Psychedelic Telepathy: An Interview Study

This article presents an interview study of telepathic experiences induced by psychedelic drugs, with the aim of broadening our understanding of the nature and characteristics of such experiences. Of 40 psychedelics users interviewed about their experiences, 16 reported some form of psychedelic tele...

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Main Author: Petter Grahl Johnstad
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SSE 2020-09-01
Series:Journal of Scientific Exploration
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journalofscientificexploration.org/index.php/jse/article/view/1747
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author Petter Grahl Johnstad
author_facet Petter Grahl Johnstad
author_sort Petter Grahl Johnstad
collection DOAJ
description This article presents an interview study of telepathic experiences induced by psychedelic drugs, with the aim of broadening our understanding of the nature and characteristics of such experiences. Of 40 psychedelics users interviewed about their experiences, 16 reported some form of psychedelic telepathy. Respondents were recruited at various online fora for individual interviews via private messaging. They reported three main types of telepathic communication: 1) an information-exchange type of telepathy that often enabled people to communicate in images as well as words; 2) a type sometimes referred to as telempathy that allowed for the direct exchange of feeling-states; 3) a state of self-dissolution and telepathic unity where one could not differentiate one’s own thoughts and feelings from those of the friend or partner. Some participants complained about the lack of privacy especially in the more intense forms of telepathic states, and were hesitant to repeat the experience, while others claimed they had become accustomed to such states and experienced them regularly. The article concludes that further studies are warranted, and suggests a research design for an experimental study of psychedelic telepathy. Keywords: psychedelic, interview, qualitative, telepathy, self-dissolution
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spelling doaj.art-94b4fb47f413417db790e7a3913d11ac2022-12-22T01:38:39ZengSSEJournal of Scientific Exploration0892-33102020-09-0134310.31275/20201747Psychedelic Telepathy: An Interview StudyPetter Grahl Johnstad0University of BergenThis article presents an interview study of telepathic experiences induced by psychedelic drugs, with the aim of broadening our understanding of the nature and characteristics of such experiences. Of 40 psychedelics users interviewed about their experiences, 16 reported some form of psychedelic telepathy. Respondents were recruited at various online fora for individual interviews via private messaging. They reported three main types of telepathic communication: 1) an information-exchange type of telepathy that often enabled people to communicate in images as well as words; 2) a type sometimes referred to as telempathy that allowed for the direct exchange of feeling-states; 3) a state of self-dissolution and telepathic unity where one could not differentiate one’s own thoughts and feelings from those of the friend or partner. Some participants complained about the lack of privacy especially in the more intense forms of telepathic states, and were hesitant to repeat the experience, while others claimed they had become accustomed to such states and experienced them regularly. The article concludes that further studies are warranted, and suggests a research design for an experimental study of psychedelic telepathy. Keywords: psychedelic, interview, qualitative, telepathy, self-dissolutionhttps://journalofscientificexploration.org/index.php/jse/article/view/1747telepathytelempathyself-dissolutionpsychedelic
spellingShingle Petter Grahl Johnstad
Psychedelic Telepathy: An Interview Study
Journal of Scientific Exploration
telepathy
telempathy
self-dissolution
psychedelic
title Psychedelic Telepathy: An Interview Study
title_full Psychedelic Telepathy: An Interview Study
title_fullStr Psychedelic Telepathy: An Interview Study
title_full_unstemmed Psychedelic Telepathy: An Interview Study
title_short Psychedelic Telepathy: An Interview Study
title_sort psychedelic telepathy an interview study
topic telepathy
telempathy
self-dissolution
psychedelic
url https://journalofscientificexploration.org/index.php/jse/article/view/1747
work_keys_str_mv AT pettergrahljohnstad psychedelictelepathyaninterviewstudy