Precognition 40253 225772646 2008-07-15T09:44:16Z Eldereft 365061 /* External links */ rm promotionalism ([[WP:EL]]) {{Infobox Paranormalterms |Image_Name = Nostradamus by Cesar.jpg |Image_Caption = <small>[[Nostradamus]] was thought by some to have the ability to predict future events.</small> |Usage = Terminology |Name = Precognition |Origin = |Short = |Additional_Names = |Definition = The ability to perceive events in the future through the use of Psi |Characteristics = The ability to perceive future events through means other than deduction |Extra_Title = |Extra_Column = |See_Also = [[Prescience]], [[Anomalous cognition]], [[Retrocognition]] }}'''Precognition''' (from the [[Latin]] præ-, “prior to,” + cognitio, “a getting to know”) denotes a form of [[extra-sensory perception]] where in a person is said to perceive information about places or events through [[paranormal]] means before they happen.<ref>[http://parapsych.org/glossary_l_r.html#p Parapsychological Association: Glossary of Key Words Frequently Used in Parapsychology] (2006-12-24)</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.randi.org/encyclopedia/precognition.html | title=An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural |publisher=[[St. Martin's Press]] | date= 1995 | first=James | last=Randi | accessdate = 2007-03-28}}</ref> A related term, '''presentiment''', refers to information about future events which is said to be perceived as emotions. These terms are considered by some to be special cases of the more general term [[clairvoyance]]. Those skeptical of the existence of precognition and other forms of [[Extra-Sensory Perception|ESP]] believe it to be the result of [[fraud]] or self-delusion and contend that [[selection bias]] is the cause of the belief that one has precognition where individuals remember the "hits" and forget the "misses". Skeptics contend that the human memory naturally has a tendency to remember coincidences more often than other non-coincidences and thus individuals tend to remember more frequently when they were correct about a future event and forget the instances when they were wrong.<ref name=Carroll>{{cite web |last=Carroll |first=Robert Todd |authorlink= |title=Psychic |work=Skepdic.com |publisher=The Skeptics Dictionary |date=2005 |url=http://skepdic.com/psychic.html|accessdate=2007-08-10}}</ref> ==History and research== [[J. W. Dunne]], a British [[aeronautics]] engineer, undertook the first systematic study of precognition in the early [[twentieth century]]. In [[1927]], he published the classic ''[[An Experiment with Time]]'', which contained his findings and theories. Dunne's study was based on his own precognitive dreams, which involved both trivial incidents in his own life and major news events appearing in the press the day after the dream. When first realizing that he was seeing the future in his dreams, Dunne worried that he was "a freak." His worries soon eased when he discovered that [[precognitive dreams]] are common; he concluded that many people have them without realizing it, perhaps because they do not recall the details or fail to properly interpret the dream symbols.<ref>{{cite book | last = Dunne | first = J.W. | authorlink = John William Dunne | coauthors = | title = An Experiment with Time | publisher = Hampton Roads Publishing Co. I | date = 1927 | location = | pages = | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 978-1571742346 }}</ref> [[Joseph Banks Rhine]] and Louisa Rhine began the next significant systematic research of precognition in the [[1930s]] at the [[Parapsychology]] Laboratory at [[Duke University]]. Rhine used card-guessing experiments in which the participant was asked to record his guess of the order of a [[card deck]] ''before'' the deck was shuffled.<ref name=Berger>{{cite book |last=Berger |first=Arthur S. |authorlink= |coauthors=Berger, Joyce |title=The Encyclopedia of Parapsychology and Psychical Research |publisher=Paragon House Publishers |date=1991 |pages= |isbn=1557780439}}</ref> London psychiatrist J. A. Barker established the British Premonitions Bureau in [[1967]], which collected precognitive data in order to provide an early warning system of impending disasters. Barker succeeded in finding a number of "human [[seismograph]]s" who tuned in regularly to disasters, but were unable to accurately pinpoint the times. The [[Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research Lab]] is one of the more recent examples of attempts to study precognition, it began in 1979 with precognitive experiments have since been done in a variety of formats by various parapsychologists, for example by the [[remote viewing]] researchers. This facility was closed down in 2007. <ref name=Smee>{{cite journal |title=The lab that asked the wrong questions |journal=Nature |date=2007-03-01 |first=Lucy |last=Odling-Smee |issue=446 |pages=10–11 |doi=10.1038/446010a |url=http://intl.emboj.org/nature/journal/v446/n7131/full/446010a.html |accessdate=2007-06-29 | volume = 446}}</ref> ==Causality and paradox== An issue related to precognitive events includes [[paradox|paradoxes]] due to [[causality]], (which are used heavily in fiction). One form of paradox includes events that are prevented due to the actions of those that know of it through precognition. In this case, the event doesn't happen, which would prevent the viewer from seeing the event in the first place. A subtler form of paradox is the [[circular cause and consequence]] problem of events that are actually caused by the foreseeing of the event. Though in and of itself this chain is logically consistent, it is a [[chicken or egg]] problem -- if the event did not happen the viewer would not have seen it, which would have prevented it from happening. ==Skepticism== The existence of precognition is disputed by skeptics such as [[Robert Todd Carroll]], who believe that there is a lack of scientific evidence supporting the existence of precognition and who contend that examples of what are commonly thought to be precognition can be explained naturally without evoking supernatural abilities.