In Latin, the word literally translates to “aware” “before.” This aligns with the contemporary accepted meaning of the word, because it calls upon the fact the individual has an awareness which occurs prior to something happening. This differs from other supposed psychic events, because precognition is a very specific knowing. The receiver of this information, under most conditions, isn’t asking to receive it, which makes it all the more important and relevant to that person. Typically, this is given to them in advance enough to warn others, make changes in their own personal schedule (if they are to be affected) or to pursue alternative outcomes. This is an important distinction, because this ability is incredibly helpful and can be the difference between disaster and narrowly avoiding it. This is not to be confused with strong feelings, or impulses something might happen. Instead, the term precognition is solely reserved for awareness which is specific and known of a definitive event, before it takes place.
Heightened Awareness of Potentials: Premonitions
While precognition is a definitive knowing that an event will occur, there are other very similar experiences that can be seen as warnings, or callings to look in a certain direction. This normally relates to unexplainable feelings that something bad will happen. Where omens are used in the literary sense to suggest or foreshadow that danger is close afoot, premonitions are seen as a type of foreshadowing that a person feels at a very deep level. Premonitions occur most commonly in a dream state, where the dreamer has incredibly deep feelings of dread, terror, panic, or anxiety that are difficult to get rid of upon waking. Since these feelings tend to linger, it can force the affected person to take action, or at least act differently than they normally would.
Premonitions are also more difficult to pinpoint because they rely very heavily on feelings, which can often be imprecise. There is less of a strong knowing, and more of a sense of uneasiness about something, which can often be difficult to pinpoint. After the horrible tragedy on September 11, 2001, many individuals came forward describing how they were supposed to be on one of the flights that were hijacked, only to have a bad dream, or a strong premonition about not going. These people were verified to be on the passenger list and are still alive today because of these unexplained impulses.
Still others had less foreboding experiences, but were spared from being killed on their flights, by listening to a seemingly minor nudge, or something outside of their control. CNN recounted the stories of several survivors ten years after that tragic morning: friends calling friends in the World Trade Center and asking them to come outside for a quick smoke, flight attendants whose lives were spared by a system glitch that put them on the wrong flight, or work schedules that shifted vacation plans.[iii] Was this karma, fate, premonition, or something bigger?