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

by Larry Dossey, Jim Bond (Reader)

Open your mind to the possibility of premonition, explore your capacity to sense the future, and ponder the implication of mind outside of time. A dream prompts a mother to remove her baby from his crib an hour before a chandelier falls. More than a dozen people are no-shows for choir practice for the first time ever at the moment their church explodes. Are these coincidences, or is something happening that we need to pay attention to? This is the question Dr. Larry Dossey asked himself during his first year of medical practice when he experienced a week of premonitions about patients, all of which came true. As a scientist and medical doctor he was scared to talk about it because if he dared believe what he was experiencing was possible—that the future could be known before it happened—then his entire education and worldview would be turned on its head. But as suddenly as the premonitions started, they stopped: “It was as if the universe, having delivered a message,” writes Dossey in the introduction, “hung up the phone. It was now my job to make sense of it.…” The Power of Premonitions reveals the world of science and research that proves the human capacity for knowing the future. Experiments consistently show that human beings are as wired to know what’s coming next as we are to see, feel, hear, and think. Dossey uses cutting-edge science to prove the value of what has long been considered the provenance of mystic charlatans and to show listeners how they can cultivate their natural abilities. This is an audiobook for the skeptical mind, but it’s also for the believer’s heart—because its author possesses the rare gift of having both.

Genres: Nonfiction, Spirituality, Self Help

MP3 CD

First published April 1, 2009

About the author

Larry Dossey is a physician and author who propounds the importance for healing of prayer and spirituality. He combines science and prayer to advance the cause of healing the sick.

Larry Dossey studied medicine, graduating from University of Texas at Austin & the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas in 1967. While attending medical school, he became interested in Eastern religions such as Buddhism and Taoism. Severe, recurring migraines prompted him to study biofeedback and meditation in hopes of finding a means of controlling the headaches. He began to practice meditation regularly, while remaining skeptical about the type of praying he had learned in his youth. After graduation, Dossey went on to a distinguished medical career, which included service in Vietnam as a battalion surgeon and residencies at the Veterans Administration Hospital and Parkland Hospital in Dallas. Dossey's curiosity about the connections between science and religion prompted him to begin researching medical studies focused on the power of prayer to aid healing. In the 1980s, Dossey began writing books to document and explain his findings.

Dossey's 1993 book, Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine, made it to the New York Times bestseller list and sold close to 150,000 copies in the first three years after its publication.

Reviews

[Ron Wroblewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book. I believe in premonitions - a look into the future. Sometimes a warning. A future that sometimes our actions can cause to change. The book is filled with experiments and trials done by famous scientists all pointing to the truth that our reality is not everything that exists. Example - the mind is not contained in the brain. The mind is all around us - the brain filters the information coming into it. You just have to read the book or listen to the CD. The book is filled with annedotes such as Lincoln's assassination dream shortly before he was shot, or those warned not to sail on the Titanic or those warned ahead of time about 911.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 and a half stars
I'm behind in my reviews! I finished this over a week ago, which means it is already harder for me to review. Someone kept mentioning this book to me a few years back and I was not sure about it, but when I realized I could listen to it for free, I figured I'd give it a try (since I really respect the suggestor). Anyway, it was interesting. I think if you are a person of faith, it won't have much in the way of surprise. I am not prone to having many premonitions, but I have no problem believing that people have them for some reason that may not be understood now.

[Oana · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐
A good introduction into the "psy" world. A bit of psychology, ezoterism & physics, all in one. Interesting for anyone who wants a brief and global understanding of the subject. Also good for those who want to understand the global picture, before digging deeper into the subject, mostly because the references and bibliography are pretty good and detailed.
All in all, a good book. 📖👍

[Steve H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened off and on over the course of the summer. Just finished. On its face, Dossey's work is compelling and convincing, but upon examination outside the book there seems to be a lot of criticism of the studies he cites. However, it opens up a new world of thought.

