Feel Something Bad Will Happen on Our Trip. Is This an Omen?

Reader’s Question

My husband and I are about to go on a trip. Every time we leave on a trip like this I start feeling like something bad is going to happen so that we won’t be able to go — weeks in advance of our scheduled departure. Is this an omen? Or is it just being female? How can I have some peace of mind?

Thank-you for your time.

Our Consulting Clinical Psychologist’s Reply

First of all, it’s not an omen. While people can anticipate the future (”It looks like rain”), there are no omens related to the future. There are “signs” that aid in our anticipation of the future. If we have an automobile on the verge of falling apart, have only $5 for a three day trip, don’t know where we’re going, and are traveling with our worst enemy — it’s safe to gather those signs and anticipate a bad trip. That’s not an omen however, it’s just using the “odds” and statistics. If people could foresee the future, we’d frequently be reading “Psychic Wins Lottery” in the news — but we never see that.

You are actually doing what everyone does — anticipating a future experience. The brain does this constantly…otherwise how would you know what to buy at the grocery store? The brain is constantly anticipating the future — that’s why we watch the weather report and news. Routine anticipation of events typically doesn’t prompt anxiety, as in the grocery store example. However, new or special events add anxiety to the mix — that fear that we haven’t anticipated enough and we’re not prepared well enough for every possible contingency. In truth, almost everyone feels something bad is going to happen prior to a trip…but they also anticipate a lot of other events as well…flat tire, run out of money, hate the relatives you’re visiting, get lost on the highway, etc. The brain actually rehearses what might and might not happen in a special event.

The funny thing is…with the brain rehearsing so many possible anticipations, a few of them might come true. On the trip you might get lost — then you can say “I knew this was going to happen!!” We simply forget the anticipations that don’t come true.

Your best bet in a special event? List the top 5-10 things that might happen — then anticipate and plan for them. If “Might get lost” is one of them, pack a few maps or a trip-tic. Also bring a list of phone numbers of important locations on the trip. Don’t bother to anticipate situations that are unlikely to happen such as:

1. might be hit by a meteorite,
2. abducted by aliens, or
3. find a million dollars on the roadside while changing that flat tire.

You’re dealing with the normal anxiety of anticipating a new or special event. There’s no omen here at all. It’s also not female specific. Men do the same thing but more in action — placing a flashlight in the car, checking the oil, reading up on the destination, finding out the price of beer there, etc. Nothing to worry about…just group your anticipations into those that are appropriate to be concerned about and those that are unlikely to happen in reality. Have fun on your trip.