Is it possible to predict the future?

[zoobyshoe]

all I ask for is the winning lottery numbers.

4-34-23-7-42-13

However, I have no idea when or where.

 

[EnumaElish]

Well I can't believe thatsomeone would be able to predict the future.

I do not necessarily believe in paranormal or supernatural phenomena. I have a Ph.D. and have published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. I personally experienced two events that really changed my thinking about that type of phenomena.

1. There was an eathquake in Seattle a few years back and I was asleep when it happened (I live a few 1,000 miles to the east). Close to the time when it happened, I dreamt of a HS classmate who was then (and is now) living in Seattle. She was in a supermarket kind of place except she wasn't shopping, she was kind of taking refuge from something, or waiting out something. There were other people who were asking her whether she was okay. When I woke up I called her to tell her about the dream but instead she told me about the earthquake.

2. A few years back I was going to fly over Europe with a stopover in Ireland. My return date was September 11, 2001. Before I even flew out, I dreamt of being stuck in an airplane and being separated from home for some time. Then I mostly forgot all about it. On my way back, we landed normally into Ireland, refueled and were waiting for the takeoff. We kept getting delayed for no explicable reason. Then rumors started to go around. Then there was an announcement to the effect that all airports were being shut down and we had to stay in Ireland until further notice. When I heard the announcement, I thought, "a-ha!" Only then was I able to make any sense of my earlier dream.

I think these kind of phenomena have physical explanations, only we are not as advanced as to be able to scientifically explain such phenomena. We are sort of like the early human who saw lightning as a sign from the world beyond.

 

[εllipse]

For example, one favorite reference is that of Hister [in Germany] over flowing its banks, or something like that, which is taken to mean Hitler. In fact the Hister was the old name for the Danube I think...anyway, its was a river not a mispelling of Hitler's name. And so it goes...

Actually, Nostradamas wasn't wrong; Hister's parents were. They misspelled his name.

 

[Kerrie]

I believe it is possible to predict people's tendencies and reactions based on how much knowledge you have of them personally and how much you understand human nature. I believe it is someday possible that we can predict more major natural disasters because we will have a better understanding of how our nature here on Earth and outside of our Earth works. I think the main function science serves humanity is turning the mysterious and unknown into logical explanations with understanding and knowledge of how the energies of all that exists moves.

Note: I use "science" as an umbrella term from everything to psychology to geology.

So, to answer your question, Yes, I do believe it is possible to predict the future.

As far as Nostradamus goes, from what I have read, it seems his verbage is so vague you can interpret it anyway you like.

 

[Lisa!]

I do not necessarily believe in paranormal or supernatural phenomena. I have a Ph.D. and have published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. I personally experienced two events that really changed my thinking about that type of phenomena.

1. There was an eathquake in Seattle a few years back and I was asleep when it happened (I live a few 1,000 miles to the east). Close to the time when it happened, I dreamt of a HS classmate who was then (and is now) living in Seattle. She was in a supermarket kind of place except she wasn't shopping, she was kind of taking refuge from something, or waiting out something. There were other people who were asking her whether she was okay. When I woke up I called her to tell her about the dream but instead she told me about the earthquake.

2. A few years back I was going to fly over Europe with a stopover in Ireland. My return date was September 11, 2001. Before I even flew out, I dreamt of being stuck in an airplane and being separated from home for some time. Then I mostly forgot all about it. On my way back, we landed normally into Ireland, refueled and were waiting for the takeoff. We kept getting delayed for no explicable reason. Then rumors started to go around. Then there was an announcement to the effect that all airports were being shut down and we had to stay in Ireland until further notice. When I heard the announcement, I thought, "a-ha!" Only then was I able to make any sense of my earlier dream.

I think these kind of phenomena have physical explanations, only we are not as advanced as to be able to scientifically explain such phenomena. We are sort of like the early human who saw lightning as a sign from the world beyond.

