Glimpses of the future

[TuRm0iL]

All throughout written history of mankind there have been those that profess the ability to glimpse into the future and foretell events that will happen. One relatively widely known example of this is the book of Revelations in the new testament.
The paranoia and curiosity surrounding this "ability" have not dimmed in the slightest in modern society, with large profits being raked in by those who can supposedly "see". Humanity as a whole seems to regard their future status as number one priority, and will reach out to those who can give them an "assurance" of their future well being.
Of course this has also allegedly been put into practical use in the solving of police cases.

So the question I'd like to ask after all of this is:
Is it even remotely possible/do you believe that people with this power actually exist?

[Lex]

Speaking from a personal view so please keep my head intact.
I believe there are people that do indeed 'see' into the future but there are also far more that don't and make a profit than those that actually do. And that's what throws this whole over few into turmoil because the majority are fakes and are after the money...

[Battōsai]

I'd like to throw out a Christian point of view considering we're now speaking of an ability one can only "believe" in without an entire factual evidence. If we're speaking Revelations, then we're speaking biblical and biblically it is suggested that there are people who are strengthened by demons (ghosts.satan.devils.etc) who are seduced with an ability to disclude God more so to believe in themselves and their superior nature (or supernature). I'm a fairly strong Protestant, so I'm going to go ahead and state that I do believe in this, though I believe that the men in Revelations with the ability to see the future are sent from God (and probably not entirely human. angels. messengers of that sort). Otherwise, gothic fortune tellers are either true and believe in the power of evil nature or are professioned readers (reading a person's gestures, outfit, their manner, surrounding people, anything that may hint at an accurate future/assumption). That's my stance on this topic. Don't take me for an outstanding conservative because I definitely don't take a 17 year old boy with black nails, a spiked overcoat, and random chains a possibly demon-possessed human being. But if you take it on a Christian standpoint, demon-possession works in ways that are trickier than complete body-take over, but more of insight from demons. It makes sense to me.

[Graffik]

I believe this ability exists to an extent, since through personal experience I have met someone who was capable of somehow predicting my actions as well as a major event that would happen. Even sometime's I feel I have had deja-vu because I do something exactly the same way I did before, then remember I did it before in a dream..

But I believe this power is very limited, also there are two different types, those who get it to them through dreams and etc. And those who actually are able to use it when 'concious'. With the people who are able to actively predict what may or may not happen I find it pretty hard to believe though I had read about a case where a 'psychic' was used, and had been saved in part to her efforts. I believe that this is more sensory then sheer prediction, and that the chain of events can change without predictd events happening, afterall we live under free-will.

[Alex26]

There's no such thing as predicting the future magically, anyone who believes that... well, nothing... i guess "cada loco con su tema" applies here

Imo, there is only one way of predicting the future and its not via magical powers or voodoo dolls. Logic and analysis, intelligence, understanding the human behavior and nature's behavior itself, anyone with decent knowledge of those and other factors are able to "predict" the future to some extent collectively, however, its not possible to predict each individual's actions unless one manages to get all the information of whats happening around that x individual and thats why people can predict what will happen to x public figure and not Don Juan of the corner. The so called prophets pretty much used those factors to try and predict the future OF THE WORLD (collectively) , some of their prophecies were right and others wrong due to their knowledge being limited to their current time. The people who claim to be able to read the future (psychics) use those factors too (logic, human behavior etc) to "predict" an individual's future, this people might have been able to predict x individual's actions or major events purely cause of that logic and the big influence this psychics "predictions" haves on the mind of the individual. That logic/knowledge of the psychic and influence plus the state of mind of the individual plays a big part on whether the prediction will come true or not. I guess everyone has heard this at least once on their lives but the brain/mind is a very powerful tool and sadly, if an individual doesn't have enough "willpower" their minds can be easily controlled. A classic example of this is religion and its faith, faith is nothing but to forcibly or willingly (because its convenient) make your mind believe on something with no logic whatsoever. IE The Puertorican Jesus (from Ponce! lol) and its followers (this case is hilarious xd)

As for the question itself, if by powers you mean knowledge, then yes, there are people who are able to predict the future and as a matter of fact, everyone's able to predict the future to some extent. If by powers you mean magic poker, voodoo dolls and white balls, nope, i don't think so.

[James Cizuz]

People try to fill in, and restructure, and interpret any prediction ever made to fit something that happens.

Nostradamus comes into my mind, even though all of his "predictions" pertained to HIS day and age, and it was obvious what he was talking about, even today people say his "predictions" are coming true. WHAT predictions? THEY all already have "come true". They say he predicted 9/11 500 years ago. To bad that passage actually referred to something else, that happened before he predicted it.

The point of the matter is, even if the prediction is wrong, someone will interpret and change it's meaning to fit, and convince themselves it was right.

A lot of people get tricked with vague future tellings. I could say tomorrow you will become more wealthy. 99% chance it's true. Go to your job the next day, you made money. Find a penny, you made money. Etc~. It's to vague, yet people will take it and work with it. Tomorrow you will talk to someone you were having uneven relations with. Sometime in the future you will die.

