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Today is yesterday’s prediction
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• Prediction and prophesy has become the stock-in-trade for some pastors
If you read Nostradamus you were likely to be confused by his prediction of world events. Though Nostradamus died in the 16th Century he predicted the attack on the twin towers of the World Trade Centre in 2001 in New York. He is credited with accurate prediction of scores of other events.
But because some people in his day thought he was a wizard, which he was not, he decided to couch his prediction in such ‘twisted’ prose that it could take very few people to decipher what he meant. Therefore, he wrote Quatrains, which are four-line paragraphs.
Mostly, the world is able to tell his prediction after the event. Nostradamus was a physician, scientist, psychic and astrologer. Astrology is the science of using astronomy to know and understand the heavenly bodies and how they relate to one another and the art of interpreting the effect of those relationships.
But because these heavenly bodies do not compel us, astrology is normally seen and described as steeped in the Law of Probabilities, no matter how accurate readings might be. If everyone understood the subject of astrology, the world would be at peace with itself.
Nostradamus’s Quatrains do not teach the subject but there are many books that do. Hiram Butler’s ‘Solar Biology’ gives an insight and Max Heindel’s ‘Message of the Stars’ and ‘Simplified Scientific Astrology’ are very good materials. I cannot list all good materials in this write-up. There are a thousand and one if them.
I am yet to find out from his book if he predicted COVID 19, though I have read other people’s prediction of the pandemic decades before it struck the world in 2019. Indeed, there are many predictions documented in a lot of publications out there.
I must state that astrology is not the only way to predict the future or any events. People are imbued with many esoteric capabilities. It could be spiritual or psychic. Some have the power to voluntarily or involuntarily vacate their dense bodies and have astral experiences where many events are revealed to them. What they do with the knowledge is entirely up to them. However, these are meant to be to the benefit of humanity.
Sadly, the penchant for predicting the future through prophecy, has become the stock-in-trade of pastors, some with dubious predilection for personal aggrandizement. They have become social media freaks selling their stuff to the highest bidder.
Others rely on dreams to predict events. Clinical psychologists and some psychiatrists have their scientific takes on dreams, but others rely on biblical ascription to the phenomenon and are quick to interpret dreams of dreamers.
Personally, I believe dreams can present many signs but my prescription is for the dreamer to have a diary to write down their dreams after they wake up. As the days roll by, they should read what they wrote against each daily event. That way they can easily determine what their dreams seek to tell them.
I overheard the Inspector General of the Ghana Police Service lamenting the activities of these doomsday prophecies. According to Dr. Akuffo Dampare, none of these characters prophesied that he would become the IGP, but are quick to prophesy his death after his appointment. It looks like these people wait till you come into the public eye, then you become a target for their chicanery.
The actions of these frauds have made it difficult for genuine and lifesaving predictions to be accepted or believed. A friend who was contesting the position of flagbearer of his party prior to the 2008 elections consulted with me. He wanted to succeed the then president who was from his own party.
I told him what to do if he wanted to win over their delegates, else he would be lucky to get a certain number of votes. As politicians are noted, he thought he had convinced the delegates enough to carry the day. When the votes were tallied he got the exact number I said he would get.
If you read my Astrological prediction and analysis for Election 2020 on this page in the December 4 edition of this paper, you will not be surprised about what is happening in this country at this time.
I also predicted turmoil in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) because of the negative influence of Pluto that’s transiting the party’s fortunes till 2026. I don’t know if anyone in that party took note. What erupted in the NDC just a few days ago is a foretaste to cleansing it needed for a more cohesive and solid party all their members will be proud to associate with.
The NDC should brace itself for more eruptions in their ranks, but a steadfast steering of the ship is what will benefit them in the long run. If operatives of the group flail on emotions, the party is likely to self-destruct.
Now, I have people tell me they see a horoscope column in one newspaper or the other giving weekly predictions. I see nothing wrong with such weekly generalisations. The fact is there are distinct characteristics of the various signs of the zodiac. There are common traits among those under Leo just as there are for Sagittarius, for example.
But to cast a horoscope for an individual involves certain personal data. Because the constellation is always on the move, it is vital to provide your exact date of birth, place of birth and, most importantly, the exact time of birth.
Many ignorant midwives and nurses in the delivery wards choose to round-off the time of birth. Astrology records the exact time a baby utters its first cry as the time of birth. A child is delivered at exactly 13:12 hours, but the nurse decides the time of delivery to be either 13:15 or even 13:30.
Knowing the latitudinal and longitudinal positions at birth are important for accurate delianation for a correct prediction. In our parts we give the nearest big town as place of birth.
Many public office holders have a notorious habit of changing the records of their dates of birth. It sticks with them when they seek political elections. An astrologer, having been given the “official” date, uses that to predict an outcome.
