Psychic Visions

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First, please correct me if I am wrong but I am under the impression that psychic visions are against the teaching of the Catholic Church.

Next, I heard a Catholic share and I will give an example of what was shared and to be honest, it kind of sounds like baloney to me.

eg, someone was in a bad car accident an survived. So a priest with healing powers was saying a mass and he had a vision that someone in the church had survived a bad car accident by the grace of God. Then everyone in the church was in awe when the person said ‘it was me’. Is it me or id that just simply baloney?

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[Stylites]

First, please correct me if I am wrong but I am under the impression that psychic visions are against the teaching of the Catholic Church.

Next, I heard a Catholic share and I will give an example of what was shared and to be honest, it kind of sounds like baloney to me.

eg, someone was in a bad car accident an survived. So a priest with healing powers was saying a mass and he had a vision that someone in the church had survived a bad car accident by the grace of God. Then everyone in the church was in awe when the person said ‘it was me’. Is it me or id that just simply baloney?

cm

Well, psychic visions are not against the teachings of the Church. God is sharing His life with us, and a part of that life is knowledge.

John 6:13 - But when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will teach you all truth. For he shall not speak of himself; but what things soever he shall hear, he shall speak; and the things that are to come, he shall shew you.

What would be against Church teachings would be seeking or using knowledge for the wrong reasons. If he was contented that people were in awe that he knew there was someone who survived a car wreck, then he would have missed out on even greater visions. That’s the way it’s built, to allow people to find a level of satisfaction which stops them from advancing to even greater things, when they are happy with and revel in small things.

 

[MisterCorduroy]

What you describe is a gift of the Holy Spirit called “word of knowledge”. It is mentioned by St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:8. Many saints such as Padre Pio had these gifts, or charisms. Of course the devil often counterfeits the things of God, which is why psychics are condemned–their power may be demonic.

I wish more priests and laity were open to the work of the Holy Spirit and His gifts. Miracles should be a normal, everyday thing for Christians according to Jesus (Mark 16:17-18) and this was the case in our Catholic Church for most of her history. In fact, the Protestant reformers (Luther, Calvin, etc) rejected miracles as “Papist superstition”.

 

[marianne_king]

My first reaction is that it’s baloney, however it does seem that some folks have a strong intuition about their fellow humans.
So I would give the priest the benefit of the doubt.

 

[WingsOfEagles]

I think what is against Church teaching is the “come to me and I will tell you your future” type of psychic visions. The Church doesn’t dismiss all visions as impossible. Many of our Saints had visions. Revelation is one big vision.

 

[dchezik]

First, please correct me if I am wrong but I am under the impression that psychic visions are against the teaching of the Catholic Church.

Next, I heard a Catholic share and I will give an example of what was shared and to be honest, it kind of sounds like baloney to me.

eg, someone was in a bad car accident an survived. So a priest with healing powers was saying a mass and he had a vision that someone in the church had survived a bad car accident by the grace of God. Then everyone in the church was in awe when the person said ‘it was me’. Is it me or id that just simply baloney?

cm

I think you’re right. It’s simply baloney. Sometime look up how psychics do “cold readings.” I used to do this kind of thing in my psych class to teach critical thinking: Here’s how it works: I say, “Someone in the class drives a Buick.” No response. …“or has a relative who drives a Buick.” A student: “My uncle drove a Buick.” Me: “I’m sensing that there was a problem with this Buick – a bad accident.” Student: “My uncle did have someone rear-end him.” Me: “And someone was killed…” Student: “No, but my uncle did go to the hospital with a sprained back.” etc. The students were so impressed! I chastised them thoroughly. “Think!” I said. “Remember the law of averages. Make enough predictions and some of them are bound to come true.”

Sometime Google how the psychic John Edwards (“Crossing Over”) used to convince audiences that he was talking with their dead relatives on the “other side.” Also a good reference exposing these paranormal phenomena is James Randi’s Flim-Flam.

I think sometimes the proscription churches have against psychic phenomena is they tend to provide an alternative explanation to God’s miracles. Like, “the water changing into wine was psychokinesis, not because of Jesus.” Look at all the faith-healers!

The other thing is that people think these things happen through the devil, who good Catholics probably shouldn’t be associating with! Look at Malleus Maleficarum sometime. Two Catholic monks going on and on about Satan and witchcraft. Amazing!

PS. Doesn’t everyone survive a bad accident “by the grace of God”? (And if they don’t, it was “God’s will,” right?) Can you imagine someone saying, “Well, I survived a very bad accident but it wasn’t by the Grace of God”?

