is your hobby horse, at least make it clear to Catholics they need not believe in your personal hobby to be Catholic.

Absolutely clear.

 

[cornbread_r2]

Ray Hyman’s very famous rebuttal was pulled offline by Ray Hyman himself after an exchange with Utts many years ago. It was reposted by a skeptic and picked up by the skeptic community, even though Hyman repudiated it. This is all ancient history now.

I’ve looked high and low for Hyman’s repudiation of his original criticism of Utts’s conclusions and I’ve found squat. I know you’re loath to do other people’s research for them, but in this instance could you make one tiny exception and provide a link to that repudiation? Thanks in advance.

Also, the PEARS results support the government results. You want to dismiss all of this so you can safely presume all psychism is smoke and mirrors, be my guest. But rational science says you are wrong.

If by the bolded part you mean that the government-sponsored studies acknowledged a statistical anomaly you would be correct, but that would be a far cry from claiming that the government agreed that that anomaly was the result of psychism, if that’s what you’re implying.

I don’t know if you consider the National Academy of Science to be rational, but in 1988 they concluded that there was:

“…no scientific justification from research conducted over a period of 130 years for the existence of parapsychological phenomena.”

And as far as I can determine, there still isn’t.

{…}

---

StrawberryJam:

Apparently the other journal was the Journal of Parapsychology.

 

[Angels_Eyes]

Thinking of Heaven as “up there” is as erroneous as thinking of Hell as literally below our feet. “The Kingdom of God is within you”–sometimes translated as “AMONG you”–the Greek permits both possibilities and, I think, for reason. God, Heaven, Angels, and Saints may not be somewhere far away and high up. Lucifer and his demonic hosts may brush your sleeve with a frequency which would terrify if you but knew. These realms might be better thought of as other-dimensional. Hope this provides some food for thought.

I love what you wrote here ‘flameburns’.
The way you have described God within us, and especially how Lucifer and his hosts might brush our sleeve everyday without us knowing…this really gave me a ‘light bulb moment’.

Sometimes it takes just the right words or just the right person to say something that sits well with you. As I have returned to the church, I still struggle to understand things, like God/Lucifer, Heaven/Hell.

You have helped me more than you know.

Thank you.:hug1:

 

[Anna_Scott]

This is what our church teaches regarding this subject. From the Catechism of the Catholic Church: "2116 All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to “unveil” the future.48 Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone. "

rainman,
I wholeheartedly agree with what the CCC teaches. We should not seek out these things; and Holy Scripture is very clear about this.

I also believe there are times when we are given a glimpse of the future according to God’s purpose. I’ve had a number of experiences, but let me be absolutely clear: this does not make me a psychic, prophetess, intuitive, etc. I have talked with other Christians who have experienced similar things.

This is a quote of my post #14 on the thread entitled, Experience:

"It was the mid 1980’s and I was living in California. I loved the mountains, the beaches, and the fact that I could ride my bike almost anywhere. One day, a friend called and asked if I wanted to spend a day biking through Ventura. There were still interesting places I hadn’t explored. So, I told her I’d love to. We set a date and time to meet.

Over the next few days, I began to feel uncomfortable about our plans. Discomfort quickly turned into a recurring mental image of my friend flying over the handle bars of her bike and landing on the pavement with blood pooling around her. This was a terrible vision, especially knowing my friend was pregnant with her first child. I couldn’t get this out of my thoughts. I began to pray for her safety and for the safety of her baby. I continued to pray each time this image entered my thoughts. I considered canceling the riding date, but I had nothing concrete to justify this. What if I was just feeling overly protective, because she was pregnant? I had no logical reason to cancel our date. So, I did the logical thing and let the plans stand.

On the day we were to meet, I prayed again, adding to many prayers lifted up on her behalf that week. We met as planned and had a wonderful time riding. We found a nice restaurant for lunch, which gave us time to chat and rest. After lunch, we rode through more areas of town. We were having such a good time, I forgot about the vision. I know. Hard to believe.

