False Arrival Apparition : is a phenomenon whereby the
percipient hears and sometimes less frequently sees another person
arrive. This usually occurs half an hour or an hour or so before the
person actually arrives.
The percipient may hear footsteps on a path, the opening of a gate, the
opening of a front door or even footsteps on the stairs. In Scandinavian
countries this phenomenon is common. Indeed a professor of physics
at the University of Oslo did some research in this area. He
speculated that this is a form of communication that has evolved
especially among people who live in isolated rural areas. See also apparition
and hallucination.
Source: Mysteries of the Afterlife, Frank Smyth & Roy Stemman,
Aldus Books London 1975