Article Analysis: Self-Acceptance in Individuals Experiencing Precognition (Indigo)

After I previously wrote about Successfully Raising Indigo Children, this time, I want to delve into the Indigo phenomenon itself. Coincidentally, I found a researched article on this topic. Often, people experience premonitions, such as an impending bad event, which in Psychology is called precognition. This experience often creates a dilemma for individuals who experience it. They are torn between wanting to share it or keeping it to themselves. This situation affects an individual's self-acceptance. This research was conducted on a 23-year-old female subject who met the criteria of having experienced precognition three times, which truly occurred and was verified by a third party or was previously communicated, and who still experiences precognition to this day. Normally, humans have five senses that function to obtain information about the surrounding world. Beyond these five senses, many people believe in a sixth sense. A person is considered to have a sixth sense if they can see, hear, or feel things that others cannot (Mendatu, 2007). Thus, the sixth sense acts as a sense to capture information about the surrounding world that cannot be obtained through ordinary senses. Scientifically, the sixth sense is known as extra sensory perception (ESP). ESP is a person's perceptual ability beyond their five senses (Heaney, 2008). In psychology, ESP, as a spiritual phenomenon, is studied in parapsychology and transpersonal psychology. Transpersonal psychology has provided a new perspective on humans and their consciousness. Vaughan Vaughan, Wittine, and Walsh (in Herviana, 2004) mention four assumptions of transpersonal psychology, one of which is that transpersonal psychology is a process of awakening or enlightenment from a micro identity to a macro identity. Transpersonal psychology believes that spiritual experiences will guide people towards greater personality growth and higher functioning. Therefore, it can be said that as a spiritual experience, ESP can help individuals become mature. ESP itself consists of three things: telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition (Kartoatmodjo, 1995). In this study, the researcher focused on precognition, given that research on precognition is rarely conducted, and few studies reveal the psychological aspects of individuals experiencing precognition. Guiley (1991) explains that precognition is direct knowledge or perception of the future, obtained through extrasensory means. Precognition can also occur spontaneously in a vision, as mental imagery, auditory hallucinations, silhouettes or shadows in the mind, and a feeling of “knowing.” General knowledge in society assumes that such abilities (ESP) are only possessed by exceptionally gifted individuals. However, transpersonal psychology explains that every human being can experience spiritual phenomena; potentially, ESP exists in every human, only with varying levels of sensitivity (Radin, 2000). Not many people know that precognitions mostly concern misfortunes, accidents, and bad things—something eerie and frightening. Radin (2000) reveals that many people unconsciously respond to something bad even before it happens. The occurrence of precognition is also sometimes accompanied by physiological reactions ranging from mild to extreme, such as dizziness, nausea, vomiting, body aches, fainting, and so on. In his experiments, Radin found that before something bad happens, a person will experience a feeling where their body responds to the impending emotion, even if the conscious mind does not always receive that message. An individual, for instance, receives bad news about someone and tells the person concerned. However, they are instead mocked, accused of being a terror spreader, a jinx, and so on. Many look down on and ostracize individuals who like to say “unclear things” whose origin is unknown. Yet, these individuals themselves are confused by the news they unintentionally know, and they are also confused about whether they should share the news or not. Some also choose not to disclose their precognitions. However, when their precognition turns out to be true, they can only cry, regret why they didn't disclose it, regret their inability to do anything, and withdraw. Mendatu (2007) further explains that many people are worried that ESP phenomena are truly real. They are afraid to know the fact that it exists around them. Therefore, they refuse to believe. The fear of the truth of psi phenomena may be due to several reasons, such as psi phenomena being associated with evil forces, magic, or dark sorcery. For people who experience psi, they tend not to discuss their experiences with others, reasoning that they feel the experience is very personal, intimate, and they do not want to share it; that they do not have adequate words to describe it; or they are afraid that others will ridicule the experience or consider them insane or similar. This affects their self-acceptance. Hurlock (1974) provides the view that the better an individual can accept themselves, the better their self-adjustment and social adjustment will be. Dietz (in Kartoatmodjo, 1995) states that ESP is perception beyond the five senses. It is also described as subjective, mental, or intellectual phenomena. Broadly, Kartoatmodjo (1995) divides ESP into: 1. Telepathy Telepathy is a connection between the consciousness of two or more people without the aid of visual senses. 2. Clairvoyance Clairvoyance is the ability to know or see events or objects happening elsewhere. 3. Precognition Precognition is direct knowledge and observation (experience) without the aid of ordinary senses about an event that will happen or about a person or object whose time and place of occurrence are distant. Radin (2000) puts forward several explanations for the occurrence of premonitions (precognition) or intuitive hunches. 1. At the subconscious level, individuals always think and conclude something, but this is only a hunch for their conscious mind. 2. Individuals pick up signals/cues from body language and subliminal sounds or peripheral images without consciously realizing they are doing so. 3. For every remembered coincidental event, individuals forget every time they get a premonition. 4. Individuals modify memories for their comfort, creating a connection where none truly exists. 5. Purely due to the existence of a sixth sense. Wagner (2004) suggests steps to take if experiencing precognition: 1. Keep a diary. Write down all precognitions experienced, along with the time and date of their occurrence. 2. Tell others. When someone feels they might bother others by sharing their precognitive experiences, doing so actually removes important evidence that others need to know to believe the precognitive experience. If the precognition experienced is significant, then telling a trusted person is a viable approach. 3. Mark the date when the precognition occurs. 