Editorial: The Humanity of Telepathy

Perhaps even more importantly, the podcast raises awareness around the necessity of honoring the humanity of neurodivergent people. That is, rather than viewing these nonspeakers or neurodivergent individuals as lacking an appropriate subjective experience or as deficient in their theory of mind (Fadda et al., 2024), a kinder, more ethical approach places them as just as human as you or us, albeit with alternative ways of expression, communication, and existing in the world. These alternative ways should certainly be viewed as more than just deficiencies or pathologies – in fact, it may be these very non-normative ways of being that enable the possibility for these individuals to use extrasensory communication like telepathy, precognition, and so on. Consequently, pathologizing them, whether institutionally through psychiatry or colloquially through overlooking their potential, misses what they have to teach us about the nature of consciousness and exceptional human experiences.

This strand of parapsychological research and, by extension, The Telepathy Tapes touches on a deep and intimate part of what it means to be human – indeed, perhaps the most intimate part insofar as it highlights how and when we are interconnected with one another. Our vision of the future would be radically altered if this deep-seated interconnection were given serious consideration. Certainly, our relationships with others would become more meaningful, lasting, and purposeful if, on an everyday level, we are not just connected through language, digital devices, or other social means. Instead, what would it mean for the future to realize this interconnection extends to the mind and consciousness – that our very thoughts are shared, that we are joined together psychically or energetically in some deep, profound sense? Such would undoubtedly lead to a more ethical world and, importantly, not just for humans. Indeed, an enormous obstacle to be overcome on our way to such a world is what critical theorists call anthropocentrism (Braidotti, 2013), which is the privileging of the human worldview and the application of this conceptual framework onto other beings in the world, including those found in nature, such as animals and plants.

The vision of the future needs to include this intimate interconnection with other-than-human beings, decentering humanity from the top of the hierarchy and stressing our ecological entanglement with the rest of the natural world. As a case in point, Sheldrake (1999) has demonstrated interesting ESP effects in dogs as well as other animals. Parapsychology can lead the charge in breaking free of anthropocentrism, envisage a more honest kind of science, and lead the world toward a future that is deeply more intimate and mutually dependent than the current version offered to us. Such a world would not exist without new challenges – knowing the gift beforehand, to use a relatively benign example. However, the future would be kinder and more inclusive, and it would incorporate many other prosocial and accepting qualities. This is the kind of future that we want.

We hope this issue of Mindfield on “Neurodivergence & Communication” helps lay a blueprint for such a vision. Jacob W. Glazier and Anastasia Wasko present a special interview with Diane Hennacy, who reflects on her groundbreaking work in neuroscience, psychiatry, and parapsychology – exploring the intersections of neurodivergence, extrasensory perception, and human potential. Julia Mossbridge, Maria Welch, and Jeff Tarrant argue that by presuming competence and engaging nonspeaking individuals as co-researchers, emerging methods such as “mind-discovery” and telepathy trials challenge long-standing assumptions about their cognitive abilities and open new ways of understanding their inner lives. David S. B. Mitchell defends The Telepathy Tapes against dismissals rooted in scientism and pseudo-skepticism, arguing that open inquiry into psi and nonspeakers’ reported telepathic abilities is both scientifically valuable and ethically necessary. Craig Weiler argues that the Center for Inquiry and its affiliates are orchestrating a media campaign to discredit The Telepathy Tapes through biased articles, Wikipedia control, and SEO tactics, revealing both the power of organized skepticism and the cultural impact of the podcast.

Mel Larrosa explores how insight experiences – sudden realizations often linked to creativity and intuition – manifest differently in neurodivergent individuals with ADHD and autism, and considers whether such insights may reflect access to non-local informational fields. Bob Davis argues for a scientific paradigm shift by presenting evidence that extraordinary human experiences, such as telepathy, near-death experiences, and kundalini awakenings, may reflect nonlocal aspects of consciousness. Anastasia Wasko examines how telepathy may serve as a legitimate and transformative mode of communication within therapeutic relationships, supporting a post-materialist framework that integrates intuition, emotional resonance, and nonlocal consciousness. Óscar Iborra traces the historical development, key figures, institutions, and challenges of parapsychology in Spain, from its popular rise in the 1970s to its current status in academia and research. Maurice van Luijtelaar and Renaud Evrard present their forty-sixth installment of “Articles Relevant to Parapsychology in Journals of Various Fields,” which includes 283 articles from 225 different journals.

We are also happy to include the addresses given at the recent PA conference. Everton Maraldi’s 2025 Presidential Address calls for parapsychology to critically confront its internal challenges, strengthen its institutional foundations, and pursue greater integration with global, interdisciplinary, and open-science initiatives to ensure its survival and future relevance. Kelly E. Hayes highlights, in the 2025 J.B. Rhine Address, how Brazil’s Valley of the Dawn systematically cultivates extraordinary experiences through structured training, material embodiment, and community practice, offering valuable insights for parapsychology and consciousness research into how subjective phenomena become socially real.

Together, the contributions in this issue invite readers to reconsider the limits of communication, cognition, and consciousness by situating neurodivergence at the center of psi research. Mindfield 17(2) ultimately challenges us to imagine futures where openness, curiosity, and respect for human diversity guide both scientific inquiry and lived experience.