Future Sighted

Running head: FUTURE SIGHTED

Future Sighted: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Precognitive Dreaming and Measures Increasing Causation of Precognitive Dreams Robin L. Cook University of Texas at Dallas

FUTURE SIGHTED

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Dreams are a universal occurrence with references dating as far back as 3100 B.C. While there are varying explanations, from hormonal to environmental, a definitive theory clarifying what dreams are and why they occur remains to be proven. Precognition, also referred to as future or second sight, is a type of extrasensory perception (ESP) involving the receipt of future information that cannot be gained from ordinarily acquired sense-based inputs. Dreams that reflect knowledge or information about a future event have been recorded since biblical times making the scrutiny of this phenomenon an intriguing endeavor. The field of parapsychology, known as psi, was formed to validate the study of these difficult to explain events. As elements of psi and precognitive dreaming pervade modern society and Western pop culture, scientists from varying disciplines are delving into the topic, researching the various factors contributing to and detracting from precognitive dreams. The phenomenon of precognitive dreaming blurs the lines between psychology, neuroscience, and even quantum physics. Researchers in these fields have recognized psi anomalies as significant and research worthy, choosing to contribute their specific areas of expertise to the growing body of psi research. The diverse backgrounds of the scientists and researchers comprising the psi community present a unique body of work to be examined. Despite consistent empirical data and use of scientific method, a significant number of skeptics in social, behavioral and brain sciences (notably the late Carl Jung) view the study of precognition as a pseudoscience (a theory, methodology, or practice considered to be without scientific foundation). Nevertheless, psi investigations questioning the...