Autzoo.1590
net.misc
utzoo!laura
Tue Apr 20 23:22:31 1982
more on precog

I read an interesting theory of precognition  a few years ago.  It does not
explain the people who claim to have dreamt of a disaster before it occurs
and have kept a dream digest which supports their claim, but it would
explain some of the sincere people out there who believe they have 'second
sight' without raising disturbing questions about causality.
The theory was not explained to me in very scientific terms, and I know
next to nothing about nuero-anatomy, but it goes like this:

	Your brain is recording new information when it 'skips' or
misrepresents news information as old information.  Thus you  are left
with the illusion of remembering something  which you are really only
perceiving for the first time.  This, perhaps, is more likely to occur
under stressful conditions, which would explain the fact that many people
atest to having precognition of an event after it occurs.  

	I find the theory very attractive -- I for one have walked through
houses that I have never seen before and found them 'familiar' and I
would rather believe my brain has erred than I have lived prior lives in
such a surrounding, or that I can aquire large chunks of relatively useless
information under the all-encompassing name of 'precognition'.  

	Has anybody out there heard of this theory?  Is anybody qualified to
atest to its scientific credibility?

						Laura Creighton
						decvax!utzoo!laura

p.s.
So far this topic has only generated angry and/or stupid claims from
strong believers and disbelievers in parapsychology.  I am still waiting
for discussion on the social consequences of say -telepathy.  This is
relavent, because today hearing aids are being made such a degree of
sophistication that it is technologically feasible to build 2-way devices
hearing aid size.  Telepathy it isnt -- and it holds no promise of
developing into an emotion-reader -- but whether or not humans posess
a natural means of light-speed (or beyond if that is possible) transfer
of information, we may soon find a mechanical one is available.  What
that will mean is a good topic for speculation -- surveilance and policing
may improve but instantaneous communication has its appeal to those who
have a more criminal turn of mind.   I can invision a remake of 'the Sting'
where Redford doesnt get it all because his would-be prey knows the results
of the track as quickly as Redford himself. Any other scenarios, gang?

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