Telepathy Tapes

This podcast was recommended by an Instagram influencer who often posts about quantum physics and concepts like the simulation hypothesis. I’ve been intrigued by this realm of discovery for as long as I can remember. Even as a child, I recall playing "thought" games with my mom, trying to transmit images from one mind to another. I was probably five or six years old, sitting on her lap, and we’d take turns being the sender or receiver. I distinctly remember one of our more amusing attempts: I was thinking about a pile of rubber bands, and my mom guessed “noodles.” It was surprisingly close to what I had in mind, and we had a good laugh about it. But as far as I remember, the game didn’t continue much beyond that point.

Interestingly, this type of psi experience, or mind-to-mind communication, seems to be more common among nonspeaking individuals diagnosed with autism. Not only can they reportedly read minds, but some claim they can connect with others over vast distances simply by focusing on a shared “field of connection.” The podcast does a fantastic job of exploring and testing these phenomena, presenting observations from both believers and skeptics. For me, it shifted my perspective from viewing these experiences as “unknowable” to simply “unknown.” I believe that, in time, we’ll gain a better understanding of these abilities, making them less mysterious and more accessible.

One thing that stood out to me was the overwhelming sense of community expressed in the podcast's comment section. People who have grappled with these ideas and abilities are finally finding a space where they feel seen and accepted—no longer relegated to the fringes of society. Many of the comments were hopeful, fostering esoteric conversations that might not have been possible before. Of course, critical assessments were welcome, but there was also a noticeable presence of dogmatic dismissal, a stark reminder of the resistance these ideas still face.

It’s encouraging to see that more people feel comfortable discussing these fascinating experiences without fear of excessive scrutiny. A conversation I had with a friend recently highlighted this shift. He’s the head of a large university engineering department—someone you wouldn’t expect to have telepathy on his radar. But he also happens to have two children with autism: one nonspeaking and the other partially verbal. When I asked for his thoughts on the podcast and the broader discussion about telepathy, his response surprised me.

First, he admitted uncertainty about whether his boys could read minds. However, one of them claims to see auras and uses the colors to determine who is open to engaging with him versus who views him as a “vegetable.” It was a perspective I hadn’t considered before. Second, he expressed a valid concern: if telepathy or similar abilities were used to explain the accomplishments of autistic individuals, it might lead to their academic or intellectual achievements being dismissed. Both his children have graduate-level educations, yet he worried that framing their success as a result of “mind-reading” could undermine their credibility. His caution felt justified—if I were in his position, I, too, might hesitate to embrace “telepathy” as a defining characteristic of this community.

Ultimately, my takeaways from this podcast are complex. On the one hand, I feel deeply curious and optimistic about the potential for human connection that phenomena like telepathy might unlock. On the other hand, I recognize the need for caution when attributing these abilities, especially in communities already navigating stigma. Like any emerging understanding, it’s a balancing act between wonder and responsible inquiry. As the conversation expands, I hope we approach it with both openness and discernment, allowing space for possibilities without overshadowing the tangible achievements of those at the heart of it all.