The Science of Premonitions: How Knowing the Future Can Help Us Avoid Danger, Maximize Opportunities, and Create a Better Life

by Larry Dossey

Overview

"Larry Dossey is one of America's most important thinkers. When he talks, I listen."—Marianne Williamson, author of A Return to Love

In his New York Times bestseller Healing Words, Dr. Dossey investigated why patients surrounded by prayer healed faster and more completely than patients who were not. Now, in The Science of Premonitions, Dossey uses cutting-edge science to make a convincing case that premonitions are real, common, and helpful. Then Dossey explores research on mindfulness and meditation to show readers how they can cultivate and take advantage of premonitions. Packed with compelling case studies and thought-provoking findings, this is a book for the skeptical mind and the believer's heart, and will be greeted warmly by, as Deepak Chopra said, "anyone who is interested in knowing about the deeper meaning of our existence." (Deepak Chopra, M.D.)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101404577
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	05/04/2010
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
File size:	455 KB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Larry Dossey, M.D., is a former internist and chief of staff of Medical City Dallas Hospital and the former cochair of the Panel on Mind/Body Interventions, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health. He is the executive editor of Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing and the author of nine other books on the role of consciousness and spirituality in healing, including the New York Times bestseller Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine. Dr. Dossey lives in Santa Fe with his wife, author Barbara Montgomery Dossey.

Table of Contents

Foreword xiii

Author's Note xv

Introduction xvii

1 The Cases 1

Warnings of Illness 8

Telesomatic Events: The Importance of Feeling 13

Premonitions of Infant Death: SIDS 17

The Aberfan Disaster 21

Premonitions and Immortality: Dunne's Experiment with Time 26

Avoiding Trains and Planes 30

The Exploding Church 41

The Farmer's Almanac 45

Across Space and Time: Two Explorers Test the Limits of Premonitions 45

Making Money 49

2 Evidence 61

Ahead of Ourselves: The Presentiment Experiments 63

Online Evidence 74

Facing Up to the Evidence 76

Premonitions in Animals 78

First Sight and Mindsight 86

Premonitions and the Brain 92

Knocked Psychic? 96

3 Premonitions: Why, What, How? 101

Speaking the Language of Premonitions 103

Why Are Premonitions Not More Accurate? 106

The Repression Effect 108

Evolution and Instinct: Staying Ahead of the Game 114

Entropy and Emotion 114

4 Why Should we Want to Cultivate Premonitions, and How do we do it? 121

Culture and Premonitions 123

Why We Want to Cultivate Premonitions 127

Personality and Temperament 129

The Importance of Belief 134

Respecting Chaos 136

When Should We Pay Attention to Premonitions? 139

Ethics 141

Question the Source 146

The Cost of Denying Premonitions 149

Would History Have Been Different? 157

If We Can See the Future, Can We Change It? 162

Dangers 165

Cautions 169

5 Premonitions and our Worldview 173

Paths Toward Premonitions 175

Our Beloved Time 177

Time in a Muddle 178

Premonitions Do Not Contradict the Laws of Nature 181

Can We Affect the Past? 182

Quantum Possibilities 185

Consciousness 188

Fate or Free Will?195

Loving Mystery 197

Appendix 201

Infinite, Eternal, and One: Scientists on Consciousness 203

Notes 209

References 253

Acknowledgments 271

Index 275

What People are Saying About This

Deepak Chopra

"For anyone who is interested in knowing about the deeper meaning of our existence, this book is a must read. Once again, Larry, being the pioneer that he is, has written a classic."--(Deepak Chopra, MD, Jesus: A Story of Enlightenment)

Joan Borysenko

"Dr. Larry Dossey is the world's leading expert in space-time mystery. In this compulsively readable, thoroughly researched work, you will be left with tantalizing questions. Can there be free will and premonitions both? What is the nature of time? Rarely does a book come along that keeps you on the edge of your seat and stimulates thought like this one. Don't miss it!"--(Joan Borysenko, Ph.D., Your Soul's Compass and Saying Yes to Change)

Woodson Merrell

"Larry Dossey, one of our greatest medical sages and admitted informavore, takes us on a wonderful journey from non-local mind and consciousness to the power of understanding our abilities to have not only intuitive thoughts, but premonitions. Read it to feel fully awakened to a deeper understanding of your mind and a greater connection to the universal consciousness."--(Woodson Merrell, MD, Chairman Department of Integrative Medicine, Beth Israel Medical Center, NYC, and author with Kathleen Merrell of The Source: Unleash Your Natural Energy, Power Up Your Health, and Feel Ten Years Younger)

Dean Radin

"In his crystal clear style, he explains why the paradoxical idea of knowing the future is no longer based on mere conjecture or fantastic stories, and why cultivating this startling ability is perhaps your most important birthright."--(Dean Radin, PhD, Senior Scientist, Institute of Noetic Sciences)

Marianne Williamson

"I think Larry Dossey is one of America's most important thinkers. When he talks, I listen; when he writes, I read. He presents compelling evidence that the power of the mind is so much greater than we had previously realized."--(Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love)

Editorial Reviews

"For anyone who is interested in knowing about the deeper meaning of our existence, this book is a must read. Once again, Larry, being the pioneer that he is, has written a classic."—Deepak Chopra, M.D., New York Times bestselling author of Quantum Healing and Jesus: A Story of Enlightenment
 
"The long-awaited seminal book on this topic. A crowning achievement.”—Marc Ian Barasch, author of Healing Dreams

"Larry Dossey, one of our greatest medical sages and admitted informavore, takes us on a wonderful journey from non-local mind and consciousness to the power of understanding our abilities to have not only intuitive thoughts, but premonitions. Read it to feel fully awakened to a deeper understanding of your mind and a greater connection to the universal consciousness."—Woodson Merrell, M.D., Chairman Department of Integrative Medicine, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York City, and co-author of The Source: Unleash Your Natural Energy, Power Up Your Health, and Feel Ten Years Younger

"Dr. Larry Dossey is the world's leading expert in space-time mystery. In this compulsively readable, thoroughly researched work, you will be left with tantalizing questions. Can there be free will and premonitions both? What is the nature of time? Rarely does a book come along that keeps you on the edge of your seat and stimulates thought like this one. Don't miss it!"—Joan Borysenko, Ph.D., author of Your Soul's Compass and Saying Yes to Change

"Larry Dossey is one of America's most important thinkers. When he talks, I listen."—Marianne Williamson, author of A Return to Love 

“[Dossey] documents cases of premonitions—some involving entire communities—and offers a fine survey that includes field-tested techniques for inviting premonitions… a winner!”—The Bookwatch

From the Publisher