brains that receive electromagnetic signals

[gib65]

 

This is a very interesting video. The key insight that I find interesting at least is that some neurons respond to light. This is interesting to me because it calls to mind the sorts of theories many have put forward of possible mechanisms for telepathic abilities - namely, theories that propose that telepathic communication occurs by way of signals traveling through the air (like radio waves) and the brain functioning as a 'receiver' of sorts. Now I used to scoff at theories like this, filing them under "pseudo-scientific new-aged hippie jumbo-jumbo", but after watching this video, they suddenly seem a bit more plausible. I still think they have a long way to go, but now at least it seems to me a worthy topic for discussion - and I want to discusss it.

 

First, it should be pointed out that the speaker in the video has only mentioned light as a stimulus for these neurons and that fruit lies are the chief subjects in their studies. I can easily appreciate how light might penetrate into their brain, a very thin layer of tissue separating it from the outside, but when it comes to other animals (like human), we have a much thicker cranium through which light has no hope of passing. That doesn't mean other forms of electromagnetic radiation can't pass through, and indeed it remains a possibility in my mind that some neurons may respond to frequencies outside the range of visible light.

 

Another thing to keep in mind is that we don't know how prevelant such neurons are in species other than the fruit flies featured in their studies. I don't recall whether the speaker even confirm the presence of such neurons in the human brain.

 

The biggest hurdle, I think, towards developing this into a full blown theory on telepathy is that even if there were a substantial number of radiation sensitive neurons in the human brain, what would they be picking up. Unless there were also emitter neurons in other people's brain - neurons sending out signals - then the best we could hope for these radiation sensitive neurons to pick up would be static noise. There would have to be brains sending signals as well, and these signals couldn't just be random patterns of electromagnetic waves, but would have to have some significant lingual/cognitive content - that is, some pattern that could be deciphered and translated back into its original form, that form being meaningful human thought.

 

However doubtful this sounds, it is still interesting to ponder - and when we consider that five years ago, we would have been saying "there is no evidence for radiation sensitive neurons" maybe the lack of evidence for "emitter" neurons that transmit meaningful signals to be received by other brains is also temporary, and in a few (maybe several) years, some evidence might surface.

[John Cuthber]

If any sort of ESP were possible then evolution would have made it common (if not universal) because it would be useful.

[gib65]

If any sort of ESP were possible then evolution would have made it common (if not universal) because it would be useful.

 

That sort of implies that anything we're going to see in the future (assuming it's useful) has already existed. If it's useful, it's been done <-- as that you're argument?

 

Also, I'm not sure it would be useful. Isn't it useful for people to be able to hide their thoughts? Would it be useful for the species overall if a select few could inundate the minds of others with their thoughts? Maybe it would, but I wouldn't be do quick to judge.

 

Lastly, are we sure that there aren't some species on Earth who do communicate telepathically. Do we know what signs to look for as evidence? Only a century ago, we had no idea dolphin's communicated with sonic pings. Did we know to look for that? Did we bother? Have we bothered to think about what the signs would be of other species communicating telepathically (let alone actually looked for those signs)?

 

All in all, you're probably right, but I'm always one to ask the question: do we know? How do we know? And it's rare that I can ever settle on a yes/no answer.

[John Cuthber]

"That sort of implies that anything we're going to see in the future (assuming it's useful) has already existed."

No, it doesn't.

It means that if esp exists it must be new.

[Moontanman]

It is claimed by some people that they can hear the Aurora Borealis and high altitude meteors as they burn up. Both these phenomena give off radio waves ELF if i remember correctly.

[cypress]

"That sort of implies that anything we're going to see in the future (assuming it's useful) has already existed."

No, it doesn't.

It means that if esp exists it must be new.

 

Observation seems to contradict your conclusion that anything useful would be selected or that evolutionary processes would make useful traits universal. One could speculate endlessly about what may seem like universally useful functions, but on closer evaluation may involve compromises and tradeoffs with other competing functions.

 

It could be that telepathy is not as useful as you might think, or that there are tradeoffs and competing functions, or that telepathy (in whatever form you see it) is not derived by evolutionary processes. How can we know which is correct?

[Mr Skeptic]

Well last I checked, my brain can detect blue light, and that would prevent the production of melatonin. Am I telepathic yet?

[Moontanman]

I think it should also be mentioned that detecting and sending ELF are two different things, ears can hear extremely low sounds but ears generate very little sound. If there are people who can hear the aurora or meteors I still don't see how ELF could be used to send anything since our brains generate so little energy compared to things like auroras. Not to mention there would have to really be some effect for it to be selected for in animals, quite possibly you would see an entire planet full of animals hunting each other via telepathic means but instead we see animals using their normal senses of taste, smell, sight, hearing and touch to hunt each other in all ecosystems, except for water which has animals that use electricity to hunt and detect each other if some sort of mental telepathy was possible i think we would see it being used by animals. In water which carries an electrical field we do get something akin to telepathy and it is used a great deal, any unique sense or effect between land animals would be used the same way electricity is used in water animals.

[lemur]

I don't think this is even about esp. There could be information-exchange taking place between nervous systems and it could be completely sub-conscious. The issue is whether nervous-system tissue has the capacity to generate EM waves that extend beyond the body and whether it is the capacity to receive such wave-information. If so, the question becomes how such waves would be interpreted when they interfered with body-internal signals. Maybe it is the case that your nervous system is subject to low-level sympathetic resonances from other people's nervous system activity. If so, does that really register as concrete thoughts, as if you can hear their thoughts, or might it just be something as simple as feeling when other people are nervous because they broadcast their nerves being on edge?