4. Be honest if the precognition occurs, even if it's not 100% accurate. In this study, the researcher used interview methods with interview guidelines, field note observations, and unobtrusive methods in the form of written data from the subject regarding their precognitive experiences. HASIL PENELITIAN From the results of the self-acceptance study in individuals experiencing precognition, the following were found: 1. Description of the individual's precognitive experience The subject in this study experienced precognition in the form of auditory (whispers), a feeling of knowing, and dreams. The subject believes that everyone can experience precognition, only with different sensitivities. The precognition experienced by the subject is spontaneous, with no fixed time of occurrence. The subject experiences mood changes when receiving precognition and often feels a pressing sensation if ignored, with the whispers even intensifying. 2. How the individual's self-acceptance is and why it is so The research subject has positive self-acceptance. The subject can accept their condition of experiencing precognition and even feels happy and helped because they feel all their actions are guided. The subject does not withdraw; instead, they tell others about their precognitions because it makes them feel calm and relieves their anxiety. Although most of their precognitions are about bad things, the subject claims not to be afraid and can still determine actions (consistent with their precognitions) because the subject's precognitions often guide their actions. The subject likes to share their precognitions, but not with the person concerned, as the subject does not want to preempt God. The mother plays a dominant role in teaching values and how to respond to the subject's precognitions, such as that precognition can be experienced by everyone and can be wrong, and since it comes from God, it should be met with gratitude through prayer and without forcing others to believe. The mother is the only family member who experiences precognition, so the subject likes to talk to her mother. The researcher observed an influence between the subject's parents, who have performed the Hajj pilgrimage, and the subject's understanding of precognition linked to Divinity. The mother is a highly influential figure in the subject's life and the development of their values, with the subject identifying with their mother, who has good self-adjustment. The subject's good self-acceptance is also influenced by their environment, by people who accept the subject without belittling, insulting, or viewing them negatively. 3. Factors Influencing Individual Self-Acceptance The factors influencing the research subject's self-acceptance are a good understanding of oneself, pleasant attitudes from community members, the absence of severe emotional disturbances, frequent occurrence of the subject's precognitions, the subject identifying with their mother who also experiences precognition (from whom the subject learned many ways to cope with precognition), a broad self-perspective, good upbringing in childhood, a stable self-concept, and positive self-adjustment and social adjustment. Realistic expectations were not considered an influencing factor by the researcher because the subject's expectations are not rational. The absence of environmental barriers is also not included as an influencing factor because there was no one encouraging the subject to develop their talent, besides the subject themselves not wanting to develop their precognition. KESIMPULAN From the results of the self-acceptance study in individuals experiencing precognition, it can be concluded that: 1. Description of the individual's precognitive experience The subject in this study experienced precognition in the form of auditory (whispers), a feeling of knowing, and dreams. The subject believes that everyone can experience precognition, only with different sensitivities. The precognition experienced by the subject is spontaneous, with no fixed time of occurrence. The subject experiences mood changes when receiving precognition and often feels a pressing sensation if ignored, with the whispers even intensifying. 2. How the individual's self-acceptance is and why it is so The research subject has positive self-acceptance. The subject can accept their condition of experiencing precognition and even feels happy and helped because they feel all their actions are guided. The subject does not withdraw; instead, they tell others about their precognitions because it makes them feel calm and relieves their anxiety. Although most of their precognitions are about bad things, the subject claims not to be afraid and can still determine actions (consistent with their precognitions) because the subject's precognitions often guide their actions. The subject likes to share their precognitions, but not with the person concerned, as the subject does not want to preempt God. The mother plays a dominant role in teaching values and how to respond to the subject's precognitions, such as that precognition can be experienced by everyone and can be wrong, and since it comes from God, it should be met with gratitude through prayer and without forcing others to believe. The mother is the only family member who experiences precognition, so the subject likes to talk to her mother. The researcher observed an influence between the subject's parents, who have performed the Hajj pilgrimage, and the subject's understanding of precognition linked to Divinity. The mother is a highly influential figure in the subject's life and the development of their values, with the subject identifying with their mother, who has good self-adjustment. The subject's good self-acceptance is also influenced by their environment, by people who accept the subject without belittling, insulting, or viewing them negatively. 3. Factors Influencing Individual Self-Acceptance The factors influencing the research subject's self-acceptance are a good understanding of oneself, pleasant attitudes from community members, the absence of severe emotional disturbances, frequent occurrence of the subject's precognitions, the subject identifying with their mother who also experiences precognition (from whom the subject learned many ways to cope with precognition), a broad self-perspective, good upbringing in childhood, a stable self-concept, and positive self-adjustment and social adjustment. Realistic expectations were not considered an influencing factor by the researcher because the subject's expectations are not rational and empirical. The absence of environmental barriers is also not included as an influencing factor because there was no one encouraging the subject to develop their talent, besides the subject themselves not wanting to develop their precognition. Sumber : Freely downloadable article on SELF-ACCEPTANCE IN INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING PRECOGNITION by MUHAMMAD ARI WIBOWO, Bachelor's Program, Gunadarma University