Precognition at the Boundaries

This review examines 90 years of scientific research on precognition—the ability to predict future events without using known information or the five senses. It distinguishes two forms: mostly unconscious precognition with short lead times, such as presentiment (physiological responses before a future event), and mostly conscious precognition with longer lead times, such as precognitive remote viewing. The article describes the evidence for each type and proposes two potential explanatory models, along with ideas for empirical tests. It underscores basic principles of precognition research and outlines different types of this phenomenon.

Study at a glance

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.