I know a woman who often dreams about things that actually happen later. Unfortunately, they are always negative things and she is quite unsettled by this.

Lama Ole’s answer:

This is actually difficult. Those mental abilities are signs that certain parts of the mirror of the mind have become clear. But it can also mean that one has reached a very high level in the calm-abiding meditation (shinay or shamatha).

If one has clear dreams of future events shortly before waking up, then one is in the role of a “Cassandra,” which no one likes. Cassandra said, “The Greeks will get into Troy—be careful with this horse!” But the Trojans only laughed. And then suddenly, the horse and the Greeks were in the city. This is difficult indeed.

While falling asleep, this woman should try to think, “May all beings I dream of be really well,” and then also incorporate this feeling into the dreaming process as much as possible and say some mantras. This way, she may even remove some of her suffering and dissolve something karmic. Otherwise, if one goes up to people and says, “Be careful! Don’t have a car accident today!” then perhaps they’ll take the tram the first few times, but at some stage they won’t listen anymore. It is not a blessing to have this ability, especially if you miss the target a few times; and this happens even to the best prophets. In the end, you only confuse people and make them angry with you. So add in good wishes and transform the situation. That would be my advice.