The Edges of Perception: Telepathy, Autism, and the Extended Mind
The Deeper Thinking Podcast
For anyone willing to consider that consciousness might not end at the skull—and that connection might transcend words.
Can minds reach each other beyond language? In this episode, we explore extraordinary claims from families of non-speaking autistic individuals who describe moments of inexplicable connection: questions answered without words, emotions shared without gesture, and a felt sense of mutual thought. These accounts raise more than eyebrows—they challenge the boundaries of what we assume is possible.
Are these stories the result of coincidence, or do they suggest something more? We explore the tension between skepticism and open inquiry, questioning whether the limits of neuroscience reflect the limits of mind—or merely the limits of our current methods. Alongside William James, David Bohm, and contemporary work on the extended mind, we investigate whether consciousness may, in fact, not be confined to a single brain.
From quantum entanglement to altered states, we ask: what kinds of communication remain invisible to standard models? And if minds can connect in unmeasurable ways, how do we listen without immediately needing to prove?
This episode moves along the borderlands of perception, where science meets mystery, and where skepticism need not cancel out curiosity.
Here are some reflections that surfaced along the way:
Communication doesn’t always arrive through language. Sometimes, it’s felt before it’s heard.What we call “unscientific” may simply be what we don’t yet have tools to measure.Autism may reveal not a deficit, but an alternative route to knowing.Not all real things are repeatable. Not all connections are empirical.The mind may not be inside us—it may be between us.Belief isn’t always required for wonder. But openness is.If we can’t measure love, why do we expect to easily measure telepathy?Some truths live in margins—where science, mysticism, and lived experience blur.Engage with firsthand accounts of extraordinary connection among non-speaking autistic individualsExplore the overlap of mysticism, neuroscience, and quantum theoryChallenge the dominant models of cognition and where mind “ends”Rethink perception through the lens of William James, David Bohm, and Annie Murphy PaulYouTubeSpotifyApple PodcastsIf this episode moved you or opened new questions, you can support the ongoing work here: Buy Me a Coffee. Thank you for staying with the questions.
James, William. The Varieties of Religious Experience. New York: Longmans, Green & Co., 1902.Bohm, David. Wholeness and the Implicate Order. London: Routledge, 1980.Paul, Annie Murphy. The Extended Mind. Mariner Books, 2021.Koch, Christof. Consciousness: Confessions of a Romantic Reductionist. MIT Press, 2012.Huxley, Aldous. The Doors of Perception. Harper & Brothers, 1954.William James: Offers early psychological insight into mystical and nonordinary experiences.David Bohm: Suggests a quantum model of consciousness and deep interconnectedness.Annie Murphy Paul: Proposes a broader view of cognition extending beyond the brain.Christof Koch: Bridges neuroscience and the search for subjective consciousness.Aldous Huxley: Articulates the limits of ordinary perception and the potential of altered states.Some forms of connection can’t be proven. That doesn’t mean they aren’t real.
#Telepathy #Autism #ExtendedMind #WilliamJames #DavidBohm #Consciousness #NonSpeakingAutism #MysticalExperience #TheDeeperThinkingPodcast #Neurodiversity #QuantumMind #ListeningBeyondWords #MindAndMatter