Mental telepathy involves directly communicating through thought transference without using the normal senses, but that can be a very broad-based definition. Things like getting hunches, or having premonitions could fall under the category, but there are some people that can read a person's inner most thoughts without any other signals and no close relationship to the person. Mental telepathy covers basic functions that could be close to random guesses to very complex levels of thought transfer abilities. Different levels of mental telepathy can best be demonstrated in these instances:

NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

A form of non-verbal communication known as Kinesics can be construed as mental telepathy. Kinesics is the ability to communicate using eyes or body behaviors instead. Entire conversations can be had without saying a word, but the other person knows what you mean or are thinking, like parents communicating without speaking when they don't want their children to hear. Kinesics or non-verbal communication more easily attained between people who have a close relationship, such as?spouses, brothers and sisters, parents and children and at times close friends.

There are some people who feel this kind of communication cannot qualify for mental telepathy due to the fact that here senses are being used and only the sound is excluded. In a way they are right. Nevertheless mental telepathy has a very significant part in this method of communication. The fact that their minds are so in synch with each other is the reason that non verbal communication is more effective in people who know each other well than strangers. Conversely people say that since the people in question know each other well or may be are used to the sign language between them, that's the reason why it is so effective.

EMPATHETIC LEVELS

We all know about empathy. When you can feel the other person's pain, elation or other emotions and understand them, then it's known as empathy. There are some people who can really empathize with the other person and think and feel like them. The ability to empathize can be enhanced with regular practice and training. This ability is evident in actors who can actually feel the characters pain and elation to the extent that they can cry and laugh as per the character.

Sympathetic pain is another aspect of mental telepathy where the person physically experiences the pain and trauma of the loved one. Many a times when we witness a loved one getting injured, we tend to have the same kind of pain or ache at the same point in our body though in reality there is nothing wrong with us. Likewise, when someone close to us experiences some emotional upheaval like a lot of joy or grief or even depression, then your mood corresponds to that emotion. There is also something known as long distance empathy where a person we love gets hurt and we get inkling on it even where there are miles separating us.

Psychologists think an overactive imagination could be to blame for these types of reactions rather than mental telepathy. There may be senses being used, such as seeing a medical procedure, but long-distance empathy, where it is a gut feeling and no visual or audio communication has taken place is quite another story and certainly does not reflect any direct communications.

CONCRETE CONCEPTS

The thought transference of concrete symbols, such as card tricks is considered a higher level of mental telepathy. Mental telepathy at this level moves beyond the regular five senses because it involves un-related and unbiased participants. Intense concentration on an object or symbol is necessary to send the thought or picture using mental telepathy.

A color or shape is easier to convey through thought than something more complex like an animal or a deceased persons name from the beyond.

Experiments in concrete levels telepathy use Zener cards to prove mental telepathy skills. They are simple, concrete black-and-white symbols (a circle, square, star, plus sign, and three wavy lines). Critics of the Zener cards have pointed out that with only five cards to choose from, there is a 20% chance of being right, even with random guesses. On the other hand, it may be easier for two people to send and receive thoughts if those are shared, known, and a limited set of concrete symbols. Although anyone can get a 20% success rate with enough guesses, there are success rates of 50% or higher in some cases.

NON-CONCRETE OR ABSTRACT THOUGHT TRANSFERENCE

This level of mental telepathy transcends the mere transmission of shapes and colors to more intangible perceptions like values, actions and ideas. Obviously this is a tough thing to do and only rarely are telepaths able to accomplish this aspect of telepathy. Experiments also are seldom successful in this regard.

Science is not able to explain how it is that some animals appear able to communicate. Mental telepathy should not be ruled out and in some cases it appears animals are using abstract or non-concrete concepts, although they may be very basic. Since animal brains lack prefrontal lobes, ideas such as this would probably not go beyond simplistic impulses to express emotions such as ?danger', ?hungry', ?thirsty' or ?horny'.

There is a theory that humans were once capable of telepathy, but had no need to utilize it after they developed language to communicate. If this is true, then with the right stimulation humans should be able to stir up this dormant ability to communicate, if they choose to.

There are some who believe that these telepathic powers, psychic abilities and other ESP qualities are a thing of the future. If these powers can be properly developed then in theory the entire race can be telepathic.