Presentiments Sent To Warn And Advise Us

Presentiments by Emily Mary Osborn - 1828-1925

I'd never come across the word presentiment until recently. I suppose I should have done, but I hadn't so I looked it up in a dictionary:

'A sense that something is about to occur; a premonition.'
'Obsolete French, from presentir, to feel beforehand'

Okay, I though a premonition I understand but then when I delved further I found that the dictionary probably isn't 100% accurate as there is a difference between a presentiment and a a premonition.

Yes, they are similar but presentiments are a feeling about how something may happen, without knowing what this may be. With a premonition there is a feeling or knowledge of what might actually happen.

Here's a couple of true classic stories of presentiments.

Mona Miller, like lots of people during World War II in Britain was evacuated out of London with her children to what was considered to be a much safer area in Babbacombe, Devon.

When she arrived she felt an uneasiness and she sensed that perhaps she should return home to London. Mrs. Miller is quoted as saying, "The feeling increased. The walls of my room seemed to speak to me: 'Go home to London.' I resisted but one day like a flash of light, I knew I must leave."

Within a few days she was on her way back to London with her children. On arriving back she received a letter from a friend she had made in Babbacombe. It read: "Thank God you took the children on Saturday. Early Sunday morning, Jerry (the Germans) dropped three bombs and one fell on the house where you were living, demolishing it and killing all the neighbours on either side."

A second example is the case of a US serviceman, Charles Bernuth. He was part of the invasion of Germany, again in WW2, and was driving down a German motorway with two officers as passengers. He then heard, what he described as, 'a small voice,' which told him something was wrong on the road ahead.

In his words, "I stopped, amid groans and jeers of the other two. I started walking along the road. About 50 yards from where I left the jeep, I found out what was wrong. We were about to go over a bridge - only the bridge wasn't there. It had been blown up and there was a sheer drop of 75 feet."

I guess these two examples of presentiments show the value of listening to our gut feelings, intuition or whatever you may wish to call such things. But not only listening to them but also acting on what we 'receive'.

Perhaps it's just me that hadn't used the word presentiment. I've now found it was often used in classic literature.

William Wordsworth wrote a poem called Presentiments ...

Presentiments! they judge not right
Who deem that ye from open light
Retire in fear of shame;
All 'heaven-born' Instincts shun the touch
Of vulgar sense,--and, being such,
Such privilege ye claim.

... as did Emily Dickinson.

Presentiment is that long shadow on the lawn
Indicative that suns go down;
The notice to the startled grass
That darkness is about to pass.

Charlotte Bronte also had a poem of the same name and wrote about presentiments in Jane Eyre.

Presentiments are strange things! and so are sympathies; and so are signs; and the three combined make one mystery to which humanity has not yet found the key. I never laughed at presentiments in my life, because I have had strange ones of my own. Sympathies, I believe, exist (for instance, between far-distant, long-absent, wholly estranged relatives asserting, notwithstanding their alienation, the unity of the source to which each traces his origin) whose workings baffle mortal comprehension. And signs, for aught we know, may be but the sympathies of Nature with man.

Presentiments like premonitions are not to be ignored.

Receiving White Feathers From The Dead

I have written a few posts about White Feathers and how they may well be a symbol or a message from those who have died. From time to time I get stories from other readers about how white feathers have brought them comfort when they have lost a loved one.  Here are a few such stories, some of the writers wish to remain anonymous.

I have lost a close friend and had three funerals in the last three months which has been difficult.

After the funeral of the premature and sudden death of my friend, two feathers were on the floor of the car, no idea how they got there. Then a few days later, I was speaking with one of his other close friends on the phone. She was still in shock. I then left the house to go shopping and next to my car on the bush, there was a small white feather. It gave me comfort so I have it on my bedside locker now.

I am sure there is some link to the afterlife and this is a good one.
Kerkedijk

I lost my 21 year old son almost 2 months ago. He died after having a seizure in the shower.

Last night I was reading a book while having a bubble bath. I decided to finish the book in bed. When I opened the book, there was a big fluffy white feather on the very page I had stopped reading. I was blown away. I never took such things seriously before.

I cannot find any other explanation though, other than it was placed in a closed book by a spirit, my son's I believe.
Anonymous

Hi Mike:

I write because a friend forwarded your blog-link.

Funny, now that I'm 63 I can't remember when I started seeing the white feathers. [I've got a little homestead we call "White Feather Ranch."]

Anyway, my brother had committed suicide, our family was in pain and I think they probably started falling then and ever since they have just shown up and I've really never connected them with any particular event or thought that I can remember. [It is getting harder these days! My sisters may have a better recollection...ha!]