Interesting! So you mean some of your dreams came true. I think there are lots of examples of these kind of dreams but I don't know if people consider them as a ability to predict the future! AS you mentioned you didn't care about your dreams till they came true. But I think Nostradamus predictions are abit different! I don't know if nostradamus predicted the future by his dreams. Perhaps he didn't care about his dreams at first just like you but after they came tru for lots of times, he decided to write about them! I don't believe in his predictions. But I want to know if they had scientific base or he just dreamed about them.

 

[EnumaElish]

Interesting! So you mean some of your dreams came true.

For the specific instances I posted here, I have to say "yes, unfortunately!" Of course I wished they hadn't.

 

[zoobyshoe]

For the specific instances I posted here, I have to say "yes, unfortunately!" Of course I wished they hadn't.

I think these fall more into the category of premonitions than predicting the future.

To answer Lisa's question, I recall hearing that Nostradamus didn't "predict" the future, he saw the future. His particular method was to stare into a basin of water, the way people are supposed to be able to stare into a crystal ball and "see" the future.

This kind of "seeing" is like watching scenes from a movie, and is said to be a natural human ability accessible from many different mystical disciplines. It can be directed to the future, the past, or the present (remote viewing).

Perhaps Nostradamus had this ability, but no way to really understand what he was looking at or the languages spoken by the people in the scenes. Hence: the vague, indecipherable descriptions of his visions.

 

[Lisa!]

I believe it is possible to predict people's tendencies and reactions based on how much knowledge you have of them personally and how much you understand human nature.

Yes, agree with you. You know somehow you could predict the future by this ability provided that you would be able to predict politicians' and terrorists' reactions!

So, to answer your question, Yes, I do believe it is possible to predict the future.

Thanks. That's what I wanted to hear as an answer to my question. But for sure it's not possible till we know more about our universe and nature.

 

[Lisa!]

For the specific instances I posted here, I have to say "yes, unfortunately!" Of course I wished they hadn't.

I hope your sweet dreams will come true one day.

 

[SGT]

I do not necessarily believe in paranormal or supernatural phenomena. I have a Ph.D. and have published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. I personally experienced two events that really changed my thinking about that type of phenomena.

1. There was an eathquake in Seattle a few years back and I was asleep when it happened (I live a few 1,000 miles to the east). Close to the time when it happened, I dreamt of a HS classmate who was then (and is now) living in Seattle. She was in a supermarket kind of place except she wasn't shopping, she was kind of taking refuge from something, or waiting out something. There were other people who were asking her whether she was okay. When I woke up I called her to tell her about the dream but instead she told me about the earthquake.

2. A few years back I was going to fly over Europe with a stopover in Ireland. My return date was September 11, 2001. Before I even flew out, I dreamt of being stuck in an airplane and being separated from home for some time. Then I mostly forgot all about it. On my way back, we landed normally into Ireland, refueled and were waiting for the takeoff. We kept getting delayed for no explicable reason. Then rumors started to go around. Then there was an announcement to the effect that all airports were being shut down and we had to stay in Ireland until further notice. When I heard the announcement, I thought, "a-ha!" Only then was I able to make any sense of my earlier dream.

I think these kind of phenomena have physical explanations, only we are not as advanced as to be able to scientifically explain such phenomena. We are sort of like the early human who saw lightning as a sign from the world beyond.

There are several possible explanations for your prophetic dreams. One is that you have the gift of premonition, something that nobody has been able to ascertain to exist, even after a century of studies in parapsychology.
Other explanation is selective thinking.
From the Skeptic's Dictionary :

Selective thinking is the process whereby one selects out favorable evidence for remembrance and focus, while ignoring unfavorable evidence for a belief.

We have several dreams every night. We only remember a few of them when we wake up. Most of them have no significance, but others have an impact on our mind, specially have some disaster involved.
If something happens that seems to confirm what we have dreamed, we will take the dream as prophetic and remember it for the rest of our life. When nothing happens, we simply forget the dream after a few days.

 

[EnumaElish]

I hope your sweet dreams will come true one day.

Thank you, Lisa! I hope the same for you.