I want to thank everybody for the continued interest and response to this thread. I don't get to check in very often these days, and it's great to see/hear so much input on a 4 year old thread; clearly, it strikes a universal chord in human experience.
I read an interesting book recently, called "Entangled Minds", by Dean Radin. It documents the huge amount of scientific research into things like "the sense of being watched" (the most common study, and the most consistently documented to be accurate), the ability to sense what others are thinking at a distance, the ability to anticipate positive or negative events in the future, etc. The writer is a Phd. psychologist and statistician, so goes pretty heavily into the math and science of the experiments, and how certain the results are. Much of the reading is dry, but the conclusions are interesting. Overall, experimental results consistently show "psychic" type abilities, with odds against chance in the thousands. (i.e., "The odds against these results being random chance are x-thousand to one.") According to Radin, the type and magnitude of the results parallel the measured effects of quantum physics.
A few interesting bits.
The "sense of being stared at / watched" (page 127): 60 (different) experiments with a total of 33,357 trials had success rates with odds against chance of (get this) 202 octodecillion to one. (That's not a made up number, it's 2 x 10 to the 59th power.)
"Pre-sentiment" (sensing a good or bad experience about to happen): Repeatedly demonstrated in the lab, with odds against chance in the 1,000 to 1 range. Interesting side-note: Humans consistently demonstrated physical responses to events (even if they didn't describe being aware of it) 3 seconds BEFORE the event occurs. Lower life forms (worms) exhibited the same effect only 1 second before the event. (page 171)
Mental effect on (living and non-living) physical objects: An experiment was designed to test the effects of mental/spiritual healing, by testing growth of healthy cells, which were focused on by healers, compared to a control group. The scientists discovered that not only did the Johrei (Japanese spiritual healing) practitioners improve cell growth (with odds against chance of 1,100 to 1), they also affected the random number generators used in and around the lab (proportional to their distance from the machine) with odds against chance of 37,000 to 1.
People most likely to perform at a high level on tests of this nature? Open minded, creative people. Highest scorers sounded like "hippie chicks"! (Exactly the last people you'd probably believe, when they talked about this stuff.)
There will always be arguments about the why and how of "psychic" experiences, but it doesn't seem like there's much point anymore in arguing "if" they exist.
If your mind is up for a serious journey, rent the movie "What the Bleep Do We Know?". The simple descriptions of quantum physics, human chemistry, etc., are very worthwhile. The "weirdness" of quantum physics, that is, time reversal, the ability to be two places at once, perceive things at a distance, create new realities, etc., are also remarkably similar to what many religions describe, and to what users of LSD have reported. Odd group of overlaps!
One result of my study in this area, was reading several books on meditation, eastern religion, etc. The practices and experiences that many millions of people are looking for turn out to be remarkably similar to what you and I have already experienced in the woods, and at the firing range. Turns out, most people lack the basic ability to shut up, focus, observe themselves and their surroundings, and be aware.
Funny; I wasn't seeking God when I went camping or shooting. But perhaps he was seeking me.
