Theos-Talk Archives (December 1998 Message tt00019)

>Can someone tell me what Theosophy says about precognitions.  Where they
>originate and why does one have them?  Also, any theosophical reading
>material on the subject.
>
>Thanks
>sharon


I wrote a short article on this awhile back. Its currently posted on my web
page, but I include it below for convenience.

Jerry S.


PROPHECY VS FREE WILL.
By Gerald J. Schueler, Ph.D.

H.P.Blavatsky wrote that "Prophecies are delivered in two ways -
consciously, by magicians who are able to look into the astral light; and
unconsciously, by those who act under what is called inspiration" (ISIS, Vol
I, page 281).  She also wrote that "... the freedom of man's will is beyond
doubt or cavil" (COLLECTED WRITINGS Vol XII, page 363).  These two quotes
suggest that theosophy recognizes both prophecy and free will.

Today prophecy is usually called divination or fortune-telling.  It includes
such time-honored techniques as the I Ching, Tarot, and reading tea leaves.
H.P.B. says that we can see the future either consciously by looking at the
astral light, or unconsciously (which is probably also by looking at the
astral light, but not being consciously aware of having done so).  Just what
is the astral light?  Just as man is said to have an aura or subtle body
enveloping the physical body and invisible to physical senses, so our earth
is said to be enveloped in the astral light.  The theory is that this astral
light or planetary auric envelope contains a complete record of our past and
also images of our future. Psychics are said to be able to see into this
invisible region surrounding our earth, and read the past in what is often
called the Akashic Records, and also to see images of
future events.

Now that the main terms have been defined, lets look at the problem.  In a
nutshell, if we can see our future and foretell events that have not yet
happened (and it seems likely that we can), then the future must be fixed or
predetermined.  This idea is known as predestination and H.P.B. and
virtually all theosophists after her have spoken against it. If we can't
look into the future and foretell events, then prophecy goes out the window
and H.P.B.'s first quote as given above must then be wrong.  If the future
is fixed with events that simply haven't happened yet, then we have no real
free will.  By definition free will implies the ability to change future
events by how we think and act in the present.  The notion of free will
suggests that we can make our own future by the actions that we make now in
the present (most all theosophists agree with this).  The favored way to get
around this problem is to define the future as a world of infinite
possibilities.

The future as infinite possibilities lets us see into it without 100%
certainty.  Prophecy thus becomes associated with probabilities and an
inherent uncertainty, somewhat like the way modern quantum mechanics defines
the world of subatomic particles.  By maintaining uncertainty, we can allow
for free will.  When someone looks into the astral light and foretells an
event, we can say that this event is likely to happen, but does not have to
happen.  In this way, when bad events are predicted, we can have some hope
of diverting them.  Without this hope, fortune-telling is not a blessing, it
is a curse.

While this definition of the future clears up the central problem, it makes
another one.  If someone makes a prediction that does not come true, he/she
can say that new events arose after the prediction to change the future and
allow another event to happen rather than the predicted event.  The very
fact that this could be true lets the seer "off the hook" on their
prediction.  The fortuneteller can no longer be held accountable.  In short,
we have opened up a door for the charlatan, and have made true prophecy
difficult if not impossible to detect.  In fact, true prophecy is also made
difficult to define.  If prophecy by definition can be changed, then how can
we ever know if it is true or false?

However one feels about this issue, the tradeoff between free will and
prophecy is thought provoking, especially for anyone who has had a glimpse
of some future event.

A Personal Note:  I have had several prophetic visions in my lifetime. For
example, once I was driving alone in my car.  I was going fast on a windy
back road.  All of a sudden the thought came to me to get over to my own
side of the road, fast.  It was almost like someone else shouted it to me,
and I reacted immediately.  As I did so, I rounded a turn, and an oncoming
car sped past on the side of the road that I had just left.  I had missed a
terrible accident by seconds.  Was this some kind of prophecy at work?  My
guardian angel?  Coincidence perhaps?  It is hard to say.  I have also had a
lot of good results with the Tarot.  Years ago I used to read the Tarot for
myself and others.  In fact, the results were so good, that I quit.  The
reason?  Knowing the future is not such a blessing.  I, and others, have
found that, for the most part, it is often better to not know.