Have you ever felt the urge to talk to your friend for help with your school homework, only to have the internet cut off, leaving you stranded? Ever wished you could communicate with people all around the world, using only your brain signals? Imagine asking someone in Antarctica, “How’s the weather there? or asking your cousin living in New York, about the traffic like in the city, etc.

You might have seen this in science fiction magazines or movies where superheroes read minds by sending electrical signals. Believe it or not, scientists are considering that telepathy might actually be real and present in our community. But what is telepathy?

Telepathy is a powerful form of transmission where your thoughts, feelings and communications are shared with others through your brain. It’s the ability to share and communicate through your mind, without using words or gestures.

It sounds like magic, as if the telephones inside our minds were connected through some mysterious, invisible wires.

Imagine waking up in the morning and hearing the chorus of thoughts from the people around you. Your mother is choosing between cooking eggs or waffles for breakfast, your brother is planning to play a prank on you later in the afternoon, and your cat is waiting patiently for you to wake up and feed his hungry belly. And you can hear it all!

What if we used such abilities in the classroom? Sitting on the other side of the class, you could chat and laugh with your friend using telepathic skills, even if the teacher separated you. Sounds interesting, right? Group projects would become more enthusiastic with teamwork, as everyone could share their ideas and thoughts instantly.

Telepathy doesn’t just mean communication; it also allows us to read other people’s minds and learn about their dreams and thoughts. This has a positive side too. We would stay connected with our friends and family, and learn compassion and empathy by understanding their difficulties or fears that they may be trying to hide.

This ability could also help during emergencies. A person in danger, in an isolated place, could send a message for help through their mind. And could also be beneficial for connecting teachers and students, helping to figure out difficulties and providing answers. This superpower could aid reserved students who have questions, as they wouldn’t have to raise their hands and speak out loud — they could just send a mental message to the teacher verbally. At this moment, phone calls, urgent meetings, emails and text messages become partly useless.

However, despite the many advantages, there will also be disadvantages of having the ability of telepathy.

First, there would be a serious lack of privacy. Secrets would no longer be hidden. Did you plan to surprise your best friend on their birthday? Looks like they already know beforehand. All of your hidden secrets and lies would no longer be private.

Second, having telepathy would feel like a crowded carnival, where you could hear everyone clearly. It would be like listening to different TV channels all at once, which could make you dizzy and confused. Sleeping would be impossible with all the conversations buzzing through your mind.

Third, while being honest is generally good, sometimes we need to hide certain secrets for the sake of thoughtfulness. Of course, you wouldn’t want your friends to know about that one time you slipped on a banana peel in public or about your habit of picking your nose. Telepathy would be like a gossip chat room, where everyone’s embarrassing stories are revealed for everyone to laugh about.

In a nutshell, telepathy, or this ‘superpower,’ might not be as exciting as it seems. From privacy issues to endless chats, telepathy could turn into an open secret diary that everyone could read. Sometimes, privacy is necessary, but don’t worry — this is just a what-if situation!

Published in Dawn, Young World, September 7th, 2024