I have magical ocd that revolves around numbers. This all started last Monday. I was looking out the window and saw a number plate that was simply “72” I thought it was cool but then I kept seeing 72 in number plates every where. I started to think does what’s the meaning of it what if it means something in my room was “bad luck” the next day I was still worried about it and played around with it for a bit and was asking things like “if X means X I see 72 go past next” and it was freaking me out big time as it kept going past like it was answering.

Anyway during this time I had the thought of “what if it’s a countdown” I was able to push the thought out my head for a few days and kept seeing 72. No 71 on Tuesday or 70 on Wednesday. On Thursday the thought came back and I was thinking how it would be 69 today then saw several cars with 69 in the number plates I tried to just get on with my day but the next day again loads of 68. I kept trying to out it out my head but Saturday several 67 and Sunday several 66. Yesterday I was doing better and trying to just not pay attention to numbers then before bed I see a post on Reddit titled “I have two months left to live ask me anything” and the username of the top commented has a 65 in it a I freak out as 65 is about 2 months and this is way to specific to be coincidence.

Well I woke up this morning still stressing then open the curtains and the third car I see has 64 the number plate. I feel like this is happening every morning. One of the first three cars I see has the corresponding number for that day on it.

I know of the frequency illusion and conformation bias but I just can’t get this out my head as more. I know you will see what you focus on but I’ve tried with other numbers like “ok I’ll see 29 in the next three cars” and to never happens. It seems to always be the correct number is perfectly place like the first thing I see in the morning, on a specific post etc.