Customer Reviews

The Power of Premonitions: How Knowing the Future Can Shape Our Lives

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Although a substantial part of my career as a psychologist has been devoted to parapsychological matters for more than 50 years, one part of the field has always been especially troublesome to me, the idea that people sometimes get information about the future, premonitions, precognitions, when there is no reasonable possibility of them getting it, given what we know about the nature of the physical world.

I am thoroughly acculturated, like practically everyone, to believe that the past is gone, the future is not yet here, only the present moment is real, so time marches on. Sure, we can predict probable things - the sun will rise tomorrow - or things we know the causal mechanism of - the car will stop running soon if I don't put more gasoline in the tank. But then you can't help but hear stories on the order of "I dreamed this really improbable set of events that resulted in my being run down by a green car on such-and-such a street, although I don't usually go there, and sure enough this green car suddenly dashed around the corner and would have killed me if I hadn't been forewarned by the dream and so alert enough to jump back."

The devoted materialist has no trouble with such stories, banishing them with words like "coincidence." In Dossey's new book he mentions the medical version of this: a story that indicates something you don't believe in is an "anecdote," one that confirms your beliefs is a "careful case history."

In my recent book The End of Materialism, out just a month before this new Dossey book that I want to praise, I am forced to include precognition with what I call the Big Five psi phenomena, the ones that have been so thoroughly and rigorously tested that I see no reasonable doubt that they exist (telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, psychokinesis and psychic healing). Yet while I include precognition there because there is so much evidence for it in rigorous lab studies, in point of fact I find the idea of knowing the future so incomprehensible that I don't really think about it. When I discovered massive precognition effects had sneaked into my own laboratory data, e.g., I found I wasn't even psychologically "defended" against the idea, premonitions were just too far out to worry about.

Now Larry Dossey, well-known physician, author and alternative medicine expert, has devoted a whole book to all aspects of premonitions, and I'm going to have to think about it. Indeed I've told Dossey that his book captured me. I have very little time for reading, I'm sent dozens of books people want me to read and that, given my interests, I would like to read, but never get time for. The Power of Premonitions: How Knowing the Future Can Shape Our Lives is so readable and fascinating, though, that I read the first 190 pages continuously and have taken it on my camping vacation with me to finish. It's too good! Spontaneous cases from real life, lab experiments, connections with the latest understanding of brain functioning, and, especially important, why it would be useful to develop our premonitory abilities, are all covered. I can't recommend it highly enough!

Charles T. Tart, PhD

"O, that a man might know the end of this day's business ere it come!" Julius Caesar, Act V, Scene I.

Time and other thieves... The good Doctor has unleashed an outstanding contribution to our attempts to understand the chaos of being, and the very nature of time itself.

In a work that manages to be both deeply scholarly and highly entertaining, Dr. Dossey has fashioned a mosaic of strange bedfellows that will at the very least help us to start asking the right questions.

As expected, the book is a masterpiece of research, supported by acres of notes and references, dealing with numerous core topics, such as the block universe, chaos, entropy, repression and a look into the paradox-drenched quantum arena as a whole.

While the case examples are fascinating and well chosen, the book also looks into cases of people successfully acting on premonitions, and the rituals of some cultures whereby destructive dreamed premonitions might be negated and dark outcomes averted.

For me, the book's crowning magic lies in the closing sections, in which Larry Dossey cites examples of how mystery and embracing the unknown can be good for our psychological and physical wellbeing. We do indeed seem to need just enough chaos and uncertainty in our lives. In the same way, one of the theories about reincarnation is that we are not supposed to remember details of our previous lives, lest it bias our thoughts and actions in our current life.

There's an allegorical song by Ani DiFranco called Little Plastic Castle, in which she sings...

"They say goldfish have no memory
I guess their lives are much like mine
And the little plastic castle
Is a surprise every time..."

Good job, given the dang size of the bowl...

Dr. Dossey takes the unusual and insightful step of asking the reader whether they want to invite premonitions into their consciousness, given the responsibility that may come with it. This dilemma was beautifully captured in the Garth Brooks classic, The Dance.

"Hey who's to say, you know I might have changed it all
And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end, the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance
I could have missed the pain
But I'd have had to miss the dance..."

