The Telepathy Tapes podcast shot to the top of the charts, making bold claims about telepathic abilities in non-verbal autistic children. But are the claims rooted in science—or something else entirely? In this episode of PRETEND, we take a closer look at the phenomenon, the controversies, and the skepticism surrounding these extraordinary claims.
We’ll discuss:
➜ The premise of The Telepathy Tapes and the experiments it presents.
➜ Scientific skepticism surrounding telepathy claims.
➜ Ethical concerns, including the history of Facilitated Communication and its controversies.
➜ Voices from parents, experts, and critics, including Zaid Jilani and Amy Lutz.
Resources Mentioned:
Learn more about Amy Lutz’s work and her book Chasing the Intact Mind.
https://amzn.to/4gg9Mbe
Read Zaid Jilani’s articles on Facilitated Communication and The Telepathy Tapes on his Substack, The American Saga.
https://www.theamericansaga.com/
Explore the history of Facilitated Communication in the documentary Tell Them You Love Me (available on U.S. Netflix).
https://www.netflix.com/title/81783064
Share Your Thoughts:
Have you listened to The Telepathy Tapes? What do you think about the claims it makes? We want to hear from you! Send a voice memo with your thoughts to javier@pretendradio.org, and your message might be featured in an upcoming episode.
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