By Kristi O’Toole

Premonitions are not merely ordinary dreams, but instead a forewarning of what is to come. Are you listening? Pay attention to your dreams; they may be visions of the future. A premonition is a forewarning of something that is going to happen before it does without having any concrete evidence to support it.

Premonitions can come in many different forms; dreams/nightmares, messages from spirits, intuition (that gut feeling) in the waking state and automatic writing. Premonitions are just another piece of the psychic abilities that everybody has, but not everybody may be in tune to using. Men may call it a “gut feeling” and women call it “intuition”, take your pick, it all adds up to a sixth sense.

The phenomenon of premonition is most often associated with anxiety or an uneasy feeling suggesting impending disaster. Premonitions of plane crashes or murders have been documented throughout the years, even throughout The Bible, however it doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom. It can also be casual and innocent. Knowing that it is Aunt Edna on the other end of the phone even before you pick it up or before un-wrapping your birthday gift knowing that it will be a beautiful white angora scarf.

The most common way to receive premonitions is through your dreams. Most people spend an average of one third of their lives asleep so it isn’t uncommon to have at least one premonition in your life. Dreams give us insight and understanding even when our conscious mind doesn’t. Dreams can also hold message to the future.

I’ve put together a list of famous stories where people chose not to do something and avoided a great tragedy because of a premonition dream or vision they had that made them feel uneasy and change their plans. I’ve also added premonitions from people that became famous because they actually, and sadly became true.

1. American Airlines Flight 191

For 10 nights in a row in 1970, David Booth had the same nightmare. While deep in sleep, he witnessed a jetliner veering off a runway, flipping completely over, and then bursting into flames. Booth felt compelled to inform the FAA about his dreams. Officials actually listened to what he had to say and concluded that he was dreaming of a Boeing 727 or perhaps a DC-10 plane. On the day that David Booth had his last nightmare, American Airlines DC-10 Flight 191 crashed just a few moments after takeoff. One of the plane’s engines broke loose, causing an imbalance. The plane flipped on the runway and burst into flames. All 273 passengers aboard died.

2) World War I

Carl Jung’s studies into psychoanalysis involved interpreting others’ dreams, but in 1914, he had some significant dreams of his own. He saw the whole sea turn to blood, with multitudes of bodies drowning in yellow waves. Then he saw a cold wave freeze an entire country, killing everyone. Jung saw this as a premonition of war, and he thought further dreams of floods—water stretching from the Alps to the North Sea—represented the horrible trenches that soldiers were forced to endure. He experienced his last dream in June 1914. Just over a month later, on August 1, World War I began.

3) Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill had many premonitions that came true. One evening during World War II, Winston Churchill had a premonition and so interrupted dinner by sending his kitchen staff down into the bomb shelter. Just moments later, a bomb struck the home and demolished the kitchen.
On a separate day, a member of staff opened the door of the staff car for Winston; however, he walked past the open door and entered the car on the opposite side. Whilst driving a few blocks away from a battery station, a bomb landed near the car, lifting the car precariously onto two wheels. No-one was hurt following the event, and it was thought that the placement of Churchill’s girth prevented the car from flipping over.
Asked about why he chose to sit on the opposite side of the vehicle, Winston said: “Something said “stop!” before I reached the car door held open for me. It then appeared to me that I was told I was meant to open the door on the other side and sit there – and that’s what I did”.

4) General Ulysses S. Grant’s Wife

A few days after General Ulysses S. Grant accepted the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, Washington was celebrating. Attending the festivities were Grant and his wife, Julia. The morning after a reception to honor Grant, Julia woke with an uneasy feeling and a strong desire to return to their home. Grant, who was committed to attend various functions, gave into his wife’s urgings and left Washington that evening. The Grant’s were to sit next to the Lincoln’s at the Ford Theatre that night. When they reached Philadelphia they got word of the President’s assassination. They also learned that Grant was listed as one of John Wilkes Booth’s victims.

5) Mark Twain predicts his own death

Mark Twain, famous American author known for his literary classics Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, may not have been known as a psychic, but he accurately and eerily predicted his own death. Twain was born when Halley’s Comet passed by earth in 1835. He said he would go out with the comet when it passed again in 1910, and– sure enough– he did. Think it’s just a strange coincidence? That wasn’t Twain’s only accurate death prediction. He also predicted the death of his own brother– he had a very vivid dream that detailed his younger brother’s untimely demise.

In his dream his younger brother was lying in a metal coffin with flowers placed on his chest. Sam mentioned the dream to his sister but told his brother nothing. Instead he urged his brother, who also worked on the steamboats, to be careful and advised, “Don’t lose your head.” Assigned to different boats they parted company. Later Sam learned that the boilers in Henry’s boat blew-up. His brother was one of the casualties.

I am a firm believer in premonitions as I have had several myself that have come to pass. My favorite if you will is the reoccurring dream I had of my now husband. I dreamed of him and meeting him for nearly ten years before I actually did. I guess that’s why loving him is so easy, I always have.

Next time I’ll discuss a few of the most famous haunted hotels in the world.

Until then, keep the night light burning.

When Kristi isn’t writing for NewzBreaker, she writes supernatural suspense novels having three currently published. If you would like to check out any of her books they can be found online and at other major retailers like Books a Million and Amazon. Never one to rest, she also paints/designs shoes and items for the home. Check out her eBay store, Watered Down Vodka and her FB page.

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