Several other people have told me of experiences like this. For example, Anne says, "I often think of someone who I don't see very often and then run into that very person."

What is going on in cases like these? Of course some could be mere coincidences, but some might be more than that.

Are these examples of telepathy? This seems unlikely, because the other people are not usually thinking about the person who meets them. The situation is very different from telephone telepathy, which I wrote about earlier this year. Typically, one person who wants to call another is thinking about that person before actually making the call, and during this period the other person may start thinking about the caller.

Anticipating meetings seems more likely to involve precognition, knowing or feeling what is about to happen. No one knows how precognition works, but there is good evidence that it exists.

Some people, especially hunters, anticipate encounters with animals. Barry used to work as a wildlife ranger for the Forestry Commission, where one of his duties was to control the deer population. He had to walk up and down the paths in plantations looking for deer to shoot. He told me, "I could come to an intersection and I would not even take the rifle from my shoulder, but before I arrived at the next intersection, some strange feeling told me that there would be deer there. This peculiar sensation proved correct again."

Anglers sometimes know when they are about to catch a fish. Chris Yates related an impressive example recently on Radio 4. He said he just knew he was going to catch a particularly large carp, and then he did so. Other fisherman have similar tales to tell, not necessarily tall stories.
Rupert Sheldrake would like to hear from readers who have anticipated meetings with people or animals. Email Rupert Sheldrake's researcher, [email protected] with subject heading: Rupert Sheldrake.
NEW Rupert's book The Sense of Being Stared At has just been published in paperback in the USA and Canada (Random House, US$13.95) The Sense of Being Stared At : And Other Unexplained Powers of the Human Mind. His website is: www.sheldrake.org

Do you think astrology will ever be proven by science?
Sally, Manchester

Eric Francis writes: Astrology came first. When people attempt to mix astrology and science I am always reminded of things like whether technicians will be able to prove that a painting is beautiful or that a symphony is emotionally moving. And let's say they can. Who really cares? Why do people need to have proof of everything? Proof is not a substitute for faith, or for imagination. If you ask me what makes astrology significant is whether it is personally meaningful to an individual. Astrology also does something that is beyond the reach of orthodox science: it deals with unique situations. By definition, something must be replicable in order to be established by science, and the best things in life happen just once. Astrology is mysticism. It is about curiosity. It is part of the search for meaning in life; thank God something is.
Eric Francis will be answering reader questions on this page over the next few Fridays. Write to him if you have any burning issues or insatiable curiosities. He is currently based in London. You may address both questions and inquiries to Eric at [email protected]. For a fascinating experience, visit Eric's web page at www.PlanetWaves.net.