I have always had strong gut feelings about things. I seem to know how people are feeling when I am near them. I guess the best example of my gut feelings would be an experience I had several years ago.
I was walking home from school one day because my car was broken down and my husband was late picking me up. Instead of waiting for him I felt this strong need to get home. He ended up picking me up a little ways from home. We were stopped by traffic at the end of our street and couldn't turn in. I had a sick feeling in my stomach already and I was already panicking when I saw lights flashing. I got out of our car and ran home. My 6 year old son had been hit by a car. He was lying in the street when I arrived.
I knew something was wrong as well as I know my name. I know when someone is going to call. I don't actually think about it. I will hear the phone ring and I'll say I bet that is whomever I think it is and it will be. A lot of times I will pick up the phone to call someone and they will already be on the other end. Sometimes someone will knock on the door and I will say who it is before anyone can get to the door.
My friend moved away a year ago. We don't talk much on the phone, because she has a new baby. Yet every time I feel lonely I can log onto yahoo messenger which I never do, and she will be online. Even at 4 in the morning. Neither one of us is logged in yahoo much at all. She will happen to have a baby that won't sleep or is sick.
The people in my house avoid me because I am always telling them how they feel. I live with 2 of my young adult children, my daughter in-law and grandson. My grandson is the only one that does not keep me in turmoil. There are so many emotions and hormones going around my house that I wish I could just fly away. I feel all of it. When someone is upset or angry (which seems to be stronger for me) I can feel the energy all through my house. It stresses me out so bad and nobody understands that I feel their emotions just like they do. I will go so far as to mirror their behavior. I don't understand this and sometimes I think I may be crazy.
Another thing I have had happen to me is seeing people that I was close to after they have passed away. I think I have anyway. I saw my grandmother once when I was feeling really down and unhappy. I woke up from a deep sleep and she was standing at the foot of my bed. I can't remember what she said, but I remember that she did say something. I saw my mother a couple of times to, both times I had been asleep and woke to see her. I was awake. Everyone tells me I was dreaming about them. Maybe I was dreaming about them, but I saw them. My mom was standing in my door one time and waving me to her saying come on I'm waiting.
My aunt passed away and I was taking care of my uncle. I was asleep in her bed, which she hadn't slept in for a long time due to illness she was sleeping in a hospital bed. I again was deep asleep and she shook me until my teeth rattled. I never saw her, but I know it was her. I don't know what she was angry about, but she was. That scared me a little. Usually I'm not scared of people I know. I haven't seen anyone else, but other things have happened that I could see and hear. Like a door knob shaking when there was nobody else there, but me. I was awake that time. I would go over and open the door and there of course was nobody there. I would close the door back and it would start again.
I haven't slept well for many years. I use to sleep better I guess because I use to have the same dream all the time since I was really young. I'm not going to talk about that dream in particular, because it would take too long and a lot of words. I do dream about things now and they aren't exactly what you would think they are. Like I dreamed a crazy dream about a baby with red paint on its face that at one minute was my cousins grand daughter and then it was a doll. The rest of my dream was about stuff that I saw in a movie preview a couple days latter. Also a couple of days later my cousins little girl got in the play pen with her grand daughter and fed her barbecue chicken. She had barbecue sauce all over her mouth.
It sounds like a lot of stuff, but this is over time. The only thing that is continual is the feelings thing that is driving me insane. I feel pretty lonely most of the time. I'm just realizing that what ever it is that I have might be getting stronger. I know if I am nothing else but intuitive on most matters that I am an empath. I also know I can feel energy coming from other people very strongly.
I guess that's my story whatever it means.
Having gut feelings should be embraced by the people with them: not everyone has a sense like yours, and mine. Although I see it was visually scary for you, I have to go with PixieBoots answer. 😊