psychic

I consider myself a pretty reasonable person.  I am somewhat of a skeptic- scientific minded if you will - and like to have proof of things people claim to be true... because frankly, people talk bull all the time.  However, there have been times where things have happened that I just can't explain.. and if I were to tell others about it, they'd think I was losing my sanity.  Somewhere deep down I've always felt as if there was something more to life that we can visually see or mentally comprehend.. a sort of undercurrent of energy and signals.  I tend to pick up on people's energy quickly, especially if I know them well.  There have been times in my life in which I've just known things before they happened... like once before my sister and mom headed out to the store I told them not to go because something will happen.  I just understood that it wasn't safe for me to go with them.  They came back shortly after and announced they were in a minor accident. Some days before Sept. 11 I had a dream of a plane crashing into a tall building and a city full of explosions and smoke.  I figured I had been watching too many "Independence Day" type movies and just had a crazy nightmare.  Needless to say I had major deja-vu when I watched the events unfold on the morning of Sept. 11.  The day my grandma passed away I was at an internet cafe and had a strong urge to go back to the apartment because I felt something was wrong.. when I got there, my parents were gone and left a note saying they had to go to the town my mom's relatives are in and that they would explain later.  I knew someone had passed away.  When I got a call from them a little while later, I found out it was my grandmother.  There are times I've walked over to the phone and waited a minute or so for it to ring, because I knew someone was going to call me.  It all wouldn't be so strange to me if it was never confirmed... but on the rare occasions these things happen, they are always confirmed.  Why, though? Why do I tend to sense things before they happen?  Is it because I am somewhat in tune with some emotional undercurrent where we are all connected, and subconsciously communicate?  Is this a unique ability or something most everyone has experienced?

Lately I've been having some very vivid and interesting dreams so I've started reading some books by Sylvia Browne.  Honestly I feel a bit relieved... and some things in her book really resonated with me.  Maybe the microwave and phone beeping on their own isn't just my imagination... or being woken up between 3am and 6am lots of mornings from someone touching or saying something to me isn't my imagination either.  Although I can't say I really believe in ghosts or spirits, I can't really say they don't exist either.  I have never had the experience of actually seeing anything of the sort as some say they can.  I am tempted, as suggested by Sylvia in her book, to leave an audiotape recording at night and see if I pick up any voices or sounds.  Why not see if I can get some of my own actual proof that there is life after death when there are many others out there so certain of it?  A part of me is a bit scared of what I might find... another part just wants a legitimate answer.