We were about to part ways and ride back to our homes, when my friend said she wanted to check out one more place. I said, O.K. and followed her lead. We turned onto a street without bike lanes; and my friend, being in the lead, left the street and rode onto the sidewalk. I was right behind her.

Just moments later, her front tire struck a hole in the sidewalk, halting her bike abruptly. My friend was propelled over the handle bars and slammed onto the pavement. It happened so fast. My heart was pounding. The vision flashed through my thoughts, as I rushed to her side, fearing the worst, and expecting blood.

Thank God, she was conscious. I flagged down a passing car. A good Samaritan stopped, helped me get her into his car, and drove us to the emergency room. My friend was placed on a gurney and immediately assessment. I called her husband, who rushed to the emergency room.

The doctor came out and told us there were no signs of serious injury to my friend or to her baby. Oh, the relief I felt. I sat down, truly stunned. Then I realized, everything I had seen in the vision happened. . . . .everything except the ominous picture of blood pooling around my friend, and the tragedy that scene depicted.

Thank God, my friend and her baby were safe. For reasons I could not quite understand; the worst had not happened. There was no blood. My friend was fine. Her baby was fine.

For days, I kept going over the events in my thoughts. I recalled the vision, which was so clear, and the multiple petitions to God for the safety and protection of my friend and her unborn child.

Had I failed my friend? Should I have canceled our riding date? If I had canceled, would it have happened anyway? Would she have asked someone else to go with her? Would she have gone riding on her own? Would the worst have happened?

Or. . . .was the purpose of the vision to call me to prayer, ultimately witnessing God’s power to reveal a glimpse of the future, and intervene? Prayer was the only obvious variable. After all, what’s the point of seeing into the future, if nothing can be done?

There are many things I will probably never understand about those events. However, I am convinced that God was the source of the vision, the voice behind the call to prayer, and the one who protected and delivered my friend and her baby from harm. The power and glory of God were revealed in a powerful way.

As for me, I’m a little less logical in my decision making these days.

Peace and blessings to all,
Anna"

 

[Jala]

Yes, I do believe that some people have psychic abilities. But probably not the ones who are taking your money through the 1-900 numbers.

Jala

 

[itullian]

i think there are real experiences of this, but i dont think we have the ability to control them.

 

[Luvtosew]

My only direct experience has been that I have known on multiple occasions of the exact moment of a person’s death. This has always been someone close to me, friend or family. It comes over me like a wave, and I know who just died.

The first time it happened, it was a good friend who was ill. I knew that his days were numbered, and that he was close to dying. I felt it when he died, even though nobody had foreknowledge of when it would happen. I called his home, and he had passed on at the exact moment that I felt whatever that was.

The next time was a friend who died on his motorcycle. I bolted upright in bed. I didn’t yet recognize this peculiar trait that I have. I just knew that something terrible had happened. The front forks of his bike had separated due to the faulty work of a mechanic, and he went head first into a pole at the exact moment that I woke up.

One that I am grateful for is that I felt an overwhelming compulsion to visit my grandparents. They lived about a 2 hour drive from where I was working. I made an excuse and left work, early and unexpectedly. Went there. My grandmother had not told anyone how bad my grandfather was getting. He was in pretty bad shape. I made them dinner. He and I watched a basketball game together. When he finally retired, she told me how nice the evening had been. He had not eaten a full meal, or stayed up that late in a long time. She thought he had a wonderful evening. The next morning, he got out of bed, and then fell to the floor and died.

Call these coincidences. I have no explanation for them. I don’t understand it. But it is real. I have a number of similar stories, all of them about someone close to me who has died, and I know it exactly when it happens. The premonition with my grandfather is something I can’t explain. I had no knowledge of his condition. I was driven to go see him that night. It was like a compulsive drive, to drop everything and get over there for a visit. I had never felt that before.

I believe this, as it happened to me, my Mom was in hospital, and during the night I sat up and bed and said I need to go to the hospital, and my Mom had died., so when you said you bolted right up in bed I know the feeling. Yes I believe in this, but not the way they do it on TV shows or at the fair or like to go to a physic , also I don’t think we should try and find out about the future.

