Vanga and Matrona of Moscow - both of these women lived in the 20th century, when, it would seem, there was no place for miracles, both were blind and became famous for their prophecies. If you wish, you can see the similarity of the two destinies in this. Meanwhile, the differences between the two women are much more than similarities.
Since ancient times, there has been a belief: a person who is physically blind acquires a different vision, which allows him to see what is hidden from others. Matryona Nikonova, known as Matrona of Moscow, was born blind, Vangelia Gushterova (Vanga) became blind in childhood, but blindness in itself does not make a person a prophet. Another difference in fate seems to be more significant: Vanga since 1967 was listed as a civil servant and officially received a salary. Matrona of Moscow was never treated kindly by the authorities: a blind, semi-paralyzed woman lived off the mercy of her friends; they tried to arrest her several times.
Prophecies
In recent years, Vanga has been credited with predicting the death of the Kursk submarine, World War III and many other prophecies that have not been documented. The predictions, whose belonging to Vanga is beyond doubt, are extremely generalized, which allows them to be attributed to almost any event, for example: "Scientists will reveal a lot of new things about the future of our planet and the Universe." Scientific research is ongoing, you do not need to be a prophet to predict new discoveries.
Other predictions refer to the distant future - for example, establishing contact with other civilizations in 200 years, contemporaries cannot verify this.
Vanga's clairvoyance in relation to specific people most often boiled down to general statements that would suit 9 people out of 10. For example, she said to V. Tikhonov: “You did not fulfill the request of your best friend”. Hearing this, the actor himself recalled how Yuri Gagarin, shortly before his death, asked him to buy an alarm clock, but he forgot about it. In some cases, everything was built on suggestibility. A. Demidova's prophetess said that she should have become a scientist, not an actress. Since then, the actress often said that she was not doing her own thing - before meeting with Wang, she had not thought about it.
The prophecies of Matrona differ from the predictions of Vanga in their extreme concreteness: the murder of the king, the destruction of temples, a decrease in the number of believers. If in the life of Vanga clairvoyance was central, then Matrona is known, first of all, for her pious life and miracles of healing. Vanga was also engaged in healing, but she treated with herbs - this method has long been known in folk medicine, while Matrona only had to read a prayer over water.
The origins of the gift
Matrona never had any doubts about whom she served: even as a child, she loved to attend divine services, and she liked icons more than toys. As befits a Christian woman, she never complained about her sufferings; on the contrary, she was surprised when she was called unhappy, because her chosenness never weighed down on her.
Vanga communication with the spirits, allegedly telling her something, was difficult: after such communication, she felt broken and was depressed for a long time. This forces Christians to conclude about the influence of demons, but a simpler explanation is also possible.
According to the testimony of Vanga's niece, the seer from time to time fell into a strange state: she fell, began to shout incoherent words in a “not her own” voice. Such symptoms have long been known among the people under the name "hysteria". Psychiatrists have proven that this is a form of hysteria - a mental disorder based on the desire to be in the spotlight. Considering the excitement Wanga organized around herself, the explanation seems logical. The last hysterical attack happened to her before her death. When Metropolitan Nathanael, who had arrived at the request of Vanga, entered her room with a cross in her hands, she began to sway and shout in a hoarse voice: “He holds it in his hands! I don't want this in my house!"
Matrona never showed signs of hysteria. It did not turn into the center of a "tourist attraction" like Vanga.
In 2004, Matrona of Moscow was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church never had any illusions about the "holiness" of Vanga.
