I Didn’t Mean to Get Into Telepathy… But Here We Are
A quiet cultural shift, a controversial podcast, and me trying to stay a normal person about it
There are moments when culture tips… and you don’t notice until you’re already on the other side.
And something is happening right now. No, I don’t mean politics or AI or the economy or whatever headline is yelling at us this week.
I mean something quieter. Stranger.
Have you heard of The Telepathy Tapes?
(I know… after last week’s very practical life finance post, this is not where you expected me to go. And yet, here we are.)
The quick version: it’s a documentary-style podcast hosted by filmmaker Ky Dickens exploring claims of telepathic communication between nonspeaking autistic individuals.
Ky opens each episode by saying: “For decades, a very specific group of people have been claiming telepathy is happening in their homes and in their classrooms. And nobody has believed them. Nobody has listened to them. But on this podcast, we do.”
It got big-big. Apple even listed it among the most popular podcast series and #1 top episode of 2025. Not fringe. Top of the charts.
People are talking about it at dinner parties. Sending it in group texts. Listening while folding laundry. Joe Rogan is into it. And in Serenbe, second only to Mahjong, it might be the most discussed topic right now.
Yes. That probably just sorted you into a category.
Some of you just leaned forward. Some of you just crossed your arms and are considering x-ing out.
I’ll pause.
You can go ahead and [x] out…
or stay curious with me.
The Woo Is Not a Niche Hobby Anymore
Whether you believe in any of this or not… something has shifted.
Almost half of Americans say they believe in psychic or spiritual healing. Astrology apps are a multi-billion dollar industry. Tarot decks are sold at Urban Outfitters. Younger generations are significantly more open to energy, intuition, and nontraditional spirituality than their parents ever were.
Also worth saying: this podcast is controversial. There are real critiques. I’m not ignoring that. I’m just… paying attention.
And it’s messed with me. In a humbling, “maybe I’ve been too certain about what counts as knowing” kind of way.
Here’s what got me
One of the telepathic children in the series describes himself as essentially a wizard… and the rest of us as “muggles” not yet ready to understand what’s happening.
That line has not left me. (Probably because I speak Harry Potter.)
Because what if the people we assume are “limited” are operating on frequencies we don’t fully grasp yet?
What if intelligence is not what we’ve been taught to measure?
Pause. Because if you haven’t listened to the podcast, you might be wondering...
How are they communicating any of this?
Some are using spelling boards or keyboards. Which is where a lot of the controversy lives. I’m not an expert. I’m not trying to solve it. I just found myself sitting in that tension. Believing Ky… while also thinking, okay, let’s stay grounded here.
I haven’t experienced this exact thing myself. But I have experienced things I can’t explain. And instead of shutting it down… I felt myself leaning in.
And then this part humbled me
I have an extended family member who is nonverbal. And I realized, uncomfortably, how narrow my assumptions have been.
If I’m being completely honest, I think my brain has been operating with a hidden file folder labeled “limitations” when I think about her. Not in a cruel way. In a default-cultural-assumption way.
What if the limitation isn’t hers?
What if it’s mine?
And that has changed the way I’m going to show up with her forever.
I assume less. I observe differently. I hold more possibility.
Even if telepathy gets debunked tomorrow, that shift feels like it matters.
Stay With Me
I keep coming back to the same thought.
What if this isn’t as black and white as we want it to be? What if it’s not “real” or “not real,” “proven” or “fake.”
What if it’s more like… some people can access or perceive things differently. Not because they’re magical, but because something about how they process the world is different.
One of the theories that comes up in the podcast is that we all have some sort of a “filter” or “shield.”
Something that regulates what gets in, what gets out, what we’re even aware of. And for most of us, that filter is pretty tight. But for some people… maybe it works differently.
Maybe it lets more in. Maybe it’s thinner in certain places.
Or maybe we’ve all had access to more than we realize… and most of us just learned how to tune it out really well.
I don’t know.
But I can’t stop thinking about it.
and when you start to look at things like highly sensitive people, ADHD, dyslexia… it makes you wonder if there’s more going on than we’ve been taught to see. And if that’s even a little bit true… then the idea of intuition, energy, or even something like telepathy or mediumship doesn’t feel quite as far away as we’ve been taught it is.
It starts to feel less black and white… and more like a range. Something some people are just more tuned into. Or more open to. Or maybe just… less filtered from.
Like…
If you believe you’ve ever had a gut feeling you couldn’t explain, you already believe in something that doesn’t fit neatly in a spreadsheet.
And I’ve learned the hard way that any time I ignore that feeling, I regret it.
So here’s where this gets a little weird
So when I was planning a giant life change this last year, I wanted start paying attention to that part of myself. The part that knows before my brain catches up.
And I somehow found myself in not one, but two psychic (aka intuition) practice circles. And meeting quarterly with Christina Trifero, a psychic medium and intuition coach.
(If you had told me this a few years ago, I would have laughed and said yeah right… but here we are).
Not because I’m trying to become a psychic medium.
Because I realized I’m not listening. And in a world where everything is loud all the time (hi phone, I love you), it’s harder than ever to hear anything subtle.
So I figured… why not practice?
I know. Super weird. We’ll get more into that in my next post.
Where I’ve Landed (For Now)
If you’re somewhere between skeptical and curious… you’re my kind of person.
Because I don’t have this figured out. But I do believe there are people who are more attuned than the rest of us.
5 years ago? Curious skeptic. Today? I’m in.
Not in a movie character crystal ball tell me my future way (but, hey prove me wrong!). In a “there’s more going on here than we understand yet” kind of way.
But today I believe psychics, healers and intuitives are real.
Mediums - yup.
Telepathy - I mean… after this podcast, yeah. I’m open to it.
Spirit guides - my new kinda of language.
Astrology - here for it.
Human design - 100%. (and wrote about it here)
Do I think everyone claiming these abilities are legitimate? Absolutely not.
Do I think discernment is required? Yes. That’s with all people.
Do I think I understand how any of it works? No freakin idea.
Because this is really what I’m doing:
This is me documenting what happens when a skeptic decides to stay curious instead of dismissive.
And the more I explore intuition, the more I trust myself.
And that part? That part feels undeniably good in a world that is moving very fast… and getting faster.
Quick Pulse Check
Have you ever had a gut feeling that turned out to be right?
Have you ignored it… and regretted it?
Have you ever just known something before you could explain it?
If yes… you’re already closer to this than you think.
Which is kind of my point.
We mock things publicly that we quietly explore privately.
Tell me… which one are you?
(Not sure people actually answer honestly on these. But I’m still asking.)
If you do one thing after this, go listen to The Telepathy Tapes.
Not to decide if it’s true. Just to notice what happens in your body while you listen.
You might roll your eyes. Or you might just feel something shift.
I did. Both are interesting.
Next, I’ll share what it’s actually been like working with Christina Trifero a psychic medium and intuitive coach this past year. What surprised me. What felt real. What didn’t.
Talk soon,
xx, Gina
Oh, and for my Serenbe / Chatt Hills people… I split out the “Around Here” local section into its own thing, so this main newsletter can stay more like… whatever this is 😅
If you want all the local happenings, events, and insider stuff, that’s living over there now.
My mother, who was a scientist, believed strongly in a telepathic dimension, and this was 25 years ago. I have definitely felt a sixth sense, and have acted on it. I am definitely open to learning more.