We live in a time of deep uncertainty, with economic turbulence, political division and rapid technological change. When the future seems unknowable people often abandon empirical methods in search of shortcuts to clarity. For research and foresight professionals this tendency highlights the importance of combining rigorous data analysis with frameworks for understanding social change. Only by understanding the stories and symbols people turn to can we anticipate the choices they make when facts alone do not provide firm ground.
In the tense years after World War II intelligence agencies faced a daunting challenge. The Soviet Union had surprised the West with its atomic bomb and its early advances in missile technology. Conventional spies and intercepted communications only went so far. With stakes high and time short, some analysts turned to an unexpected avenue of inquiry. Could human intuition, guided by psychic ability, yield secrets that satellites and codebreakers could not?
Psychics were invited to experimental sessions at military bases and research institutes. They tried to “see” hidden installations or describe distant test sites. When a description even loosely matched reality it was celebrated. The cost of a single psychic session was negligible compared with advanced electronics or espionage operations. At a time when every insight might shift the balance of power, a few marginal successes were enough to justify further funding.
