Most people do not really understand the term ‘Mental telepathy‘. The definition of mental telepathy implies that two people are able to share their thoughts with each other without the intervention of the five senses. Nevertheless mental telepathy can involve a range of varied communication ranging from trying to watch somebody to trying to read someone’s mind. The science of telepathy has many facets to it which can range from utterly simple to highly evolved. The aim of this article is to delve into the various forms of mental telepathy
KINESICS COMMUNICATION:
If you are a parent who has tried to tell your kid or spouse something non-verbally by using your body language, eyes and facial expressions, then you would know what Kinesics or non-verbal communication is. In this form of non verbal communication almost everything can be said without speaking by merely using the eyes and expressions and body language. For this kind of communication you need to know the other person well in order to communicate effectively. Its most effective between parents, children, lovers and intimate friends.
Most people do not regard this form of communication as mental telepathy since here communication is through senses and not just with sounds. Theoretically, this argument holds good. However, we cannot disregard the role of mental telepathy here. The very observation that this kind of non verbal communication is most effective in people who are intimate with each other or know each other well tells us that the minds of these people are more in synch with each other. However, skeptics may argue that this communication is merely effective because people who know each other well understand each other’s body language well or have previously developed a mode of non verbal communication.
EMOTIONAL TELEPATHY:
Through empathy it is possible to directly experience the emotions of others or connect on an emotional level. Putting yourself in another’s shoes’ and understanding how they feel is not something everybody is able to do. Training and practice can increase empathy. Imitating the emotions of others, even to the point of spontaneously laughing or crying is something actors and sociopaths can do everyday.
‘Sympathetic pain’—feeling another person’s pain as if it were your own is something expectant fathers mention, some claiming they can feel the mother’s labor pains at the same time she is experiencing them. If someone close to you is experiencing an overwhelming emotion, you may feel an echo of the same emotion inside you, and mothers often describe this uneasy feeling when their child has been injured. The phenomena of long distance empathy, where a person suddenly feels that someone close to them is in danger, even though they are not near the person at the time is common in other relationships, as well.
Overactive imagination has been blamed by some psychologists and they feel other senses are being used, so it doesn’t count as mental telepathy. How would you explain the phenomena of long-distance empathy, when you are not in proximity to the person? This might explain the feelings experienced if you have sympathetic pain after seeing your child break his arm, however.
CONCRETE CONCEPTS
There is another kind of telepathy which involves sending and receiving concrete symbols and objects between two people. Here advanced Mental telepathy is involved and it is a phenomena outside the five senses. This kind of mental telepathy involves a lot of training, concentration and practice. There is a receiver and a sender involved in this.
It is easier to communicate through thought alone if it is a simple symbol or object than more complex thoughts. A color may be easier to convey than an animal or a general shape easier to communicate than a person’s name.
Experiments in telepathy are often conducted on this level. The Zener cards used in tests of mental telepathy are simple, concrete black-and-white symbols (a circle, square, star, plus sign, and three wavy lines). On one hand, skeptics and critics of the Zener cards have pointed out that with only five cards to choose from, even a random guess has a 20% chance of being right. On the other hand, one could argue that a shared, known, limited set of concrete symbols increases the ability of the sender and receiver to coordinate their thoughts. Furthermore, although anyone can get a 20% success rate with enough guesses, a success rate of 50% or higher (which have happened) can not be explained away by simple statistics.
ABSTRACT CONCEPTS
Mental telepathy at this level goes beyond simple colors and shapes to more abstract concepts like ideas, actions, or values. It is rare and difficult for telepaths to achieve this level, and experiments have shown that they have a lower success rate.
Some animals appear to communicate, and science is not able to explain how. Telepathy shouldn’t be ruled out. At this level, such animals would be using abstract concepts, albeit very basic concepts. Due to the nature of animal brains lacking prefrontal lobes, such ideas would probably not go beyond simplistic impulses like ‘hungry’, ‘thirsty’, ‘horny’, or ‘danger!’
While humans may have once been capable of telepathy, as the species evolved and developed language, it was no longer needed as a form of communication. With the right stimulation humans may be able to call upon this dormant ability that includes abstract communication of ideas. Mental telepathy could be used to communicate, without the need for the use of the five senses.
However, there are some who feel that man may be able to develop ESP and telepathy and such psychic abilities in the near future. As man’s psychic powers grow it may be possible for the entire race to become telepathic in the future.