At the end of the contest this politician is likely to condemn astrology, forgetting he gave the wrong data on their birth.
My twin daughters were born eight minutes apart. The eight minutes were significant in determining their paths in life. My forecasts have been proved right. Though they are strikingly identical, the only other similarity is their handwritings. One graduated in the Sciences and the other in the Arts as I did forecast.
Our life as a nation is governed by the date and time we were born as a nation, March 6, 1957. However, whatever we do as a people crystalizes to what our future will be. Our today is yesterday’s prediction. Remember we reap what we sow.
When our thought forms and actions, whether positive or negative today crystallize they create a reflecting effect on us tomorrow. We are the architects of our individual and collective national lives. What is important is to play our individual roles to serve the collective well.
Writer’s email address:
akofa45@yahoo.com
By Dr. Akofa K. Segbefia
The average modern Gold Coaster born and bred in Sikaman is an adventurous creature. Go to any part of the world and you’ll find Ghanaman diligently slugging it out either in the snow or in hot sweltering weather, earning a decent living.
Go to Guinea and see Ghanaman in the garb of a herbalist, curing the sick of various ailments. He makes the Guinean understand that not all diseases are caused by James Lucifer alias Jimmy Satan. On the contrary, most diseases are caused by kooko which can even attack the human nose and turn it upside down.
That kooko is also the cause of poverty and the internal bleeding of personal back-pocket economies. And that kooko can be cured using the chemistry underlying Sikaman herbal medicine which has been blessed by the gods of Larteh.
And before Ghanaman starts dispensing his herbal concoctions, he must attract the passing crowd with some Sıkaman-originated choreography, akin to a combination of adowa and agbadza, such that the dancer can easily dislocate a shoulder and start crying for his mother.
When the crowd is enough to form a quorum, Ghanaman must perform magic as a side-attraction, and proceed to sell his drugs. The drugs are genuinely made from potent herbs which the Pharmacy Board of Sikaman says it has no confidence in. Believe me, Ghanaian herbalists are practising in neighbouring countries like Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone and Benin, while we are discouraging them from practising in Sikaman.
Go to Las Palmas and see Ghanaman as a fisherman. He sails on Korean-owned boats and is forced to eat garlic and raw tuna for radiant health. The garlic is also supposed to protect him against witches. But sometimes, he is not good bedfellows with some Korean crew members, and once in a while a fight breaks out.
The typical Korean is a Kung Fu expert and before displaying a golden dragon data. He must first terrify Ghanaman with a Korean dance which consists of wild arms and leg throwing. But Ghanaman is usually not daunted. Why has he been eating cancer kenkey all years without developing cancer? It mean is a superhuman capable of countering Kun fu side-kicks to the ribs.
Anyhow Ghanaman’s most potent arsenal lies in his fists. If he is a southpaw, it mean left fist is probably insured and can cause damage. When Ghanaman lands a cassava blow and it lands on a Korean chest, it has the effect of a cruise missile. If there is no ceasefire a funeral cannot be ruled out.
Greenland
Go to Alaska and find Ghanaman there. Greenland, Iceland, Brazil, Argentina, Madagascar, everywhere and you’ll find him. He has become an international citizen and is generally lauded for his hardwork, sincerity and honesty.
However, some bad nuts are also condemned and despised.
The world and all its parts and corners are for the human race, and anyone can choose to live anywhere and earn a decent living so long as he doesn’t misconduct himself or become a social misfit and a law unto himself.
Sıkaman for instance accepts foreigners, and we are so liberal that people just come in through our borders and we welcome them with the best palmwine in town and goat light soup. Who cares about passports and visas? Our hospitality is, as it were legendary.
So we have Liberians, Nigerians, Sierra Leoneans, Togolese, Europeans, Americans, Scandinavians and Koreans in Sikaman. And some of them have misinterpreted our overzealous accommodation to mean “foolishness” and are misconducting themselves.
The newspapers carry stories of some unscrupulous Nigerians stealing, defrauding and collaborating with their Sikaman counterparts to rob people. You’ll find some good and law-abiding Liberians around but some other Liberians are in the business of fraud, robbery, money printing, money doubling, anything criminal.
Ghanaian hospitality can no longer be extended to such people. I do not think Ghanaians will be treated kindly either, when they misbehave anywhere in the world. Those who come from outside with the intention of bringing down their evil deeds and to practise them here professionally must be getting ready because Ghanaians are getting fed up with the menace.
These days, you’ll find strange people following you as soon as you emerge from a bank. If you are not careful, they’ll wrestle your briefcase from you and speed away in a waiting taxi.
Someone was just saying that many foreign criminals are flocking to Ghana because in their countries, they are enable to operate either because they are being looked for by the police for offences committed or fear instant justice at the hands of mobs. Ghanaians, it is said, are humanitarian in dealing with criminals.
