Ask a Question - or - Return to the Spiritual Warfare Forum Index

Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
premenitions	Kay	Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Question: Why do people have premenitions? Knowing when something is going to happen, even though nothing can be done. I have had incidents where I did'nt realize I had a premeniton till after something has happened. This has happened to me more than once. Why doesn't God allow us to recognize a premention sometimes? Also what does the Catholic Church say about this subject? Thank You
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Kay: Sorry for the delay in responding. Premonitions happen BEFORE something happens. It is not possible to have a premonition AFTER something happens. What you are experiencing is that after something happens you can then think back and see all the things that connected the dots for that event to happen. This sometimes comes through as a "knowing", a "feeling" that we interpret as having before the event but didn't realize it. In actuality, that knowing or feeling was not before the event (or you would have known it before the event), but just the mind connecting the dots after the fact. As for real premonitions most of it is natural but subconscious. For example, one may have a premonition that something bad is about to happen. Six hours later a tornado rips through your house. Was this premonition something supernatural from God. It could be. But most likely the person could sense the change in the barometric pressure, see the cloud formations, and other factors subconsciously, similar to how animals can sense weather changes, that comes to the conscious mind as a premonition. Another example is that a wife my have a premonition that her husband is going to have something bad happen to him. This could be felt because subconsciously she perceives her husband is angry or upset, or otherwise not himself in very subtle ways, that may cause him to not pay attention to his driving. He ends up in an accident which supports the wife's premonition. Nothing paranormal happened. The wife merely saw the clues subconsciously that could lead to her husband's accident. That subconscious observation came through consciously as a premonition (a feeling of doom). Sometimes premonitions can be warning from God about something. Sometimes premonitions can be caused by the devil in hopes that a person will become interested in things like pre-cognition and other ESP phenomena and delve into things he shouldn't. There is some evidence of some premonitions that may be sourced in preternatural abilities such as a mother who wakes up at 2am and knows that her son has just been killed in war or in an accident. This phenomenon happens mostly when there is a love-bond between the person with the premonition and the subject of the premonition. There is one thing that is certain -- we are NOT to seek or develop an ability for premonitions. Seeking premonitions, entertaining them, trying to develop them, etc. is a form of divination which is condemned by God (e.g. Deut 18:9-12). The Catechism states: 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.⁴⁸ 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. 2117 All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one's service and have a supernatural power over others - even if this were for the sake of restoring their health - are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another's credulity. If one has a lot of premonitions then they ought to pray to God that if these premonitions are not of Him that He will take them away. But, having a premonition once-in-awhile is most likely coming from a natural source (such as perceptions from the subconscious). God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

premenitions

Kay

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Question:

Why do people have premenitions? Knowing when something is going to happen, even though nothing can be done. I have had incidents where I did'nt realize I had a premeniton till after something has happened. This has happened to me more than once. Why doesn't God allow us to recognize a premention sometimes? Also what does the Catholic Church say about this subject?
Thank You

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Kay:

Sorry for the delay in responding.

Premonitions happen BEFORE something happens. It is not possible to have a premonition AFTER something happens. What you are experiencing is that after something happens you can then think back and see all the things that connected the dots for that event to happen. This sometimes comes through as a "knowing", a "feeling" that we interpret as having before the event but didn't realize it. In actuality, that knowing or feeling was not before the event (or you would have known it before the event), but just the mind connecting the dots after the fact.

As for real premonitions most of it is natural but subconscious. For example, one may have a premonition that something bad is about to happen. Six hours later a tornado rips through your house. Was this premonition something supernatural from God. It could be. But most likely the person could sense the change in the barometric pressure, see the cloud formations, and other factors subconsciously, similar to how animals can sense weather changes, that comes to the conscious mind as a premonition.

Another example is that a wife my have a premonition that her husband is going to have something bad happen to him. This could be felt because subconsciously she perceives her husband is angry or upset, or otherwise not himself in very subtle ways, that may cause him to not pay attention to his driving. He ends up in an accident which supports the wife's premonition. Nothing paranormal happened. The wife merely saw the clues subconsciously that could lead to her husband's accident. That subconscious observation came through consciously as a premonition (a feeling of doom).

Sometimes premonitions can be warning from God about something.

Sometimes premonitions can be caused by the devil in hopes that a person will become interested in things like pre-cognition and other ESP phenomena and delve into things he shouldn't.

There is some evidence of some premonitions that may be sourced in preternatural abilities such as a mother who wakes up at 2am and knows that her son has just been killed in war or in an accident. This phenomenon happens mostly when there is a love-bond between the person with the premonition and the subject of the premonition.

There is one thing that is certain -- we are NOT to seek or develop an ability for premonitions. Seeking premonitions, entertaining them, trying to develop them, etc. is a form of divination which is condemned by God (e.g. Deut 18:9-12). The Catechism states:

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.⁴⁸ 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.
2117 All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one's service and have a supernatural power over others - even if this were for the sake of restoring their health - are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another's credulity.

If one has a lot of premonitions then they ought to pray to God that if these premonitions are not of Him that He will take them away.

But, having a premonition once-in-awhile is most likely coming from a natural source (such as perceptions from the subconscious).

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.