The Telepathy Tapes and the Rise of Post-Materialism: A Therapist's Perspective

Initial Reactions: Is This Real?

IF this is some kind of hoax or scam, I’m going to be very upset! This podcast has thoroughly blown my mind.

My Relationship to Science

I like science. My father was a scientist. A biologist. He taught science teachers at Michigan State University. He was the curator of Education at the Museum of Natural History at MSU. He shared his knowledge freely and instilled a sense of order in me about the natural world.

Understanding Materialism and the Scientific Pyramid

There is a foundational philosophy in science: we can study what we can observe. By using a rigorous method of inquiry, the scientific method, we can prove that physical phenomena occur in a consistent way. This was my father's foundation, and he shared it with our family.

This idea is also known as Materialism. In short, all the sciences stack up on each other like a pyramid. The bottom of this pyramid is Physics. Atoms, ions, electrons, and more recently particles that occur in two places at once, dark matter, dark energy… you’ve probably heard about these discoveries in quantum physics. We can measure these particles of matter. We can use math to make predictions about them. Matter is behind everything.

Then there’s Chemistry. That’s the next layer of this scientific pyramid. We have studied chemical reactions, organic and inorganic for a long time and know how to make all kinds of stuff with chemicals.

Next is biology. This includes medicine. Then more thoughtful, less concrete science like philosophy, psychology, economics and at the top is conscious awareness. Our consciousness comes from the matter that exists in the universe and in our bodies and brain.

Science has been trying to figure out all of these questions about how it all works using materialism as the fundamental starting place for centuries.

What the Telepathy Tapes Reveals

The Telepathy Tapes does an elegant and thorough job of questioning this foundation. And more, it points out the well documented experiences of non-verbal folks who are diagnosed with Autism. They are called spellers because they use various methods to spell out their thoughts and feelings. These families, caregivers and teachers share the stories of their experience with consciousness, telepathy, other dimensions and more.

The Rise of Post-Materialism

These amazingly documented accounts shine a light on a growing scientific philosophy: Post-Materialism. This is not a new idea, but it’s an idea that has not gained mainstream attention. Basically, consciousness is at the bottom of the pyramid. In this model, particles of matter exist, and consciousness exists as a foundational building block of our universe.

Connecting Consciousness to Therapy

What does this have to do with therapy? One of my favorite ways to think about humanity and our struggles is the connection between the mind and the body. These ideas point to the existence of a consciousness that we all share and that makes up thinking and feeling part of our mind. We don’t all have the same access to this consciousness, according to these parents, researchers, and spellers. It exists none the less. And, our consciousness continues after our bodies stop. In other words, our spirits live on in this pure consciousness.

If we know this is the truth, we can continue to connect with our dead ancestors. We can share feelings and images with one another, we can accept the gifts that the spellers have to offer in the forms of medical diagnosis, communication, and quantum physics.

Final Thoughts: A New Frontier

These accounts are challenging to comprehend. For me, as a person raised in science, this confirmation of shared consciousness that goes beyond life, is an entirely new frontier. I will have to keep exploring it to understand how it will impact my work. It feels hopeful though. So, enjoy this podcast and join me in skeptical, but open exploration of these ideas. If it’s a hoax, I’m going to be pissed!