Rose Rimler

They play this at the beginning of every episode.

They play this at the beginning of every episode.

It really is. So Kai Dickens, that's the host. That's who we just heard from. She is typically a documentary filmmaker, but she heard about this phenomenon and she wanted to study it, document it. And so she ends up visiting a lot of people who have had this experience with autistic people in their lives.

It really is. So Kai Dickens, that's the host. That's who we just heard from. She is typically a documentary filmmaker, but she heard about this phenomenon and she wanted to study it, document it. And so she ends up visiting a lot of people who have had this experience with autistic people in their lives.

Well, the stories were interesting and honestly really intriguing. Obviously, there's been skeptics here saying that something else is going on to explain this. So I wanted to find out what exactly was happening. And I got especially curious when I heard a scientist interviewed on the show say this.

Well, the stories were interesting and honestly really intriguing. Obviously, there's been skeptics here saying that something else is going on to explain this. So I wanted to find out what exactly was happening. And I got especially curious when I heard a scientist interviewed on the show say this.

100%.

100%.

Yeah. 100%. And that's what I've been doing. So the last, you know, month or so. And it's, you know, it turns out scientists have been studying this for some time. And I learned a lot of really interesting stuff. Wendy, like, this has just been so fascinating to work on. It's been surprising. It's been infuriating. Sometimes it's fun. So there's like a lot to unpack here.

Yeah. 100%. And that's what I've been doing. So the last, you know, month or so. And it's, you know, it turns out scientists have been studying this for some time. And I learned a lot of really interesting stuff. Wendy, like, this has just been so fascinating to work on. It's been surprising. It's been infuriating. Sometimes it's fun. So there's like a lot to unpack here.

And I'm just like excited to tell you about it. Great. It's all coming up after the break.

And I'm just like excited to tell you about it. Great. It's all coming up after the break.

Okay, so first we're going to talk about some of the specific claims made in the show, The Telepathy Tapes. Then we're going to zoom out and talk about the body of research that scientists have done on telepathy. Great. Let's do it. So the show is about people with autism who are non-verbal or who speak very little.

Okay, so first we're going to talk about some of the specific claims made in the show, The Telepathy Tapes. Then we're going to zoom out and talk about the body of research that scientists have done on telepathy. Great. Let's do it. So the show is about people with autism who are non-verbal or who speak very little.

What you hear over and over again on this podcast is that their family can never speak to them or really communicate with them until they learn this method of communicating where the non-verbal person points at letters on a board or picks at keys on a keyboard. And essentially they learn to painstakingly spell out words and communicate that way.

What you hear over and over again on this podcast is that their family can never speak to them or really communicate with them until they learn this method of communicating where the non-verbal person points at letters on a board or picks at keys on a keyboard. And essentially they learn to painstakingly spell out words and communicate that way.

And then all of a sudden, this is where the telepathy comes in, they start spelling out things that they shouldn't know. So they'll like tell their parent, oh, I know that you went to Target today. But the parent's like, I never told them that I was at Target today. Or they might say, I know that you brought me cookies for a snack, but you left them in the car.

And then all of a sudden, this is where the telepathy comes in, they start spelling out things that they shouldn't know. So they'll like tell their parent, oh, I know that you went to Target today. But the parent's like, I never told them that I was at Target today. Or they might say, I know that you brought me cookies for a snack, but you left them in the car.

And that person's like, I never told you I was going to bring you cookies. I didn't tell you I left them in the car. How do they know these things? And they start thinking, this person can read my mind. Huh. So if that was all the podcast offered, these like little anecdotes, or there could be a million little explanations or coincidence or luck, you know, that wouldn't be that interesting. Okay.

And that person's like, I never told you I was going to bring you cookies. I didn't tell you I left them in the car. How do they know these things? And they start thinking, this person can read my mind. Huh. So if that was all the podcast offered, these like little anecdotes, or there could be a million little explanations or coincidence or luck, you know, that wouldn't be that interesting. Okay.