Telepathy and Video Cameras

Only if the recording could somehow record the telepathic conversation as data. Otherwise, I would say no.

Think of it this way. A film is recorded without sound. Can a person that can hear perfectly watch the film and hear the noises going on? The person might be able to see what happens and guess, but the person won't be able to actually hear the sounds.

Target: Avie
Age : 22
Sex : Female
-----------------------------
Is rarely seen without
a pair of headphones.

The mechanics of video recording are documented fact. Telepathy, on the other hand, is not even scientifically proven to exist, let alone understood well enough to assert that it works a certain way. So, you pretty much get to make up how it works, and if what you make up is a way that doesn't break the known rules of video recording, then that's no harder for the reader to swallow than the existence of telepathy.

One idea: to quote Wikipedia, "Van Eck phreaking is the process of eavesdropping on the contents of a CRT display by detecting its electromagnetic emissions." I.e., electronic video generates an electromagnetic signature, which can be reconstructed into electronic video. Well, the brain works with electrical impulses, which have an electromagnetic signature, so if telepathy is defined as sensitivity to that electromagnetic signature, a sort of Van Eck phreaking of mind impulses, then it's also conceivable that a high-resolution digital camera might translate that signature into minute changes in the video; normal people might not see them even if looking for them, but the electromagnetic signature generated by the video playback might be detectable by another sensitive.

Actually, yes. Telepathy is a spiritual power, and therefore not bound by time or space. It would not need to be recorded on the film to make it work, that's thinking physically, and this is not physical, it's spiritual. You're free to decide just how spiritual to make it, since some people like to keep it a little physical to make themselves understand it, but telepathy, stretched to its limits, can span across time and space and connect with anyone or anything, living or non-living, even objects that were never alive. You don't have to go that far unless you want to, but the option is certainly there.

Once you decide just how far to take it, make sure to put some limits on it so that people will believe it. That's what makes bizarre concepts believable, for whatever reason. *snickers* I don't get that either, but go figure, hehe. People like limits. :P

Anyway, hope this helps a bit. Take care, and have a nice day!

Melissa

Never stop believing in magic. Sometimes such things are the only things worth living for.

Nope.

No matter what kind of science you're working with, you have to remember two things: Video only records sound and sight. Since they're not speaking out loud, and you can hardly see the words in little bubbles passing from one head to the other, the video wouldn't pick it up.

There's countless more complicated explanations - I have a telepath character I've been running for ten years now and he can do anything from rewriting your personality to convincing you you're a boy, simply by altering your perceptions of yourself. It's really fun. Think of it this way....

Your mind controls your entire body. You bump into something, nerves send messages up, the brain tells your body, hey, that hurt. Your brain tells your lungs when to breathe, your heart when to beat, your lips what words to make. A truly skilled telepath (and for them it's more finesse than brute power) could literally do anything.

Something else you should think about: In your story, is telepathy mental communication, or mental speaking? People don't think in words unless they're talking to themselves silently. Otherwise we think in streams of images and ideas. A videocamera could hardly pick that up, much less process it in any understandable way. One telepath could just send the thought, and not the words. Thus why all telepaths can communicate just fine, language barriers ignored.

If, for some reason, you need as a plot device them to be recorded/overheard/someone to know what they are talking about, here are some suggestions:

First, foremost, and most obvious: Another telepath. Or something. There's actually two aspects of telepathy: projecting, and reading. Projecting is putting thoughts, words, ideas, behaviors, memories, etc. into someone else's head. Reading is hearing words, seeing pictures, looking into someone else's head for the knowledge you want. Making someone see purple bunnies is projecting. Sharing emotions is projecting. Searching someone's mind for a cookie recipe is reading.

So if your two characters are conversing between themselves, they're both projecting and reading. But someone else could be just reading, and not be able to project at all. That sort of thing. Also remember empathy is different from telepathy. Empathy = emotions. Telepathy = everything else. Most telepaths are also empathic, since it's just about impossible to send someone else a message without any emotional baggage going with. People don't use words that mean only words; they use words that mean something to them. So. Yeah.

If you need any more help with any kind of telepathy or similar power, just ask. I'm kinda geeky this way.