Dr. Bem, a social psychologist at Cornell University, conducted a series of studies that will soon be published in one of the most prestigious psychology journals (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology). Across nine experiments, Bem examined the idea that our brain  has the ability to not only reflect on past experiences, but also anticipate future experiences. This ability for the brain to "see into the future" is often referred to as psi phenomena.

Although prior research has been conducted on the psi phenomena - we have all seen those movie images of people staring at Zener cards with a star or wavy lines on them - such studies often fail to meet the threshold of "scientific investigation." However, Bem's studies are unique in that they represent standard scientific methods and rely on well-established principles in psychology. Essentially, he took effects that are considered valid and reliable in psychology - studying improves memory, priming facilitates response times - and simply reversed their chronological order.

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These are just two examples of the studies that Bem conducted, but his other studies showed similar "retroactive" effects. The results clearly suggest that average "non-psychic" people seem to be able to anticipate future events.

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So if we accept that these psi phenomena are real, how then can we explain them without throwing out our entire understanding of time and physics? Well, the truth is that these effects are actually pretty consistent with modern physics' take on time and space. For example, Einstein believed that the mere act of observing something here could affect something there, a phenomenon he called "spooky action at a distance."

Similarly, modern quantum physics has demonstrated that light particles seem to know what lies ahead of them and will adjust their behavior accordingly, even though the future event hasn't occurred yet. For example, in the classic "double slit experiment," physicists discovered that light particles respond differently when they are observed [for a simple explanation of this experiment, see this video]. But in 1999, researchers pushed this experiment to the limits by asking "what if the observation occurred after the light particles were deployed." Surprisingly, they found the particles acted the same way, as if they knew they were going to be observed in the future even though it hadn't happened yet.

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ORIGINAL: Musicmystery

Mostly, it shows that we cling to assumptions as fact and apply them to paradigms where they don't apply.

At the speed of light, time is irrelevant. not so
There is no future, only "now." "works in pleadings"
Yet we discuss this as if applies in daily life--a fallacy of composition (atoms are colorless, cats are made of atoms, so cats are colorless).

We also know atoms are mostly space, and we are made of atoms, and are hence mostly space--energy, really. Yet this clearly is not our experience.

Capra has a long explanation for this--temporal/spacial probabilities are hard to collapse. Hence, the physical world--and linear time.

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ORIGINAL: TheHeretic

So are you completely rejecting the possibility of precognitive incidents, Muse?

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ORIGINAL: Real0ne

Einstein theoretical limitation

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ORIGINAL: TheHeretic

I did read it, Muse. I'm asking a straight question.