The Telepathy Tapes

[Laird]

The Telepathy Tapes A Podcast Beyond Words

In a world that often dismisses the extraordinary as mere fantasy, The Telepathy Tapes dares to explore the profound abilities of non-speakers with autism—individuals who have long been misunderstood and underestimated. These silent communicators possess gifts that defy conventional understanding, from telepathy to otherworldly perceptions, challenging the limits of what we believe to be real.  For years, their parents and teachers have quietly witnessed these remarkable abilities, knowing that the time to share their truth would eventually come. But now, as the evidence mounts, the time has come to reveal what has been hidden in plain sight.

This groundbreaking series challenges everything we think we know about communication and the human mind, inviting viewers to step into a reality where the impossible is not only possible but happening every day. Through emotional stories and undeniable evidence, The Telepathy Tapes offers a fresh perspective on the profound connections that exist beyond words. Traveling with Neuroscientist Dr. Diane Hennacy Powell, witnessing mind-boggling telepathy tests and forging deeply intimate relationships with families around the globe - Host Ky Dickens invites you to contemplate the world through the eyes of those who speak without words. Prepare to be captivated, challenged, and ultimately transformed as the series shines a light on the untold capabilities of those who have been underestimated for far too long.

This really is a groundbreaking series in my view, presenting powerful evidence of telepathy and spiritual gifts among the non-speaking autistic community in a thoughtful narrative format accessible to a mainstream audience. It validates the work of Dr. Diane Hennacy Powell, which has been discussed before both here on PQ (see, for example, the thread titled after her) and on Skeptiko, including from a skeptical perspective which, based on this podcast, it seems to me can no longer be sustained.

Find out in this series what The Hill is, as well as what it's like to be an intelligent, competent person who can hear the thoughts of others, trapped in a body you can't control, and presumed to be an incompetent idiot.

Hat tip to @Aussie Mike as usual, and as also mentioned by @Larry in a post from almost two months ago.

[Laird]

A couple of cross-references:

Post #1 in the "Timelessness (eternity)" thread.

Post #1 in the Entangled thread.

In a rare instance, I'm throwing back a skeptical angle to this. A lot of what goes on in the Telepathy Tapes involves facilitated communication, which is a very sketchy method of aiding people with severe disabilities that has a long history of not being very scientifically sound and also being harmful do the groups that it tries to help. 

FacilitatedCommunication.org has a lot of articles going over different episodes. Some of the articles they are better than others, but I definitely feel like it's something that should be presented.

In a rare instance, I'm throwing back a skeptical angle to this. A lot of what goes on in the Telepathy Tapes involves facilitated communication, which is a very sketchy method of aiding people with severe disabilities that has a long history of not being very scientifically sound and also being harmful do the groups that it tries to help. 

FacilitatedCommunication.org has a lot of articles going over different episodes. Some of the articles they are better than others, but I definitely feel like it's something that should be presented.

I've been very skeptical of the claims made by the Telepathy Tapes too. It comes very close to almost glorifying Autism as some sort of deeply spiritual thing ~ the people with crippling physical and mental issues are somehow more "psychic" than others for... rather vague reasons.

I've even seen some trying to connect shamanism and psychic abilities with being "neurodivergent" ~ and that was the last straw for me. It made me realize that there are groups of people who want to feel "special" and "unique" so they grab onto anything that's considered different, that makes them stand out from the "normies".

I may be considered diagnostically "high-functioning Autistic" or having "Asperger's" ~ but frankly, my shamanic path has nothing to do with that. The handful of spirits I telepathically banter with casually every day don't consider me to be a label nor special because of some disability. They stick around because I'm just who I am ~ personality-wise. Who I am physically matters not, who I believe I am matters not ~ they see things in me that I seem almost blind to, but they don't say I'm "special" or "different". I'm just who I am ~ and that's all that seems to be relevant. They don't see "Autism" or "Asperger's" ~ they just see who I am deep within, the true me that I cannot see because of trauma. And they content themselves with slowly pulling me out of that poisoned thinking bit by bit.

[Laird]

There was also a somewhat critical post in The Daily Grail in this respect by Greg on 1 February, 2025 that he linked to recently, in which he questions whether (inadvertent) cues could explain the test results:

The Telepathy Tapes: Overturning the materialist paradigm, or the re-emergence of an old controversy?

I've been meaning to buy access to the videos and watch them to assess for myself.

