Angela Thompson Smith, Ph.D.

Angela Thompson Smith

Predictions? What's the Point?

Abstract:

Contrary to popular definitions, the term, "to predict", comes from Latin roots that are combinations of the action verbs "to tell" and "before". Literally to tell about something before it happens. The modern definition of prediction relates to the personal belief that something will happen in the future. Nothing in the definition talks about whether the predictions actually come to pass or their validity or reliability.

Prior to the emergence of the psychological school of Behaviorism, at the turn of the last century, predictions played an important role in everyday life. People made educated guesses about future events that were crucial to decision making, avoidance of future calamities, and planning for the future. Historically, certain individuals, who were better able to make guesses about future events, were often consulted as experts. They were often venerated as seers, oracles, augurs, prophets, and soothsayers.

Behaviorism's tenets require that human behavior be scrutinized using statistical proofs that look at outward behaviors rather than personal experience. Basically, "if it cannot be measured, it does not exist." Under Behaviorism the whole concept of human consciousness came under scrutiny and the topic became taboo to researchers. Current scientific studies still use Behaviorist tools to evaluate predictions. Parapsychologists have adopted Behaviorist standards for judging predictive data and critics point out a lack of corroborative evidence, poor record keeping and claiming success "after the fact" as poor science. Predictions are often evaluated on a pass/fail basis rather than on their overall value to society and the individual.

So, what is the point of predicting anything? Does it matter that not all predictions come to pass? Predictions are notoriously difficult to study. Is there any value at all in disciplines, such as remote viewing, continuing to carry out predictive work?

Over the past year, the Nevada Remote Viewing Group has been working with a major client who has tasked the NRVG team with a variety of projects, some of which were predictive in nature. These predictive projects have been valuable to the client in guiding his company as major changes have been envisioned, planned, and implemented. These predictions were extensively documented at various locations, including the Copyright Office, and multiple predictions have been followed up to evaluate their value both to the client and to society. These findings will be presented.

Bio

Angela Thompson Smith received her Ph.D. in Psychology from Saybrook Graduate School in California. She also has a Masters degree from Manchester University in England and a Bachelors degree in Psychology from Cardiff University in Wales. Her early training and experience were in the fields of nursing, social work, and child development: she trained as a Registered Nurse and holds social work qualifications. She has researched laterality and brain development with the Faculty of Medicine at Manchester University; cognitive/ emotional development at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey, and human information processing at Princeton University. Her research has been published in peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, Cortex, and the Journal of Humanistic Psychology.

Dr. Smith now lives in Nevada where she is a writer, researcher, and teacher of remote viewing. Her research interests are concentrated in the field of human consciousness where she is exploring mind-matter interaction (psychokinesis) and remote perception (remote viewing). Dr. Smith has recently developed The Nevada Remote Viewing Group to carry out remote viewing applications work as well as humanitarian projects. The Nevada Remote Viewing Group is composed of trained remote viewers located around the Unites States. Her books: Remote Perceptions and Diary of an Abduction have been published by Hampton Roads Publishing Company.