Are humans psychic? Startling new study 'proves' that we can see the future

 

 

By Fiona Macrae

Last updated at 7:30 PM on 17th November 2010

 

 

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• Students correctly predicted which words they'd be asked in memory recall test
  

You may already know this, but psychic powers might really exist.

Research suggests that far from being a trick of employed by fairground fortune tellers, many of us are blessed with ability to see in the future.

Influencing events before they happen is also within our remit, the study by a respected psychologist found.

The publication of the results in a leading social science journal will make waves in the staid world of science, where terms like clairvoyance, telepathy and ESP are dirty words.

 

A scene from Minority Report starring Tom Cruise in which a small number of people have the ability to see into the future -with terrifying consequences

 

They will also spark a million conversations about the significance of everyday occurrences, such as knowing who is at the end of the phone before picking it up.

Daryl Bem, a physicist and part-time magician turned psychologist, set out to investigate psi, or parapsychology to you and me.

In one experiment, students were shown a list of words to memorise before being asked to recall words form it. They were then given some of the words to type.

Spookily, they were better at remembering the words they would later be asked to type, this week's New Scientist reports.

In another study, the students were shown a picture of a tempting-looking basket of fruit or a menacing pit bull terrier and timed while they rated the image as pleasant or unpleasant.

After making their choice, they were shown a word such as luscious or friendly.

Amazingly, the choice of word seemed to affect their reaction time, despite it being flashed up after they'd rated the picture.

In a third experiment, the students were shown an image of two curtains on a computer screen and told one concealed an erotic image. The students chose the right curtain slightly more often than could be explained away by chance.

The computer was programmed to randomly allot the picture and didn't make its decision until after the volunteer chose one curtain or the other.

To believers in the paranormal, this suggests the students were actually influencing future events.

Professor Bem, of Cornell University in New York State, carried out nine different experiments involving more than 1,000 volunteers.

All but one came down on the side of the psychics.

The odds against the combined result being down to mere chance or being a statistical fluke are 74billion to one, says the professor, who has a plea for the science world to open its mind to the possibility of the paranormal.

At least one sceptic who has read the research is willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Joachim Krueger, a US psychologist, said: 'My personal view is that this is ridiculous and can't be true.

'Going over the methodology and experimental design is the first line of attack. But, frankly, everything seemed to be in good order.'

The proof of the pudding, says New Scientist, will be in whether other scientists can repeat the professor's success.

Once has already tried to prove him wrong, by carrying out a failed attempt to repeat the word recall experiment using an online survey.

But Professor Bem, who has a reputation for careful work, says that allowing the students to work online rather than taking them into the lab could have simply meant they weren't concentrating hard enough.

 

 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1330596/Humans-psychic-powers-startling-new-study-reveals.html#ixzz15aCYUFHX

lol

I dont know if they are this one for me is tricky because if they were indded psychic as they say they why do they charge people to fortelll the future. Why not predict the lottery or which stocks will do great or when to invest in a particular venture to make themselevs rich why charge others for their services ... That's just my take on it. I'm not saying that they aren't persons with certain abilities out there .

form [/size]it.

 

Moar like daily fail, amirite

Moar like daily fail, amirite

 

Hahahaha :lol: :thumbsup:

 

They mentioned The Daily Mail on the news today and I shouted "Daily FAIL!" at the tv. :| My entire family was looking at me like I was crazy. :anxious: :shifty:

 

People can't tell the future . . . unless they've been exposed to a lot of radioactivity, of course! :o ;)

predicting the future.... mmmmm

 

no

 

although i do believe that some peole can be more intune

 

i mean this in the circumstances of feeling uneasy like something bad is about to happen.

 

or when someone who is like a sister or best friend or twin or something is in pain or distress and you can just sense that something is wrong....

 

i believe in that.

 

But as far as final destination style stuff...... no, just no.

predicting the future.... mmmmm

 

no

 

although i do believe that some peole can be more intune

 

i mean this in the circumstances of feeling uneasy like something bad is about to happen.

 

or when someone who is like a sister or best friend or twin or something is in pain or distress and you can just sense that something is wrong....

 

i believe in that.

 

But as far as final destination style stuff...... no, just no.

 

I'm going to totally agree with you on this :D

Well if an octopus can be psychic, surely humans can too!:P

 

They will also spark a million conversations about the significance of everyday occurrences, such as knowing who is at the end of the phone before picking it up.

 

Yep, that crazy shit is called Caller ID.

All I know, is that Mike is psychic.

All I know, is that Mike is psychic.

 

:lol:

I almost think it's funny when people are like "oh yeah well if those people are psychic don't you think they would see their own death and stop it lololol" and it's obviously like no, what are you guys smoking geez.

 

However, I don't really think humans can be psychic unless acted on by something else, in which case it's still not exactly human.

...that made a lot more sense in my head, it comes across as I'm some kind of loony written down. :lol:

All I know, is that Mike is psychic.

 

Mike-ic?:rolleyes:

This is the worst one yet Mark. This is the funniest part:

 

In one experiment, students were shown a list of words to memorise before being asked to recall words form it. They were then given some of the words to type.

Spookily, they were better at remembering the words they would later be asked to type, this week's New Scientist reports.

 

OMGZ it's like they can predict the past!? :shocked2: