2003: The Telepathy Tapes B-Side part 1

PRETEND

01/28/25

•

44m

About

Comments

Featured In

The Telepathy Tapes podcast shot to the top of the charts, making bold claims about telepathic abilities in non-verbal autistic children. But are the claims rooted in science—or something else entirely? In this episode of PRETEND, we take a closer look at the phenomenon, the controversies, and the skepticism surrounding these extraordinary claims.

We’ll discuss:

➜ The premise of The Telepathy Tapes and the experiments it presents.

➜ Scientific skepticism surrounding telepathy claims.

➜ Ethical concerns, including the history of Facilitated Communication and its controversies.

➜ Voices from parents, experts, and critics, including Zaid Jilani and Amy Lutz.

Resources Mentioned:

Learn more about Amy Lutz’s work and her book Chasing the Intact Mind.

https://amzn.to/4gg9Mbe

Read Zaid Jilani’s articles on Facilitated Communication and The Telepathy Tapes on his Substack, The American Saga.

https://www.theamericansaga.com/

Explore the history of Facilitated Communication in the documentary Tell Them You Love Me (available on U.S. Netflix).

https://www.netflix.com/title/81783064

Share Your Thoughts:

Have you listened to The Telepathy Tapes? What do you think about the claims it makes? We want to hear from you! Send a voice memo with your thoughts to javier@pretendradio.org, and your message might be featured in an upcoming episode.

Stay Connected:

Follow PRETEND on social media and subscribe to the podcast for more stories exploring deception and the human condition.

➜ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/pretendpod.bsky.social

➜ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pretendpod/

➜ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pretendpod

➜ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@pretendpod

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Previous Episode

Criminal Conduct S5: The Life and Death of Buffalo Jim

January 21, 2025

•

31m

Hello PRETENDERS! I'm excited to announce that the new season of my other podcast, Criminal Conduct Season, is here! To listen to the rest of the story, search for Criminal Conduct and subscribe.

____________________

Buffalo Jim Barrier was a wrestling promoter, mechanic, and Las Vegas icon. He faced off against Rick Rizzolo, a powerful strip club owner with alleged mob ties. Their feud lasted decades. Days after Rizzolo’s release from house release, Buffalo Jim was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a motel room. Evidence is missing, and there are anonymous threats. Questions remain unanswered. Criminal Conduct Season 5 unravels a story of corruption, crime, and one man’s fight for justice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Next Episode

2004: The Telepathy Tapes B-Side part 2

February 4, 2025

•

48m

A mother kills her autistic son. Why? Because he asked her to.

The mother claims he used facilitated communication to ask her to help him die. This case is just one of many tied to the controversial method that claims to give a voice to non-speaking autistic individuals. But what if the voice wasn’t theirs at all?