History Main / HumansArePsychicInTheFuture

[[folder:Real Life]]
* This may become TruthInTelevision with the aid of brain implants and radio signals, although this possibility has more in common with the MagicFromTechnology trope. You put radios into two peoples' heads and hook them up to their nervous systems. If you do it right, the two people can trade thoughts and ideas through the radio without the need to talk. Recent advances in brain scanning have given this idea new hope. It can only work between people who have the implants though, not to a person who doesn't. Also, military ECM will probably drive these people mad.
* On a similar note, there's been talk of brain implants that would send out a signal when triggered by a certain thought (i.e. the electrical brain impulse that corresponds to that particular thought) which would allow a person to, for instance, turn on the lights or television with his mind. Physicist Michio Kaku discusses it in his book ''Physics of the Impossible''.
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In many science fiction stories, human beings, although only a minority thereof, are shown as having [[strike:[[RecycledInSpace Magic]]]] PsychicPowers in the future. There is frequently no explanation of where these abilities could have come from between the audience's time and the setting of the show, nor, if these abilities were supposed to always have been present, why they only became accepted common knowledge (as opposed to dismissed as pseudo-science) in the future. This usually goes hand-in-hand with one or another kind of [[FantasticRecruitmentDrive official recognition]] or [[MutantDraftBoard registration efforts]].

* Hive England in the ''Literature/HiveMind'' series has about 0.1% of their population with borderline telepathy. Real telepaths are much rarer, about one in every five million. Exactly where this ability came from is unknown.

* The Auron's from ''Series/BlakesSeven'' are a race of telepathic humanoids. It's argued in-universe and out of universe amongst the writers whether they're HumanAliens or a HumanSubspecies.

* Creator/IsaacAsimov's ''{{Literature/Foundation}}'': This ScienceFiction series, set in the far future, has several different sources of spacefaring people with PsychicPowers.
** Introduced in "Literature/TheMule", the [[AntagonistTitle titular antagonist]] as a {{mutant|s}} whose EmotionControl ability allows him to EmotionBomb his enemies and {{Brainwash|ed}} individual characters to serve him indefinitely. He's even used it to kill. His actions are a direct cause for each major conflict until ''Literature/FoundationAndEarth''.

** Introduced in ''Literature/FoundationsEdge'', Gaia is a HiveMind of humans, plants, bacteria, and even the non-biological systems of air and rock contribute to the gestalt. Individual parts (such as humans) have some psychic abilities, such as [[TheEmpath empathic senses]] and EmotionControl, but tend to avoid using their powers as much as possible. Working together gives them the ability to affect other people across astronomical distances.
** Introduced in ''Literature/FoundationAndEarth'', the Solarians are {{Transhuman}}s who have became {{Hermaphrodite}}s and bio-engineered "Transducer Lobes" in their brains, which harnesses local thermal energy to give them MindOverMatter powers.
* The ''Literature/{{Horseclans}}'' novels by Robert Adams have this for humans...also horses, cats, and whales.
* The novel ''Riadan'' has most humans evolving the ability to communicate telepathically. In fact, the youngest generation shown develops other abilities, such as levitation and teleportation. Kinda makes it difficult for parents to [[IncrediblyLamePun ground]] them, doesn't it?

** The ''Moonsinger'' series used this: in the first book, narrator Krip wonders suspiciously if the fellow he's talking to is esper -- but [[HypocriticalHumor doesn't seem to think it's at all odd]] to probe with his ''own'' esper powers. In the second book, someone takes a reading and comments that Krip's psychic ability level is seven; the people who knew him are startled, because he was "only" a level five a fairly short time ago. The phrasing, by the way, makes clear that five is considered pretty high.
** The main character of ''Star Rangers'' comes from a planet where, apparently, the average level of psychic power was "six point six." This is implied to be almost scarily high. It may have contributed to politicians/bureaucrats from a less-gifted world deciding to [[NukeEm blast]] the hero's [[DoomedHometown homeworld]].
* In ''Literature/EnchantressFromTheStars'' by Sylvia Louise Engdahl, human societies go through three stages that boil down to childhood(which would be before modern science), adolecence, and adulthood. During the "adulthood" of a society, they learn how to communicate through telepathy.
* Creator/ArthurCClarke's novel ''Literature/ChildhoodsEnd'' has [[spoiler:all of the world's children slowly becoming psychic and forming a hive mind capable of making rivers flow upstream and changing the moon's rotation speed. Before they finally AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence, destroying the Earth in the process.]]
* In the backstory of another Clarke's novel ''Literature/TheCityAndTheStars'' at some point humans upgraded themselves to become telepaths. [[spoiler:It was a part of larger improvement effort to bring themselves on par with more advanced aliens.]] By the start of the novel the inhabitants of Diaspar have long lost the ability, though they still command their machines telepathically. [[spoiler:The humans of Lys are still telepaths.]]
* In Lisanne Norman's ''Literature/SholanAlliance'', human telepaths weren't recognised until the Terrans met the Sholans, a certain percentage of which have psi abilites.