Anyway, I can remember sitting at a pool telling my sister about the white feathers when, out of the blue..ha, one floats down from nowhere. Yes, these are indications of some sort. Shall we investigate? Or, just let them underscore our delight! This is what I shall always do...delight in their existence in my life!
Caryl~Marie

Hi Our baby girl was born sleeping last week and my partner just walked outside and a white feather flew down in front of him. I looked on the net and found your post, its lovely to think its her.
Anonymous

I'm a manual worker, a bricklayer, so I work in a hard environment. I only say this to show that I'm no tree hugging hippy.

My mother died of cancer. She was 58 and it hit me real bad. My brothers seemed to be able to take it in their stride but I couldn't and even went to see a medium. The problem was that I arrived at ma's house about half an hour after she had died. I got stuck in traffic but my brothers were there. They say that she asked why I wasn't there.

The medium played a guessing game and was no help at all. Then I looked at the Internet and came across this white feather business. This helped because I remember that the day after ma died there was a white feather on my tools at the building site. A big fluffy one.

After I read about this sort of thing happening on the Internet I've noticed and found lots of white feathers. There was one in my conservatory last night. I've no idea how it got there as all the doors were closed. I'm beginning to believe that these are messages from ma to say she's OK and she forgives me for not being with her when she died. I hope so.
Jimmy

Other White Feather Posts:
White Feathers Comfort The Bereaved
The Meaning Of White Feathers As Messages From The Dead
A White Feather From Her Daughter

The Brothel Closed By Prayer

In a small community a brothel opened right opposite a church.  Needless to say members of the congregation were none too happy about this.  They decided to set up a campaign to have the brothel closed down using petitions and prayers.

The brothel continued with it's business but one night there was a severe storm and a bolt of lightning struck the building, and it was burnt virtually to the ground. Fortunately no one was injured.

The church congregation were rather pleased with themselves and the outcome. Their smugness soon disappeared, however, when the brothel owner decided to sue the church authorities.

The grounds for the legal action was that the church, through its congregation of prayers and action, was responsible for the destruction of the brothel either through direct or indirect actions or means.

The church set up their defence and told the court that they denied all responsibility or any connection that their prayers were reasons for the act of God.

The judge who was in charge of the court hearing looked at the initial paperwork and concluded, "I don't know how I'll decide this case, as it appears from the paperwork that we have a brothel owner who believes in the power of prayer and we have an entire church congregation that doesn't."

The Reincarnation Of Brian Blessed's Brother

Brian Blessed is a larger than life British actor who is fortunate enough to have met the Dalai Lama more than once.

During one of the visits the Dalai Lama passed on remarkable information about reincarnation to Blessed.

First though, Brian's slant on the Dalai Lama himself:

"He is truly extraordinary and has an incredible aura, although he's not holier than thou.

When I was alone with him I felt an incredible burning sensation in my head and body, which was quite electrifying. I found myself becoming completely honest with him, totally myself and ended up being semi-rude to him.

I told him that he made me sick and he giggled and asked why. I said because he was such a goody gum drops.

I asked him if he ever lost his temper or got impatient with anyone and he said, 'Ooh yes, a while ago a doctor came and gave me an injection and he stuck the needle in too deep and ooh, it was so painful! I told him I hated him! He was a big fat doctor, fatter than...' Suddenly he stopped and we both knew what he was about to say. He was fatter than me!

I pretended I was hurt and the Dalai Lama got down on his knees and asked me to forgive him. We just laughed and laughed – he has such a sense of humour."

Brian told the Dalai Lama about his brother who was very ill. Unfortunately his holiness didn't pass on any miracle cure but informed the actor that he shouldn't worry because, though his brother would die shortly, he would be happily reincarnated as a boy in Halifax, Canada. He was told that 'God would look after him.'

The Dalai Lama passed on details and Blessed was later able to visit Halifax where he met the boy. He was amazed of how the child looked so much like his brother, though with a Canadian accent. The boy seemingly took an instant liking to the actor.

Blessed is quoted as saying that this proves the 'miracle of life'.

Further Reading:
The Reincarnation Of Phil Collins
Henry Ford And Reincarnation"
A Glimpse Of Her Death In A Former Life"

The Winds And Energy Of Death

Unfortunately I didn't record where I read the following, but it is of someone's experience when their loved one died. They are trying to explain what they felt at the time.

"When someone I know dies, close by or even a little far away, it gets windy outside. But it doesn't feel like regular wind. This probably sounds crazy but I feel like their spirit comes out, free, and turns into the wind."

I then remembered another cutting I had in my files, which was very similar.

"On the 23rd of August, 2008, it was still outside and I was in my back garden. I answered my phone and was told of my grandma's passing. At the exact same time there was a slight, gentle breeze that surrounded me. It was like she was with me one last time, or her spirit was."

This got me thinking about what we can feel when someone dies. I then read an article on the Internet by Sharon Soderbloom who was a hospice nurse. She was telling of a time an 'evil' man died while she was on duty.

