I had to look up the definition of telepathy because I'm not sure if everyone is talking of the same thing
telepathy
tə-lĕp′ə-thē
noun
- The supposed process of communicating through means other than the senses, as by the direct exchange of thoughts.
- The direct communication of one mind with another otherwise than in ordinary and recognized ways; the supposed action of one mind on another at a distance without the use of words, looks, gestures, or other material signs; also, the resulting mental state or affection.
- The sympathetic affection of one mind by the thoughts, feelings, or emotions of another at a distance, without communication through the ordinary channels of sensation.
So it appears to be mind to mind communication using non-sensory means.
From the definition I can't see that it says anything about being able to read or understand what other people are thinking. Is that implied? I get the impression that there are a number of assumptions in play whereby
- Telepathy is taken to imply being able to read other people's thoughts, it's not just about non-verbal non-sensory mind to mind communication
- The above then implies that thoughts or the process of thinking all happens at the same "mental" plane whereby it can be read by someone with "telepathic" ability.
A word that came to my mind in terms of what telepathy may have a connection with (or at least some cross over with) is INTUITION.
Looking up its definition
plural intuitions
1
[noncount] : a natural ability or power that makes it possible to know something without any proof or evidence : a feeling that guides a person to act a certain way without fully understanding why
2
[count] : something that is known or understood without proof or evidence
Could intuition and telepathy have some connection between the 2? To me, in both, there is an implied connecting to the non-physical "information field" of some sort.
Intuition appears to transcend language, that you come to know something or feel you know something without that thing that you know having come into existence via being constructed by words i.e. through language. Telepathy on the other hand, at least as it appears it's being spoken about here is connected with language. Instead of the words / language being transmitted by sound waves, it's done "mind to mind" but nonetheless the underlying means appears to be language of some sort.
Why does telepathy have to function this way? Could it be entirely non-language, non-verbal, a way of communication different to how you experience your own thoughts, perhaps closer to intuition but intuition in the sense of a communication?