Theory:Precognition

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The following fan theories are about Precognition.

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Theories

Theory	Citations	Notes
All of the paintings will come true, but possibly not in the character's lifetimes or for a different reason that the characters thought they would happen.	None.	+ It would seem that a lot of Isaac's and Sylar's paintings have come true. - Paintings of the future seems to be only prediction of what will happen if a major action is not taken to prevent it. Isaac's painting of the explosion shown NY city blowing up, which didn't happen like that at all. - If Mohinder had run away to India after seeing what he was destined to do to Noah in Season Two, then it wouldn't have come true. + Maybe not like that, but there could be countless turn of events that could lead to the realization of that painting. + On an other hand, the paintings always occurs but in a different way in the action itself. It is also not the representation of a finality, but as an isolated action that can be reverted afterward.
The paintings depict not absolute futures, but possibilities.	The other characters were, using Isaac's painting, able to prevent the destruction of New York and The Dark Future. (How to Stop an Exploding Man) Sylar had a vision, using Isaac's powers, of himself exploding and called Mohinder in a panic. He then manipulated events so that it was Peter who lost control of his powers and became the human bomb, suggesting Sylar was capable of foreseeing multiple futures. (The Hard Part)	+ Isaac's multiple paintings of his death may also hint at Isaac's considering multiple futures and foreseeing his eventual death by Sylar's hand in all of them. This may be what leads him to do the art that shows Hiro how to stop the explosion, rather than trying to escape what he knows is coming, ala Jesus at Gethsemane.
Prior to his own death, Isaac created a work depicting Sylar's death. This painting has nothing to do with his drawing of the events at Kirby Plaza.	Isaac told Sylar that it didn't matter if he died, because it was his place to die there - but not before he shows the others how to kill Sylar and stop the bomb. (.07%)	+ Season 2 partially revolves around the discovery of eight paintings Isaac created before he died. It is presumable that at least one other painting will play a pivotal role in the series. + Isaac never described the work he did of Sylar's death, leaving the door open for another work altogether. Additionally, he listed 'stopping the bomb' and 'killing Sylar' as separate goals, suggesting that maybe another work he has hidden will show how Sylar may be permanently defeated. - The painting depicting Sylar's death could be Hiro's comic book. (.07%) • Sylar seems to no longer be able to steal abilities; perhaps Isaac's last painting involved this. - Sylar has since stolen abilities.
Isaac cannot only paint the future, but involuntarily paint the past as well.	None.	+ The group of paintings discovered by Mr. Bennet and the Haitian include one of Takezo Kensei/Adam Monroe fighting with Hiro Nakamura. At the time it was painted, this event had already happened 400 years previously. - When Hiro went back in time he changed the timeline. Because of this the event didn't happen until we saw it on the show, so technically it was painted by Issac when it was still a future event. + Adam Monroe still existed in the current timeline even before Hiro went back in time. Technically, he didn't change anything at all, so the painting was still of a past event. + Usutu is able to extend his ability to Matt and Hiro. While on his spirit walk, Hiro saw the past instead of the future. • It's been stated that Usutu's paste is similar to Isaac's heroin.
Precognition can show through in different ways, like dreams, paintings or simple visions.	None.	+ The dreams that Peter had in season 1 were precognitive. It could be a separate ability, or it could have been the same ability coming through in a different way. - Precognitive dreaming is a different ability.
There is another evolved human in New York with precognition.	None.	+ There is a painting similar to Usutu's on a building in New York, but Usutu is in Africa. • Isaac Mendez could have possibly painted it before he died. • If this is true, it could be suggestive of a higher power/order that sends all precognitive evolved humans the same visions.
Usutu's music acts as a catalyst for his precognitive ability, much like Isaac originally needed heroin to paint the future.	None.	+ Usutu has never been seen painting without his headphones. + Matt's eyes went white after Usutu gave him his music to listen to. • It's been stated that Usutu's paste is similar to Isaac's heroin. • What Usutu's paste does is let people enter the same plane of consciousness that the natural precogs draw their visions from, allowing the person to have precognition or precognitive dreaming.
Usutu's precognitive ability is not genetic, but is instead artificially induced.	None.	+ Matt gained precognitive ability, as implied by his eyes turning white, after consuming something given to him by Usutu, and listening to his music. • Mohinder has shown that abilities can by artificially induced. • "Vision quests" are often accompanied by psychotropic substances, some of which give the user a feeling of having precognitive abilities. + Usutu's food is a catalyst that can be used to help induce visions in other people.
