A dire prediction
I've written about the dangers and foolhardiness of predictions before in previous columns but this one I could not just let slip by unnoticed.
I was speaking to a fellow paranormal investigator this week, and he told me about a prediction that was posted on Monday on a website called "Above Top Secret" at www.abovetopsecret.com http://www.abovetopsecret.com . At the time I saw it on Tuesday evening, the prediction was trending as one of the hot topics on this website.
There is good news and bad news about this prediction. The good news is that it is a timely prophecy in that around 10 p.m. tonight we will know if it comes true or not. The bad news is that if it does come true even in part, a good part of the planet is in for a really bad weekend.
Australian psychic Mitchell Coombes, whose claim to fame is apparently predicting the massive Japanese earthquake and tsunami that devastated the country 104 hours before it occurred, has predicted that tonight at 10 p.m. a massive pair of 9.5 earthquakes will rock the Pacific Ocean and unleash a massive tsunami that will devastate California. This prediction has sparked intensive debate on "Above Top Secret" as to its feasibility, its likelihood and whether or not this is even possible based on the tectonics of that area of the planet.
To his credit Coombes apparently has some credibility as a psychic but once more are his hits only confirmed after the fact or is there proof that he really did predict things ahead of time. Naturally as soon as this was posted, people started searching the Internet for clues as to whether this prediction has any teeth.
They have found Facebook time stamped posts that appear to document his Fukushima predictions and the earthquake. Apparently those looking to discredit him came up short in disproving his first prediction claim so while many are skeptical of this prediction, they are not necessarily discounting it totally.
The question in my mind is will an earthquake occur in the Pacific Ocean tonight or not. If one does not occur, then this is an exercise in futility that will quickly be forgotten. However what if one does occur this evening. Will it be a 9.0 plus quake? If so, that is obviously a hit on the psychic's record, but what if it is only a 6.0 or a 5.0? Or what if it is a large quake without the 70 foot tsunami he is predicting? Perhaps a quake will hit somewhere other than Australia or California. Does that make it accurate or not?
Psychics have a penchant for reinterpreting their predictions after the fact to make it a hit. It is a well-known ploy that has been used successfully for eons. People don't remember the original wording; they only remember the end result and the interpretation. It becomes a legend and the original miss is forgotten.
Well today is our chance to find out if Mr. Coombes is legitimate or just another flash in the pan with a prediction that will miss terribly and of course this outcome is the usual outcome of such a large scale prophecy.
For the sake of argument, what does it mean if a 9.5 pair of earthquakes were to strike in the Pacific Ocean near California or Australia. In Australia, it means the devastation of their entire eastern coast including Sydney. In California, Coombes is describing a wave that will reach 70 miles inland. This would destroy coastal California and most of its cities if it strikes like he claims. Some research on the web has turned up the fact that Coombes is not alone in his predictions. There are others on YouTube and other sites that are also predicting destructive earthquakes and tsunamis in August 2012. Again, if one looks hard enough such predictions can be found for almost anything at almost any time. One person could influence several others as well.
In all fairness however, legitimate scientists do believe California is in for a major earthquake in the next 20 years which is a much larger time window. Another inescapable observation is that there have been several major earthquakes around the Pacific rim including Japan, Chile, New Zealand and Alaska in the past two years and as of yet, the coastal United States has escaped major issues so would it really be that much of a surprise if something were to happen?
I guess we will know shortly as in about 12 hours after you read this, Coombes will join Harold Camping, Hal Lindsey or other doomsday seers, or he just might become much more respected. Time will tell. I however will not be holding my breath.
I'm thinking in next week's column we will go back to life as usual. Just in case though, I'm not planning to visit California anytime soon.
Til next time…
