Many people do not really understand mental telepathy. The true meaning of this term is to send out thoughts to the other person mentally which means without the use of the senses. However, there is a world of a difference between the uncanny feeling that you are being watched and stealing information from somebody's brain. Mental telepathy is the name given to a wider variety of abilities which may be simple to quite complicated. This article aims to explain mental telepathy and the various intricacies involved in it.

NON-VERBAL OR KINESICS LEVEL

Parents use this kind of non verbal communication all the time between themselves so that they can communicate without their children knowing. Generally known as kinesics this type of non verbal communication uses the five senses. Hence people ?talk' using their body language, facial expressions and eyes. This mode of communication is at its best between people who are familiar or intimate with each other. Examples are parents and children, siblings, wives, husbands and even close friends.

Many people however do not call this kind of communication as mental telepathy since as per them the people in question are using their senses and not just thoughts to communicate. However, mental telepathy does have a part to play in this mode of communication since studies tell us that this type of communication has a great success rate with people who known and are mentally in sync with each other than with mere strangers. However, some people may even turn down this statement and say that people who are familiar with each other are also used to each others body language or may have even developed non verbal cues and signals to communicate over a period of time.

EMPATHY

Empathy can be defined as the capability or the knack to understand the mental and emotional state of the other person by putting yourself in his place. Some people have a lot of empathy while some just don't have it. However, empathy is something that can be increased by persistence and training. You can take actors for instance. With time actors become experts in understanding the state of mind of the character that they play that they can even laugh and cry at the same things that the character does.

Sympathetic pain is another aspect of telepathy where in the subject feels the physical pain of the person as his own. When loved ones are hurt, then there are times a mother or a close relative physically feels the pain in spite of the fact that there is nothing wrong with them. This sympathetic pain can be also experienced emotionally when some one you are close to is undergoing an emotional turmoil or even when he is deliriously happy. Long distance empathy is another telepathic connection that we have felt sometime or the other. When a person close to you is in pain or trouble and in cases close to death, you feel that there is something wrong with that person even though that person is far away. This kind of long distance empathy is quite common in parents and spouses.

Psychologists dismiss such feelings as an overactive imagination instead of empathetic mental telepathy. It is true that they do have a point, as other senses, such as visual and audible stimulants are used here. Could we feel the sympathy pains if we did not see it? Yet, this does not explain the strange experiences of long-distance empathy

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.

This kind of telepathy often involves a lot of trials. One kind of tests are conducted with what are known as Zener cards which are simple cards with symbols like star, circle and even wavy lines. However, critics of Zener cards say that since there are just five cards involved, the probability of guessing the right answer in more than 20%. Conversely it can also be pointed out that using shared known symbols can augment the mental coordination between the sender and the receiver. Though 20% success rate may be possible or even expected in such experiments, people really don't have an answer for 50% or more success rates which have been observed in these tests.

ABSTRACT CONCEPTS

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.

There are some animals which seem to have mental telepathy attunement and can communicate simple concepts like hunger, thirst and danger amongst their group. Though the lack of well developed brains inhibits them from transmitting more complicated messages, scientists are still trying to discern how mental telepathy happens with these animals.

Some people feel that in the olden ages humans were great telepaths who lost their power with the development of language and evolution. IF this is so then it may be possible to recall those telepathic abilities by the right kind of stimulation.

Another school of thought says that psychic powers, telepathy and other ESP functions are a thing of the more evolved future. Many people feel that with the advent and further evolution of man, almost all humans will be accomplished telepaths in the future.