Someone said above that they don’t think we can control them, I agree with that.

 

[Luvtosew]

rainman,
I wholeheartedly agree with what the CCC teaches. We should not seek out these things; and Holy Scripture is very clear about this.

I also believe there are times when we are given a glimpse of the future according to God’s purpose. I’ve had a number of experiences, but let me be absolutely clear: this does not make me a psychic, prophetess, intuitive, etc. I have talked with other Christians who have experienced similar things.

This is a quote of my post #14 on the thread entitled, Experience:

"It was the mid 1980’s and I was living in California. I loved the mountains, the beaches, and the fact that I could ride my bike almost anywhere. One day, a friend called and asked if I wanted to spend a day biking through Ventura. There were still interesting places I hadn’t explored. So, I told her I’d love to. We set a date and time to meet.

Over the next few days, I began to feel uncomfortable about our plans. Discomfort quickly turned into a recurring mental image of my friend flying over the handle bars of her bike and landing on the pavement with blood pooling around her. This was a terrible vision, especially knowing my friend was pregnant with her first child. I couldn’t get this out of my thoughts. I began to pray for her safety and for the safety of her baby. I continued to pray each time this image entered my thoughts. I considered canceling the riding date, but I had nothing concrete to justify this. What if I was just feeling overly protective, because she was pregnant? I had no logical reason to cancel our date. So, I did the logical thing and let the plans stand.

On the day we were to meet, I prayed again, adding to many prayers lifted up on her behalf that week. We met as planned and had a wonderful time riding. We found a nice restaurant for lunch, which gave us time to chat and rest. After lunch, we rode through more areas of town. We were having such a good time, I forgot about the vision. I know. Hard to believe.

We were about to part ways and ride back to our homes, when my friend said she wanted to check out one more place. I said, O.K. and followed her lead. We turned onto a street without bike lanes; and my friend, being in the lead, left the street and rode onto the sidewalk. I was right behind her.

Just moments later, her front tire struck a hole in the sidewalk, halting her bike abruptly. My friend was propelled over the handle bars and slammed onto the pavement. It happened so fast. My heart was pounding. The vision flashed through my thoughts, as I rushed to her side, fearing the worst, and expecting blood.

Thank God, she was conscious. I flagged down a passing car. A good Samaritan stopped, helped me get her into his car, and drove us to the emergency room. My friend was placed on a gurney and immediately assessment. I called her husband, who rushed to the emergency room.

The doctor came out and told us there were no signs of serious injury to my friend or to her baby. Oh, the relief I felt. I sat down, truly stunned. Then I realized, everything I had seen in the vision happened. . . . .everything except the ominous picture of blood pooling around my friend, and the tragedy that scene depicted.

Thank God, my friend and her baby were safe. For reasons I could not quite understand; the worst had not happened. There was no blood. My friend was fine. Her baby was fine.

For days, I kept going over the events in my thoughts. I recalled the vision, which was so clear, and the multiple petitions to God for the safety and protection of my friend and her unborn child.

Had I failed my friend? Should I have canceled our riding date? If I had canceled, would it have happened anyway? Would she have asked someone else to go with her? Would she have gone riding on her own? Would the worst have happened?

Or. . . .was the purpose of the vision to call me to prayer, ultimately witnessing God’s power to reveal a glimpse of the future, and intervene? Prayer was the only obvious variable. After all, what’s the point of seeing into the future, if nothing can be done?

There are many things I will probably never understand about those events. However, I am convinced that God was the source of the vision, the voice behind the call to prayer, and the one who protected and delivered my friend and her baby from harm. The power and glory of God were revealed in a powerful way.

As for me, I’m a little less logical in my decision making these days.

Peace and blessings to all,
Anna"

Well thank God your friend was ok, as if something bad would of happened I fear you would of had to live with the I should of , ya know. I have learned to use my gut insticts , feelings , (whatever you want to call them) more too.

That is why I believe in God, way to many coincidences, some can be explained away of course , but many can’t.

