When I was a kid I saved my younger brother's life as he was about to get hit by a van crossing the street
here.
Only there wasn't a stop sign there when I was a kid. My dad, my little brother, and I were walking to the park on the other side of this street, and
my brother decided to suddenly bolt across the street as a van was coming. It was extremely unpredictable, according to both my brother and my dad I
grabbed my brother and jerked him back and the van went by narrowly missing him. By the way, average traffic speed there back in the day was 50 - 55
regardless of the speed limit, that town used to be A LOT smaller than it is today. Cars would drive close to the shoulder (and the van was), as
well.
Thing is, I don't remember this happening. I remember my brother running out and me trying to grab him and failing, and then I don't remember the
short period from me not being able to grab him to when suddenly he was in my arms and my dad was yelling at him and telling me what a good job I'd
done.
Ever since that day I've always wondered about it, right when they were congratulating me I was asking them why they were doing it and trying to
explain that I didn't grab him but they were dumbfounded so I rationalized it and said that it must have just been that "I didn't want him to beat
me across the street." Even then it felt wrong to take credit for something I didn't do.
So what could have caused this, both
normal AND
paranormal. Why was I convinced, even right when it happened, that I had NOT grabbed my
brother, but instead tried and was too slow.
Consider this, you are walking and talking and with someone to your left and right and while this is going on one of them suddenly sprints forward,
what are your odds of grabbing them (remember you COMPLETELY don't expect it AT ALL because the idea of someone bolting out in front of a van is
absurd). I could understand my dad expecting it he was a worry wart, I was a little kid who didn't think about that kind of thing and who's
worldview was that of course no one would run out in front of a van. It seems illogical that I would have been able to react in time and I actually
remember reacting too late, I don't remember my brother getting hit by the van but I figure if he did get hit I probably wouldn't remember it either
(traumatizing).
Anyway I just thought I'd share this story with you guys and see what you thought, what the psychological explanations for having a false memory of a
situation like that are, and what the paranormal explanations are as well.
Thanks!
here is another view so you can see the width of the roadway and imagine if there was no stop
sign for traffic heading North/South (left/right respectively from this view). In other words it's one of those roads that people drive fast on
unless the town puts stop signs there to force people to slow down, which is exactly why there are stop signs there now.
[edit on 6-5-2010 by sremmos]
[edit on 6-5-2010 by sremmos]