Examples of telepathy

Telepathy is the ability to to mentally control functions of the brain. A full list of examples of the power in action follows.

Season One Examples

• Matt reads Molly Walker's mind at the scene of her parents' murders. (Don't Look Back)
• Matt overhears Audrey thinking the name Sylar. (Don't Look Back)
• Matt verbally answers his wife's thoughts that she wants Matt to leave. (One Giant Leap)
• Matt listens to bar patrons' thoughts (but passes out when concentrating on the Haitian). (One Giant Leap)
• When Matt is being tested by Mr. Bennet, he manages to read one word of his thoughts: "Claire". (Collision)
• Matt uses his powers to plan the perfect date with his wife. (Hiros)
• The officer stops a would-be convenience store robber by reading his mind, only to be overcome by the terrified thoughts of others. (Hiros)
• Matt telepathically uncovers the affair between his wife and his partner. (Nothing to Hide)
• Matt defuses a tense situation with a potential killer by reading his comatose wife's thoughts. (Nothing to Hide)
• Matt chases down an armed robber by reading his thoughts. (Control)
• Matt interrogates an easily agitated Ted with the aid of his power. (Seven Minutes to Midnight)
• Matt presumably reads his first thought: "Hero". (Six Months Ago)
• Peter copies Matt's power, and they read each other's minds. The telepathy mimicry also creates a disturbing feedback loop between the two men. (Fallout)
• Blocked by the Haitian, Matt only hears a "silence" and "static" when trying to read Claire's mind at the Odessa Sheriff's Department. (Fallout)
• Matt listens to Audrey mentally musing, "He's cute." (Fallout)
• Matt struggles to pick up a single word — "Sylar" — from Mr. Bennet's thoughts, despite the Haitian's interference. (Fallout)
• Matt uses his powers to guide his answers during a police hearing. (The Fix)
• Janice playfully tests Matt's powers by having him guess what she's thinking. (The Fix)
• Peter overloads on his multitude of powers, including telepathy. (Distractions)
• In Matt's car, Matt hears Aron Malsky think, "Hope this loser knows how to use his gun. Otherwise, we're both dead." (Run!)
• Matt's power enable him to learn the location of Aron's diamonds. (Run!)
• Matt overhears a conversation between Niki and Jessica. (Run!)
• Matt hears the thoughts of Claire, Mr. Bennet, and Ted Sprague during the invasion of the Bennets' home. (Company Man)
• Matt confirms Mr. Bennet telling the truth during a conversation he had with Thompson. (Parasite)
• Matt listens to Mr. Bennet's thoughts in his cell, receiving instructions on how to organize an escape from Primatech Paper Co. (.07%)
• Future Matt interrogates Hiro to find out his plans, but cannot find any memories of the past five years. (Five Years Gone)
• Future Matt finds the location of Future Claire from Future Bennet. (Five Years Gone)
• Matt reads Peter's mind to convince Ted that Peter's telling the truth. (Landslide)
• Peter hears Sylar's thoughts about Ted's ability. (Landslide)
• Matt uses his ability to convince a guard to let himself and Mr. Bennet through security. (Landslide)
• Matt hears Thompson's thoughts on killing Mr. Bennet, preventing Bennet's death. (Landslide)
• Peter hears Claire thinking he lied to her. (How to Stop an Exploding Man)
• Peter hears Nathan thinking the bomb cannot be prevented and everyone will die. (How to Stop an Exploding Man)

Season Two Examples

• Matt "uses his skills" during an NYPD detective drill to correctly identify the hostage. (Four Months Later...)
• Matt reads Molly's thoughts when she is having nightmares. Maury induces the nightmares, telling Molly that he sees her. (Four Months Later...)
• Matt reads Angela's thoughts during questioning regarding Kaito's death. She realizes this, and thinks, "Get out of my head!" (Lizards)
• Peter hears Will's thoughts of betrayal and double-crossing. (Kindred)
• On a Cork beach, Peter hears Caitlin's thoughts. (Petrified Lightning)
• Matt reads Molly's thoughts after she is put in a comatose state from Maury. (The Kindness of Strangers)
• Matt tries to hear Maury's thoughts, but Maury does the same, causing a feedback loop. Maury then causes Matt and Nathan to think they are in situations they are not. Matt then projects a thought at Nathan to wake up. (Fight or Flight)
• Maury causes Molly to have nightmares about cockroaches, and Matt and Mohinder getting injured. (Molly's Dream)
• Maury induces a nightmare in Niki, in which she sees D.L. telling her that she will never have a life before he is shot by Bob. (Out of Time)
• Maury traps Molly and Matt in a room; the kitchen of the house which Maury left when Matt was younger. (Out of Time)
• Matt brings Maury into the nightmare, manages to escape, and locks his father in. (Out of Time)
• Matt "persuades" Molly to let she and him live normal lives and to finish her cereal by sending the thoughts into her head. (Cautionary Tales)
• Matt gets Detective Fuller to give him twenty-four hours to find the last person in the photo by projecting the thought into his head. (Cautionary Tales)
• Matt implants the thought of telling the truth into Angela's head and forces her to talk about the group; she attempts to futilely resist and bleeds from the nose because of it. (Cautionary Tales)
• Peter gets the location of Strain 138 from Victoria. (Truth & Consequences)
• Matt hears Angela Petrelli's thoughts, telling him to put a bullet through Peter's head if he can't be stopped. (Powerless)
• Matt tries to telepathically command Peter to go after Adam, but Peter is unaffected by his command. They battle telepathically over whether or not Adam should be trusted. (Powerless)
• Matt convinces Nathan's audience to listen to what Nathan is about to say. (Powerless)

