Want to Connect Better With Others? Practice Telepathy to Deepen Your Relationships
Lions Gate
Have you ever thought of someone only to receive a text from that same person moments later? It might have been a funny coincidence, but the truth is, it could have been the power of your own telepathy.
Telepathy was first coined back in 1882 by psychologist Frederic W. H. Myers. While it's still considered a pseudoscience by many because it's difficult to prove, there have been studies that have shown its potential efficacy.
But what is telepathy exactly? We connected with three telepathy experts to find this out and to learn how to practice and use telepathy in your everyday life.
What is telepathy?
"Telepathy is the ability to communicate thoughts and/or ideas by means other than the five senses children learn in about in school—seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching," psychic and clairvoyant, Davida Rappaport tells HelloGiggles. According to Rappaport, telepathy is a non-verbal way to communicate with others. "One person may be thinking o sending a thought to another person, and the other person may pick up or feel that same thought," she says.
Which explains why, when you randomly thought of your college best friend, she texted you the next day. Or that time when you spontaneously called your cousin, and he said to you, "OMG, I was just thinking about you!"
Why use telepathy?
Telepathy can help during those times when you don't know what to say or how to say it. Maybe you fear of being unheard or rejected. Maybe it doesn't feel right to pick up the phone with your ex, but you still want to say what's in your heart.
"It's not always possible to say the things we need or want to say to someone in our material world," says Mystic Michaela, an aura reader, and podcast host. "Taking the time to do this telepathically allows the soul identities and the higher selves to get involved in order to deliver these messages. Profound connections, forgiveness, and even closure can be completed in a telepathic conversation that can't always be realistic in face-to-face ones."
If you're nervous, feel silly, or feel like you're going to get it wrong, follow celestial mentor and energy healer Andrea Donnelly's advice and see telepathy as a natural extension of your human abilities.
"My family often called it our 'little voice,'" she says. "I find it helpful for beginners to think of it like a sixth sense or another language you were born with and just need to remember. It's like a psychic telephone network that connects you to everyone and everything, including other people, plants, animals, and the stars."
The more you open up to the possibility of telepathy, says Donnelly, the more you will start to notice "the messages from your spirit guides and ancestors, and the synchronicities or coincidences that have always been running through your life. If you can tap into this way of communicating, your life and relationships can shift enormously."
Curious how to get started? Our experts tell you how.
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How to practice telepathy:
The great thing about telepathy is that it can be done (or practiced) by anyone. "Everyone has the ability to send thoughts and ideas to others, but not many people realize they have this ability or are doing it consciously," says Rappaport. "Like any talent or skill, you have to practice."
The experts we talked to suggest practicing telepathy on a partner or a family member first. Why? According to Mystic Michaela, telepathy works best when you already have a connection or bond with someone, like family, friends, and romantic relationships, since you're more likely to be telepathically communicating to them already on some level (even if you don't realize it!). It's about first paying attention to the telepathy that's already occurring between people you surround yourself with.
1. Begin in a meditative state.
"Sit in a meditative state, and visualize [a person you want to connect with] sitting or standing in front of you," she says. "Picture sending them love, gratitude, or a feeling of urgency. Take that feeling, and see it as a state of energy that can travel to them.
2. Send small messages to someone you care about.
To enhance a dream telepathic connection, Mystic Michaela says before you go to sleep, ask your higher self to "visit" their consciousness and give a message. "Start to send messages to someone through your thoughts and states of mind. Ask them to communicate back to you in this state that they did indeed receive the message you sent out," she says.
3. Be ready to hear back from others.
Mystic Michaela says you'll be surprised by how many phone calls or texts you get the next day. "They may tell you how much you've been on their mind, or how they felt compelled to reach out to you today. They may randomly ask you if everything is okay or you need anything," she says. If it's someone who isn't in your daily life anymore, the contact might be more passive. "They may like a post on social media or suddenly DM you a little hello," she adds.
