The Hidden Meaning of the Telepathy Tapes
From Consciousness Curiosity to Embodied Compassion
The Telepathy Tapes podcast has garnered a ton of attention, especially among those who are curious about consciousness.
But a conversation I had with one of the featured participants helped me realize this:
Many people are missing the point.
There is a hidden meaning―an invitation that it issues to those whoever has ears to hear.
In case you need a refresher, the Telepathy Tapes podcast was launched last December and quickly skyrocketed to the top of podcast charts. The groundbreaking series hosted by Ky Dickens, which “explores the profound abilities of non-speakers with autism—individuals who have long been misunderstood and underestimated,” immediately captured the hearts and minds of listeners everywhere, much to the chagrin of skeptics.
As I previously mentioned, I devoured the series when I first came across because it resonated with my direct experience and research of consciousness over the past five years. So, naturally, I also dug into the flurry of Substack posts, podcast episodes, and even TikTok commentaries on the series and the phenomenon it explores, namely that many non-speakers with autism possess extraordinary consciousness capabilities, such as:
Non-verbal telepathic communication
Deep empathic and mental attunement
Precognitive awareness
Nonlocal consciousness
Access to transpersonal insights and knowledge
I was so intrigued, so moved by the stories of the non-speakers with autism and their caregivers in the Telepathy Tapes that I reached out to Ky Dickens and her team to express my gratitude. And to see if I could help. Here’s what I wrote:
Dear Ky,
I first thought about writing to you after completing season 1 of the podcast a few weeks ago, but after listening to your conversation with Rick Rubin, I've decided to reach out.
As a matter of introduction, I'm a Milwaukee-based meditation teacher, volunteer end of life companion, and husband and father of 3. I also used to be an ordained Christian minister and I lived in the PNW (Seattle!) for 14 years before heading back to the midwest in 2020. Your exploration of the powers of the non-speaking autistic community was absolutely beautiful. Curious. Compassionate. Dignifying. Enlightening. And all around awesome. Thank you!
I wanted to pass on a few comments:
As a meditation teacher:
Everything you explored about consciousness resonates with my studies of consciousness as well as my direct experience through meditation. I teach a transcending style of meditation in the same family as Vedic Meditation and Transcendental Meditation. What you explored about consciousness preceding matter is consistent with the Vedic knowledge of ancient India that is articulated by one of my teachers, Thom Knoles, who was a student of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (check out his Vedic Worldview podcast).
Additionally, given that this style of meditation helps clear the mind (a "content-free" awareness), I couldn't help but think that it would be an excellent practice to equip spellers with so they can accurately be a conduit for what the non-speakers are communicating.
Side note: I've been listening to Rupert Sheldrake for a while, so after a couple episodes I was thinking “Ky needs to know about Rupert”... and then, of course, he showed up!
As a hospice companion:
Over the past few years, as I've accompanied the dying, many of whom have dementia, I've often wondered if what is happening is that their bodies (including brains/nervous systems) are losing their capacity to detect their particular “radio signal” of consciousness. In other words, are they beginning to transcend consciousness, which makes it hard to “stay” in or control the body, almost similar to what you described with non-speaking autistic persons who have a hard time locating, for example, where their hand is. After listening to your podcast, I wonder if a type of spelling would “work” with persons with dementia. Perhaps their awareness is not diminishing, as is often assumed, but expanding. A few stories come to mind of dementia patients “seeing” the deceased loved ones of nurses/staff in their care facilities. There are many more wonderings I have regarding this, but I'll leave it at that:)
As a, um, human being:
I'll shoot you straight: I felt a deep stirring in my heart when I heard the story of Child* and her Mother*… As someone who lives in the Milwaukee area [where they live] and is dedicated to expanding consciousness through meditation and service, I felt drawn to reach out and ask you to forward my email to the Mother*. I'm wondering if there is any way I can help the Child* “change the world,” as the Mother* said. I hope she does have a vibrant ecosystem of support in the area, but I want to raise my hand as someone who is here to support the Child* and her family. Perhaps I need to train to become a spelling assistant? Or maybe there is something else they need? Of course, I don't know. But if you feel comfortable - and I realize you might not - could you please forward my email to the Mother*? If she's up for it, I would love to connect over coffee or - this is Wisconsin after all - a beer. Thanks for considering this.
Okay, that's all for now. Please know that you have a grateful fan over here in Milwaukee and I'd love to support you in any way I can. What you're doing is so important! (just made a small donation and bought some super cool merch).
Be well,
Ben
*Names redacted, though you can find them on the podcast.
Me, wearing said merch:
To my surprise, Ky Dickens responded almost immediately, and enthusiastically. She forwarded my email to the Mother*, who soon reached out to me. A couple weeks later, we met up at a local pub where she told me Ky Dickens is the real deal (my words, aka, a person of integrity), expressed how shocked by and thrilled they were with how successful the podcast was, and shared with me more about the journey she and her Child* have been on. While I’m not going to get into the specifics of our conversation, she told me some things that got me thinking about the overlooked message of the Telepathy Tapes.