Season Three Examples

• Matt tries to read future Peter's mind, but was unsuccessful. (The Second Coming)
• Matt searches people in an African desert by scanning the area for thoughts with his ability. (The Butterfly Effect)

Season One Gallery

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  Matt hears Molly calling out for help.
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  Matt listens to his wife's wishes.
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  Matt practices listening to bar patrons, including a lonely woman with thoughts of "disappearing".
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  Matt's attempts to read Mr. Bennet's mind show wild brainwave fluctuations.
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  Matt uses his power to prepare the perfect dinner for his wife.
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  Matt is overcome by the mental cacophony in the convenience store.
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  Matt learns of Janice's affair telepathically.
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  Matt hears Karen Sprague's dying thoughts.
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  Matt overhears Tom McHenry's thoughts in the precinct locker room.
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  Officer Parkman's police work is aided by his power.
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  The telepathic officer interviews Ted at FBI Headquarters.
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  Peter and Matt experience a disturbing feedback loop.
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  Matt tries to read Claire's mind, but only hears an absence of sound and a static.
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  Audrey thinks Matt is cute--and Matt hears it.
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  Matt's intense telepathic concentration results in a single word — and a nosebleed.
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  Janice tests her husbands ability by thinking of red elephants with blue stripes and of the ratty curtains in their old apartment.
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  Matt faces disciplinary action, but uses his secret skill to guide his responses.
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  Matt telepathically learns that he's having a baby.
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  Peter mimics the ability to read minds.
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  Matt hears Malsky thinking that he hopes Matt knows how to use a gun.
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  Matt telepathically learns that the diamond exchange is a trap,.
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  As Niki and Jessica argue, Matt overhears both sets of thoughts.
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  Though Matt can hear Mr. Bennet's thoughts, he can't understand them--they're in Japanese.
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  Matt verifies Mr. Bennet is telling the truth about his memory loss for Thompson and Candice Willmer.
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  While in one cell, Matt receives instructions from Mr. Bennet who is in another cell.
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  Future Matt listens to Hiro's thoughts.
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  Matt gets up close and personal with Mr. Bennet (future) in order to find Claire's location.
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  Peter hears Sylar's thoughts.
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  Matt reads Stan like a book.
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  Peter hears Claire's thoughts.
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  Peter hears Nathan's thoughts.

Season Two Gallery

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  Matt's skills help him decipher a hostage from a kidnapper.
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  Matt listens to Molly's dreams, and hears a scary voice.
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  Matt perceives that Angela is keen to his tricks.
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  Maury gives Angela a nightmare.
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  Peter hears Will's treacherous plans.
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  Peter hears Caitlin's thoughts.
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  When Angela confesses to Kaito's murder, Matt knows she's lying.
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  Matt tries to read his father's mind...
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  ...but the attempt ends in feedback and pain.
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  Maury induces nightmares in both Matt...
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  ...and Nathan...
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  ...who struggles with his disfigured alter ego...
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  ...but he doesn't realize that he's really fighting Matt...
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  ...until Matt sends him a telepathic message to wake up.
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  Maury causes Molly to have nightmares about cockroaches.
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  Peter uses telepathy...
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  ...and recovers his lost memories of Angela, his mother.
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  Maury Parkman's telepathy...
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  ...causes Niki to see D.L. die in her arms.
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  Maury brings Matt into the same nightmare he trapped Molly in...
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  ...but Matt calls Maury...
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  ...and returns the favor...
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  ...leaving Maury trapped in his own nightmare...
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  ...comatose...
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  ...while Molly recovers.
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  Matt puts the thought of finishing her cereal into Molly's head...
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  ...and she finishes her cereal.
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  Matt causes Detective Fuller to decide...
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  ...to give him 24 hours to talk to Angela Petrelli.
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  Matt commands Angela...
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  ...to answer his questions truthfully.
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  Peter discovers the location of Strain 138 by reading Victoria Pratt's mind.
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  Matt receives instructions from Angela to kill Peter if he has to.
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  Matt commands Peter to go after Adam...
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  ...but Peter is immune to his tricks.
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  Matt causes the people at Nathan's press conference to listen to Nathan.

Season Three Gallery

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  Matt tries to read Peter's mind...
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  ...but Peter blocks his thoughts.
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  He does this so intensely that he gets a major headache.
  (The Second Coming)
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  Nathan thinks he's playing chess with Linderman, but it's just a telepathic illusion.
  (The Butterfly Effect)
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  Maury creates images of Linderman in Daphne's mind, but Linderman isn't really there.
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  Daphne later proves this to be true by swiping some files through the figment.
  (Dying of the Light)