"Here's something to think about: How come you never see a headline like 'Psychic Wins Lottery'?" Jay Leno
I think this goes to the commonly held understanding that most psychics have no real psychic abilities other than reading people well, and the power of suggestion. James Randi has a challenge out for any claiming to have psychic ability to demonstrate it in a controlled environment.
Here is another slightly related quote:
"Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future." Neils Bohr
Don't worry about what tomorrow has in store, today has enough problems.
Derrick
7 comments:
Psychic,maybe not. But, there is "something". My mom had this talent of being able to know things that she had no previous knowledge of. She was more times than not, quite correct. My family will attest that I have been known to have this same talent. I have known where to go, even out in the middle of this vast desert, in the late of night,to an exact spot. This is due to something telling me that it is required that I do so. I'm not saying that it is psychic, telepathic, or otherwise. I'm just saying it happened for me. Why did I go out to the desert? Well, due to saving embarrassment of others I will not go there. Again, my family can tell you that this happened more than once. No previous knowledge whatsoever, just an ability to make the right move when I "knew". No, not coincidence. So, whatever one wants to call it, there is "something".
When you say "something", can you flesh this out a little more? Would this be able to be categorized as intuition?
Derrick
Derrick,
It is so hard to categorize because we never knew what it was. I suppose women's intuition is about as close as I can get, with the exception on my being of the male species. It was more annoying than anything else most of the time to others, because at times I would say something or ask a direct question about something that I was not suppose to know about. It's not like I was reading faces or anything like that, because it could happen from a distance away as well. It didn't happen a lot, but enough times where my family recalls probably a few incidents. A couple were pretty amazing. Again, it very well could be a notion that I just had a gut feeling due to some historical reference and I happened to be correct. In as much, this type of thing has long vanished. It hasn't happened in many years. I'm sort of glad about that.
It kind of reminds me of when I was in the party scene. I had the "ability" to take another person's favorite song, and a little foreknowledge about them and tell/suggest things about their lives.
I'm not saying it is the same as yours, but I know that even though it may have gotton them to think about changing their lives, I think that Satan could have easily influenced me with that. I don't think he cares about helping others, but if he can use that kind of "parlour trick" to get my eyes (or the others) off the Lord, he has succeeded.
Interesting note: I have heard many times that the Biblical word used for witchcraft is the root word for things such as pharmocolgy and pharmacy (drugs, man). I can see that. I think it is possible to tap into that spirit world when using too many drugs, or alcohol.
Again, not saying that was the case for you, but just some things to think about. Can God use that? Sure. As far as it goes. Can Satan? I don't see why not.
Derrick
I must add that they are many times where God can use different circumstances and knowledge in mysterious ways. I don't think it is to be expected and I think it is rare.
I am confident that I think it is rare because there are many other times where we may think or feel something and nothing more comes of it. Since it seems our brains are wired to find patterns and such, it is easy to forget the bunches of times where nothing spectacular happened.
Derrick
I can remember a few of those times where things were known that there was no way to have known them. It is a little mysterious. I agree with the idea of it being a type of intuition (not gender specific). I also agree that Satan can give us special knowledge to help turn our focus away from God. I think this is shown in the fact that psychics are correct sometimes. If a psychic is correct about something in a person's life, then that person now turns to the psychic rather than God for support and answers. However, I also think that God can bless people with an idea and help them out. This gets tricky for me because I would not want to say that God gave someone a word. However, He is a good God and I do not see why he would not stick an idea in a parent's head to say check on their child or ask their child about some specific thing. I think, in any case, as long as we thank God for those times and keep our focus on Him and not our own abilities, then we should be fine.
Tracy, I agree with what you said, and I would definately agree with not putting the focus on my own abilities, but rather in His power.
I think we ought to look for the patterns or "rule" in Scripture for how we are to live our lives in a godly manner and not the exceptions to the rule which do happen.
The mysterious is seductive, to be sure.
Derrick
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