Dear Coyote,

Thank you for your well-meaning note, and I accept your invitation in the
best spirit.

Regarding telepathy (and its related cousin of clairvoyance) , I believe the
best studies and meta-analyses performed to date show a much more favorable
outcome than the 1000:1 which you quote, though not quite enough to confer
blanket acceptance of this supposed ability. For nice reviews, consider:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clairvoyance
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telepathy

Yes, maybe there is something to telepathy and clairvoyance, but we have a
long way to go to perfecting them. Until then, I as a scientist encourage
those who are compelled to pursue these abilities godspeed, and when you
perfect them, I would absolutely love to hear from you. (Call ME first -
not James Randi!

Regarding whether it's more efficient to test someone claiming
telepathic/clairvoyant abilities vs. developing them myself, well, let me
just humbly acknowledge that I'm sure in my many (misspent?) years
pursuing topics in conventional science, someone else surely must have
(well?) spent those same number of years perfecting their
telepathic/clairvoyant abilities on par with those of Counselor Troi's.
I'm sure they must be out there in droves, if I'm to believe the authors
of some books and web-pages out there! So, having such a wonderful cohort
to deal with already, it would be MUCH more efficient for them to visit
me, convince me of their abilities in a fair and objective manner (it
won't take long at all, I assure you!), and believe me, I will drop
EVERYTHING I'm currently doing in conventional science to devote the rest
of my life to spreading the good news about telepathy/clairvoyance to the
world. As you said, there may be effective and ineffective methods out
there, so what better way to teach me an effective method than by proving
to me from the outset that it works!

Still waiting ...

On a more ethical note, though ... I wonder what would be the purpose of
telepathy and clairvoyance anyway? It is the right of every individual to
hold her own thoughts private. In this age where Big Brother is invading
every crevice of our lives, are now even our thoughts subject to
clairvoyant scrutiny without our consent? Are subliminal messages in TV
ads not enough, and now I must suffer the tyranny of telepathic suggestion?
It seems to me that these abilities are more the wish of someone who wants
power over others (something not very enlightened, I might add), a
privilege which nature has gratefully forbidden. Rather, nature has
graciously given us the right to hold our own thoughts to ourselves, and
share when we feel compelled.

On a practical level, look at the "telepathic" mechanisms which science
has offered us: e-mail, telephones, TV, radio ... things which have
transformed our lives and hopefully have helped make it a better (at least
more colorful) place. Look how it has enabled us to take on this
discussion, even though we are hundreds of miles apart and have never met
in person. We can literally share our thoughts in an instant. THAT is
true power, my friend, and you don't have to believe it in order for it to
be true. What telepaths dream about, science and the technology have
turned into reality. And the extra bonus is that we get to share only
what we want to share, and are able to preserve our more private
thoughts to ourselves.

And, science and technology are also starting to develop "clairvoyant"
methods to truly look into our minds, as well as help link our thoughts
directly to the external world. To name just a couple examples, P300 is
being used to develop more reliable lie-detectors. And EEG-based helmets
are restoring independence to paraplegics by giving them the ability to
interact with the external world. For example, consider:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P300
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain-computer_interface

Regarding meditation ... oh, I'm a BIG fan of meditation. I perform
Tai-Chi and Qigong exercises continuously, and I meditate whenever
possible. I also watch with awe all those awesome things which monks can
do. I consider the benefits of such exercises scientifically verifiable,
and numerous scientific studies vouch for their efficacy. Even without
appealing to anything mystical, Qi-based and meditation exercises are at
the very least deeply relaxing, centering, and enhances mental
concentration and imagination, thus they have direct, measurable
physiological effects, which are generally positive.

We still have a lot to discover about human potential and the power of
belief, but we would also be wise to acknowledge our inherent
limitations. For example, remember the Boxer Rebellion in China? How
much more powerful Qi-Masters can you ask for than a dedicated army of
Shaolin and other monks whose highest purposes in life are to meditate, develop
Qi, and do good? They firmly believed their Qi protected them from the
bullets and swords of the "foreign invaders" of China. What more noble a
task can Qi-energy be used for than to defend one's country, families, and way
of life! YET ... they were ruthlessly slaughtered by bullets and swords,
and China lost a whole generation of Qi-Masters in one day. That was the
sad result of their firm belief in Qi. Must this happen again (in smaller
ways) to root us back firmly into reality?

(See the following for a history refresher:)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxer_Rebellion

I for one believe in human potential, oh yes! But may we be guided by a
rational spirit, without the need to resort to irrational notions.

I wish you the very best in your journey, and look forward to our continued
correspondence.

HF