In any case, The Talk Tracks Episode 8: The Skeptic Who Couldn’t Debunk The Telepathy Tapes addresses this issue, and, provisionally, I'm pretty confident that it's a non-issue.

I also think that attempting to explain everything that's revealed in The Telepathy Tapes as merely an outcome of the ideomotor effect is pretty insulting to everybody involved - as if they wouldn't have been able to figure that out for themselves.

I'll probably take a look at the articles at that link that you shared at some point anyway, @Smaw.

I don't have any doubt about the validity of Experiences that are sometimes labeled as 'Telepathy. The problem is teasing it out, and demonstrating it in a reproducible way. After two previous run in's with Powell claiming she's demonstrated it... where she released video that clearly didn't demonstrate the evidence that she believed... I have almost zero hopes that this is anything different. That said, I felt there was still an untested loophole within the design of past facilitated communication studies that had results which disproved the effect.

I don't have any doubt about the validity of Experiences that are sometimes labeled as 'Telepathy. The problem is teasing it out, and demonstrating it in a reproducible way. After two previous run in's with Powell claiming she's demonstrated it... where she released video that clearly didn't demonstrate the evidence that she believed... I have almost zero hopes that this is anything different. That said, I felt there was still an untested loophole within the design of past facilitated communication studies that had results which disproved the effect.

Yeah even as someone who considers themselves a "die-hard" proponent I have to admit this research has me curious *yet* given all the issues in the past I am waiting to see if the shoe drops and some new issue is exposed.

OTOH I have to also admit I haven't given the new findings a good look, and I know at least one biology PhD who finds the podcast very intriguing.

Yeah even as someone who considers themselves a "die-hard" proponent I have to admit this research has me curious *yet* given all the issues in the past I am waiting to see if the shoe drops and some new issue is exposed.

OTOH I have to also admit I haven't given the new findings a good look, and I know at least one biology PhD who finds the podcast very intriguing.

Nope, from the videos made public there is nothing there Sci. Exactly the same magic trick type tests filmed for the public which are full of holes, and still no properly designed study from Powell.

I am really suprised how main podcaster on psiq have dismissed the telepathy claims of non speakers with autism. I've noticed people who's first encounter with the phenomenon(that I have observed) , was of a sceptical nature and often vitriolic, tend to dismiss or are highly sceptical  of the claims , then upon checking out a small sample from the source , they tend to see it through that lens of their first impression.
This to me is understndable in that I have done just the opposite. Having listened to probably a hundered hours of interviews and demonstrations while starting from a positve inclination, the sceptical reactions seem very unfounded and cherry picking the parts that do not meet ridgid lab scientific conditions as if that proves their inauthenticity. They (ky dickerson diane powell and others) are not claiming this first observation of the phenomenon meets laboratory scientific conditions. It's in the works to do that but it's very expensive and difficult to do especially when a hoard of debunkers will desend upon them as they already are starting to using slander and allegations of abuse. 

Here is another part of this post I deleted earlier

The telepathy tapes and the follow up interviews with Ky Dickerson and Dianna Powell appeared to me as the biggest slam dunk in proving telepathy is real as well as a plethora of other paranormal phenomena accompanying the studies being so radical and powerful as to dismantle materialism or at least have it shaking in it's boots.
Having first encountered the phenomena through favorable reports and having been aware of Powells work previously I was easily convinced and enthralled with the implications I was imagining.
It did occur to me there will be a backlash from the medical establishment as well as the usual debunkers but I steered clear for a while and relished the win. Now it appears they are digging in with this ideomotor thing as well as abuse allegations. It staggers the mind that anyone looking at the data in the presentations could totally dismiss it.(silly me).

[Laird]

Totally agreed, @Larry. On listening to The Telepathy Tapes, my reaction was, "Wow, this is the final nail in the coffin for skeptical materialism. Game over and game-changing. Now we can move on, and Ky is moving on, in such a thoughtful and inspiring way."

For the reactions in this thread on this forum of all places to be as skeptical as they are, or at least referencing of external skepticism, is disappointing. It's like Annika and Tristan all over again, about which I felt similarly.

There, again, was something utterly fascinating and - in my view - compelling, the nature and implications of which I would have thought we could have had an intriguing discussion about here on Psience Quest, but instead reactions were muted and wary (although, thankfully, not entirely so), even descending into digging up muckraking.

I get it: we don't want to be credulous. On the other hand, I'd have hoped that we could be enthusiastic and curious about really interesting and strong cases and projects.