Psychic powers?

[Buddy]

I do agree that there are things about the human brain that we don't know about, but I do thing that most psychic whatchamacalit is a load of bull. I never really believed in Ouija boards or crystal balls.

[Good and Godless]

Ecrub Noselrub-  I really like the idea of a universal or collective consciousness.  I don't know if I buy it or not...but it would explain a lot without necessarily requiring any kind of deity.  I guess time and science will tell...

I have a pretty big coincidence that some of my religious family members certainly ascribe to divine power.  My mother died of ovarian cancer 8 years ago.  I got pregnant with my first baby several years later.  Once my husband and I found out we were having a girl, we decided to give her my mother's first name as a middle name.  My mother's name was June (she was born on June 1).  My baby was due on July 1st.  We were hoping she would come early so that the name June would be not only a tribute to my mother, but also timely. 

After a very uneventful and even pleasant pregnancy, my water inexplicably broke on May 31 and I had my daughter early in the morning on June 1, my mom's birthday.  It is special and meaningful, but I don't believe it is a "miracle," though some people describe it that way.  I think it is just as likely that my mind subconsciously wanted it to happen that way, and that resulted in the early delivery.  Either way, it's pretty cool, and I love that my mom lives on through my daughter via both the genetic and shared- birthday connection.

[DeterminedJuliet]

That is a really nice story, Good and Godless

[Ecurb Noselrub]

Ecrub Noselrub-  I really like the idea of a universal or collective consciousness.  I don't know if I buy it or not...but it would explain a lot without necessarily requiring any kind of deity.  I guess time and science will tell...

I have a pretty big coincidence that some of my religious family members certainly ascribe to divine power.  My mother died of ovarian cancer 8 years ago.  I got pregnant with my first baby several years later.  Once my husband and I found out we were having a girl, we decided to give her my mother's first name as a middle name.  My mother's name was June (she was born on June 1).  My baby was due on July 1st.  We were hoping she would come early so that the name June would be not only a tribute to my mother, but also timely. 

After a very uneventful and even pleasant pregnancy, my water inexplicably broke on May 31 and I had my daughter early in the morning on June 1, my mom's birthday.  It is special and meaningful, but I don't believe it is a "miracle," though some people describe it that way.  I think it is just as likely that my mind subconsciously wanted it to happen that way, and that resulted in the early delivery.  Either way, it's pretty cool, and I love that my mom lives on through my daughter via both the genetic and shared- birthday connection.

Nice story. Thanks.

[Siz]

Yes, a hearteningly serendipitous story.

How's this one:

My wifes mother died a few years before we met. The one plant from her house that survives to this day is a large and beloved lily now in our lounge. The summer we got married (six years ago) the lily bloomed with a single beautiful white flower for the first time ever. It has never bloomed since. My wife, being a Christian of sorts, believes it was her mother smiling on the wedding. I think it's another nice serendipitous story.

My wife also had a cat who was a pedigree Persian. The cat didn't much like people except my wife. When we started courting the cat wouldn't talk to me at all. One evening we spent watching a movie at her flat and the cat came and sat down on my lap which he had never done before - much to the amazement of my wife (then girlfriend). The cat died two days later. I have no doubt that the cat was acknowledging our relationship and sending us a message of approval - knowing he was leaving.

[Sandra Craft]

Yeah, maybe the way you turn the key, or open the door, or close the door or walk to the elevator. All subtle queues but personal signatures nonetheless.

I should have mentioned this at the time, but I plain forgot -- in addition to hearing, Grandin also mentioned their sense of smell came into play picking up the approach of "their human" from a ridiculous distance away.  And this is something I hadn't known -- cats sense of smell is far superior to dogs.  They say cats would be amazing search animals if only they could be trained to do such things.

[Sandra Craft]

(I'm assuming that the story you have heard is true - no reason to think otherwise at this point)

Well, that's the problem with handed down stories isn't it?  Even if it is "true" as far as my Grandma's veracity and memory went, the story was already 20 yrs old by the time I first heard it and you know what can happen to a story during even 5 minutes of a game of Telephone.  Plus there are changes that other tellers may not even be aware of making -- I leave off a lot from the original story because I consider it embellishment and beside the point, but a cousin might retell it adding in something he considers a given despite it not being in the original story he heard.

[Ecurb Noselrub]

(I'm assuming that the story you have heard is true - no reason to think otherwise at this point)

Well, that's the problem with handed down stories isn't it?  Even if it is "true" as far as my Grandma's veracity and memory went, the story was already 20 yrs old by the time I first heard it and you know what can happen to a story during even 5 minutes of a game of Telephone.  Plus there are changes that other tellers may not even be aware of making -- I leave off a lot from the original story because I consider it embellishment and beside the point, but a cousin might retell it adding in something he considers a given despite it not being in the original story he heard.

Yes, that is the problem.  You take a story with a grain of salt.  The closer you get to a person who has first-hand knowledge of what happened, the more credible it is - assuming that the person is one of general truthful character.   

[Sandra Craft]

Yes, that is the problem.  You take a story with a grain of salt.  The closer you get to a person who has first-hand knowledge of what happened, the more credible it is - assuming that the person is one of general truthful character.   

Even then you're not quite in the clear -- suppose they're generally truthful, but gullible?  And lets not even get into the whole mess of how easily people sincerely fool themselves.

[Good and Godless]

Great stories, Scissorlegs.  Just out of curiosity, how do interpret/explain the lily story?  Or do you just let it sit as a nice, serendipitous coincidence?

Sometimes, I think just allowing for a meaningful coincidence is perfectly fine.  I'm not a scientist (by trade, at least), so I'm okay with simply appreciating something that seems purposeful, even if it is just happenstance.

[Siz]

Great stories, Scissorlegs.  Just out of curiosity, how do interpret/explain the lily story?  Or do you just let it sit as a nice, serendipitous coincidence?

Sometimes, I think just allowing for a meaningful coincidence is perfectly fine.  I'm not a scientist (by trade, at least), so I'm okay with simply appreciating something that seems purposeful, even if it is just happenstance.

Well, I can't really bring myself to believe in some supernatural message, so I have to satisfy myself with it being just a happy coincidence. Maybe there were some coincidental conditions that particular year that were good for the plant, maybe it was watered more, or fed more, or more sunshine, or more suitable temperatures, or maybe it fed off some positive energy in the house due to our excitement at getting married. There are countless variables - too many for me to put it down to a divine message. The 'God of the gaps' theory springs to mind here, whereby a gap in understanding is automatically filled with the divine. I won't get sucked in by this, however attractive a thought it might be. In any case my wife likes to believe - it makes her feel connected to her mother who is sadly missed. I'm happy to let that stand for her sake.