 

[Julia_Mae]

So a priest with healing powers was saying a mass and he had a vision that someone in the church had survived a bad car accident by the grace of God. Then everyone in the church was in awe when the person said ‘it was me’. Is it me or id that just simply baloney?

cm

I really want to believe that we would never have a priest who lies but… OTOH, it could be genuine, but… okay how many people were there? In any group of 100 people in America, how many could say they survived a car accident by the Grace of God?

Psychism is a genuine thing that some scientists study, but not every case of a person claiming to have had a vision is true. I don’t know about this one.

 

[GEddie]

We are not to seek psychic knowledge by clairvoyance or other means, as such can open the way to demonic deception. Only in our spiritual bodies will we have spiritual senses.

However, the Holy Spirit can give us His knowledge, provided we don’t try to force it.

ICXC NIKA

 

[runningdude]

First, please correct me if I am wrong but I am under the impression that psychic visions are against the teaching of the Catholic Church.

Next, I heard a Catholic share and I will give an example of what was shared and to be honest, it kind of sounds like baloney to me.

eg, someone was in a bad car accident an survived. So a priest with healing powers was saying a mass and he had a vision that someone in the church had survived a bad car accident by the grace of God. Then everyone in the church was in awe when the person said ‘it was me’. Is it me or id that just simply baloney?

cm

Miracles are real and have been documented. Without such documentation, there is no reason to assume this “vision” is real.

 

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I guess the reason I find it to be baloney is because I really have no idea what the priest motive would be to mention it. If for example, the priest had a notion that someone was having a heart attack and the mass should be stopped to help that person, that to me makes sense because at that moment someone needed help. However to just state it for the sake of stating it ‘I sense someone in here has survived a car accident’ is pointless and really does not give anyone anything.

Also, I did not post this earlier because I wanted people’s responses before I told the whole story. What really makes me disbelieve, is the woman telling this story also said she was very ill and went to the hospital for treatment. When she was well enough to leave the hospital, she went to a healing mass and became healed at the mass I can’t help but think the treament is what healed her because why else would they let her leave the hospital

Also, let’s say a miracoulous healing does happen, does the church not need to investigate before it can be called a miracle?

And lastly, I was always under the impression that saints were humble and quiet. The person telling all these stories raises her voice like one of the tele-evangelist. It just doesn’t strike me as genuine

CM

 

[CB_Catholic]

I guess the reason I find it to be baloney is because I really have no idea what the priest motive would be to mention it. If for example, the priest had a notion that someone was having a heart attack and the mass should be stopped to help that person, that to me makes sense because at that moment someone needed help. However to just state it for the sake of stating it ‘I sense someone in here has survived a car accident’ is pointless and really does not give anyone anything.

Also, I did not post this earlier because I wanted people’s responses before I told the whole story. What really makes me disbelieve, is the woman telling this story also said she was very ill and went to the hospital for treatment. When she was well enough to leave the hospital, she went to a healing mass and became healed at the mass I can’t help but think the treament is what healed her because why else would they let her leave the hospital

Also, let’s say a miracoulous healing does happen, does the church not need to investigate before it can be called a miracle?

And lastly, I was always under the impression that saints were humble and quiet. The person telling all these stories raises her voice like one of the tele-evangelist. It just doesn’t strike me as genuine

CM

Saints are human beings–some are quiet, some aren’t. I don’t think St. Paul or St. Peter were exactly known for being quiet. Quietness is not a requirement for Sainthood.

Now being humble is another thing, but they weren’t born that way. They had to learn it, and for many it took most of their lives. Like the rest of us, but some of us never learn.

 

[Rainaldo]

eg, someone was in a bad car accident an survived. So a priest with healing powers was saying a mass and he had a vision that someone in the church had survived a bad car accident by the grace of God. Then everyone in the church was in awe when the person said ‘it was me’.

He could have said, “Someone in the congregation recently discovered a lump in her breast” and gotten the same reaction.

 

[centurionguard]

Well, psychic visions are not against the teachings of the Church. God is sharing His life with us, and a part of that life is knowledge.

John 6:13 - But when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will teach you all truth. For he shall not speak of himself; but what things soever he shall hear, he shall speak; and the things that are to come, he shall shew you.

What would be against Church teachings would be seeking or using knowledge for the wrong reasons. If he was contented that people were in awe that he knew there was someone who survived a car wreck, then he would have missed out on even greater visions. That’s the way it’s built, to allow people to find a level of satisfaction which stops them from advancing to even greater things, when they are happy with and revel in small things.