Live with passion.

Steven Cain (Sirius Moonlight, One Star Awake)

First off: apologies to dear Dr. Dossey and fellow Amazon readers for not reviewing the actual book that due to time restraint I only just ordered this minute!

However, I felt guided to write a few words about Dr Dossey, the human being, and would like to share what impact his noble, kind soul has had on this life.

Until recently, I only knew of Dr. Dossey, had read some of his earlier books years ago, liked them very much, followed his blog in the "Huffington Post" that I found deep and very enjoyable, and seen his name pretty much every where, like at Barnes and Noble, or on the covers of many of my dear friends' books.

A couple of weeks ago, I happened to be in Denver where Dr. Dossey was the guest of honor at a major conference, and a dear author friend had asked me to relay greetings should I bump into Dr. Dossey.

This, I did, both, bump into Dr. Dossey, who was just about to start eating dinner at the hotel restaurant, (didn't want to bother him, really, but meant to also stay true to my promise to my friend), and relay the greetings, said 'Hello' and apologized for interrupting his dinner.

Dr. Dossey was very kind and made me feel welcome in a way of one equal spirit greeting another one, took the time to write a kind personal note a few days later and has been most supportive just this past Sunday yet again on another occasion.

The way he lives the Golden Rule left a deep impact, as did his compassionate mindfulness, which is rare in these rushed, hectic times, especially considering that he probably has his plate full with projects, yet clearly chooses his priorities carefully and with loving consideration and doesn't hesitate to extend human kindness whenever the opportunity presents itself.

I have met some of Dr. Dossey's peers-major best selling authors who write the most beautiful books and most of them were equally lovely, but two of the most praised ones were abrasive and almost rude to several people when meeting them at conferences and as a native European, I find it fascinating to see how the public persona and the simple human being can differ, just like they can in each and every one of us.

Well, Dr. Dossey clearly is an exception, his mindfulness and the time he took for personal interaction on several occasions flowed over into this life and inspired me after a recent surgery to be equally mindful when it comes to dealing with the aftermath of some complications, treat dealing with those medical issues not differently from dealing with anything pleasant, like loving interactions with other souls, reading a good book (I greatly looking forward to this one!).

Abiding as non local awareness has come easy to this soul, yet the daily nitty gritty of some rough medical issues didn't always, and Dr. Dossey's pure and compassionate Presence reminded deeply of the all encompassing sameness of Pure Conscioussnes also in what is termed 'daily human life'.

It seems this reminder was necessary and timely, and it once again showed how deeply not only are we intrinsically connected non-locally as One Pure Awareness only anyways, but also how much each and every one of us influences every other one 'out there' within the 3d hologram.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, dear Dr. Dossey!

I have extreme bias here. I just admire Larry Dossey for being so open to the possibility that the universe may have more in store than we could ever imagine. This must be very threatening within the medical community. Even among those that believe that spirituality affects health outcomes, his writing is seen as threatening, as "unscientific." Yet he writes with love and interest and a truly open heart. Hats off to you! As to this book, there could have been a little better organization. I don't mind anecdotal evidence, but I truly don't know much about the more "legitimate" scientific experiments with psi, and here they seemed to be interwoven a little too haphazardly for my poor brain, in bondage as it is to space and time, could take in. Yet it was an encouraging read for those who, like me, suspect there is more to life than what our limited vision may allow us to see.

In The Power of Premonitions, Larry Dossey, MD delves deeply into the phenomenon of premonitions providing the clarity you need to learn to trust these unbidden hints, when appropriate. Through Dossey's evocative exploration of the subtle threshold between the present and the future, you may just get inspired to keep a diary on your bedside table to jot down and capture what comes to you in the sleep state.

Anything from a vivid nightmare of disaster to a vague feeling of uneasiness can turn out to be lifesaving, if acted upon. But it's hard to distinguish ordinary worries, chronic uneasiness in a time of great change, from true warnings. Compounding the challenge is the fact that premonitions are often imprecise.

Dossey suggests that receptivity to premonitions has evolutionary value. Yet, for many this skill is unconscious or may be interpreted as accidental or based on some concrete indicator.

