Aeon Student Guide: Precognition (Patreon)

Precogs make up almost 1% of all Ments, or 0.01% of the general population, and have the ability to predict the future with near total accuracy.

Precognition relies on the processing and analysis of data by the Precog’s subconscious mind.  Visions are uncontrollable and usually limited to disasters, most of which turn out to be unavoidable. Thus, precognition does not so much allow people to avoid calamity as give them an opportunity to begin preparations earlier and thus reduce fallout—an immeasurable boon to early agrarian societies that faced setbacks such as crop failure and flooding.

Geneticists believe that precognition was the first psychic manifestation to evolve, and that those possessing the ability were frequently revered as godlike figures throughout prehistory. As centralized empires and kingdoms began to form, Precognitives began to be more frequently viewed as undesirable challengers whom commoners considered to be “blessed by the gods” and thus undermined the proposed divinity of the emperor or king (see index: Khufu reliefs, Hadrian’s Villa). By the first and second century C.E., Precogs faced severe persecution and stigma alongside Telepaths, Telemetrists, and Telekinetics.

The closer a Precog emotionally feels to the subject of their vision, the less likely it is that the vision will come to fruition. However, Precogs tend to have visions about those closest to them, usually foreseeing moments when their lives are in danger. One theory for the uncertainty of these particular predictions is that the vision itself introduces a new variable into the mental math work, thus diminishing the odds of the vision occurring. An opposing school of thought theorizes that the introduction of bias into the calculations results in a skewed prediction. It is unknown which theory, if either, is correct, but the fact remains that predictions about individuals with whom a Precog is close decreases the accuracy rate from 99.9% to merely 80%.

The more information a Precog has access to, the more threats their brain is accurately able to predict. With the advent of the internet and age of shared information, many Precogs find themselves overwhelmed by the volume of their predictive visions. Today, many Precogs use meditation or, in rare cases of Level 10 Precogs, prescription sedatives help to reduce their exposure to visions. Others end up living “off the grid” to limit their knowledge of the outside world and subsequently stop most their prophecies.

For those who choose to embrace their abilities, precognitive employees are sought after by private security firms and governmental agencies, and consistently rank as having the highest-paid careers of all Ment types—both due to the rarity of their ability, and because of the overall usefulness of threat assessment. At Unity, Precog AMOs are invaluable team members whose visions often determine mission success.