The term "telepathy" refers to the alleged ability to communicate information from one person's mind to another without using any of our known sensory channels or physical interaction. The idea of telepathy first gained prominence in the late 19th century when members of the newly-founded Society for Psychical Research (SPR) began to explore the phenomenon scientifically with the aim of understanding whether minds can interact directly.

Telepathic communication can involve the sending or receiving of thoughts, feelings, or images. For example, someone might know telepathically what their friend is about to say before the words are spoken, or where twins claim to feel each other's pain or emotions from great distances.

Although telepathy involves transmitting or receiving information, which can be auditory, visual, feelings, emotions, or thoughts, it is distinct from other extrasensory abilities such as clairaudience, clairvoyance, clairsentience, and claircognisance. The difference is that telepathy specifically refers to direct mind-to-mind communication,...