Exploring the Relationship Between Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) and Dream Precognition
David Vernon,¹,² Elizabeth C. Roxburgh,¹ & Malcolm B. Schofield²
¹School of Psychology and Life Science, Canterbury Christ Church University Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom
²School of Psychology, University of Derby, Derby, United Kingdom
Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) has been suggested to be a continuously distributed trait with higher levels associated with deeper processing of information, greater empathy and emotional reactivity, and a greater ability to sense subtleties in the environment. Aron and Aron devised a questionnaire called the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS) to measure high sensitivity, and the Highly Sensitive Person classification is used to describe an individual who experiences SPS.
Initial research in parapsychology suggests that highly sensitive persons may be more likely to experience anomalous experiences (AEs). In one of the few parapsychological studies to use the HSPS, Irwin found an increased propensity to anomalous experiences on the Survey of Anomalous Experiences in HSPs. Aron also noted that HSPs reported more meaningful and vivid dreams and had more highly developed unconscious processing abilities and intuition, which have been suggested to be particularly useful for exhibiting more robust precognitive effects. In addition, HSPs have been shown to report more altered states of consciousness, which naturally occur through dreaming, suggesting they may potentially make good candidates for a dream precognition paradigm.
Research on dream precognition has not always been successful in eliciting clear and robust effects. Nevertheless, the most recent meta-analysis concluded that dream precognition is a genuine effect that is not governed by the specific experimenter or laboratory, the necessity to monitor rapid eye movement (REM), the type of target, agent and perceiver arrangements or the number of choices available in a target set. However, to date, no research has explored the potential link between participant sensitivity and dream precognition. Hence, the aim of this study is to explore this using an online dream diary precognition protocol.
—
Dr David Vernon is a visiting Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the School of Psychology, Politics and Sociology at Canterbury Christ Church University, and also holds a research position at Derby University. He has a background in cognitive neuropsychology and has published scientific articles focusing on electroencephalographic biofeedback, creative problem solving and more recently precognition. He is currently conducting research on experimental tests of extrasensory perception such as precognition, scopaesthesia and telepathy. He is particularly interested in the field of human consciousness and specifically what the findings from psychic/parapsychological research can tell us about consciousness.
—
Program chaired by Jacob W. Glazier. Download the Abstracts at https://parapsych.org/uploaded_files/pdfs/00/00/00/01/26/2023_pa_abstracts_of_presented_papers.pdf
Find us:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ParapsychologicalAssociation
X – https://x.com/parapsych
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/parapsychologicalassociation
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/parapsychological-association-inc-/
Donations to support the mission of the PA can be made by reaching office@parapsych.org or using this link: https://parapsych.org/section/11/support_the_pa.aspx
Published on January 24, 2025
