Predictably Unpredictable Predictions

Prediction is one of humanity's strengths and worst dangers.  It can bring us to great heights, as well as great falls.  It can mean hope or despair.  It can have promise or foreboding.  It can give motivation or paralyze us.

As for myself, it is definitely a thing I grapple with and ever find frustration both at myself and the situation.  Particularly, when it comes to loved ones, I compulsively thrust flashes of what might be the worst result of an activity's consequences.  Getting close to stairs, using potentially harmful objects, etc.  It's a fear of the inherent clumsiness and ignorance I am so certain they will fall victim (pun?) to.  I know it's irrational, but inescapable in my mind.

To another degree are the conspiracy theorists and religious fanatics.  They are certain of what cannot be so, despite all to the contrary.  "The end is nigh!" type of people.  You can pick your flavor: invasion, epidemic, Apocalypse, technology gone awry, etc.

All that said, maybe the thoughts I've been having won't seem all that extreme.  There are three "First Contact" scenarios I find worth considering.  There are three prominent possibilities which have gradually come to grow in likelihood by my observations in this life, so far.

 What does "First Contact" mean?  What unites these scenarios is humans come into contact with other-than-from-earth entities.  However, could there already be creatures upon our own planet that we have yet to make contact with, or have yet to discover the ones we think we know already reveal their sentience.  It may be reasonable to qualify our sign language communications with various apes as a form of contact with another intelligent species.  These are aliens that were never aliens.

Criteria need to be better defined.

Besides aliens, first contact may be with artificial intelligence.  We may one day invent our own contemporary through technology.  We might build our aliens.  Where would THAT sentience come from?  Is it even farther removed than newcomers from outer space?  How "far" is sentience "away" from emerging than aliens traveling light years across vast swaths of distance?  Right beneath the surface?  Or deep within our inner space?  Will we make contact with entities psychically?  Our own minds still perplex and mystify us.  Maybe we're the aliens where our own ignorance has been the barrier between them and us.

The one I feel we may be close to and might even present a higher state of profundity is making contact with the dead.  If incontrovertible proof were demonstrated that spirits are really there and actually all around us, it might change the world even more drastically than aliens, creatures, or artificial intelligence.  Ramifications are certainly large and sweeping, probably close to unfathomable until such a thing might happen.  I believe this scenario bears the most merit, really.  What "aliens" would be most interested in trying to establish contact with us?  The other first contact scenarios require the active pursuit by us.  The culture shock and difficulties are most difficult when considering just how alien the aliens would be.  Their development and circumstances are almost impossible to offer assurance of success in establishing communication, let alone co-operation.  At least with the spirits, chances are that they have a much more understandable nature, with at least as much experience of being human as ourselves.  Plenty of hurdles will already have been hurdled there.  We would not need to travel as far as suggested in other scenarios.  We can search right here, with all the time and energy put into investigation, rather than the expenses in all the things needed to explore others.  This goes for animals, too, I suppose, which is probably as likely as spirit contact.

There has been a generally higher interest in paranormal or supernatural activity of late.  It feels that the world has been looking into that direction than others, as of late.  I have a feeling it's all a race between smart animals and human spirits, which are the leading horses.  Horses?  Ghost jockey on ghost horse and Mr. Ed with Wilbur as the jockey.  The long draw in getting to that archaic reference was totally worth it.