Premonitions or Hallucinations; how will we know?

Should we believe in premonitions? What is Para-normal? Are premonitions any different from hallucinations? How close are we to an answer? We had a very special encounter yesterday and I am recounting it because for me, it was at once enthralling and unbelievable!

My father in law was an eminent advocate who practiced in Kochi till 2005. From 2003 onwards, he had realized his own failing memory and also his dwindling health. Today at the age of 78, he is severely afflicted by Alzheimer’s disease. On the physical side, he has done fairly well with medicines and support. But he is a very pale shadow of the man I had met twelve years ago when I married his only daughter. Very often he can’t even remember his only daughter’s name. But on other occasions he will recount stories from his childhood. We as a family are coming to terms with this sad problem and try to find solace in the fact that he is still with us!

For the past couple of days, he has not been remembering things. So much so, he couldn’t even remember he has a daughter. Even the grand daughter who happens to be the only person that enthuses him of late was a blurred memory during this period. With this background, what happened yesterday comes out as a special event.

On waking up yesterday, he asked his wife for “Those Papers”. When she asked, “Which papers?’ he snapped at her, “The Case files, those people are coming this evening. We have won the case. They are coming to finish the procedure” My Mother in law asked’ “Which people?’. He again retorted, “My clients, I want those papers ready and want them now. Ask the Clerk to get them ready”. Now mother in law thought this was another of his hallucinations or some dreams. She told, “I don’t know any files. Daughter will come and she will find it for you”. He calmed down after that. When his daughter went to meet him in the afternoon, he told her, “Keep the papers ready, they are coming at around 4 or 5 PM”. My wife told, “I will keep them ready and you can relax now”. So he rested a while.

For the past one year they have shifted from his house at the heart of Ernakulam town to a house closer to our residence so that we are closer to them. I run my clinic from a room attached to their new home so that I too can visit them every day. And every evening, he walks around in the compound or just sits there in the waiting place. He often chats with patients coming to see me. This has helped in keeping him more alert and active.

My father, my mother in law and father in law were sitting outside last evening and were chatting. Then three people came; an elderly man of about 60, his wife in mid-50s and their son in his 30s. The man introduced himself as an old client of my father in law. He told, “Sir, you had run our case for many years and we won it four years ago. Though your junior was managing it when the verdict came, it was all done by you from the beginning. Since we were in a lot of debts, we couldn’t come and meet you. Today most of our problems have been settled. All this was because of you. If we don’t come and thank you for all that you have done, God will never forgive us. You had never charged us any money then. Today we have come to salute you”. Saying this, all three of them touched his feet and actually wept. They had come to know about his condition. And then, the gentleman silently pushed an envelope into my mother in law’s hands and left saying, “We pray for his health and life”.

Now isn’t it extra-ordinary? Is this telepathy? Is it premonition? Or was it just another hallucination with a sweet coincidence? Knowing the deep bonding he had with his clients, I sure am inclined to believe this is an extra-ordinary event. At least these happenings make us feel better about life and about the purpose of life!