This is an endlessly fascinating topic. I like to consider both sides and am not sure which option I really believe, but here's something to consider...
When I was 18 (ahem, 18 years ago), I visited a psychic/medium. She was a classic 'fortune teller' if you will, and gave me many prophecies that didn't really make sense at the time. Over the years, at least two thirds of what she told me came true- and it wasn't a matter of self-fulfilling prophecy, as I would only realise months or years down the line that what she'd told me had come true. I have a very strong bullshitometer but this woman was the real deal...now if she could tell me what was going to happen, something like fate must exist to some degree? I did ask her how this works- is our destiny set in stone? She described it like this: imagine the root system of a plant. The tap root is the path a person is most likely to follow, but there are other possibilities (the smaller roots leading off the tap root). The smaller the root, the less likely you are to take that path. So what she prophecises is the 'tap root' path. So in essence, we do have a certain destiny somewhat laid out for us, but it is not set in stone and our own free will can lead in many different directions.
RE: Does fate exist? (And by extension, is free will an illusion?)
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Does fate exist? (And by extension, is free will an illusion?)
The analogy that the medium described, about a more common route for people to follow (and she being prophesising that) makes me think that she might be picking what would be most common for anyone (almost statistically) and, if she told you that, then it would be more likely than if she went with more specificities that are not statistically probable (such as you becoming an astronaut and being the first human being to step on a planet on the Andromeda planetary system).
I don't know if that's what it was, but that's what I got from the analogy that you described. I don't necessarily believe in mediums and such, but I don't reject them as impossible either. I just think that it's unlikely given the explanations in the post, even though that makes me an utter sceptic without cure (and sometimes I'd love to be able to believe more of what people say, since life seems more beautiful when we can adore the divine and not feel repulsed by its imposed fictional authority).
Have you watched the Mentalist? I'm not saying your medium was like that, but I think that there's ways to read a person and come to think of a person's probable future from their current circumstances and their personality.
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By the way, your name makes me think of this: https://www.reddit.com/r/bertstrips/
😂
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Bert! 😂 I am an absolute sucker for stripes...I can't say no to anything stripey. Anyway, back to the topic at hand.
I definitely get what you're saying and I LOVE the mentalist! I would have cried fake if it weren't for really random and incredibly specific facts that she predicted about other people close to me, not only myself. She told me about illnesses that grandparents would have, who would pass away first etc (not the greatest info to know), and not your standard heart issues, strokes etc either- I'm talking rare diseases here. I have since visited other people claiming to be gifted but there was definitely no talent of any sort there! So the original lady still remains the only one that I simply can not explain away, especially considering that your average person on the street (never mind a lady in her 70's) didn't even have internet access.
But, like you, I do have some sceptism...the scientist in me says it's just not possible. There must be a logical explanation. I'm not sure I want to believe that everything is laid out for us either. I do like exploring all the options though.
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Do you do science? Do you have a STEM major?
The only possible logical explanation that excludes supernatural access to information about fate would be that you have signals of being a passive carrier to a disease, belong to an ethnicity that has a high tendency to get that disease or you told her things about your family that may have led her to believe that these things could happen. But of course, I'm just playing here, I know nothing about you or your situation and you must know better about it than me.
I'm one to see what others would consider evidence and I just throw objections at it as if it were some diabolic mistruth that needs to be oppressed. I find it rather dry, but at the same time, it's the only way my mind works, when everything is neat and logical, no weird unicorns allowed.
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The other explanation is that the random little facts are coincidental and are just planted in the original story just in case. Perhaps there were other random things that didn't come true?
And the other thing is, she may have struck gold in your story, but what is the over all track record?
I dunno. I'm also skeptical. In the end, even if it were supernatural or fate, doesn't mean anyone on Earth would be able to see it.
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Who knows, this was just an isolated incident that stood out amongst many others that were quite plainly nonsense.
I'm not saying that I would put any major life decisions in this woman's hands, but it was something done for fun when I was a teenager and the info she gave me was way more correct than incorrect. I don't know how or why she said what she did- just thought it would be an interesting addition to the discussion!
There were things that she said that haven't happened, but the majority of the reading was overwhelmingly correct in terms of present and future.
I also figure there must be some explanation that means she isn't in fact a medium or a psychic. Damned if I know, though.
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I've heard stories like yours pop up so much too, so it's certainly an interesting subject! Would be good to know the tricks they use (assuming they are tricks) hehe...
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