Then comes the worst of them all, the predictors, who get lucky. Everyday MILLIONS of people predicts stuff for the next day for the world. Very detailed predictions. Many record them etc. Thing is, 1 of them has to get it right. When it happens, people thing this person can tell the future. The person thinks he/she can. Even though it was a coincidence. 9 million people play the lottery and record a video of themselves that week saying "they will win the lottery, they know it." 8,999,999 million of those predictions are wrong. 1 is right. People go crazy going "OMG YOUR A FUTURE TELLER!!" and fail to realize the other 8,999,999 people who made the same claim and stick to that person who got it lucky.

Only way to test if you can predict the future is through a test. No one has ever passed a test by James Randy(He offers a 1 million$ prize if you can prove ANYTHING paranormal, thousands have tried, none have passed even the easy test, let alone the real test). It just doesn't work that way. Could it be possible future telling exists? Sure it could. HOWEVER, no proof exists, no evidence, no testable observations, only coincidences and interpretations exists. Not enough to believe in it, or push it.

[Kefka]

I have to agree with the last two posters here. People tend to look too much into what they want to believe, what they want to be real as reality. It's a concept known as self-fulfilling prophecy. Based on a very general idea of a person one can "predict" their future to an extent. If you are a capable enough observer to tell a person likes to say play video games for instance then it wouldn't be a far leap to assume that "you will likely beat an opponnent of yours in the near future."

They create a basic and vague predicition which a person fills with their own expectation. There are also subconscious instances of people going out of their way to fulfill a prophecy. Say they were told that they would find romance soon. Instead of going about their normal daily routines and ignoring the multitude of potential mates about them; they are more aware and in some cases even more assertive with potential mates. This could lead to them getting a date or relationship due to increased assertiveness and confidence which they then attribute to "their predestined future."

Even from a Christian religious stand-point, future-telling holds little water. If man were truly given free-will then it is our own destiny we make and shape based on our experiences and choices. If not, a person who claims to be able to read the future could walk up to me, say "you'll be rich soon." If that were true then I could literally sit on a couch and wait for riches to come to me.

In the end the only perceivable way to predict your own future is to make the choices in your life that lead to your end-goal. Even then we have very little say in the matter since life itself will always throw us curve-balls and change what we thought would happen.

[xiphosforr]

I think there are a few ways to predict what could happen- not a definate and all consequential.
Okay then i believe that our souls/spirits have lived many generations and when the body dies the soul finds a new home- in the process of entering a new born memories of its past life are forgotten. deja vu is also a result of this, our souls remember small parts of a previous situation which could play out the same way as a current one, this is how some people claim to predict the future.
However because everyone is different it is always quite possible that curcumstances may change and the outcome would differ to that of the recovered memory.
In my opinion the only other possible way to 'predict the future' is to use pure facts, if you analayse a situation and those involved closely enough it is possible to predict the outcome from using pure information.
However most predictions given are so vague it is less likely for them not to come true, once you tell a person that tomorrow you will be richer, they look for that 'sign' and try to find it, they try to work out how they will be richer, on any other day they wouldn't- it's when you tell a person somethings going to happen that its chances of actaully happening increase,
if you search for something hard enough- chances are...you'll find it

[natsume1]

I also have to say that people who can predict the future does not really exist, that is after the biblical era. In those times yes there were a few prophets however as in present times there is such a term such as "false" prophets that is those who really are just looking to obtain fast money as some of those before have said.i do know Deja vu cause i have experienced this many times before where a dream came reality and you remember it i also believe that a preacher may fortell what may happen if someone goes down the wrong path and also what was fortelled in the bible in revelations what will come but that is a far cry from people who are "psychic" and can tell the future.thats all

[deto]

looking into the future? pure BS, history just tends to repeat itself. say something that will occur within the next decade, if you're close you're praised if not you'll be forgotten and marked a madmen. oh how predictable.

[peacmaker]

Don't think people really have the power to see in the future. Also why do you want to know what going to happen in the future. I think people should be look at God and not have to worry about what going to happen in the future, beside nothing is ever sit in stone. If we knew what was going happen the future, might cause more problems then not knowing what going to happen in first place.

[yume_morpheus]

I am a man of science. Time is a concept so vague that it cannot be fully expressed my modern physics, and our brains are nothing more than intricate programs relying heavily on chaos to generate a semblance of consciousness. The brain is a powerful tool only at its own service. Predicting the future through MACHINERY? Maybe. Who knows what the future holds (pointedly, no-one)? Predicting the future through thought? Hmm, no.

[SoulTyger]

Knowing from experience, I believe that some humans can (to some extent) have visions of the future. However I've yet to have seen anyone able to use this power at will. Perhaps the human mind focuses on what to do physically and mentally in the near future and makes a sort of "imprint" onto itself so the human being would unnoticably work towards that future.

[Manchester Black]

Is it even a debate when everyone in the thread agrees with one another?

