Precognition at the Boundaries: An Empirical Review and Theoretical Discussion

Abstract

The rigorous scientific study of precognition, the human ability to accurately predict future events that are not already predictable based on information about the past or from the five senses, spans the last 90 years. This review describes different types of precognition, underscores the basic principles of precognition research, and discusses the evidence for and potential mechanisms of two very different forms of precognition: 1) mostly unconscious precognition with short lead times (e.g., presentiment) and 2) mostly conscious precognition with longer lead times (e.g., precognitive remote viewing). I describe two potential models to explain each of these forms of precognition, along with ideas for empirical tests of each one.

Keywords

• precognition
• presentiment
• remote viewing
• precognitive remote viewing
• predictive anticipatory activity
• anomalous cognition