Predicting the Unpredictable: 75 Years of Experimental Evidence

Predicting the Unpredictable: 75 Years of Experimental Evidence

Abstract

From time immemorial, people have reported foreknowledge of future events. To determine whether such experiences are best understood via conventional explanations, or whether a retrocausal phenomenon might be involved in some instances, researchers have conducted hundreds of controlled laboratory experiments over the past 75 years. These studies fall into four general classes, and each class has generated repeatable evidence consistent with retrocausation.

The statistical results for a class of forced-choice studies is associated with odds against chance of about 1024; for a class of free-response studies, odds about 1020; for psychophysiological-based studies, odds about 1017; and for implicit decision studies, odds about 1010. Effect sizes observed in the latter three classes are nearly identical, indicating replication of similar underlying effects. These effects are also in close agreement with the average effect size observed across thousands of conventional psychological experiments, suggesting that retrocausal phenomena may not be especially unique, at least not in terms of commonly observed psychological phenomena.

Bayesian analyses of the most recent classes of experiments confirm that the evidence is strongly in favor of a genuine effect, with Bayes Factors ranging from 13,669 to 1 for implicit decision experiments, to 2.9 x 1013 to 1 for psychophysiological designs. For the two most recent classes of studies examining retrocausal effects via unconscious physiological or behavioral measures, 73 of 82 studies (89%) reported by 23 different laboratories from the United States, Italy, Spain, Holland, Austria, Sweden, England, Scotland, Iran, Japan, and Australia, have produced results in the direction predicted by a retrocausal effect (odds against chance = 1.5 x 1013, via a sign test).

Assessment of the methodologies used in these studies has not identified plausible conventional alternatives for the observed outcomes, suggesting the existence of a genuine retrocausal phenomenon.

Isn't it about time that humanity faced up to the fact that it is a psychic species? Isn't it about time that we face the philosophical, theological, and scientific implications of that fact? Isn't it time we learn how to use our psi together so that we can begin to heal the damage we have done to the planet and to each other?

What are we waiting for? Permission from TPTB? Permission from science? Permission from religion?

reply to post by BlueMule


Nice find, I love collecting these sorts of research papers, I have quite a large collection of conspiracy PDF files now, I might upload them to a torrent one day if I get some time.

This document is particularly fascinating because it discusses an area of research which doesn't often get much professional attention... after looking at all these experiments they seem to be concluding that indeed "intuition", as it were, is a very real phenomena.

Personally I suspect it has something to do with the tubular quantum components found within our brain, it could be that evolution has designed our brain to utilize some type of quantum phenomena and extract information about the near future and thus give us that extra time needed to react to a threat.

Some of the most interesting experiments conducted in this area are those where the subjects are shown changing images on a computer, some of which are very disturbing. Moments before the disturbing images ever appear the subject exhibits physiological changes, such as pupil dilation, changes in skin conductance, and heart rate increase.

This test shows the same result time and time again, and it clearly shows that the subjects have some sort of window into the near future, and they are indeed showing signs of some type of intuitive ability to sense what the near future holds. Very interesting stuff.

reply to post by ChaoticOrder


Yes I'm familiar with the presentiment line of research. It's very promising.

The statistical data is hard to assimilate at face view still i believe it.

If we were to take at face value a presumption that our mental abilities are fixed to within a limited band of conscious awareness, and works mainly on interpretation that is constrained to preaccepted views, then a shift of awareness to outside the band the may result in the functions of the brain being altered. One altererd state may cause the brain to act like ab attenna picking up information energy directly.

Or is that a crazy explanation.

I am reasonably smart, but I have zero clue what that was actually trying to say....


Anyone put that in layman's terms?

Originally posted by selfharmonise
I am reasonably smart, but I have zero clue what that was actually trying to say....


Anyone put that in layman's terms?

Sure. There is no way in Hell that the subjects of the study weren't using non-physical, unknown forces - guessing is impossible.

Remote viewing is explained.

Remote viewing is what i meant although i dont consider the phrase "Remote viewing" is an adequate descriptor. It difficult to explain a mechansim which exists beyond our five senses. Thats why when i tried to make a explanation it sounds confusing, because Remote Viewing is confusing to our everyday understanding of the world and our senses. Im only layman as well if anyone else would like to try explain it please do.

This is where t be nice to see one of the new age ascnesion leaders come on Ats and give us all a description of it. Although they never will which i find dissapointing as knowledge which can allow human abilities to evolve beyond the physical should be assessible to all and discussed freely not held at the end of credit card transaction.

Originally posted by BlueMule
Isn't it about time that humanity faced up to the fact that it is a psychic species? Isn't it about time that we face the philosophical, theological, and scientific implications of that fact? Isn't it time we learn how to use our psi together so that we can begin to heal the damage we have done to the planet and to each other?

What are we waiting for? Permission from TPTB? Permission from science? Permission from religion?

I'm afraid it will require more than suggestive evidence, if you can establish even that. The reality is that many false claims have supporting evidence depending on the context and perspective one takes - e.g. looking at the sun's trajectory in the sky i might claim evidence that it orbits the earth.

Additionally, you'd have to prove that humans alone have psychic ability. What makes you think that this is the case anyway? Is the possibility of a psychic non-human primate less reasonable? If so, why?

Originally posted by Legos

I'm afraid it will require more than suggestive evidence, if you can establish even that. The reality is that many false claims have supporting evidence depending on the context and perspective one takes - e.g. looking at the sun's trajectory in the sky i might claim evidence that it orbits the earth.

The parapsychological literature, which has accumulated over the last century, adds up to more than mere suggestive evidence. But even so, it will take more than that. It will take a catalyst.

Additionally, you'd have to prove that humans alone have psychic ability.

Why? It's not as if I claimed that humans are the only psychic species. I know for a fact that we aren't.

Nevertheless we have to face up to the fact that our minds are not confined to our skulls.

Is it possible that...

Having a society that accepts psychic phenomena as fact results in the reduction of occurance. A person needs to discover this quality within their own mind, otherwise it becomes difficult to develop at higher levels. If every child were outright told that some people have forms of clairvoyance then it would be accepted and tossed in the memory/logical section of brain instead of imagination/creative section where this idea belongs.

?

I definitely believe in psychic ability and have had a few experiences, but i'm not sure if I agree that humanity is a psychic species (maybe becoming one). It may be based on communication with higher beings, or a rare genetic trait. For example, if a tsunami were heading toward NYC, and humanity were a psychic species, wouldn't most notice a disturbance of some kind before that face?

Crowded places get hit by disaster pretty regularly, and most of the time it comes out of nowhere for those involved.

How many went into the World Trade Center on 9/11? Wouldn't at least one person have seen something coming?

It could be possible that there is nothing mystical about precognition, but some individuals have savant-like qualities, most likely in mathematics, which allow them to see patterns others do not. Ever watch the show Touch?