Dossey's book tantalizes by questioning whether the rule of material logic doesn't omit something people seem to need: mystery. According to Dossey, studies show that women who "regularly engage in mini-mysteries... taking on novel experiences that get them out of familiar routines (better) preserve their mental faculties later in life." If perching on the verge of mystery conveys health benefits, it may be because it's scary, humbling, and inspiring to acknowledge that reality extends beyond our perceived limits into a territory we can't measure with a slide rule.

Larry Dossey has been bending and expanding my mind for 30 years. He's done it again with his latest book, "The Power of Premonitions." I especially treasure that his writing has become more personal and reflective. He shares personal experiences that challenged his Western-trained medical mind on its basic assumptions of time and space. He never abandons his scientific mind, but refuses to shy away from the powerful implications of his own experience and the discoveries of thoughtful researchers from Princeton University to Sydney, Australia. Are premonitions real? After reading this, you may rephrase the question, "How can they not be?" He then follows the cascade of questions that inevitably follow: "How can you tell which ones to heed? Can anything be done about them? What do they imply about free will? How do they change the way we understand the universe?" Prepare to ride a roller-coaster of challenging ideas. Remarkably, he is able to do this in a way that is provoking without being sensational, accessible while neither simplistic nor esoteric, and ultimately very human and humble. Bravo once again!
David Baughan, M.D.

Dr. Larry Dossey's latest book, THE POWER OF PREMONITIONS, delves into a topic few scientists and researchers publicly address -- how some people demonstrate knowledge of future events. Dossey provides readers with an able guide to one of the more esoteric metaphysical phenomena, navigating through a dazzling collection of evidence of people who often know and act upon knowledge of the future, even when not fully conscious of having such premonitions.

THE POWER OF PREMONITIONS provides answers for readers who remember past premonitions and wonder how common their experiences might be, as well as why they have premonitions some times and not others. Dossey outlines twelve premonition-promoting qualities that can enhance one's ability to know the future, and describes how various cultural perspectives have been shown to support or hinder the process.

The interpretations of premonitions is every bit as fascinating as premonitions themselves, since premonitions have not been consistently comprehended for maximum positive value in peoples' lives. Some historical figures who've had amazing premonitions include Freud, Hitler, Jung, and Lincoln. Surprisingly, the meaning of some of these premonitions, while crystal-clear in hindsight, was not fully understood at the time.

Dossey points out how having access to the power of premonitions can be used either positively or negatively, in similar fashion to most any other ability humans possess. Whereas a medical doctor such as Dossey might utilize premonitions for improved medical care, thieves or radical extremists can use premonitions for personal gain or social harm. In a particularly chilling section of the book, Dossey describes how terrorists have analyzed dreams for evidence of future success of destructive activities in order to prove alignment with divine plans and justify their actions. These and other stories caution readers to be guided by our highest noble character, rather than be misled by our own egos or selfish agendas. While Napolean once boasted of having nearly perfect precognition of future events, such pride did not prevent his subsequent fall.

THE POWER OF PREMONITIONS touches briefly on the physics of time and causation when covering the element of time in future knowing. The concept of premonitions raises the matter of discerning if upon seeing the future, we are able to truly change that future... as well as whether it is possible to change the past. Apparently such things are indeed possible, and Dossey covers the mind-bending world of quantum physics along with the notion of probabilities involving probable futures and pasts.

I highly recommend THE POWER OF PREMONITIONS to anyone seeking a balanced, open-minded overview of what we currently know to be true about premonitions... and to everyone wishing to gain the practical benefits of premonitions in their daily lives.

Larry Dossey has a skill in finding compelling connections in research, medicine, physics, spirituality, religion and human life to ground his thesis. He weaves diverse information into a holistic, engaging story that shifts ones perceptions to consider new possibilities about The Power of Premonitions.
Francesca McCartney, PhD
Founder, President
Energy Medicine University Body of Health: The New Science of Intuition Medicine for Energy and Balance