[Kristena West · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this twice through and love it. I am a precognitive dreamer and dream teacher. Larry Dossey is a wealth of research & stats - which I found fascinating! Woot! The stories are moving and remarkable, and soul-satisfying. 5 stars all the way.

[Jennifer H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and great insights all around.

[dumol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this hard to read at times. Many stories but little explanations. Ends on a high note though. Well researched with an abundance of detailed references.

[Melissa Combs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heard this doctor on talk radio last week and it piqued my interest. He was getting ready to speak in Durham. The book is mainly about premonitions, telepathy, remote viewing, and synchronicity. There are many premonition stories surrounding 9/11, the Titanic, the tsunami, and other events. He also talks about the telepathic abilities of animals. He discusses how the future is not necessarily written in stone and can be altered by premonitions (for example, the people who saved their own lives by not going in to work on 9/11). BUT -- the part that I found FASCINATING was the experiment that was done in quantum physics/quantum mechanics (the double-slit experiment)that actually changed the past! Then there was a discussion about retroactive prayer changing the past. This book was quite thought provoking!

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s interesting. People are becoming more comfortable talking about and using their intuition. There are literally hundreds of self-help books on the shelves of local bookstores. Yet, premonitions are still relegated to the paranormal or occult.

The Power of Premonitions attempts to take premonitions out of the shadows. The author notes that premonitions are far more common than we think. They are akin to intuition and if heeded can be just as beneficial as using intuition.

The book is filled with examples of premonitions. When taken seriously, such warnings can save lives. When ignored, tragedy often occurs. It’s truly fascinating how events such as 9/11 were widely broadcast as premonition and how many lives were saved because of a strange feeling or a disturbing dream. 

[Sean Hopkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides interesting real world stories about premonitions. In certain instances, the author relies too much on experiments in support of his scientific assertions that premonitions are real. The question of whether premonitions are a common occurence or simply coincidences or hunches remains open to me but the book was well written and insightful.

[Sam Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This guy is the real deal. If you think premonitions are BS, check out the first section of this book where he presents his case methodically in an M.D. type fashion. If you're already a "believer," just reading this book will get you more tuned into the "coincidences" that are happening all the time. Overall, a very well thought out book.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

interesting read. Larry Dossey knows what he is talking about. He has done a few really great interviews with radio show host Steve Maraboli. I enjoy listening to him discuss what he does, and how we can use it to empower us. What a fun read.

[Rodney Bond · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is not well written. It is all over the place with circumstantial evidence, mostly post-event, of premonitions. This has been shown to be possibly induced into memory by modern research. There is some hint of truth about premonitions in the discussion of entropy - something I had not considered. But wading through the material is laborious.

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this at the library (had no active interest in the topic), and found it to be a pretty intereating read. It's clear the author has a great interest and knowledge of the topic. His arguments are well backed up, which is a bit unusual for a topic that we typically think of as non-scientific. The references, notes, and suggested reading are almost 50 pages!

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great compilation of research on premonitions and universal consciousness.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Discovered this on the "new books" shelf of the library. Interesting discussion of people's experiences. Also discusses related scientific studies.

[Sandra Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hugely intriguing...shares documented premonitions followed by real events, studies in remote viewing, etc. Pretty good read.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find the topic fascinating and I always enjoy his writing. This didn't disappoint. I also appreciated the chapters on Universal Mind/Consciousness. Part of my philosophy for years and years.

[Melissa Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED!

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories in this book are fascinating but I didn't always agree with the take the author's perspective. Worth reading.

[Sue]

Loved this book. Very empowering!

[Jill Charlotte]

loved this man and his stories..... all made sense and opened up newness thank you xx

[Michael Nalbone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I had known of this book when it was published. It was comforting to learn my experiences are not isolated. Anyone that has the 'sight' and struggling with it should read this book.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard the author of this book one evening on NPR, and he told several interesting examples of premonitions that piqued my interest. I bought the book and really enjoyed it.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating book. Connections between "ESP" phenomena and quantum physics? "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. "

[Tanger Soto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Estuvo bien aunque habría querido que me gustara más