History is full people claiming to know what the future holds.
Whether it's historic prophets like Nostradamus or the Oracle of Delphi, or fictional ones like Cassandra or Good Omens' Agnes Nutter, prophets have been around for a long time.
Whether or not you believe there is actual truth in their often self-proclaimed abilities, there is something oddly compelling about prophets as a phenomenon.
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These are four lesser-known 'prophets' who managed to come out with some accurate predictions about the future.
Though it should be noted that some of their predictions didn't quite hit the mark, like one that China would become a cradle of Christianity.
So who are these self-proclaimed 'prophets', and how did they come about their strange abilities?
Edgar Cayce
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In 1889, schoolboy Edgar Cayce fell asleep on a textbook and woke to find he had miraculously 'absorbed' all the knowledge inside.
Neat trick!
Kentucky-born Cayce would bring himself into a semi-conscious trance in order to make his predictions and give his insights.
He went on to become pivotal in the New Age movements which would become popular in the 20th century.
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As for his predictions, these included the Jedi-like prediction of 'a great disturbance in financial circles' six months before the Wall Street Crash.
Jeane Dixon
Jeane Dixon, a widely-known psychic and astrologer from the US, famously predicted the death of President John F Kennedy.
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This premonition was reported in a magazine in 1956 and was rather specific.
It said: "As for the 1960 election, Mrs Dixon thinks it will be dominated by labor and won by a Democrat.
"But he will be assassinated or die in office."
Not all of her predictions came true though, since she also claimed World War Three would break out in 1958 and Russia would beat the US to the Moon.
Marie Anne Lenormand
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Marie Anne Lenormand (1772-1843), was prophesying about the future in the Napoleonic Era.
This included associating with Napoleon Bonaparte himself and even predicting his marriage to Josephine before they even met.
Contemporary writer Captain RH Grono described a visit, saying that she nailed bats to the ceiling by their wings.
He described her consultation as full of things which would 'impress a weak or superstitious mind'.
Gin Chow
Finally we have Gin Chow, who moved from Guangzhou in China to California in 1873.
Gin Chow worked as a dish washer, domestic servant, farmer and gardener before his first big prediction.
This was for an earthquake which hit the Santa Barbara region in 1925, with Gin Chow predicting the location and time down to the exact day five years before it happened.
Impressive, but they're no Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch though.
Topics: News, World News
Kit Roberts