The Three Invitations of the Telepathy Tapes
Learning about seemingly expanded or enhanced states of consciousness is… exciting! It brings up all sorts of things to consider:
What if non-speaking people with autism really do have these supernatural capabilities?
Even more, what if they are showing us that all of us have these capabilities, but they are dormant within us?
What if the Telepathy Tapes and all the excitement around us is signaling a sea change in human consciousness?
No doubt, all of these possibilities are worth exploring. But if there is a way of fixating on these questions that misses out on three profound invitations issued by the Telepathy Tapes.
1. Express Solidarity.
Recently a dear friend who has a 12 year-old son with autism visited us for the weekend. She arrived exhausted, eager for a break from the demands of caring for her beloved son. Her son is a speaker, but still, the work is nonstop―direct care, coordination with other caregivers, advocating for his education needs, endless healthcare coverage calls―all while tending to her work, marriage, parenting other children, and all the other stuff of life.
You can hear the exhaustion in many of the stories featured in the Telepathy Tapes too. Even as the parents and caregivers witness the extraordinary abilities of these children, they still have to contend with all sorts of challenging ordinary realities. Long after the hype about the Telepathy Tapes fades, this is still everyday life for these families.
It begs the question, if you are excited about the terrain of the Telepathy Tapes, how might you alleviate suffering and support those who are facing these realities? Advocacy? Volunteering? Financial support?
You may have noticed in the above email I sent to Ky Dickens that I wondered if I maybe needed to become a spelling assistant. Well, that was naive! Becoming a spelling assistant involves major training, time, and presence. It’s not a hobby. I got clarity about this in my conversation with the Mother*. But it also made me realize I do have something to offer: meditation to help caregivers release stress and regulate their emotions, not only to help them deal with the demands of daily life, but also enhance their communication and connection with their non-speaking children. I let her know that I’d be happy to run my meditation course for her and any other caregivers, at an affordable rate or even free for anyone who is interested. This offer stands for anyone reading this!
2. Grow in Direct Knowledge.
Learning about consciousness through books and podcasts and YouTube, awesome!
You know what’s even better?
Expanding your consciousness.
The first is a way to grow in indirect knowledge. Knowledge about something.
The second is a way to grow in direct knowledge. Knowledge of something.
The invitation to anyone who has been geeking out on the themes of the Telepathy Tapes is to go inward. Pursue ultimate knowledge―knowledge of the True Self within, knowledge of the fundamental Oneness of everything.
There are many ways to go about this, as identified by ancient traditions. The soul journey. The way of the heart. The path of action. But meditation―the royal path―is the most direct path. And it’s more than just a single (or occasional) blast off psychedelic experience. It’s a systematic and sustainable way to steadily expand the horizons of the mind and access heightened states of consciousness.
Sure, you don’t need to put away the books. But growing a meditation practice will moves things from theory and information to experience and transformation.
I can say a lot more, but if you’ve been around this newsletter, you’ve heard me talk about this plenty!
3. Practice Incarnation.
The word incarnation comes from the Latin incarnatus, meaning “to make flesh.” It is a word used in religious traditions that refers to divinity becoming embodied, perhaps most commonly in Christianity in reference to Jesus Christ.
Incarnation is about bringing forth the spiritual through the physical.
This third hidden invitation from the Telepathy Tapes is a bit of a combination of the first two. Truly growing in consciousness requires generative expression in everyday life, be that in solidarity with non-speakers with autism, with other humans, or in the more-than-human-world.
In other words, it’s all about love!
We don’t ascend to escape into abstraction. We ascend to descend into reality.
To come back to the here and now.
To become a re-source to others, reconnecting them to Source.
To give our gift in service to humanity.
Expanded consciousness or spiritual gifts or siddhis, isn’t for its own sake. It’s for healing.
Check out my last two articles, Don’t Mistake the Tool for the Transformation, Part 1 and Part 2, to explore this theme more fully.
Enlightenment is not just about waking up. It’s about waking down.1
So the question is: if you experience inner growth, how will you express that in the outer world?
***
So yes, let’s stay curious about the mysteries of consciousness. Let’s keep listening to stories that stretch our assumptions about what’s possible. But let’s also remember: the deeper invitation of the Telepathy Tapes isn’t just to marvel at the extraordinary, but to become extra-ordinary ourselves. Not by chasing abilities, but by living with greater awareness, compassion, and courage in the ordinary.
If this podcast stirred something in you, beautiful. Now take that stirring and turn it into a practice. A presence. A gift. That’s the real magic!
If you enjoyed this, please hit the heart below:)
As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
I got this term from Buddhist meditation teacher Vince Horn, though he uses it a bit differently.
So awesome