Well, in some African countries, a thief who is being chased runs directly to the police station in his own interest and begs the officer at the counter to lock him up. Otherwise he’ll be lynched or be burnt to death. In Ghana, it is the opposite. The thieves run far away from the cop stations.
The criminals must reform and stay peacefully in Sikaman or quit. No court case!
This article was first published on Saturday September 5, 1998
The human condition is defined by two absolute, biological bookends: the commencement of complex cellular animation and its ultimate, irreversible cessation.
For centuries, medicine treated life and death as strictly separate states. Today, modern pathology and molecular biology reveal a more profound truth: the mechanisms that allow us to live are the exact same mechanisms that dictate how we die.
Understanding this relationship is no longer just a philosophical pursuit. It is a clinical necessity for managing public health in the 21st century.
Part I: How we live – The mechanics of animation
At its core, biological life is a continuous, high-stakes battle against entropy (the natural tendency of systems to degrade into disorder). To maintain form, consciousness, and function, the human body relies on three fundamental pillars:
1. Cellular respiration and energy production
Every second of human life is powered by the conversion of oxygen and glucose into Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), the universal energy currency of our cells. This process occurs within the mitochondria.
Without a constant supply of ATP, the microscopic pumps that maintain electrical gradients across our cell membranes fail, causing cellular collapse within minutes.
2. Homeostasis: The balancing act
To survive, the internal environment of the body must remain incredibly stable, regardless of external chaos. This balancing act, known as homeostasis, regulates:
Blood pH: Strictly maintained between 7.35 and 7.45.
Core Temperature: Ideally kept around 37°C (98.6°F).
Electrolyte Balance: Precise ratios of sodium, potassium, and calcium that allow nerves to fire and muscles to contract.
3. The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)
The ANS acts as the invisible conductor of life, split into two complementary branches:
Part II: How we die – The path of cessation
Death is rarely a singular event; it is a progressive biological cascade. Whether caused by old age, chronic illness, or sudden trauma, the final pathways of mortality generally follow a predictable trajectory.
1. The cellular horizon: Senescence and Apoptosis
Every time a human cell divides, the protective caps at the ends of its chromosomes-telomeres-shorten. Eventually, telomeres become so depleted that the cell can no longer divide safely. It enters senescence (a state of permanent arrest) or triggers apoptosis (programmed cell death). This gradual, systemic loss of cellular renewal is the underlying engine of aging.
2. The clinical cascade of somatic death
When the body can no longer maintain homeostasis, somatic death (the death of the organism as a whole) begins. This occurs in a distinct sequence:
1
Clinical Death
Zero to four minutes
The heart stops pumping blood, and respiration ceases. While breathing and circulation have ended, the body’s tissues still contain residual oxygen and cellular energy reserves. At this stage, resuscitation is often still possible.
2
Brain Death (Infarction)
Four to six minutes
Deprived of fresh oxygenated blood, the brain’s highly sensitive neurons begin to starve. Lacking ATP, the brain cells lose their electrical charge, swell, and begin to burst. Permanent, irreversible neurological damage occurs within minutes.
3
Biological Death
Hours to days
The organs fail entirely. Without central control or blood flow, individual cells throughout the body consume their final energy reserves. Enzymes that once aided digestion begin to break down the body’s own tissues from the inside out, a process known as autolysis.
Part III: The modern collision of life and death
In the modern era, the boundary between how we live and how we die has blurred. Historically, humanity died primarily from infectious diseases and acute trauma. Today, global mortality is dominated by non-communicable, chronic lifestyle diseases.
Modern Pathology: How we live (the cause) how we die (the result)
Cardiovascular disease, chronic stress, poor diet, and lack of sleep keep the sympathetic nervous system hyper-activated, damaging blood vessels .Occlusion of coronary arteries leads to myocardial infarction (heart attack) or ischemic stroke.
Metabolic syndrome over nutrition and physical inactivity overwhelm cellular mitochondria, leading to systemic insulin resistance. Multi-organ failure, chronic kidney disease, and severe vascular complications.
Neurodegenerative Disorders Chronic systemic inflammation and sleep deprivation prevent the brain from clearing metabolic waste. Gradual loss of synaptic connections, leading to dementia and the eventual loss of basic autonomic functions.
Conclusion: The unified theory of health
Ultimately, how we live directly shapes the path of how we die. The micro-choices of daily existence-how we manage emotional stress, the quality of our rest, our communal connections, and our nutrition-either preserve the integrity of our homeostatic systems or accelerate their decline.
True medical advancement is shifting away from merely extending the final, frail stages of biological death. Instead, the focus is turning toward optimising our living years-ensuring that the intricate, beautiful machinery of human animation runs smoothly until its natural, quiet conclusion.
By Robert Ekow Grimmond-Thompson