* There are psis in the ''[=LaNague=] Federation'' series by F. Paul Wilson, with psi-schools and psi-potential readings in every person's file. One psi is powerful enough to kill people in a particularly unpleasant manner and another is capable of subjugating a race of aliens with her powers.

* Probably the best explanation for some of the abilities in the ''Literature/GiverQuartet''. ''[[Literature/TheGiver The Giver]]'' has the ability to transmit memories via touch, which [[spoiler: Jonas is able to do to Gabe later on inadvertently.]] Years later, in ''Messenger'', Jonas seems to have some sort of remote viewing ability, Matty can heal via touch, and Kira from ''Literature/GatheringBlue'', has some sort of psychic ability when she weaves.

* According to the ''WesterAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "Holidays of Future Passed," people will be able to read thoughts in the year 2041.

* Saturn Girl and the other natives of Saturn's moon, Titan have telepathy. It varies in different continuities whether the various aliens in the''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'' are HumanAliens or Earth colonists who got superpowers.

* Saturn Girl and the other natives of Saturn's moon, Titan have telepathy. It varies in different continuities whether the various aliens in ''ComicBook/TheLegionOfSuperHeroes'' are HumanAliens or Earth colonists who got superpowers.

* In ''Series/DoctorWho'', ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS11E5PlanetoftheSpiders Planet of the Spiders]]'' and ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS14E6TheTalonsofWengChiang The Talons of Weng Chiang]]'' depict PsychicPowers as a dormant ability set to develop in humanity's future, and which may potentially emerge now.

* In Series/DoctorWho, ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS11E5PlanetoftheSpiders Planet of the Spiders]]'' and ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS14E6TheTalonsofWengChiang The Talons of Weng Chiang]]'' depict PsychicPowers as a dormant ability set to develop in humanity's future, and which may potentially emerge now.

This trope may have first arisen from science fiction writers keen on initial research into claims of psychic powers in the 1960s and 1970s. In modern day such claims are generally considered bogus, but in the past, it seemed yet another body of knowledge just about to unfold, fooling more than one respected scientist along the way. Creator/JosephWCampbell, editor of ''[[Magazine/{{Analog}} Astounding Science Fiction]]'', was one such believer, and he encouraged his writers (including luminaries like Creator/IsaacAsimov and Creator/RobertAHeinlein) to write stories including psychic abilities.

This trope may have first arisen from science fiction writers keen on initial research into claims of psychic powers in the 1960s and 1970s. In modern day such claims are generally considered bogus, but in the past, it seemed yet another body of knowledge just about to unfold, fooling more than one respected scientist along the way.

* Hinted at in the ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' series with Silver the Hedgehog, who is from 200 years in the future, and has psychic powers for no other adequately-explained reason. Likewise, his friend [[DefrostingIceQueen Blaze]] has [[PlayingWithFire pyrokinesis]].

* Isaac Asimov went down this route with the Mule, the Second Literature/{{Foundation}}, Gaia, and, in a much different way (less mind reading/control more telekinesis) the Solarians.
** The Mule was justified as a mutation when he appeared but later retconned [[spoiler: into an outcast of Gaia]].
** The Second Foundation was justified in that the entire purpose of the Second Foundation was a deep understanding of human psychology on both the personal and civilization levels, so they developed the ability (and technology) to screw with minds [[spoiler: and keep Seldon's plan in motion]].
** Forget how Gaia was justified, [[spoiler: Except for the part where robots did it]].
** And the Solarians' developed genetic modification and personal separation to such an extent that their modified brains can harness the thermal energy of the massive amounts of land each individual has in order to convert it into other forms of energy.

* ''Film/HardcoreHarry'': The film is set in the future, and the main villain Akan has powerful telekinetic abilities. [[PsychicNosebleed Blood comes out of his mouth]] when he uses them.

* Some mutant beggars living on Mars in ''Film/TotalRecall1990'' make a living trying to impress tourists by reading their minds and guessing their birthdays.

** ''Literature/TheDemolishedMan'', with its espers, may be the trope-maker.

** ''Literature/StrangerInAStrangeLand'': Mike learned psychic powers from the Martians, he teaches it to his followers as well.

* In the 1985 revival of the ''Series/TheTwilightZone'', the episode "Quarantine" is set in a future where survivors of WorldWarIII have reverted to living in {{Arcadia}}, eschewing all mechanical technology, but having developed a wide range of psychic powers and OrganicTechnology.

* In the ''Literature/ChakonaSpace'' verse psionics are usually possessed by genetically engineered human-animal hybrids, mostly Chakats and Skunktaurs, but it's the same principle. Chakats are almost universally empaths, while Skunktaurs are divided into three "Houses" with different powers, telepathy, telekinesis, or astral projection. Chakats whose sires or grandsires (species comes from the mother) were Skunktaurs tend to inherit their powers.

** The [[Literature/RedDwarf]] say that the luck virus works mainly by enhancing a person's sixth sense.

* Implied in the live action ''Film/BillAndTed's Excellent Adventures'' where Rufus has prophetic dreams and seems to hypnotize a customer into buying things from Nail World.

* Implied in the live action ''[[Film/BillAndTed]]'s Excellent Adventures'' where Rufus has prophetic dreams and seems to hypnotize a customer into buying things from Nail World.