<ref name=Carroll>{{cite web |last=Carroll |first=Robert Todd |authorlink= |title=Psychic |work=Skepdic.com |publisher=The Skeptics Dictionary |date=2005 |url=http://skepdic.com/psychic.html|accessdate=2007-08-10}}</ref> [[Skeptic]]s point to the fact that the human memory has a tendency to selectively recall coincidences and forget all of the other examples where, for example, dreams and other thoughts do not come to be. Examples include thinking of a specific individual right before the individual thought of calls on the phone. Human memory has a tendency to remember the instances where the individual thought of calls and forget the instances where the individual calls when not thought of just prior to calling. This is an example of [[selection bias]] and skeptics assert that examples of precognition are better explained using [[psychology]] and natural human tendencies opposed to [[supernatural]] or [[paranormal]] powers.<ref>http://www.csicop.org/si/9505/belief.html "The Belief Engine", Skeptical Inquirer, May 1995</ref> == In fiction == {{further|[[:Category:Fictional characters with precognition]]}} *In the ''[[Star Wars]]'' franchise, both the [[Jedi]] and [[Sith]] are granted precognitive abilities through mastery of the [[The Force (Star Wars)|Force]]. This allows them to predict probable future events and to react to events that have not yet happened; this creates the illusion of them possessing super human reflexes in combat. *In the TV series ''[[Heroes (TV series)|Heroes]]'', the characters [[Isaac Mendez]], [[Peter Petrelli]], and [[Sylar]] have the ability to see and paint pictures from the future. Initially, only Isaac has this power; Sylar and Peter both acquire it from him. *In the TV series ''[[Supernatural (TV series)|Supernatural]]'', the character [[Sam Winchester]] has the supernatural power to have visions from the future, though he displays no control over this skill. *Horror author [[Stephen King]] uses precognition in some of his novels, most notably ''[[The Shining (novel)|The Shining]]'' and ''[[The Dead Zone (novel)|The Dead Zone]]'', where a man can see the immediate future or past by touching an object relating to the subject of his prediction. *Precognition, and the implications of wielding a power like it, plays a significant role in Frank Herbert's ''[[Dune universe|Dune]]'' series, in which precognition is essential to faster than light space travel. *[[Alyssa Milano]]'s character [[Phoebe Halliwell]] in the television series ''[[Charmed (TV series)|Charmed]]'' possesses the power of precognition. *Many Marvel/DC characters possess the power of precognition, including [[Destiny (Irene Adler)|Destiny]] of the [[X-Men]] comics and [[Lilith (DC Comics)|Lilith]] from ''[[Titans (comics)|Teen Titans]]'' series. [[Spider-Man]]'s "spider-sense" is also a limited precognitive sense. In the film ''[[Elektra (2005 film)|Elektra]]'', based on the comic book character [[Elektra Natchios]], the protagonist displays the ability of "Kimagure", a seemingly supernatural ability that grants the practitioner the power, among others, to see the future. Another Marvel ninja, [[Psylocke]], also has the mutant power to have visions from the future, though she displays no control over this skill. * Precognitives ("precogs") play a prominent role in several science fiction novels by [[Philip K. Dick]]. For example, Barney Mayerson, one of the main characters of "[[The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch]]" is a precog. The movies ''[[Minority Report (film)|Minority Report]]'' and ''[[Next (film)|Next]]'', both derived from short stories written by Dick, contain major references to precognitives. *In her "Bishop/Special Crimes Unit" novels, Kay Hooper writes of an FBI team of psychics, some specializing in precognition. * In the novel series ''[[Twilight (series)|Twilight]]'' by [[Stephenie Meyer]], one of the main characters, [[Alice Cullen (Twilight)|Alice Cullen]], has the ability to see decision-based futures. *In the ''[[Code Geass]]'' spin-off manga series ''Nightmare of Nunnally'', [[Nunnally Lamperouge]] obtains the power to read the lines of the future, functionally identical to precognition. *In the novel by Isabel Allende, "[[The House of The Spirits]]", one of the characters has the ability to perceive someones' death. *In the TV series ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'', Jonas Quinn acquires the ability to see possible futures in the episode "Prophecy". *In the TV series ''[[Stargate Atlantis]]'', the Atlantis expedition encounters a man named Davos who has visions of the future in the episode "The Seer". *In the anime series ''[[Yu-gi-oh!]]'', [[Ishizu Ishtar]] has the power to see both into the past and the future using the Millennium Necklace. *In the last two episodes of series 4 of the revived TV series, [[Doctor Who]], Dalek Caan travelled through time and rescued the Dalek's creator, Davros, going mad and gaining precognitive abilities == See also == {{Paranormal |state=collapsed}} *[[Parapsychology]] *[[Premonition]] *[[Prescience]] *[[Anomalous cognition]] *[[Déjà vu]] *[[Second sight]] *[[Postcognition]] *[[Fortune-telling]] *[[Precognitive dreams]] ==References== {{Reflist}} == External links == * [http://www.esalenctr.org/display/confpage.cfm?confid=2&pageid=5&pgtype=1 Precognition, Presentiment & Remote Viewing - Dean Radin] * [http://www.csicop.org/genx/ganzfeld/index.html The Best Case for ESP?] * [http://www.csicop.org/articles/psychic-predictions/1998.html Failed Psychic Predictions for 1998] * [http://parapsych.org/online_psi_experiments.html Online Psi Experiments] Links to precognition experiments (Parapsych.org affiliate of the [[American Association for the Advancement of Science|AAAS]]) [[Category:Paranormal]] [[Category:Parapsychology]] [[Category:Prediction]] [[Category:Psychic powers]] [[Category:Spiritual faculties]] [[de:Präkognition]] [[es:Precognición]] [[fr:Précognition]] [[ja:予知]] [[pl:Prekognicja]] [[pt:Precognição]] [[ru:Прекогниция]] [[tr:Prekognisyon]] [[zh:預知]]