Premonition vs. Vision — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on March 28, 2024
Premonition involves a feeling of anticipation or anxiety over a future event, often without clear imagery. Vision, however, can imply a clear, vivid image or idea about the future, sometimes considered a supernatural insight.
Difference Between Premonition and Vision
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Key Differences
Premonition is typically a vague, unsettling feeling that something is going to happen, often without any visual component, whereas vision refers to a mental image or sequence of images, possibly of a prophetic nature, that appears without the aid of the normal senses.
While premonitions are more about feelings and sensations, visions are distinctly visual and can be detailed in nature. Premonitions may give someone a sense of anxiety or anticipation without explaining why, on the other hand, visions can provide specific information or imagery about future events, making them more concrete.
Premonitions often occur without the individual's control and may be experienced by people who do not consider themselves to have any special psychic ability, whereas visions are sometimes associated with individuals claiming to have supernatural abilities or deep spiritual insights, and they can occur in dreams or during conscious states.
The source of a premonition is typically unknown and may be attributed to a subconscious intuition, while the source of a vision can be attributed to divine or supernatural intervention, especially in religious or spiritual contexts.
Premonitions and visions serve different purposes; premonitions might warn someone of an impending danger, while visions could guide someone towards a certain path or reveal significant future events, impacting not only the individual but potentially others as well.
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Comparison Chart
Nature
Vague feeling or intuition about the future.
Clear, vivid image or sequence of images.
Sensory Experience
Lacks visual imagery, based more on feeling.
Primarily visual and can be highly detailed.
Occurrence
Spontaneous, often without control.
Can be experienced in dreams or conscious states.
Source
Unknown, possibly subconscious intuition.
Often attributed to divine or supernatural.
Purpose
Warns of impending danger or anxiety-inducing events.
Provides guidance or reveals significant events.
Compare with Definitions
Premonition
Unexplained Anxiety.
He couldn’t shake the premonition of impending danger.
Vision
Clear Image.
She had a vision of her friend’s wedding.
Premonition
Intuitive Feeling.
She had a strong premonition that something was wrong.
Vision
Prophetic Insight.
The prophet’s vision foretold the city’s fall.
Premonition
Foreboding.
The dark clouds gave him a premonition of the coming storm.
Vision
Vivid Dream.
I had a vision of traveling to distant lands.
Premonition
Vague Anticipation.
She woke up with a premonition of good news.
Vision
Inspiration for the Future.
His vision for the company inspired all.
Premonition
Sense of Dread.
A sudden premonition of disaster left him uneasy.
Vision
Supernatural Experience.
She described her vision as a divine message.
Premonition
A presentiment of the future; a foreboding
I had a premonition that our risky endeavor would end badly.
Vision
The faculty of sight; eyesight
Poor vision.
Premonition
A warning in advance; a forewarning
That skirmish was a premonition of battles to come.
Vision
The manner in which one sees or conceives of something.
Premonition
A clairvoyant or clairaudient experience, such as a dream, which resonates with some event in the future.
Vision
Something that is or has been seen.
Premonition
A strong intuition that something is about to happen (usually something negative, but not exclusively).
Vision
Unusual competence in discernment or perception; intelligent foresight
A leader of vision.
Premonition
Previous warning, notice, or information; forewarning; as, a premonition of danger.
Vision
A mental image produced by the imagination.
Premonition
A feeling of evil to come;
A steadily escalating sense of foreboding
The lawyer had a presentiment that the judge would dismiss the case
Vision
The mystical experience of seeing something that is not in fact present to the eye or is supernatural.
Premonition
An early warning about a future event
Vision
A person or thing of extraordinary beauty.
Vision
To see in a vision.
Vision
To picture in the mind; envision.
Vision
(uncountable) The sense or ability of sight.
Vision
(countable) Something seen; an object perceived visually.
Vision
(countable) Something imaginary one thinks one sees.
He tried drinking from the pool of water, but realized it was only a vision.
Vision
Something unreal or imaginary; a creation of fancy.
Vision
(countable) An ideal or a goal toward which one aspires.
He worked tirelessly toward his vision of world peace.
Vision
(countable) A religious or mystical experience of a supernatural appearance.
He had a vision of the Virgin Mary.
Vision
(countable) A person or thing of extraordinary beauty.
Vision
(uncountable) Pre-recorded film or tape; footage.
Vision
(transitive) To imagine something as if it were to be true.
Vision
(transitive) To present as in a vision.
Vision
(transitive) To provide with a vision. en
Vision
The act of seeing external objects; actual sight.
Faith here is turned into vision there.
Vision
The faculty of seeing; sight; one of the five senses, by which colors and the physical qualities of external objects are appreciated as a result of the stimulating action of light on the sensitive retina, an expansion of the optic nerve.
Vision
That which is seen; an object of sight.
Vision
Especially, that which is seen otherwise than by the ordinary sight, or the rational eye; a supernatural, prophetic, or imaginary sight; an apparition; a phantom; a specter; as, the visions of Isaiah.
The baseless fabric of this vision.
No dreams, but visions strange.
Vision
Hence, something unreal or imaginary; a creation of fancy.
Vision
To see in a vision; to dream.
For them no visioned terrors daunt,Their nights no fancied specters haunt.
Vision
A vivid mental image;
He had a vision of his own death
Vision
The ability to see; the faculty of vision
Vision
The perceptual experience of seeing;
The runners emerged from the trees into his clear vision
He had a visual sensation of intense light
Vision
The formation of a mental image of something that is not perceived as real and is not present to the senses;
Popular imagination created a world of demons
Imagination reveals what the world could be
Vision
A religious or mystical experience of a supernatural appearance;
He had a vision of the Virgin Mary
Common Curiosities
What is a premonition?
A premonition is a feeling or intuition of a future event, typically without clear imagery, often associated with anxiety or anticipation.
What is a vision?
A vision is a clear, vivid image or series of images of the future, sometimes considered a supernatural insight or a profound dream.
How do premonitions and visions differ in their sensory experience?
Premonitions lack visual imagery and are more about feelings, while visions are primarily visual and detailed.
Are premonitions considered a form of psychic ability?
Premonitions are sometimes regarded as a type of psychic experience, though they are more widely reported among the general population.
Are premonitions always negative?
No, premonitions can be about positive events, but they often carry a sense of anxiety or foreboding.
Is there a scientific explanation for premonitions or visions?
While some theories suggest premonitions could arise from subconscious cues, visions and their supernatural aspects remain largely unexplained by science.
Can premonitions be about specific people or events?
Yes, premonitions can be about specific people or events, though the details may be vague.
How can one distinguish between a dream and a vision?
Visions are often more vivid, meaningful, and remembered clearly compared to ordinary dreams, and may occur while awake.
Can visions be controlled or invoked?
Some individuals claim to invoke visions through meditation or spiritual practices, but this varies widely among people.
Do premonitions need to be acted upon?
It depends on the individual's interpretation; some may take premonitions as warnings, while others may see them as mere feelings.
Can anyone experience premonitions or visions?
Yes, people from various backgrounds report experiencing premonitions or visions, though visions are often linked with spiritual or psychic abilities.
Do visions come true?
Visions, especially prophetic ones, may come true, but not all visions are predictive. Some may serve as guidance or inspiration.
What causes premonitions?
The cause of premonitions is not well understood, but they may be linked to subconscious observations or intuition.
How do cultures interpret visions?
Different cultures may interpret visions as messages from the divine, ancestors, or as insights into one's subconscious.
Are there any historical figures known for their visions?
Yes, historical figures like Joan of Arc and Nostradamus are known for their visions, which they claimed were prophetic or divine messages.
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Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