"He was scared and agitated, fighting death all the way. He finally was to succumb and the body lay in the room for a little while before we could get to it to prepare it. I was the first one in the room, I had to suddenly back out of the room, the energy in that room was so strong and so negative. I had to get six other nurses to come in with me to prepare the body, it was awful."

I suppose the subject of what others feel when someone dies goes back to when my own mother passed on. She was in a Nursing Home and we were told that she only had a short time to live, a few days perhaps.

I spent all day with her, my wife also joined me and my son stayed for a while as well. Mum was unconscious and at midnight the matron persuaded me to go home to try and get some sleep. I reluctantly took her advice and within minutes of my wife and I arriving home (about a ten minute drive) the phone rang - mum had died.

It felt as if she didn't want me to witness her actual death, as she knew it would be hard for me. So she somehow hung on until I had left. I went straight back to the Nursing Home.

I sat with her body, on my own, for about half an hour, or maybe more, but I didn't feel anything other than sadness. Mum had gone.

It was only later that I saw the white feathers I have mentioned in previous posts. But I had no connection with mum straight after she died and I felt I had missed a proper goodbye.

I had been dwelling on this thought today when I picked up a book that had been given to us along with several others. It was the autobiography of a British singer and actor David Essex. I opened it up (page 275) and he was writing about how he had been notified of his father's death. He was doing theatre at the time and, as the saying goes: the show had to go on. He went for a walk and then, in his own words:

"I was back at the Queens Theatre by the 'half', which in theatre terms means the thirty-five minutes before the show starts, and as the clock ticked on I felt a power, an energy and a brightness inside of me. I can only say that the performance was the most powerful I have ever given. It was like an out-of-body experience. I know I connected with my father's spirit that night and the power was immense."

I thought  how lucky David had been to have had such an experience. It was then that I flipped to the beginning of his book, A Charmed Life, and found he was born on July 23rd, the same as me though a different year, and he too was an only child. Strange as, though I didn't particularly like his singing, I always felt a connection with him for some reason.

Though personally I have lost several close loved ones, sadly, I have never been with them when they died, and neither has my wife. I guess it was never meant to be.

Further Reading:
The Meaning Of White Feathers As Messages From The Dead
The Unusual Contact With Her Dead Mother

Recommended Book: Synchronicity and the Other Side: Your Guide to Meaningful Connections with the Afterlife

The Coincidence Nudges From TV

Coincidences or synchronicity examples today from Bette involving TV. I always like these less dramatic stories as they seem to be gentle reminders or nudges that perhaps not everything has an obvious explanation.

"I was on the phone with my cousin who was telling me that she was to fly out to visit her brother in Orlando, Florida, that afternoon. I told her that my sister had visited a town near there that was full of psychics, and I knew that she (my cousin) would like to visit there, but I couldn't remember the name of the town.

I couldn't call my sister, as she was out of the country at the time, and this was pre-look it up on the Internet days, so I struggled to remember. Then, just as we were about to say goodbye, a commercial on the TV got my attention with the announcement, "A town full of psychics, Casadega, Florida, next on Geraldo!"

I have so many examples that involve the TV. Here's another quick one: My sister said to my daughter, "When your mother found out you were moving back here she sang ... Hallelujah!"

Just then my husband turned on the television which had a choir that sang, "Hallelujah, Hallelujah!" in exact timed response to her. Needless to say, we were all stunned.

These stories are so much fun!"

Further Readers Coincidence Stories:
Torrential Rain Coincidence Memories
Money Folded In to Four Coincidence

More coincidences: Coincidence and Synchronicity

The Costa Concordia Coincidences With The Titanic

I thought there were bound to be some coincidences, somewhere, following the tragedy of the Costa Concordia off the Italian island of Giglio - and also possibly some sort of link up to the Titanic, which sunk one hundred years ago in 1912. Now two have come to light.

Firstly there is the case of 30 year old Valentina Capuano who was aboard the Costa Concordia as it hit rocks. One hundred years earlier her grandmother was aboard the Titanic on it's maiden voyage to New York from Southampton in England.

Valentina said, "It was like re-living history, it was horrible, I was really shocked. I am still shaken up and get very upset when I think about what I've been through, I have heart palpitations."

Her grandmother, like her, survived the Titanic sinking but Valentina's great uncle was also on board, working as a waiter, and was sadly one of those who died.

The second coincidence has been told by two survivors of the Costa Concordia, Yannic and Keven Sgag. They claim that as the ship hit rocks they were listening to music in the restaurant. At that precise moment was one of the songs from the Titanic film: Celine Dion's hit My Heart Will Go On.

The brothers said they were, "... astonished by the eerie coincidence."

And for the superstitious, we must remember that the Costa Concordia sunk on Friday the 13th. It's also said that neither the Titanic or Costa Concordia were christened prior to their maiden voyages.

Other Titanic Posts:
Titanic Coincidences
The Titanic Boarding Pass Coincidence
The Gun That Helped Sink The Titanic