Dreaming the future

"For countless generations people of every culture have practiced a broad range of dramatic and sometimes frightening techniques in an attempt to peer into the future. In this book, Clifford Pickover presents an exhaustive list of fortune-telling methods, from the ominous practice of human sacrifice to reading tarot cards.". "Pickover not only explores a vast and colorful array of methods for prediction - including dreaming - he also evaluates the accuracy of some of the most astonishing prophecies made throughout history. Just how accurate were such famous soothsayers as Nostradamus, the Delphic Oracle, Edgar Cayce, the children of Fatima (whose third vision has only recently been revealed), and dozens more?". "This book takes us one step further by exploring our own inner psyches: Why does looking into the future provide a source of solace in a world filled with uncertainty, disease, and chance? And why do the most noted prognosticators so often warn of natural catastrophers of biblical proportions, such as earthquakes and floods that will signal the end of the world?"--BOOK JACKET.