Come on. Seeing into the future? Let's get real people. If anyone out there has or has ever had the power/ability to see into the future, they are idiots. You know why? Because they aren't making billions of dollars doing it. And when I say "doing it", I mean legitimately. There are plenty of "psychics" out there who say they can predict the future, but every single one of them has been wrong more often than not. And they never give specifics with their visions. It's all vague answers, that leave many possibilities open. When someone steps up and predicts something specific, more than once, then I'll be convinced.

[Jelouch]

People who can 'see' into the future, *are* gifted but not in the way most people think they are. They're not Messengers of God. They're not Possesed by demonic creatures. They're not 'witches' and 'warlocks'.

There are no miracles.

It's just calculation.

Those people are gifted with an advanced insight and a greater understanding of how life and humans work. They are special in their own way. They are not God. Their predictions are based on logic.

And on many occasions, logic fails.


Lelou, out.

[AnotherHollow]

The 'ability' to see the future is more likely a temporal anomoly than a certain ability ... and i believe that to be the correct awnser .. i have spoken and now pray i don't get bairried alive by religous nuts who take 12 large demonic fangs as a threat to the church ...

[yume_morpheus]

To retract my former statement partially, I've had many, many experiences in which I've recalled situations taking place in dreams (only because I typically eagerly retell my dreams to my family), only to have them happen in surprising specificity, but my memory is so shoddy I could just as easily be concocting entire scenarios.

[Manchester Black]

To retract my former statement partially, I've had many, many experiences in which I've recalled situations taking place in dreams (only because I typically eagerly retell my dreams to my family), only to have them happen in surprising specificity, but my memory is so shoddy I could just as easily be concocting entire scenarios.

The whole dreams happening in real life happens to a lot of people. I don't think that's any kind of power. A lot of people have dreams about something, and then subconciously do it because they dreamed about it the night before.

[Guy]

No, I don't believe in this kind of power. I don't believe that psychics are accurate. Wouldn't it be nice, if we can really forsee the future? That way we can prevent all forms of disasters........

Seriously, people, the only way to ensure a better future is to prepare now. We can use mathematical calculations and etc. to predict the most probable outcoming, but that is definitely NOT the same as having the power to see the future. Ah, if life were only that simple....

[yume_morpheus]

The whole dreams happening in real life happens to a lot of people. I don't think that's any kind of power. A lot of people have dreams about something, and then subconciously do it because they dreamed about it the night before.

Hrrm, no, mostly it's things HAPPENING as opposed to me doing things. Not that it matters, anyway, I'm still firm in the belief that 'glimpsing' the future is outright impossible. XD

[Pyramus]

Preminitions. they are dreams which show you an event which will soon take place. I have had quite a few, and they always come true! They are never anything important, just really small things. Although i believe that I once had a premoniton about a girl. And 2 years later I acturly met her. that just remained in my head.

As for predicting the future with stuff like tarrot cards and mystic balls, I beleive that is just bullshit. Anything that does come true from a tarrot card is just by pure chance. It is just used to make money.

[AnotherHollow]

it is possible for the sub connsious mind to be able to preform anaction connsious mind couldn't ... i had a dream of this site before bleach came to america ... and simmuler happen to me occasionaly

[Manchester Black]

Anything that does come true from a tarrot card is just by pure chance. It is just used to make money.

And premonitions aren't? :rolleye09

I've never had an accurate dream in my life. I've had dreams that "come true", but that's just because the ones that usually come true are (like most predictions) vague, and match many circumstances. Pyramus, if you ever have a premonition pertaining to something meaningful let me know, so we can see if it happens.

[TuRm0iL]

I have the same premonitions as Pyramus. To clarify, they are not vague in any way. They are generally a crystal clear 10-20 seconds of my life that happen EXACTLY the way I dreamed them to happen. This power is not controllable to my knowledge, and happens at the rarest of times.

However most of the media spread "future predictions" are VERY vague. This allows them to seem to be true most of the time. It is not really seeing into the future.

Also Manchester Black, I have never used the fact that I have premonitions to make money, or to bring myself glory.

So from personal experience, I believe that seeing into the future is possible.

(Also, I am kind of surprised this thread has been resurrected recently. I made this back in February :P)

[Unji-Chan]

I believe people can see into the future. Like in the ancient china's history. There lives many heroes and philosophers who had talent and intelligence no one can compare with. They could calculate stars and what they mean wherever they appear. Even in history, a chinese military strategist was able to know the enemies' armies next move or action, before they did it or even know it themselves.

So, yes such people do exist to me.

[Ice Prince]

I have the same premonitions as Pyramus. To clarify, they are not vague in any way. They are generally a crystal clear 10-20 seconds of my life that happen EXACTLY the way I dreamed them to happen. This power is not controllable to my knowledge, and happens at the rarest of times...

I have also experienced such things myself. It's like I'll see something in my dreams a few days - a month or so before it happens. The second it happens, I get this strange feeling and I'm just like....oh wow, I saw this happen!

It really is odd, but it does make you wonder if there are people out there that know how to fully harness such gifts. I am a believer that there are a few "psychic" people, but I don't believe there are that many.

The brain is a mysterious tool, and we don't even use all that much of it's possible potential.