Precognition is one of the abilities that can be extended onto other people, like teleportation.	Matt goes into a precognitive trance and has never shown to have the ability before meeting Usutu.	+ Many abilities can be extended to other people, even regeneration. • Perhaps the substance Matt ate allowed him to see the future with Usutu because when he woke up, Ususu had already painted everything Matt saw. + Usutu uses food to help others see precognitive visions.
Precogs see the future by sending their souls into the future. The body then paints what the soul sees on an impulse.	None.	+ When painting Claire being chased by Sylar, Isaac can be seen standing on a roof top. + This could explain why Matt sees Usutu. He was in a trance when Arthur killed him. - We don't see Arthur killing Usutu, there's no way of knowing if he was in a trance.
Precognitive paintings are inevitable and, for the most part, literal, as seen in the future of at least one person.	None.	+ Hiro sees the New York bomb as Isaac has painted it on the floor. In his own 'personal' timeline, the event came true. • The explosion did happen, but not in the way Isaac painted it. + Hiro and Kensei's fight was in Hiro's own personal future when it was painted. + Peter in the outbreak future occurred from Peter's perspective even though it was prevented.
Precogs can receive visions when looking at precognitive paintings.	Usutu looked at the picture with Matt, Daphne and Daniella and said the future changed. (One of Us, One of Them)	- He noticed that the future changed cause Matt was there, and he wasn't supposed to be. - Precogs can see the future without painting it, like Sylar did. • Usutu could have noticed something 'off' about the painting, because it showed a future that was no longer probable.
Intuitive aptitude can be combined with precognition to allow more accurate prediction of the future.	After Sylar's eyes filled with images in Isaac's loft, he immediately seemed to know that Peter also possessed the potential to become the Exploding Man.	+ Intuitive aptitude allows you to understand complex systems without special training or knowledge. By syncing together the images, Sylar could have made a sort of composite image of the near future, showing him what was likely to happen. - When Sylar painted himself eavesdropping on Ted, he figured out he could explode, but he understood Peter had that potential as well only after he painted himself and Peter at Kirby Plaza. Prior to that, he thought he killed Peter at Mohinder's apartment. + How would Sylar know that he had the potential to become the Exploding Man from that picture without using intuitive aptitude in some way? - He also had the ability of induced radioactivity, and intuitive aptitude isn't necessarily an active ability, even though there are active applications. • Sylar acquired induced radioactivity after drawing that painting. He figured out that Ted had that power because of the painting. • Sylar simply takes others' abilities, he could consider himself a potential "exploding man" if he thought he would acquire the ability soon. + Sylar had no way of knowing that Peter was still alive.
Precognition can use mediums other than paintings to show the future.	None	+ The Oracles at Delphi would breathe incense which sent them into prophetic trances, during which they would foretell the future. It's possible that some precogs may simply say what's going to happen, or use automatic writing, etc. + Angela Petrelli can see the future in her dreams, and Usutu could show others the future through yet another means. - Angela's ability is different from Isaac and Usutu's. + "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet". Precognition and precognitive dreaming are both used to foretell the future. - Angela's ability also allows to see the past, retrieve objects from dreams and project one's mind into another's, and besides her visions are often inaccurate. • Precognitive dreaming's primary use is exactly like that of precognition. - Matt and Hiro didn't gain precognitive abilities by eating Usutu's paste, it had something to do with the paste itself rather than with evolved abilities. - So far, three evolved humans manifested precognitive abilities naturally - Isaac, Usutu and Matt, and each of them expressed their ability through visual art. • Matt's ability is not precognition, he merely uses his telepathy to access the same realm of consciousness that precogs draw from when the paint. + It seems rather bizarre and unlikely for every single precog on the face of the Earth to have used paintings to show the future. • Not many precogs have been introduced.
If a precog is under extreme stress or suffers severe psychological trauma, he may enter a precognitive trance spontaneously.	None	+ Gabriel, after accidentally killing his mother, enters a trance and uses her blood to make a painting on the floor. + Many other abilities can become unpredictable if the evolved human who possesses it suffers psychological trauma or is sufficiently stressed. For example, Elle's ability started activating on its own after the events of The Butterfly Effect. + Matt's precognition activated when he, Mohinder and Hiro were running away from Danko's team (Trust and Blood). - Matt didn't control his precognition well at that moment. - Matt seemed calm when Usutu's apparition appeared to him and told him to draw.