# How often do you check to see whether you have telekinetic powers?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-check-to-see-whether-you-have-telekinetic-powers/615977
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [March 16, 2012, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-check-to-see-whether-you-have-telekinetic-powers/615977 "2012-03-16T16:47:53Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2012, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-check-to-see-whether-you-have-telekinetic-powers/615977/21 "2012-03-16T21:41:35Z")
It has never occurred to me to try.
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### Author:  [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2012, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-check-to-see-whether-you-have-telekinetic-powers/615977/22 "2012-03-16T21:49:05Z")
No need to test them when you already know they work.
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### Author:  [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2012, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-check-to-see-whether-you-have-telekinetic-powers/615977/23 "2012-03-16T22:47:20Z")
Every time I drive past a bank.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2012, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-check-to-see-whether-you-have-telekinetic-powers/615977/24 "2012-03-16T22:53:55Z")
> [@Shakes](#):
>
> I tried it and it actually worked once, but only once.
>
> Years ago, my GF of the time and I were all cuddled up on the couch together. She asked me to change the channel but I couldn’t because it was sitting on the coffe table just out of reach.
>
> Being the silly guy that I am, I did that Luke Skywalker thing where I stretched out my hand making grunting sounds. My dog was witnessing this whole thing go down. Giving me that classic head tilted to the side, quizzical look.
>
> My GF and I found this to be amusing, prompting me to keep doing it. Finally, the dog got up, grabbed the remote and dropped it in my lap! (Hilarity ensued along with a big WTF?)
>
> I tried for ages to get him to repeat that awesome trick, but he just wouldn’t do it. I miss that dog.
Hey, making animals do his dirty work is pretty much Aquaman’s whole schtick. And you’ve got powers over an animal that actually lives on land, so I’d say you’re one up on him.
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### Author:  [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2012, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-check-to-see-whether-you-have-telekinetic-powers/615977/25 "2012-03-16T23:05:41Z")
> [@Shakes](#):
>
> I tried it and it actually worked once, but only once.
>
> Years ago, my GF of the time and I were all cuddled up on the couch together. She asked me to change the channel but I couldn’t because it was sitting on the coffe table just out of reach.
>
> Being the silly guy that I am, I did that Luke Skywalker thing where I stretched out my hand making grunting sounds.
I used to do this with my ex-wife. Eventually she’d get annoyed enough that she’d hand me the remote. Worked every time!
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### Author:  [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2012, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-check-to-see-whether-you-have-telekinetic-powers/615977/26 "2012-03-16T23:14:32Z")
no need to check anymore.
coffee come here.
mmm. good to the last drop.
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### Author:  [@Rala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rala)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2012, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-check-to-see-whether-you-have-telekinetic-powers/615977/27 "2012-03-17T03:20:39Z")
> [@JSexton](#):
>
> I often find myself wondering whether people around me might be telepathic and can hear my thoughts as I’m thinking them.
>
> Yes, I recognize how irrational it is.
Oh, me too. I try to test it by yelling someone’s name in my head to see if they turn around, or thinking “If you can hear this, cough”. No-one’s responded yet, but that doesn’t conclusively prove they’re not just keeping me in the dark on purpose…
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### Author:  [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2012, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-check-to-see-whether-you-have-telekinetic-powers/615977/28 "2012-03-17T03:47:14Z")
> [@Roland\_Orzabal](#):
>
> It’s not like you expect it to work, but […]
Well there’s your problem right there…
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### Author:  [@LeeshaJoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LeeshaJoy)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2012, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-check-to-see-whether-you-have-telekinetic-powers/615977/29 "2012-03-17T04:53:17Z")
I occasionally check to see if I can levitate, does that count?
