| What is mental telepathy? Telepathy is
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| | This is normal. A coin flipped many
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| defined as "communication through means
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| | times doesn't alternate systematically
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| other than the senses." Add the "mental,"
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| | between heads and tails, but flip it
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| and you have the concept of minds sending
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| | enough times, and it will average about
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| and receiving information without the
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| | 50% heads and 50% tails. That is, it will
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| senses, using something akin to radio
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| | if you tally all the flips. Concentrate
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| waves, "thought waves," or whatever the
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| | your mental powers on heads, and then
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| various theories claim.
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| | don't count 100 of the flips that came up
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| Mental Telepathy - A True Story
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| | tails, and you have a test that "proves"
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| One day, when we were children, my mother
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| | you can affect the coin using the power
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| and father were in another city an hour
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| | of your mind alone.
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| or two away, with relatives. They were
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| | Would scientists (or those that claim to
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| playing bingo at a church. Meanwhile,
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| | be) do this? It happens all the time, but
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| near home, my brother Andy was thrown to
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| | it is usually more subtle. Consider the
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| the ground by a bully. His collar bone
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| | card experiments. If the researcher
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| was broken. At about that same moment, my
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| | already believes strongly in mental
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| mother stood up in the middle of the
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| | telepathy, he might unconsciously find
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| game, and announced to my father, "Andy
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| | reason to exclude non-confirming trials
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| has been hurt!" They immediately left for
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| | (the subject wasn't ready, the "sender"
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| home.
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| | wasn't concentrating, etc.). Only count
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| Was this mental telepathy? It sure seemed
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| | trials with the results you want, and you
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| like it at the time. Or is there another
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| | make it look like the subjects are indeed
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| explanation? More on that in a moment.
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| | psychic.
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| The Evidence
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| | An Explanation Of Mental Telepathy
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| Let's review the evidence for mental
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| | A scenario: My mother knew that Andy was
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| telepathy. That should take about a
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| | having trouble with this bully. Earlier
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| minute, because there is no good evidence
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| | in the day she had been nearby when Andy
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| for its existence. Now, if we are to
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| | mentioned that he was worried, because he
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| review what passes as evidence, we find a
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| | had to deliver newspapers near the house
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| common pattern. Tests that "prove" this
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| | where this bully lived. She wasn't
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| phenomenon are done in some way that is
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| | listening, but the words registered in
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| very flawed.
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| | her subconscious mind. Finally relaxing
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| The "researchers" in ESP (extrasensory
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| | at the bingo game, her mind finally
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| perception) and related areas have less
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| | processed the information, and she
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| of an interest in the truth than in
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| | "sensed" that her son was in danger.
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| proving that these things are real (my
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| | Mother's intuition we'll call it - but
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| opinion). This affects how they perform
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| | this wouldn't be mental telepathy, right?
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| their experiments, often not because of
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| | Is that the explanation? No. It is one
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| dishonest intentions, but due to
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| | explanation. A more scientific approach
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| unconscious factors. The most common
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| | than the one used by true believers, is
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| mistake made in this type of research is
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| | to leave questions open. Hypothesize,
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| that of "selecting" results.
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| | perhaps, and test those hypothesis, but
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| For example, guessing what suit a playing
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| | don't assume an answer before there is
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| card is, you would - by the odds - be
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| | good evidence. It better to leave things
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| right about 25% of the time, because
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| | unexplained than to invent things and
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| there are 4 suits to choose from. Suppose
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| | believe in them just because we want them
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| you try this with 10 trials of 20 cards
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| | to be true. We may never know what the
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| each, and then repeat it with 30 other
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| | explanation is for much of what is called
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| subjects, for a total of 300 trials. The
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| | "mental telepathy," but do we need to
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| subjects will do better than the odds
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| | know right now?
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| dictate in some trials, and worse in
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| | Copyright Steve Gillman.
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| others.
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