 

[aicirt]

In my initial response I referred to Simeon and Anna’s predictions re. Christ when His parents brought Him to the temple as an infant. Here are two who were obviously informed by the Holy Spirit. My feeling is that they aren’t the only folk on earth who have experienced this feeling. I think, like apparitions, one must be cautious and use discernment. But they do happen.

 

[Anna_Scott]

Well thank God your friend was ok, as if something bad would of happened I fear you would of had to live with the I should of , ya know. I have learned to use my gut insticts , feelings , (whatever you want to call them) more too.

That is why I believe in God, way to many coincidences, some can be explained away of course , but many can’t.

Luvtosew,
That experience did really shake me up. I praise God that He protected my friend. I have found that there are so many Christians who have had similar experiences.

I agree that there are things that cannot be explained away— things that point us directly to God and open our hearts to the call of Christ.

Anna

 

[Timothy_Garber]

In my initial response I referred to Simeon and Anna’s predictions re. Christ when His parents brought Him to the temple as an infant. Here are two who were obviously informed by the Holy Spirit. My feeling is that they aren’t the only folk on earth who have experienced this feeling. I think, like apparitions, one must be cautious and use discernment. But they do happen.

But I think the debated term here, Psychic Abilities, implies that one can have said apparitions at will. That is why I strongly disagree with people who call themselves “psychic”. Having a vision granted by God is way different than forcing “visions” on yourself.**

 

[aragonjohn1]

But I think the debated term here, Psychic Abilities, implies that one can have said apparitions at will. That is why I strongly disagree with people who call themselves “psychic”. Having a vision granted by God is way different than forcing “visions” on yourself.**



yes St. cathorine of Siena said something that ties into this " i know when a vision is from God when i feel terror then eventually happiness and when it is from me or someone else i feel happiness then occassionally terror "

• catholicrevelations.org/PR/discernment%20of%20spirits.htm

Shalom
God Bless

 

[Anna_Scott]

But I think the debated term here, Psychic Abilities, implies that one can have said apparitions at will. That is why I strongly disagree with people who call themselves “psychic”. Having a vision granted by God is way different than forcing “visions” on yourself.**

Timothy,
I agree.

 

[Timothy_Garber]

yes St. cathorine of Siena said something that ties into this " i know when a vision is from God when i feel terror then eventually happiness and when it is from me or someone else i feel happiness then occassionally terror "

• catholicrevelations.org/PR/discernment%20of%20spirits.htm

Shalom
God Bless

I love that quote. Makes sense, though: If you receive a vision, you are probably terrified (I know I would be). If you made up a vision, you would probably feel happy and proud that you made it up and people believed it. Then… terror? Could that terror be the fear of God? Something else? The terror of the never-ending fear that you would be found as a fraud?

 

[aragonjohn1]

I love that quote. Makes sense, though: If you receive a vision, you are probably terrified (I know I would be). If you made up a vision, you would probably feel happy and proud that you made it up and people believed it. Then… terror? Could that terror be the fear of God? Something else? The terror of the never-ending fear that you would be found as a fraud?

Yeh the saints have many beautifuls things to say about growing in our relationship to God.

Shalom
God bless

 

[aicirt]

But I think the debated term here, Psychic Abilities, implies that one can have said apparitions at will. That is why I strongly disagree with people who call themselves “psychic”. Having a vision granted by God is way different than forcing “visions” on yourself.**

I think some can have those “feelings” more frequently than most of us. I think we all have the ability to know things to some extent but some have a greater gift.

Anna was said to be a prophetess and a holy woman. The Holy Family did not run from her. They accepted both Simeon’s expectations of their future as well as hers.

 

[rinnie]

I use to be ‘into’ this sort of thing for a long, long time. I found myself watching a program on Tv tonight called ‘Psychic TV’. The problem with this particular show, I think, is the apparent psychic keeps on talking and the person asking the question is not there or on the phone etc, the question is usually via e-mail. So, tonight a lady said she was pregnant with her 3rd child, and not married yet. Will he ask me to marry him finally and will the birth of our child go smoothly?

The psychic answered yes she felt he would propose to her soon and also she felt the lady with the questions had to ‘put her feet up because she saw some possible swelling. Also headaches, and to be aware of this’.

