[Walter Sobchak]

Was wondering if anybody had had a weird coincidence happen to them?

Many many Years ago (when I was a teenager) My Step-dad, My Mum and myself went on holiday to Scotland, in March! we were blessed with great weather, and hardly any tourists.
My Step-dad (Pete) was one of these people that seemed to know everyone, and lo and behold when we were on the Cairngorms, walking down a mountain path there was a family walking up (these were proper job backpackers, unlike us), the Dad stopped in his tracks and said "Hello Pete!....."
Later on that week we went to Pitlochry and another person stopped my step-dad with "Hello Pete!"

Well, yesterday a friend of ours came round and out came their holiday snaps; they'd been to Volcanic Springs in Mexico, As we were looking at the photos, I recognised someone in the background, at a cafe in an airport in Mexico (Miguel something airport ~shrug~) I had to look twice, but...... it was my cousin! (I sent her a text and she replied that she was there! and was quite shocked too)

[Vivienne]

It's psychic forces at work. There's no such thing as a co-incidence. I get this stuff going on all the time.... too many examples to even mention !!

[foot-loose]

My Step-dad, My Mum and myself went on holiday to Scotland, in March! we were blessed with great weather

*falls over in shock*

[Yudster]

It's psychic forces at work. There's no such thing as a co-incidence.

I don't dis-believe in psychic forces (not completely anyway), but neither do I think that everything is down to them, that would be ludicrous. Most things which appear to be coincidence are just that. Example - it was certainly no coincidence that when I thought I really needed to speak to a certain person, he was in Australia and unavailable. As a result, I was forced to approach the problem from a different - and it turned out correct - angle. However bumping into an ex-work colleague I hadn't seen for twenty years on the beach in Kalives in Crete, that was a coincidence.

[Yudster]

Sorry for the double post, I just thought - I wonder if the difference is that the first example up there profoundly and fundametnally affected my life, the second was pleasant, but didn't. Perhaps its the result which tells you whether the incident was a coincidence, or something more? I dunno.

[Vivienne]

I believe everything is pre-determined. You were forced to approach a problem from a different angle, thus providing you with an answer! You were meant to do that.. it had already been pre-determined. This is NOT a co-incidence, yuds.

[Vivienne]

Incidentally, comedy Dave went through an experience just last week where he had a number on his 'phone of a friend, which had previously been the number of another friend, neither of whom knew each other. He was trying to assess the likelihood (mathematically) of this event taking place, and came to the conclusion the odds had to be spectacularly against it.

[S4B]

I believe everything is pre-determined. You were forced to approach a problem from a different angle, thus providing you with an answer! You were meant to do that.. it had already been pre-determined. This is NOT a co-incidence, yuds.

If everything is pre-determined then there's no point making choices as we'd follow the right path anyway. This is utter nonsence Viv however happy coincidences do happen and they can be referred to as "fate", it's the unhappy ones no one refers to as fate and as we can't have it both ways then they must all be coincidences however unlikely

[Console]

Actually, the chance of that happening to any one person is only about 1 in 10,000,000 (if that), and with the large number of people with phones out there it was going to happen eventually, and it will happen again. It was a coincidence, seemingly 'random' events occurring in such a way so that it seems impossible to happen by chance, but with all the possible events unfolding all the time, coincidence is a practical certainty.

I still find it odd that you believe in pre-determinism and having to 'learn' stuff.

[Vivienne]

I believe everything is pre-determined. You were forced to approach a problem from a different angle, thus providing you with an answer! You were meant to do that.. it had already been pre-determined. This is NOT a co-incidence, yuds.

If everything is pre-determined then there's no point making choices as we'd follow the right path anyway. This is utter nonsence Viv however happy coincidences do happen and they can be referred to as "fate", it's the unhappy ones no one refers to as fate and as we can't have it both ways then they must all be coincidences however unlikely

It's not nonsense... people are too dismissive of this stuff. I LOVE this stuff!! Love it! And regarding the unhappy ones: these are also pre-determined, and were meant, on each occasion, to TEACH you something! Life is learning process, and you shouldn't close your mind to things that cannot be explained!

[Vivienne]

I still find it odd that you believe in pre-determinism and having to 'learn' stuff.

O Console! You are being given signs to keep guiding you along your path of life! This is what I mean.

[Console]

Viv, I think it's fairly certain that you will not be able to convince any of us of your opinions, just like we won't be able to convince you of ours. The thing about having an open mind to things that can't be explained is also an odd statement, as they can be explained.

[foot-loose]

happy coincidences do happen and they can be referred to as "fate", it's the unhappy ones no one refers to as fate and as we can't have it both ways then they must all be coincidences however unlikely

How do you mean? Can you give some examples?

[Vivienne]

Look, I wasn't the one who started the thread, Console. I just started replying to it! I do take your point tho' You have to keep an open mind to allow psychic events to keep happening, rather than work out everything mathematically the way you do!

[Console]

Hey, I used to have a really open mind to things like 'psyhic events', magic, God and what-not, but it is specifically because I had such an open mind that I really studied each of the subjects and came to the conclusions that I have now. The reason I trust the theory of determinism is because it's the only that actually makes any sense and doesn't contradict itself.

[Vivienne]

I wasn't being nasty, Cons.! I'm just really glad Walter started this thread! Rock on, Walter! If you ever had such an open mind, then why start searching for evidence to the contrary? This would indicate to me that you had to have logical answers, and so you began searching for them... and have clearly found them. If this works for you, good! Personally, I rely on undercurrents to situations and people in life, and I'm very often right as well!

[Console]

The point about having an open mind is to consider everything, it's doesn't mean to accept everything blindly, but to treat all options equally.

[Vivienne]

But the point is... you have closed your mind! You live in a world of maths and evidence. I don't think I accept things blindly! There are so many things on a higher plain tho', so much stuff. Have you ever been to a medium, Cons.?

[timp]

Viv and console argueing? Whatever next?

[Ballbag]

Have you ever been to a medium, Cons.?

I imagine the answer is no. Hey, that reminds me, I was reading this story this morning about a palm reader who robbed a bank and has been on the run since, she's old, grey haired and about 5 foot in height. Police say there's a short medium at large.

[Console]

I've never been to see a medium specifically, but I have seen a couple, and to be honest, I can cold-read better than most of them. Also, I haven't closed my mind, I'm still open to the concept of new ideas, and I consider each one carefully, and quite often I can accept them. What's your definition of a higher plain?

[Zoot]

Viv and console argueing? Whatever next?

Thats no coincidence...

[Console]

We're also not arguing, it's called a 'discussion'.

[Vivienne]

Re: mediums, Console... OK, there are "cold-readers/charlatans", but there are excellent ones. They are operating on a level above earthly things. I went to see one (total stranger to me), who was able to tell me about my lovely aunt (now deceased unfortunately) who had died shortly before my birthday.. She had died November 7th, my birthday is Nov. 14th !! She told me all manner of things she couldn't POSSIBLY have known! And, at this point, I was CONVINCED TOTALLY and COMPLETELY of stuff that is simply on a higher level, stuff that simply cannot be explained by evidence, or anything else.

[Console]

What do you mean 'cannot be explained by evidence'? Do you not know what the word 'evidence' means?

As as for 'true mediums', people that were there when I saw the mediums were convinced that they were real as well.