Well, psychic visions are not against the teachings of the Church. God is sharing His life with us, and a part of that life is knowledge.

**From the Catholic Catechism:

2115 God can reveal the future to his prophets or to other saints. Still, a sound Christian attitude consists in putting oneself confidently into the hands of Providence for whatever concerns the future, and giving up all unhealthy curiosity about it. Improvidence, however, can constitute a lack of responsibility.

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. 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.
**

 

[Julia_Mae]

**From the Catholic Catechism:

2115 God can reveal the future to his prophets or to other saints. Still, a sound Christian attitude consists in putting oneself confidently into the hands of Providence for whatever concerns the future, and giving up all unhealthy curiosity about it. Improvidence, however, can constitute a lack of responsibility.

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. 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.
**

You know, people quote this endlessly as if it is supposed to be the answer to any question about psychic experience or visions or encounters with people who have passed.

But it doesn’t.

It doesn’t address all the things in Scripture, in the lives of the Saints and the regular person who experiences these things.

No one is talking about running off to get their palms read. I think it has to be okay to actually discuss being psychic. Especially because psychism in many people increases in direct proportion to the amount of prayer you do.

It’s not like people ask for it.

 

[cmscms]

I think it has to be okay to actually discuss being psychic. Especially because psychism in many people increases in direct proportion to the amount of prayer you do.

I do believe by praying to God, we will receive wisdom in how to act. However, I just don’t see any good or any point in a priest stating 'there is someone here who survived a car accident

 

[Julia_Mae]

I do believe by praying to God, we will receive wisdom in how to act. However, I just don’t see any good or any point in a priest stating 'there is someone here who survived a car accident

I don’t either, but the CC quote wasn’t a response to the op.

 

[Fan_of_Francis]

I don’t either, but the CC quote wasn’t a response to the op.

So a priest with healing powers was saying a mass and he had a vision that someone in the church had survived a bad car accident by the grace of God. letting the person know it was Gods grace that she did not die.

A priest from N.Y, who is back in North Toronto Parish has this gift. It is Random for him. There is always a message. He said a few things to an old friend and it was the last statement that helped heal for her. Without details it was about repentance of an ex, and the other 2 statements were correct.

Be careful about personal opinions about our beloved Priests. They have/are going through much judgement and trust issues as a result of a few who have done much damage and from opinions that are not in charity.

 

[Fan_of_Francis]

“So a priest with healing powers was saying a mass and he had a vision that someone in the church had survived a bad car accident by the grace of God. letting the person know it was Gods grace that she did not die”.

A priest from N.Y, who is back in North Toronto Parish has this gift. It is Random for him. There is always a message. He said a few things to an old friend and it was the last statement that helped heal for her. Without details it was about repentance of an ex, and the other 2 statements were correct.

Be careful about personal opinions about our beloved Priests. They have/are going through much judgement and trust issues as a result of a few who have done much damage and from opinions that are not in charity.

 

[marianne_king]

I do believe by praying to God, we will receive wisdom in how to act. However, I just don’t see any good or any point in a priest stating 'there is someone here who survived a car accident

i don’t know…one time i got a sense of anxiety about a woman who worked on the floor above my office, i even mentioned it to one of her co workers and i said that i hoped that she locked the door to her office if she came in early in the AM.
Two days later I was outside and so was this woman and she was telling her friends that a guy broke into her apartment and left when she screamed…so…it wasn’t exactly the fear that i mentioned …but who knows?
Also, I had no special friendship or anything personal with this lady, it was just …sort of a free floating anxiety about her.
Maybe the priest has a genuine love of his congregation and he was using a part of his brain that we, as humans, have yet to figure out?

 

[Julia_Mae]

Be careful about personal opinions about our beloved Priests. They have/are going through much judgement and trust issues as a result of a few who have done much damage and from opinions that are not in charity.

It’s a post on a forum that asked for an opinion. Here’s the whole story, third hand:

I heard a Catholic share and I will give an example of what was shared and to be honest, it kind of sounds like baloney to me.

eg, someone was in a bad car accident an survived. So a priest with healing powers was saying a mass and he had a vision that someone in the church had survived a bad car accident by the grace of God. Then everyone in the church was in awe when the person said ‘it was me’.

If you disagree with my opinion of this as written, please quote me and post your own opinion based on the info we have, but save the admonishment, thx.