Retrocognition

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Paranormal / Parapsychology Terminology
Details

Terminology:	Retrocognition
Definition:	The transfer of information from object or event in the past through Psi
Signature:	An individual is said to be able to gather information from an external source that is hidden from their traditional senses by time.
Misc
AKA:	Postcognition

See Also:	Psi, Clairvoyance, Telepathy, Parapsychology

Retrocognition (also known as postcognition), from the Latin retro meaning "backward, behind" and cognition meaning "knowing", is the alleged paranormal transfer of information about an event or object in the past. A person said to possess retrocognition can see into the past (see Psi). ^[1]

Frederic Myers coined the term. ^[1] Psychometry and past life regression are types of retrocognition.

Retrocognition is different from clairvoyance in that information is said to be gained from an object or event in the past, not from a contemporary event or object.

Retrocognition, like all forms of psychic functioning, is said by critics such as Robert Carroll to be, in all probability, illusion or fraud.^[2]

[edit] Retrocognition in popular culture

A depiction of retrocognition can be found in the Canadian television series, Seeing Things, or the Stephen King novel The Dead Zone and its film and TV adaptations.

The Marvel Comics characters Snowbird and Blindfold possesses different degrees of this ability; Snowbird can view up to six hours of prior events in a specific area, but Blindfold's power is less defined.

Another popular reference to retrocognition is in the Charmed television series where Phoebe Halliwell possesses this ability as an aspect of her Premontion power.

The character of Gustav McPherson in the point and click adventure game Still Life uses this ability to investigate a series of murders.

In the film " Rose Red" Emery Waterman possesses the psychic power of Retrocognition