Our spine-tingling dreams that gave us a glimpse of the future
... from readers who wrote in with their astonishing stories
A FEW weeks ago we told the story of neuroscientist Dr Julia Mossbridge, who has experienced ‘precognition’ — accurate visions of the future. Her account prompted a flood of letters and emails from readers who believe they too have received a warning of future events. Here we share some of their unnerving experiences. So, are you convinced? A RUSH TO VISIT MUM — I KNEW THE END WAS NEAR
In AprIl 1987 I awoke with the utmost certainty that my father had terminal cancer. I tried to shrug it off, but couldn’t.
My father, then aged 70, was fit and well and thought me daft, but I insisted he see the Gp and even drove him there.
Within two weeks he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and he passed away four weeks later.
A few months after that, I was standing in the kitchen peeling potatoes when I suddenly knew my cousin’s husband would pass away shortly. I literally dropped the knife and ran to phone her. A stranger answered, saying ambulancemen were working on her husband, who had collapsed.
I could hear my cousin screaming, so I said: ‘Tell her I will meet her in A&E.’
I reached hospital just as my cousin was told he had died at 46, with no history of heart problems.
In november 1994, I awoke knowing my mother would pass away within seven days. She was 72 and had dementia, but was otherwise well and active. I visited her care home that day and the manager reassured me she was well, with no temperature and nothing to make staff concerned.
I went home, but became so uneasy I phoned an undertaker and went back to the home to leave instructions for when she passed away.
I think staff believed I was having some sort of breakdown. I even contacted friends and relatives suggesting they visit her. Most said they would ‘ leave it until the weekend’, others reminded me how well she’d been.
After six days even I was beginning to think it must be in my imagination, but as I sat reading in bed with the clock approaching midnight, the phone rang. I started getting dressed — I knew who was calling before my husband picked it up.
My mother had passed away in her sleep.
Have there been others? Yes: sometimes friends, sometimes strangers I have merely brushed against, in a supermarket perhaps. Quite suddenly I have been overwhelmed by a sense of the sadness about to descend upon them, or the emotional pain they will suffer for a relative. I walk away, feeling I have intruded into their life. This ‘awareness’ is not something I asked for, nor is it a blessing. Mary Robertson, Glasgow.
I WAS TRAPPED IN A BUS ENGULFED BY A TSUNAMI
THE night before the 2011 tsunami in Japan, I had an incredibly vivid dream that I was in a bus on a coastal road when a huge wave appeared.
The water engulfed the bus, rapidly rising to the windows. I was terrified and knew I wouldn’t escape. In the morning I told my partner as I couldn’t shake off my terror.
A few hours later, the news began to break of the tsunami. One piece of footage showed the wave engulfing a bus on a coast road, exactly as I’d ‘experienced’. I went cold. I’ve never travelled to that part of the world, or even thought about it.
I’ve had other precognitions and
they are not always foretelling tragedy — some are inane.
Like the time I was in a theatre performance. The night before, I had a vivid dream that a child actor was sick on stage and we had to stop the play. And that’s exactly what happened. Geraldine Cetin, Poole.
A VOICE LED ME TO MY FUTURE HUSBAND
I Am 73 and throughout my life I’ve occasionally heard a ‘voice’ — I can’t describe it as a thought, it’s too profound for that.
my first experience was waving goodbye to my godmother in my 20s. As I turned round for one last wave, I was ‘told’ I would never see her again. I remember thinking, ‘ how ridiculous’. She died suddenly soon after.
Years later, my mum was admitted to hospital and told me she had been discussing her funeral service with my sister — just in case something went wrong. I was horrified, but my voice said: ‘Go on, say it to her.’
I found myself telling my devout Christian mum: ‘If you do go, please come back and give me a sign you are all right.’
Sadly, she died unexpectedly on the operating table. We were called to the hospital, and I can only describe what happened as hearing her shouting at me from above: ‘ I’m all right, I’m all right.’ A week or so later, I was looking through singles ads in the local paper without much hope — I was a single mum and longing for a partner, but had been unsuccessful with the ads before — and the voice said: ‘Try it one more time.’
I did, and met my now husband six weeks after my mum died. Pam James, North Somerset.
TOLD TO WEAR LILAC FOR MY LATE FRIEND
One day, as I walked my dog, an old lady came out to her front gate to have a chat. Over time we became friends: Joan would look out for me and share her interesting life stories. Sadly, I later heard from a neighbour that Joan had died suddenly.
I asked if I had missed her funeral, but the neighbour had no information. I was upset I had not had the chance to say goodbye. A few mornings later, a strong feeling came over me to put on a certain lilac scarf — one I’d hardly worn — and walk past Joan’s house. As I reached her house, cars drew up and couples got out. I called out: ‘Are you Joan’s relatives?’ They said: ‘Yes — are you coming to our mum’s funeral? It’s now and you’re wearing lilac like us, just as mum requested.’
