Telepathy and Transpersonal Consciousness
A look into a fascinating paranormal aspect of the human mind
“Telepathy” is the ability to sense information beyond the basic functions of the known senses. It is a kind of extra-sensory perception (ESP).1 Telepathy, among other paranormal phenomena, can be difficult to measure, as it is highly subjective and usually spontaneous. This field of study has always secretly fascinated many psychologists, being that it seems to be an anomalous function of human consciousness that goes against many of our known materialist views of the mind. So, since it is difficult to explain using mainstream scientific models, it has fallen to the fringes of science, and those who attempt to study it are often ridiculed.2 Nevertheless, since there have been many well-documented cases, it may be important to look into its merits.
I’ve always been fascinated by this topic, and thank goodness I’m not alone in taking it seriously as an academic interest. The Filipino priest-psychologist Fr. Jaime C. Bulatao (1922-2015) was known for his studies on the mysteries of the Filipino psyche, as it can be observed through ESP and a belief in a tangible spirit world. Fr. Bu founded the Ateneo de Manila University psychology department, where I worked on both my undergraduate and graduate degrees. He considered telepathy—or, as he called it, hyper-empathy—as a manifestation of shared humanity.3 He suggested that human minds are not like hard-boiled eggs, where yolks (i.e. mind) are separated from each other with hard shells. Consciousness, he said, is similar to eggs being fried together: one cannot tell their boundaries.4
Using Fr. Bu’s metaphors, it can be said that mainstream materialist science views human minds as hard-boiled eggs. Therefore, attempts at explaining telepathy are often grounded in the material world. For example, it may be possible that what we consider to be “telepathy” may simply be two people “synchronizing” both physically and psychically.5 In other words, two egg yolks are simply “vibrating” on the same “mental frequency”, likely prompted by their similar body language or train of thought. Alternatively, one can say that the individual mind is part of a larger, shared consciousness, like a single broadcast signal being played in multiple television sets.6
Telepathy in Healing
For my master’s research, I looked into the manifestation of telepathy in healing. In the psychotherapeutic setting, telepathy may allow for stronger rapport and richer insight. Therefore, budding clinical psychologists may do well to enhance their ESP.7 Filipino therapists who trained under Fr. Bu have described telepathy as the ability to sense “energies.”8 By quieting their mind and connecting with their client through an “affect bridge”, they are able to viscerally experience their client’s thoughts and feelings. You can read my full research here.
In summary, telepathy could be a reminder that human beings share in a vast, universal consciousness and are therefore never alone. If ESP were a real thing, then it can be frightening. Its existence would mean that thoughts are not always private and can drift in psychic space. It also suggests that others could cause harm simply by thinking it. This explains “supernatural” phenomena, such as kulam (malign magic) and the so-called Evil Eye, which operate simply by intention. Alternatively, it could also imply that prayers for “good vibes” may have some impact—who knows? This would also mean that human relationships are not simply a matter of physical interactions; it may be that human beings are connected on what religion might consider to be a “spiritual” level.
More Resources
Rhine, J. B. (1934). Extra-sensory perception. Boston Society for Psychic Research.
Butzer, B. (2019). Bias in the evaluation of psychology studies: A comparison of parapsychology versus neuroscience. Explore, 16(6), 382–391.
Montiel, C. J. (2015). Rev. Fr. Jaime C. Bulatao, SJ 1922-2015. Philippine Studies, 63(2), 295–300.
Bulatao, J.C. (1992). Phenomena and their interpretation: Landmark essays 1957-1989. Ateneo de Manila University Press.
Koole, S. L., & Tschacher, W. (2016). Synchrony in psychotherapy: A review and integrative framework for the therapeutic alliance. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 862.
Beauregard, M., Trent, N. L., & Schwartz, G. E. (2018). Toward a postmaterialist psychology: Theory, research, and applications. New Ideas in Psychology, 50, 21–33.
Teh, L. (1992). Can extrasensory perception be enhanced? A proposed training program to develop psychic abilities [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Ateneo de Manila University.
Cervantes, C.L. & Fernandez, K.T.G. (2023). The interpretation of a phenomenon: telepathy in psychotherapy among therapists trained under Fr. Jaime C. Bulatao. Asia Pacific Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy.