Whereas precognition is the psychic ability to see or know about an event before it has taken place, retrocognition is the ability to see images of a past event or to know the cause of an event after it has taken place, even though one was never present and had no opportunity to learn details from witnesses. For example, someone who hears about a missing person and suddenly knows (without thinking about the matter logically) that the person is dead can be said to be experiencing retrocognition. Cases where people see ghosts from the past at historical sites, such as phantom warriors on an ancient battlefield, are also said to be experiencing retrocognition. Some places are particularly noted for eliciting this experience. For example, people visiting the palace of Versailles in France have occasionally seen ghostly figures, dressed in clothing from various periods in French history, walking through the gardens.
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SOURCE:
The Greenhaven Encyclopedia of Paranormal Phenomena – written by Patricia D. Netzley © 2006 Gale, a part of Cengage Learning