The book started off with numerous accounts of premonitions which really drew me in. However, I think the author did not deliver content worthy of the chapter titles. I agree with the other reviewer that many of the premonition examples scattered throughout the book were not premonitions, rather dreams that provided information about a problem needing to be solved, or experiences that could be interpreted a number of ways, but were interpreted as premonitions for the purposes of this book. Premonitions are often met with skeptism by those who have not experienced them, and I was disappointed to see the lack of substance around the topic. The many awkwardly written sentences and typos only added to the lack of confidence I had in the author's depth of knowledge, thoroughness, and ability to walk the reader through to conclusions based on sound analysis rather than conjecture and rambling speculation. One example is when he talks about the high vacancy rate of planes involved in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He points out that the planes used in the attack were only 21 percent full that day, goes on to ask if this could have been the result of people avoiding those flights due to premonitions they had about the impending attack, then states it's impossible to know if the vacancy rate was unusual for that day because the airlines won't release the data. In summary, he says the low vacancy rates suggest premonitions played a role in people's decisions to not fly on those planes on that day, but admits it cannot be proven.

I could look out my window and suddenly notice the lack of birds around my bird feeders one day. Perhaps the birds are telling me of some impending disaster? Or perhaps they are continuing on their migration and have left the area, or the new neighbor next door has better bird food to offer, or the hawk circling above has sent them all into hiding, or there are never many birds out at that time of day and I just never noticed that before. I can make up all kinds of reasons for their absence, and if something bad were to happen later in the day or week, I could link it back to the bird behavior. Using this type of faulty analysis to draw conclusions is neither correct or useful. In fact, I think it is downright misleading. Really great topic, and I give the author credit for taking it on. But overall, it was a disappointment.

As always, Larry Dossey brings us an enjoyable feast of facts, personal experiences and discussions in this review of premonitions. The book is divided into chapters reviewing examples of foreknowledge, research explorations of precognition, and then various dissections of the material to appreciate how it informs our lives and our understandings of the world.As Dossey notes, the collective evidence from research presents results with statistical analyses showing astronomically significant findings. These include explorations of predictions of the order of cards in a deck that haven't been shuffled yet; predictions of electronically generated information; and viewing remote places (that may be many miles away) prior to the time that observations are made by an experimenter dispatched to the randomly chosen location.

As fascinating as the evidence is, it is even more interesting to speculate on explanations for how it is possible for people to transcend the accepted boundaries of future time and perceive that which will occur in seconds, minutes, days or even years later. Dossey succinctly and clearly summarizes evidence and theories from modern physics that show our world to be a place where time is not the linear river we commonly perceive and accept it to be. Modern physicists predict, and their experiments confirm, that interactions of consciousness may occur with matter in ways that clearly cross the supposed boundaries between present and future.

Important philosophical questions are raised by these confirmations of precognition. Dossey points out that some have been troubled by the seeming implication of a predestination in the universe, if we can see what will happen in the future before it happens. This would mean, according to them, that there is no free choice. Dossey's reports, however, show that there are numerous instances where precognitive awarenesses led to people averting the perceived disasters. This has been validated in research as well, with statistics confirming that people avoid traveling on trains and planes that have accidents.

Considering that premonitions often come to people as dream-like images, frequently including dream-like distortions, one could also point out that no predestination need be postulated from premonitions. A person having a premonition that s/he is going to die may just be the way that the unconscious mind puts an exclamation point after the image that is intended by the unconscious as a warning about a dangerous situation where the unconscious mind actually perceives that the person won't die, but creates the image of dying in order to motivate the dreamer to avoid the danger.

Another way of looking at this, not suggested by Dossey, is that precognitive perceptions need not indicate a predestination in the perceived actions. In retrocognitive perceptions, people have glimpses of past occurrences. John Gribbin has a collection of these in a book titled 'Time Warps.' I have never heard anyone suggest that because we can perceive events in the past they must have been prede-termined. Similarly, there is no reason to suggest that glimpses into the future imply predetermination. These are just windows of awareness across the illusion of the separateness of past, present and future. As meditators, mystics and intuitives of many traditions tell us, all time is Now.

Dossey, as usual, provides a wealth of references for further explorations. In this book, the references
are keyed in the endnotes to phrases on relevant pages, the pages being listed in the endnotes. No endnote numbers appear in the text. (What a boon to the author and to copy editors in sorting out the text for publication!)

I warmly recommend this book for anyone interested in premonitions.

Reference
Gribbin, John, Time Warps, New York: Delacorte/ Eleanor Friede 1979.