4. Be patient.
Most of all, when it comes to telepathy, Rappaport says it's important to be patient. "Like learning a new skill, it will take time to get good at it. Thoughts are powerful, so repetition is a good thing," she says. "While some people may be better senders than receivers, others may be better receivers than senders, and some people are equally good at sending and receiving."
5. Find a psychic mentor.
Lastly, says Donnelly, make sure you are practicing good spiritual hygiene. "Meaning that you are taking care of yourself throughout your psychic development. That is part of why taking classes, hiring coaches, and guides are so important," Donnelly says. "You need to be able to release things that are not yours such as ideas, fears, thoughts, and more from the collective, with love, of course. That can take practice and having a mentor can really help!"
Telepathy exercises:
Ask your partner to pick up something from the store.
Rappaport recommends another easy exercise the next time your partner goes to the grocery store after work. "Even if you don't meditate or have problems relaxing, just clear your mind and repeat the sentence multiple times, 'Why don't you pick up ___________ on your way home?' You can even visualize them doing it. Then let it go," she says. If it worked, you'll soon find out that your partner picked up your favorite snack without you even having to tell them. If not, simply try again.
Send a loved one a mental image.
Donnelly suggests doing a similar exercise with a friend or partner but instead, doing it together. First, she says to sit quietly and think of this person and assume you're connecting with their mind. Then, "Try imagining a specific image like a teddy bear, but don't tell them until afterward." Then, ask your friend or partner to tap into what you are sending.
"Maybe they won't see a teddy bear, but they'll sense things like 'softness,' 'childhood comfort,' or 'plush,'" says Donnelly. "It might not be literal and that is part of the process of unlocking how you perceive or experience telepathy."
Guess the name of who's calling.
Another easy way to practice, she says, is to try tapping into who is calling you. "I know we all have caller ID, but when it rings, before you look at who it is, feel into it and see if you already know. The more you play around and practice, the more you will realize you are often right."
To affirm verification more easily, Mystic Michaela recommends always asking for a "confirmation" from the recipient. "The more 'in tune' they are with their higher selves, the easier it will be for them to call you out on your telepathy," she says.
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Benefits of telepathy:
According to Donnelly, you start to see larger patterns in your life the minute you begin to use telepathy. "You begin to understand that things happen with and for you, not to you," says Donnelly. "Things start to be part of a beautiful tapestry, even the hard stuff."
"Instead of perceiving life as a string of random things that happen by chance, you begin to take other people's actions less personally and realize that we are actually moving in concert with each other, the Earth, and the stars," she adds. "It is a gift and a form of communication that will help you stay calm and focused as we move forward in these externally chaotic times."
Mystic Michaela says telepathy is a great tool between friends and partners. For example, maybe you haven't heard from a friend in a while but instead of assuming she's mad at you, you send her a message to let her know that you are thinking about her and ask if she can connect with you when she's ready.
"It's nice to have a connection with someone who immediately understands where you are emotionally, why you may be not returning texts today, or what is going on with you without you ever having to say an actual word," she says. "You can feel them in your space, speaking to you and comforting you. And the more connected your friendships and relationships are, the more you can confirm this with one another when you do get together for a regular conversation."
Negative effects of telepathy:
As for the cons, both Donnelly and Mystic Michaela say it can be overwhelming to receive and give so much information. "You need to be aware of your own boundaries and other people's boundaries," says Donnelly. "It is never okay to violate anyone's free will, and as tempting as it may be, being nosey is also uncool. Not to say you won't get information that you are not expecting, but it's more about moving through the psychic space with integrity."
On the flip side, according to Mystic Michaela, there may be times when you don't want the telepathic messages someone is sending you. "Unfortunately toxic people can be amazing at latching onto our energy and manipulating our psychic bonds to negatively communicate to with us. So if you are in a bad state, Mystic Michaela says we may get confused or feel guilty and find a reason why you should communicate with them again. "It's important to be aware of telepathy in ourselves and others so that we can control the links and bonds that attach themselves to us," she adds.
While learning how to use telepathy might take some time, keep practicing—and maybe one day your partner will bring home your favorite snack without you needing to drop a hint.
