Misplaced Pages

Precognition: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editNext edit →Content deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 22:56, 5 October 2007 editValjean (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, IP block exemptions, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers95,362 edits →Skepticism: NPOVing← Previous edit Revision as of 04:59, 6 October 2007 edit undoMartinphi (talk | contribs)12,452 edits Rv per ArbCom on the paranormal Adequate framingNext edit →
Line 12: Line 12:
|Extra_Column = |Extra_Column =
|See_Also = ], ], ] |See_Also = ], ], ]
}}'''Precognition''' (from the ] præ-, “prior to,” + cognitio, “a getting to know”) denotes a form of supposed ] wherein a person supposedly has the ability to perceive information about places or events through ] means before they happen.<ref> (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=] | date= 1995 | first=James | last=Randi | accessdate = 2007-03-28}}</ref> A related term, '''presentiment''', refers to information about future events which is supposedly perceived in the form of emotions or feelings at the ] level. These terms are considered by some to be special cases of the more general term ]. }}'''Precognition''' (from the ] præ-, “prior to,” + cognitio, “a getting to know”) denotes a form of ] wherein a person is able to perceive information about places or events through ] means before they happen.<ref> (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=] | date= 1995 | first=James | last=Randi | accessdate = 2007-03-28}}</ref> A related term, '''presentiment''', refers to information about future events which is perceived in the form of emotions or feelings at the ] level. These terms are considered by some to be special cases of the more general term ].


Those skeptical of the existence of precognition and other forms of ] believe it to be the result of ] or self-delusion and contend that ] 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 then 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> Those skeptical of the existence of precognition and other forms of ] believe it to be the result of ] or self-delusion and contend that ] 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 then 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>
Line 24: Line 24:
==Skepticism== ==Skepticism==


The existence of precognition is disputed by those 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> ]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 ] and skeptics assert that examples of precognition are better explained using ] and natural human tendencies opposed to ] or ] powers.<ref>http://www.csicop.org/si/9505/belief.html "The Belief Engine", Skeptical Inquirer, May 1995</ref> The existence of precognition is disputed by some 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> ]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 ] and skeptics assert that examples of precognition are better explained using ] and natural human tendencies opposed to ] or ] powers.<ref>http://www.csicop.org/si/9505/belief.html "The Belief Engine", Skeptical Inquirer, May 1995</ref>


== In fiction == == In fiction ==

Revision as of 04:59, 6 October 2007

Template:Infobox ParanormaltermsPrecognition (from the Latin præ-, “prior to,” + cognitio, “a getting to know”) denotes a form of extra-sensory perception wherein a person is able to perceive information about places or events through paranormal means before they happen. A related term, presentiment, refers to information about future events which is perceived in the form of emotions or feelings at the autonomic level. 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 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 then 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.

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. 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.

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 seismographs" 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 is closed down in 2007.

Skepticism

The existence of precognition is disputed by some 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. Skeptics 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.

In fiction

Further information: ]
  • In the Star Wars franchise, both the Jedi and Sith are granted precognitive abilities through mastery of The Force. Allowing them to predict probable future events and to react to events that have not yet happened; giving them the appearance of possessing super human reflexes in combat.
  • In the TV series Heroes, the characters Isaac Mendez,Peter Petrelli and Sylar have the ability to see and paint pictures from the future.
  • Horror author Stephen King uses precognition in some of his novels, most notably The Shining and The Dead Zone.
  • Precognition, and the implications of wielding a power like it, plays a significant role in Frank Herbert's Dune series, in which precognition is essential to faster than light space travel.
  • Many Marvel/DC character possess the power of precognition, including Destiny of the X-Men comics and Lilith from Teen Titans series. Spider-Man's "spider-sense" is also a limited precognitive sense
  • Minority Report features 3 precognitives that predict crimes before they happen within a 200 mile radius of a future Washington D.C.
  • In the anime series Weiss Kreuz, one of the antagonists Brad Crawford is a pre-cog.

See also

References

  1. Parapsychological Association: Glossary of Key Words Frequently Used in Parapsychology (2006-12-24)
  2. Randi, James (1995). "An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural". St. Martin's Press. Retrieved 2007-03-28.
  3. ^ Carroll, Robert Todd (2005). "Psychic". Skepdic.com. The Skeptics Dictionary. Retrieved 2007-08-10.
  4. Dunne, J.W. (1927). An Experiment with Time. Hampton Roads Publishing Co. I. ISBN 978-1571742346. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  5. Berger, Arthur S. (1991). The Encyclopedia of Parapsychology and Psychical Research. Paragon House Publishers. ISBN 1557780439. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  6. Odling-Smee, Lucy (2007-03-01). "The lab that asked the wrong questions". Nature (446): 10–11. doi:10.1038/446010a. Retrieved 2007-06-29.
  7. http://www.csicop.org/si/9505/belief.html "The Belief Engine", Skeptical Inquirer, May 1995


External links

Categories: