I will start with a small experience I had way back in 1962 when I was 2nd standard student. My father was a Govt of India employee working at Trivandrum for a short while and used to shuttle between our home in Kochi and Trivandrum on a biweekly basis.

Once, he sent a postcard home stating "I am bringing a beautiful item home this time". My mother shared this part of the letter's content with my grandmother and the neighbourhood "aunties". They all started wondering what this "beautiful" item was. One of her friends suggested it might be a silk saree. Another said it might be a gold ornament, and so on. I don't know why, but I suddenly blurted out and kept insisting that it would be a transistor radio. Everybody just regarded it a brat's prattle, since we already had a large GEC radio.

Saturday night and father arrived. After making himself comfortable, he opened the bag, took out a neatly packed parcel and behold! It was a cute (Toshiba) transistor radio!

From that day on I felt there was some power beyond the direct experience. This power helped me spontaneously, I'd win in the neighbourhood games occasionally and in predicting my First class in SSLC, or even getting some unexpected "Great Clues" for my MS dissertation at IISc.

Later when I read "Power of the Mind" by Susy Smith explaining her scientific confirmation of the religious and paranormal events, it emboldened my conviction in religion.

In my personal life too, such visions used to guide me much in advance of the events unfolding, thereby protecting me from unnecessary jubilation or trauma.

I would narrate a very small but interesting incident before I close this article.

Nearly seven years back, one Sunday morning I started towards Karaikal, about six hours driving from Chennai, my base. As I started, I did my customary "darshan" of Lord Ayyappa at Anna Nagar, Chennai. As I prayed I felt God was telling me to "WATCH OUT FOR PROBLEMS".

I was driving my Zen leisurely and enjoying the places on the way. And the journey was very enjoyable though I was driving a bit too slow, especially because of the Lord's warning.

It was past midnight when I reached Chidambaram, the famous temple town, and very dark except for the headlights, and I was traversing a very lonely, narrow strip of road. Without my knowledge I had speeded and I heard a large "BANG" and the car came to a halt.

It was pitch dark, as if you had closed both your eyes tight shut.

I tried to restart the car, but no way! Tremulously I scampered out and groped around with the headlights on and found that the car was sitting on a piece of log on the side of the narrow road!

I did not know what to do, but I pacified myself with the fact that it was already forewarned, so the Lord will take care of it.

Then in the dark distance, I saw a van coming, piercing the scary, tarry, blackness all around. It was a Sumo Van. I gestured and the two travellers came out. And with great effort we extricated the log. I checked the car and it was perfect.

About to part, I looked at the sky and said "Oh Lord Vel Muruga you saved me" and, shook hands with the Sumo driver, asking his name.

He responded 'Velmurugan'!

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