Can we influence the past?

An experiment by Dean Radin and Ron Cline asks an unusual question: can a link be observed between a person’s intention and physical measurements made earlier?

The researchers use recordings of light to drive an animated flame on a screen. Participants alternate between periods of intention and relaxation. The optical data therefore already exist when they watch the animation.

In their main analysis, the authors report a small difference between these periods in the signal presented to humans. A condition using artificial intelligence produces no significant result. However, this difference in statistical significance is not enough to show that humans and AI behave differently.

Several checks are needed to interpret the result. A substantial proportion of sessions took place before the analysis plan was registered. Some people also participated more than once: their sessions should not automatically be treated as independent observations.

The study looks for an association between a later intention and earlier data. It does not show that a recorded file was changed. Even if the association were confirmed, its explanation would remain to be established. The setup does not directly measure the role of consciousness in quantum measurement.

Further reading: Bulletin of 25 September 2026.

Source: Radin and Cline (2026), “Does wavefunction collapse require a conscious observer?”, Physics Essays. Overview and publication.