Anomalous Occurrences
"Nothing happens without a cause
And nothing happens unless it can happen
When that which can happen, does in fact happen
It cannot be considered a miracle
Hence there are no miracles."
Cicero 106 - 43 BC
Anomaly - Oxford English Dictionary: something that differs from what is standard or normal.
Normal: Usual, typical, or expected.
Anomalous occurrences are experienced around the globe on a daily basis; no society is free from them. In high-tech societies they are held in check, untold and rarely discussed, nevertheless, they happen.
The most common are prescient thoughts and dreams, near-death experiences, out of body experiences, telepathy and "ghosts". I don't like the word "ghost"; it has the same reputation as seers and mediums. "Ghosts" have been experienced, and amongst the myriad false mediums are some with real abilities, but over-all the two have rightfully earned rotten reputations.
I myself have experienced many of the above, most of them occurring within the arena of Death. When someone is dying many-out-of the ordinary things occur. When a loved one is dying, or you yourself are in the process of dying, the outside world is of little importance and the mind is focused. At such times mental doors that are usually closed swing open.
The questions are endless. How and why do such occurrences happen? What prompts them and why are they always remembered in clear detail? Little is known and there are many points of view along with a lot of scoffing. All reactions to anomalous occurrences are interesting since proof is beyond us at this point in time.
I am a dualist. I believe there is a difference between the brain and the mind - especially in human beings and a short list of higher animals that possess spindle neurons.
Our marvelous brains work under the innate mandates of the four F's: Flee, Fight, Feed and Fornicate. All living things survive under the demands and protective processes of the famous four. Prompted by the four F's we are moved to react to all incoming stimuli. Under certain conditions our reactions are modified by the limbic system and neo-cortex by way of societal mentoring. Regardless of circumstance, as a dualist, I do not believe the brain creates the stimuli it reacts to. For instance, in the story that follows, I do not believe the driver's brain created his thoughts, action or the situation.
Decades ago, when Highway 66 was a two-lane road that stretched across America, a man was cruising along on a lonely stretch, driving at a good clip. The road took him up a four-mile long slope on the eastern side of the basin and range plateau in eastern Wyoming. As he neared the last mile before the crest of the slope an overwhelming mental command to pull over possessed him. It was so strong that he eventually took his foot off the gas and coasted onto the shoulder. He sat there a moment pondering the powerful feeling that had swept through him. It seemed so silly, but had been so strong. He was about to put his car back into gear and continue on with his journey when two huge freight trucks that were racing one another at top speed, crested the hill taking up both lanes of the road. They flew by him in a matter of seconds.