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### Author:  [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2012, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-check-to-see-whether-you-have-telekinetic-powers/615977/30 "2012-03-17T05:24:57Z")
So far it’s been all very disappointing for me…
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### Author:  [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2012, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-check-to-see-whether-you-have-telekinetic-powers/615977/31 "2012-03-17T06:32:50Z")
> [@Rala](#):
>
> Oh, me too. I try to test it by yelling someone’s name in my head to see if they turn around, or thinking “If you can hear this, cough”. No-one’s responded yet, but that doesn’t conclusively prove they’re not just keeping me in the dark on purpose…
About five years ago I tried that at a concert hall, with a couple two rows down and to my right. I directed the thought to both.
“If you hear this, raise your left arm.”
The man raised his left hand to above his shoulder. I was so astonished that had I been wearing a hat, it would have jumped up to the ceiling, like Mr. Weatherbee’s wig.
I asked him to turn toward me, but he wouldn’t. Then the lights dimmed.
Nice to know, though, that stalks of celery disguising themselves as earthlings by manipulating our minds appreciate symphonies.
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### Author:  [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2012, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-check-to-see-whether-you-have-telekinetic-powers/615977/32 "2012-03-17T06:37:04Z")
Why is that if you look at someone out of their peripheral vision, more than not they feel someone looking at them? What is this effect? Do you guys feel it? I do.
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### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2012, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-check-to-see-whether-you-have-telekinetic-powers/615977/33 "2012-03-17T06:58:32Z")
> [@brittekland](#):
>
> Why is that if you look at someone out of their peripheral vision, more than not they feel someone looking at them? What is this effect? Do you guys feel it? I do.
I’ve seen this effect. I suspect that peoples peripheral vision is better than you realize. Each movement of your eyeball widens your view, you may not conciously realize it, or notice the details there, but your brain can pick it up and give you that nervous feeling that makes you turn around to check. We probably forget about all the times we look around to see if someone is there, and no one is.
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### Author:  [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2012, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-check-to-see-whether-you-have-telekinetic-powers/615977/34 "2012-03-17T07:05:52Z")
> [@TriPolar](#):
>
> I’ve seen this effect. I suspect that peoples peripheral vision is better than you realize. Each movement of your eyeball widens your view, you may not conciously realize it, or notice the details there, but your brain can pick it up and give you that nervous feeling that makes you turn around to check. We probably forget about all the times we look around to see if someone is there, and no one is.
Yeah… plausible… but not straight behind you though, right.
remember doing peripheral vision experiments in school with having someone slowly move a point of pen forward from behind to find out exactly how wide your peripheral vision is; we found out it is usually much wider than assumed.
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### Author:  [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2012, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-check-to-see-whether-you-have-telekinetic-powers/615977/35 "2012-03-17T08:13:37Z")
Daily. Amazingly, I have telekinetic powers over my dick.
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### Author:  [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2012, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-check-to-see-whether-you-have-telekinetic-powers/615977/36 "2012-03-17T08:18:58Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#):
>
> Daily. Amazingly, I have telekinetic powers over my dick.
Is yours detached?
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### Author:  [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2012, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-check-to-see-whether-you-have-telekinetic-powers/615977/37 "2012-03-17T08:22:28Z")
Ha! It worked. I willed the OP to start this poll.
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### Author:  [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2012, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-check-to-see-whether-you-have-telekinetic-powers/615977/38 "2012-03-17T08:31:19Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#):
>
> Ha! It worked. I willed the OP to start this poll.
Does yours time travel backwards?
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### Author:  [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2012, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-check-to-see-whether-you-have-telekinetic-powers/615977/39 "2012-03-17T08:40:20Z")
Well, there’s [this guy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYxCrugJj_o), who transforms himself into a Super Saiyan before our very eyes (at 3:10 - I haven’t figured out how to link to the specific time). It’s kind of a must-see. He truly believes in himself. You gotta watch to the end!
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### Author:  [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2012, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-check-to-see-whether-you-have-telekinetic-powers/615977/40 "2012-03-17T17:15:20Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#):
>
> You gotta watch to the end!
No you don’t.
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