Meramal

Meramal is an Indonesian term for the practice of foretelling or predicting future events. Derived from ramal, meaning omen or forecast, meramal describes the act of interpreting signs, omens, dreams, or other signals to form a forecast. The related noun ramalan refers to the forecast or omen itself.

Practices attributed to meramal vary by culture and region. Common methods include palm reading (chiromancy), reading tea leaves or other tea remnants (tasseography), astrology, dream interpretation, and interpretation of natural signs such as weather, animal behavior, or the arrangement of objects. In Indonesian contexts, practitioners may be called peramal or dukun, and may operate within families, communities, or informal consultation settings to guide personal decisions on matters such as marriage, business, or travel.

Cultural and religious attitudes toward meramal differ. Some communities treat it as a traditional folk practice that offers personal insight, while others view it with skepticism or disapproval as superstition. In modern life, meramal often appears in entertainment media or as a casual form of reflection rather than a formal method of prediction.

From a scientific perspective, meramal is not supported by empirical evidence and is typically considered a form of pseudoscience or superstition. Critics emphasize subjective interpretation and the potential for bias, while supporters argue that it can provide a framework for considering possibilities and making choices. See also: fortune-telling, divination, palmistry, astrology.