With Joan’s family, I said my goodbye. Eileen Rowe, Cheshire.
I DREADED MISSING CHRISTMAS AT HOME
When I received a letter giving the date of my hysterectomy I was glad, as I had been suffering pain for some years.
however as the weeks went past I started to feel real fear. I’d had previous operations, and never felt this way.
A huge, heavy dark cloud hung over me, and a cold sense of dread. each week made it worse. I told my husband I had a great fear of dying and cried about not coming home for Christmas.
The morning of the op, I discussed my fear with the consultant. he took my hand and reassured me that I was healthy and he had done thousands of hysterectomies.
As I came round, I felt marvellous and somewhat silly for worrying. The relief was amazing. Two days later I developed sepsis. I had an emergency operation to remove 10cm of intestine and was given a 20 per cent chance of survival. After 15 days in a coma I came round, caught pneumonia and spent seven weeks in hospital — missing Christmas at home.
Since then, my precognition has developed. It’s not something I can switch on and off at will, but I have come to trust what I see. In a strange added bonus, if I wake during the night I can see the time, written digitally in red, in my head. I am rarely more than a couple of minutes out. Liz Adams, Newcastle under Lyme.
I SAW A PLANE CRASH INTO BUILDINGS
On The morning of September 10, 2001, I woke up feeling very unsettled after a dream about a plane crashing into a building. I asked my husband if he had seen a plane crash on the news, but he hadn’t.
I told him about my dream of the crash and people falling. I rarely dream, so something this vivid quite upset me.
It stayed with me all day — I felt uneasy, and mentioned it to my work colleagues. At the time I was a staff nurse in a day surgery unit.
The next day, September 11, 2001, a colleague called me into a room where a TV was showing the horrific terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers in new York. It took my breath away as it was my dream from the day before.
my colleague said: ‘ Oh my goodness, that’s what you were telling us yesterday!’ I was glued to the TV like the rest of the world. I was quite shaken as it was so similar. If I hadn’t told so many people about it the day before, I don’t think I would have believed it myself. Heidi Nemeth
I HEARD PINK FLOYD SONG BEFORE IT WAS OUT
mAnY years ago I booked tickets to a Pink Floyd concert at Crystal Palace. Beforehand, I dreamed about the event with disturbing accuracy, although I had no previous knowledge of the venue.
In my dream, the stage was fronted by a river with swirling mist. Pink Floyd were playing a song unfamiliar to me, but upon waking, the tune stayed in my head.
Imagine my surprise when I reached the venue. There was no river, but there was a sizeable lake by the stage. Dry ice blocks were thrown in, creating mist.
When Pink Floyd struck up a new song, it was instantly recognisable to me from my dream. It was only much later on that I learned it was called embryo.
It was not released on a studio album until 1983, and the concert was in 1971! Over the years I’ve also dreamed correctly about crashing my motorcycle, a remote uncle turning up locally for a job interview and sudden snowfall after a hot October day.
The dreams were extremely vivid and so different from the usual muddled stuff dreams are made of. I’m convinced something we don’t fully understand really exists.
But I have made conscious efforts over the years to shut out my precognitions, as they make me feel uncomfortable.
I’m now 67, and it is something I had cast aside; until, that is, I read your recent article and realised I was not alone. Thanks for sharing. Martin Redwood, Gwent.
A SUDDEN YEARNING FOR SUGARED ALMONDS
I WAS visiting a new customer, who lived in a bungalow in Dorset. I walked in and bizarrely, the words ‘ sugared almonds and liquorice, mr Boakes’, just blurted out of me. mr Boakes said nothing, but walked into his kitchen and from a top shelf took down a Tupperware container of sugared almonds and liquorice.
I closed my eyes and saw a short man, with a flat cap and round glasses and covered in black dust. I related this and mr Boakes was amazed — I had described his late father, a coalman.
I have had hundreds of experiences like this. They tend to occur in dreams, or when my mind is at rest. my wife is now never amazed! William, Dorset.
DREAD OVERTOOK ME AT FUTURE SITE OF BOMBING
mAnY years ago, on a visit to London I walked past a large department store. Opposite was a pub playing loud Irish music.
Suddenly I felt an overwhelming irrational fear. I was immediately drenched in sweat with my heart beating fast and I knew I had to get away — fast.
When I turned the corner my condition returned to normal.
A week later, IRA terrorists exploded a bomb at harrods — the store I had rushed past. my experience was a one- of f , thankfully, as it was frightening. Tony Sharman, Cambridge.