Amy Lu's View

I’m not that excited by telepathy. 

I realized this a while back (at least several months ago as I’ve not been very prolific with my blogging) when I attempted to listen to the first episode of the extremely popular “The Telepathy Tapes” podcast. This is a very popular podcast that many people are very enthusiastic about (we started to listen to it at the urging of a friend who is an avid fan). As my use of the word “attempted” signifies, I did not become a fan of the podcast. Admittedly, I was, and am, very dubious about the premise of the podcast–that nonverbal autistic children may be telepathic–but my non-fandom isn’t just because of my skepticism. I just found it boring. 

I am not trying to be a hater to those who are fans of The Telepathy Tapes and/or believe in its theory of telepathy. While I doubt the claims made on the podcast, I’m certainly no expert on telepathy and have only done a cursory bit of internet searching about the podcast (just enough to know that there are scientists who argue against it). 

What I am claiming to be is someone who found The Telepathy Tapes rather dull. Now I certainly didn’t give it much of a chance–the first episode of any type of show isn’t necessarily that engaging. It often takes a bit to get hooked on a TV show or podcast. But I think my uninterested response to the podcast goes deeper than that. 

When I think about it, I just don’t find telepathy that intriguing. 

I DO think telepathy would be very consequential, on both an individual and societal level. I don’t want to have telepathy (unless I could be extremely selective about it and turn it off and on at will) and I certainly don’t want people around me to have telepathic abilities and be able to read my mind. (I don’t think I’m harboring more sinister thoughts than the average person, but I don’t want to advertise my various dysfunctions or subject others to the unfiltered tedious miasma of my mind). I might advocate for telepathy in a superhero type scenario, where a “good guy” could use it to thwart an evildoer. 

I think telepathy would be impactful, but I don’t find it that meaningful. It doesn’t inspire me to reconsider my fundamental thoughts and feelings about the world or my place in it. It’s not a paradigm shifter for me. The idea of it doesn’t give me goosebumps or make me feel like the world is bigger and deeper and somehow more profound. 

I DO get a thrill of “whoa” when I think about quantum physics and things like  alternate realities, dark matter, quantum entanglement, the Block Universe (the past, present, future exist simultaneously). By no means do I understand these concepts–I’ve only done a small amount of reading  about them (I’ve listened to half of a Neil deGrasse Tyson book) and I’m no quantum physicist (I don’t even play one on TV).  My shallow grasp of these science-inspired concepts probably actually enhances the awe they inspire in me–I’m free to ponder the coolness factor without getting bogged down by equations and what not. 

I can’t really defend why alternate realities and whatnot are more interesting than telepathy. I can’t honestly come up with any real reasons for how any of the theories I just touted would actually affect my life if they are true. Yes, I could blog about why I find them interesting (and maybe will one day–or already have in another reality) but basically it just all comes down to feels. Quantum entanglement gives me feels; telepathy doesn’t. 

I’m not that into telepathy, but I am into awe. I want to be more open to experiencing it in big and little ways, and to appreciating when others find it (as long as it doesn’t lead them to doing things that are too goofy).  So this is what I’ve learned from thinking about “The Telepathy Tapes”

• Embrace whatever gives you awe, makes you feel spinny in the face of the vastness of mystery and wonder. 
• Just be humble–unless you actually are a rocket scientist or the Dalai Llama, you probably only have a cursory understanding of those mind-blowing concepts, whether they are scientific or theological. You could very well be way off base. 
• Fall madly in love with ideas–stay up late thinking and talking about them just like you would over a cute crush–but don’t cling. Be willing to give them up and move on if they no longer serve you (and/or you learn they are just flat out wrong). Fall in love again with new ideas. 
• Accept that awe is a matter of personal taste–whatever floats your metaphysical boat may just be ho-hum for someone else. 

And if you can ever read my mind–I apologize in advance. Yes, much of the thoughts you will discover will be needlessly bitchy, but mostly they will just be boring and confusing.