  We present surprising similarities between some bipolar planetary nebulae
(PNe) and eruptive objects with peak luminosity between novae and supernovae.
The later group is termed ILOT for intermediate luminosity optical transients
(other terms are intermediate luminosity red transients and red novae). In
particular we compare the PN NGC 6302 and the pre-PNe OH231.8+4.2, M1-92 and
IRAS 22036+5306 with the ILOT NGC 300 OT2008-1. These similarities lead us to
propose that the lobes of some (but not all) PNe and pre-PNe were formed in an
ILOT event (or several close sub-events). We suggest that in both types of
objects the several months long outbursts are powered by mass accretion onto a
main-sequence companion from an AGB (or extreme-AGB) star. Jets launched by an
accretion disk around the main-sequence companion shape the bipolar lobes. Some
of the predictions that result from our comparison is that the ejecta of some
ILOTs will have morphologies similar to those of bipolar PNe, and that the
central stars of the PNe that were shaped by ILOTs should have a main-sequence
binary companion with an eccentric orbit of several years long period.
