1. It is a purely spiritual power that transcends matter and energy of any kind.
2. It is the power of departed spirits using humans as their mediums.
3. It is an unknown physical energy that operates through space. This physical energy consists of "psi-fields" which surrounds all people and causes these similar energies to interact.
4. It is an unknown form of energy which does not cross space but which reaches inward, to the psychic center of all humans.
5. it is a result of living in a holographic universe, in which all things share in a collective consciousness (I'll explain this view in more detail later.)
Based on the test results, I think numbers 3, 4, and 5, are the best candidates. This leads to further questions. First, if psychic phenomena like telepathy is a natural ability, can it be harnessed and increased by the Spirit of God for His purposes, or for the demonic and Satan's purposes. If telepathy is a true "spiritual" power, why do the lab test vary? Why will a person who shows telepathic powers get many hits in one session, then zero hits the following session? If there is always a supernatural spirit behind this phenomenon, why would it manifest in a lab, and why wouldn't it have better results? While it definitely seems that telepathy is a natural ability, can it sometimes be supernatural? This is a good point to turn to the pages of Scripture, but first, I want to deal with an argument that is brought up repeatedly in this conversation: Psychic ability of all kind is condemned by God, because the Bible itself condemns psychics, and even uses the word "psychic." In Leviticus 19:31, some translations have "wizard" or "psychic." The Hebrew word literally means "a knowing one". The more accurate translations say "sorcerer." The idea is meant to convey that what is condemned is one who seeks supernatural power through the assistance of a spirit. In other words, it is a form of divination. Therefore, the Bible does not speak against the type of natural phenomena that we have been discussing.
Some of the greatest examples of telepathy are seen in the life of Jesus. It is mentioned three times in the Gospels that He can perceive other's thoughts. "Jesus perceived their thoughts"- Luke 5:22. "He knew their thoughts"- Luke 6:8. "Jesus knew their thoughts" Matthew 22:25. In these examples, Jesus has an amazing grasp of the exact thoughts of those who are opposing Him. The question we must ask is "What is the difference, if any, between telepathy and the power of Jesus? This is something we will revisit time and time again as we examine psychic phenomena in Scripture, so it is very important at the outset that we deal with this question. Can Jesus' miraculous power just be attributed to higher psychic abilities? Since He was sinless, couldn't His psychic ability be off the charts? The problem with this view is that it is teetering on the edge of the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. This sin is mentioned in Mark 3:22-30 and Matthew 12:22-32. It is basically attributing the miraculous power of Jesus to Satan rather than the Holy Spirit. Though Satan and psychic powers are two different things, attributing Jesus' power to psychic ability and not the Holy Spirit seems to be walking on the edge of that category. This being the case, what are we to make of this?
First, let's talk about psychic ability. Since Jesus was sinless, and since psychic ability is a natural ability in all people, Jesus would have 1) certainly had this ability, but 2) would have not used or submitted that ability to sin or Satan. Second, Jesus was filled with the Spirit without measure, and empowered by Him for the work that He came to accomplish. Here is what this means: Jesus' works were definitely a result of the Holy Spirit. Jesus submitted His natural, psychic ability to the Holy Spirit, thus, through the Holy Spirit's power, He heightened this ability to the uttermost and used it for the glory of God. Therefore, we can see Jesus' ability as a natural ability that was heightened through supernatural power in order to accomplish His mission in glorifying God. The other thing that needs to be pointed out is that when the natural phenomenon of telepathy is tested, it does not have the exact clarity that Jesus' power had. This shows that Jesus' power was more than a natural ability, and that the Spirit of the Lord was most definitely at work. So, even though psychic ability is a natural phenomenon, the heightened ability of Jesus goes beyond anything natural, and moves Him into the realm of operating in the supernatural.
What about dream telepathy? Do we see that in the Bible? Yes, we do. God communicates through dreams all throughout the Scripture. Because the examples are many, I only want to focus on a few. The first example has to do with angels. Angels seem to not have to use our five senses to communicate. There are examples in Scripture in which they communicate directly to the mind in dreams. Here are some examples:
"Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob,' and I said, 'Here I am'". -Genesis 31:11
"But as he was considering these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit'". - Matthew 1:20
"Now after they had gone away, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph, saying, 'Get up, take the child and his mother to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to seek the child to destroy him'". - Matthew 2:13
"Now after Herod had died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt'". - Matthew 2:19
From these examples, we can see that God used angels to communicate to both Jacob and Joseph through their dreams. This seems to indicate that if angels can interact with our dreams, they may also be able to read our thoughts as well. This is bothersome, especially when we consider demons and fallen angels. If the elect angels can communicate telepathically, it is likely that the evil ones do as well, and can even influence dreams.
In closing, telepathy seems to be a natural ability. This natural ability is used in Scripture at times for God to communicate His will to His people. However, it also can be used for evil, thus all the Old Testament condemnations of divination and fortune telling. Elsewhere, as in the life of Jesus, this ability can be submitted to the Holy Spirit to bring forth amazing supernatural ability. What this means for us today that just like our other natural abilities, we can either submit them to sin, self, and Satan, or to God and His glory.