Is it normal to have intrusive thoughts about bad things happening?

Thank you for this. I thought I was a terrible person for having these thoughts. Knowing it's an "ego-dystonic" symptom helps me detach from them.

You are not going crazy. What you are describing are classic intrusive thoughts, which are extremely common, especially in anxiety disorders and OCD. From a clinical perspective, these thoughts are often referred to as "ego-dystonic," meaning they go against your actual desires and values (which is why they upset you so much). The gold standard treatment involves Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). The key is to practice "defusion"—recognizing that a thought is just a neurological event, not a fact or a premonition. Try labeling it: "I am having the thought that...", rather than accepting the thought as reality.