Um…well, she is pregnant and it is very likely she will end up with swollen ankles, and headaches, very common too I’d say. I found this answer to be ridiculous and something I think I could have answered for this lady for free…hehehehe. I think it’s possible for some people to have abilities in this area, but most of them come across as frauds, they seem so fake.

I know I am posting this question on a Catholic forum, so many will not believe. I have to admit I have become increasingly skeptical of this sort of thing of late, …what do you think, possible or not?

I do, God tells us he gave the devil many powers. Remember in the book of Job he said he could do anything etc, but take away Jobs free will.

The devil does have powers. He promises you the moon, and sometimes will also even give it to you, Look what he tried to do with Christ he offered him this world. Was this world his to give. Yep! Remember what Christ said this is not HIS world if it was we would have not let him die.

But back to the powers of satan he gives you what you want, and then the catch is, He DESTROYS you with it.

 

[Timothy_Garber]

I think some can have those “feelings” more frequently than most of us. I think we all have the ability to know things to some extent but some have a greater gift.

Anna was said to be a prophetess and a holy woman. The Holy Family did not run from her. They accepted both Simeon’s expectations of their future as well as hers.

But you can’t deny that that is extremely different compared to someone calling a psychic and the psychic knowing what would happen.

 

[kbwall]

9/10 professional psychics are nothing more than scam artists. Bad scam artists that fool only gullible people. They use a combination of randomly guessing stuff until they get it right (“I’m thinking of a name with an F, wait no, P? Q? And he was your dad? Uncle? He says hi.” “Oh wow, my uncle said hi all the time in life, you must be the real deal!”), and basically just telling people what they want to hear (telling them their kid is OK, that their spouse truly loves them and they’ll be together forever, etc.) and occasionally telling people exactly what they don’t want to hear, just to spice things up and an attempt at credibility.

And astrology is just straight up stupid. Horoscopes are just random sentences applied to birthday signs with no rhyme or reason. And the personality descriptions are just ideas that pretty much apply to anybody (or things that everybody hopes they apply to, such as being a hard worker, and being a good leader).

Though the topic asks if they’re possible, not if they’re plentiful. Now for my own speculation; I think it’s possible through a variety of ways.

For one, human beings are smart. Some are smarter than others, and many are smarter than even the individual in question thinks. It could be that many ‘psychic visions’ are basically just people thinking they’re seeing the future, when they’re just figuring out what will happen, even if only on a subconscious level. Kind of like a habitual card counter. No mystical forces involved, just natural human intellect.

Then you got the people that, for one reason or another, want psychic visions and try to trick their mind into it. I used to be into this stuff too, and read a couple sources that outlined how to become psychic. They basically amount to imagining stuff and fooling yourself into thinking it’s real. They try to make a vision happen, and they’re fake just as often as they’re true, but you make a big deal about the true ones. These predictions are often the dumbest things you hear (“Hey, I predicted that accident would happen. You have to train your mind in order to see that there would be a car wreck on a busy intersection. I can teach you.”)

Then you got the people being lead by spiritual forces, both good and evil. I believe there’s a chance that God reveals parts of the future to random people. I don’t why, but He’s God, He is mysterious. However, these kind would likely not be the professional psychics, since professional psychics would be employing methods that God specifically told us not to use in the Old Testament (sorcery, astrology, numerology, or just you know, lying). Then there’s the evil beings who figure out the future and show it to people in an attempt to lead them astray.

Then you got that one guy who knows the future because he is from the future. He travelled here on a whim and now can’t travel back to the future because he can’t generate 1.21 Gigawatts of energy. And to add insult to injury, his Delorean is totaled. So he has nothing better to do than tell people things he has already seen.

 

[Timothy_Garber]

Then you got that one guy who knows the future because he is from the future. He travelled here on a whim and now can’t travel back to the future because he can’t generate 1.21 Gigawatts of energy. And to add insult to injury, his Delorean is totaled. So he has nothing better to do than tell people things he has already seen.

And what do we do with this guy? Buy him a new delorean?