Proof of Precognition?

[Iguana]

You are a true medium!   

[PaleoPhil]

Afterall, it is reported by so many people that insisting that it is not true because you have not seen sufficient evidence yourself would indicate a very closed mind imho and if there is one thing I think you have Phil - it is an open and logical mind.

Thanks, I'm more than open to the idea that presentiment exists, I'm actually rooting for it to be real, because that would be a cool retrocausal quantum effect. So I'm biased in favor of it existing and wouldn't dream of ruling it out due to insufficient evidence. As I often say re: theoretical inquiries: absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

I also try to remember that extraordinary hypotheses should generally be supported with equally extraordinary evidence. I think that asking questions and considering both sides of a question is a sign of open-mindedness, rather than close-mindedness.

Here's an interesting debate on presentiment and retroactive causation:

Psi and Psychology: The Recent Debate
Interestingly, one debater came to the topic with a skeptical view and then came to accept the probably existence of psi phenomena whereas another debater went through the opposite change, starting as a believer and becoming a skeptic when the evidence didn't appear to him to support the existence of psi phenomena.

And here's the pro-psi paper that inspired the debate:
http://www.dbem.ws/FeelingFuture.pdf

So far, attempts to replicate the results of the experiment have failed, but the author of the study, Dr. Daryl Bem, is still optimistic that they will eventually be replicated.

[raw-al]

Thanks PP

[Dorothy]

You are a true medium!   

That would be true if I could control it maybe -- and then I could make money with it and convince Phil or work for the district attorney like Allison Dubois.   (for those not in the US there's a tv program based on a real person called "Medium")

Phil - thanks for that video. I'm in the process of watching it - it's pretty long - but interesting. I knew I could count on your intelligent and logical mind!

[PaleoPhil]

You're welcome, folks. Here's a somewhat related video that looks more at the quantum physics side of the mysterious universe, yet contains some interesting similarities, such as retrocausality at the quantum level:

NOVA | The Fabric of the Cosmos: What Is Space "Why don't we ever see events unfold in reverse order? According to the laws of physics, this can happen." -Physicist and Series Host Brian Greene

Granted, just because retrocausality theoretically exists at the quantum level doesn't mean that it will produce psi phenomena in the real world. It would be neat if it does, though. 

[Petergunn]

Telepathy & precognition have been common for my mother, my sisters & I my whole life. I never paid much attention to them until I became a young adult freaking out co-workers & such.
I`ll dismiss any that were`n`t strong feelings of "knowing." (although too many to recall)
Direction plays a part sometimes. Several times for weeks I dreaded coming home from 25 miles away, not wanting to hear of my son & daughter-in-law`s terrible accident on River rd. I knew the exact location, but only felt it when driving in that direction.
My mother took me to BINGO at 17. I had to lean forward to the left to see & tell a woman that she would win with B-4 )which was then called)

Most recently, working security at the courthouse with only 1 other person (the clerk in an office I couldn`t see) who called, "Hey, Pete, can you tell me what this is?" I yelled out, "It`s a 'U'!"
I had no idea what she wanted, but I knew I was right.
I have witnesses for other events as well.

PS; I used to get deja vu feelings when I was younger (like living in a short film you know by heart)

[cherimoya_kid]

I personally know of a number of Hindu astrologers who are so good at pattern recognition that they often seem to be able to predict the future of individual people.  In reality, I think moments of real precognition are usually (perhaps always) a simple issue of pattern recognition.  If you understand a particular situation/person well enough, either through having a natural gift for it, or having lots of experience, then you are much more likely to correctly guess what will happen next to that person/situation.

I also think that more average people can have 'flashes' of genius, so to speak, in the area of pattern recognition, much like an average athlete/musician can have the 'one great night' that defines their career.   This, I might guess, is the way in which an average person might have the occasional 'precognitive' flash.

I have had a number of moments of deja vu in my life, very specific ones, but I'm still not sure if that's just a mental glitch, pattern recognition, or true precognition. 

[raw-al]

I personally know of a number of Hindu astrologers who are so good at pattern recognition that they often seem to be able to predict the future of individual people.  In reality, I think moments of real precognition are usually (perhaps always) a simple issue of pattern recognition.  If you understand a particular situation/person well enough, either through having a natural gift for it, or having lots of experience, then you are much more likely to correctly guess what will happen next to that person/situation.

In one of his books Deepak Chopra tells a story about when he was going to medical school, a friend badgered him into going to see a Jyotishee (Indian Vedic Astrologer) He finally relented as at the time he considered this stuff to be hocus pocus.

When he got there the jyotishee just went in the back and got out a parchment that was a few hundred years old and had been sitting there all the time and gave it to Deepak along with Sanskrit mumbo jumbo.

Anyways this parchment had very specific details of his life including his Mother's name. He was confused as this seemed to be the only detail that was wrong but upon checking with his Mother, She was shocked that he knew and she said that as a child she wanted her name changed and so her parents had changed it.

You can develop psychic abilities, just like any other ability. It just takes time and effort.