Telepathy: the ability to communicate without the use of the five senses (sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste). An instinct that lays dormant in most of us but allows us to tap into our latent abilities in times of emergency or need.

Where this instinct lies is uncertain. Some say that it’s located in the huge area of our brains that are wholly unused whereas others argue that instinct existed before the brain evolved and must therefore lie elsewhere in the body. Nobody really seems to know for sure.

When we intuitively know that something is happening, or about to happen, our instinct has kicked in. It's during these times that we are drawing upon resources within the unconscious mind. When the resources of two unconscious minds link together on the same frequency, we call it telepathy.

Telepathy can be either projective or perceptive; we either send or receive. If you know who is calling before you answer the ringing phone, you’re probably a good receiver. If you think of a person and they call you, you’re most likely better at sending.

Testing Your Telepathic Abilities

Testing your telepathic abilities is relatively easy. Think of somebody and will the person to contact you. Be patient - the other person may not be a good receiver, but regardless of how good they are, they should contact you much earlier than would normally be expected. Or, whenever the phone rings, try "feeling" who's contacting you. Don't guess - try to feel the vibrations.

If neither of these exercises work for you that doesn't mean that you are not capable of telepathy. As mentioned earlier, telepathy is most likely to kick in under extreme circumstances such as in an emergency.

Telepathic Dreams

Dreams often contain telepathic messages. Two people may both dream of the other and find that their dreams had a distinct connection. These people are probably mutually linking to the unconscious mind. A projection of the mind - a form of astral projection, perhaps?

It's also believed that the unconscious mind is capable of linking to other entities than those who are living: that we can receive messages from the dead. People often dream of lost loved ones who frequently seem to be offering advice or warnings. Is this our own way of putting messages into our conscious mind, or are we communicating with the dead?

To test this ability between living entities, try sending a message to a close friend who you know is asleep. Did they remember their dream? Did it involve you?

Telepathy & Relationships

The more time people spend together, the stronger their ability to “link up” will be, especially when separated. There are two reasons for this. One is that they understand the others mind through time spent together; the other is that good friends generally have a strong desire to communicate.

A mother will often sense that her child is in danger. This is due to the child’s desperate need for his/her mother – the person who will always want to be there for her child - connecting with the mother's deep desire to protect her child for harm.

Conclusion

We are obviously selective when using our telepathic abilities. Imagine how confusing the world would become if you were able to receive messages from any number of people simultaneously. It's bad enough when two phones ring at once, or the kids want to tell you three different stories and you're trying to watch your favourite TV show! Perhaps this is why telepathy generally kicks in during times of dire need? I certainly wouldn't want to be able to receive the thoughts of everybody who thought anything at all about me. Peeping through the keyhole is bad enough, looking into the thoughts of all and sundry would be awful.

Sharon Jacobsen is a London born freelance writer living and working in South Cheshire, England. Her favourite pastimes include ironing and washing the dishes but chores like reading, gardening and drinking rose wine tend to get in the way. To contact Sharon, please visit www.sharon-jacobsen.co.uk

Sharon Jacobsen may be contacted at http://www.sharon-jacobsen.co.uk or scribbles@sharon-jacobsen.co.uk