Telepathy

Telepathy
Matt can hear thoughts
Held by:	Matt Parkman
Ability to:	Hear others' thoughts
Examples of telepathy

Telepathy is the ability to hear others' thoughts.

Characters

Matt Parkman is the only character known to have this ability. Peter Petrelli has copied this ability (Fallout), and was later able to access it outside Matt's presence. (Distractions)

Limits

Matt has limited control over his ability. He can actively focus on the thoughts of a particular person, but he sometimes picks up thoughts at random from people in his vicinity, and he can have difficulty "blocking" the thoughts of agitated individuals or crowds. He can be overwhelmed by intense thoughts, as happened in the convenience store. (Hiros)

Matt notes to his wife that he is only able to hear the thoughts of others. He seems unable to receive mental images, complex thoughts, or delve into the memories or emotions of others. His telepathic ability, as of yet, remains limited to only hearing a person's current thoughts as they're thinking them. (The Fix)

He is unable to read the Haitian's mind, and the minds of others that the Haitian is "screening" against mental intrusion. With extreme effort, however, Matt can occasionally pick up a word or two through the Haitian's interference.

Matt's telepathic abilities seem to have a limited range; he has not been seen to pick up thoughts from anyone more than a few hundred feet away. He does not require a line of sight to pick up thoughts, but it seems to help.

Examples

• Matt presumably reads his first thought: "Hero". (Six Months Ago)
• 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 chases down an armed robber by reading his thoughts. (Control)
• Matt defuses a tense situation with a potential killer by reading his comatose wife's thoughts. (Nothing to Hide)
• Matt interrogates an easily agitated Ted with the aid of his power. (Seven Minutes to Midnight)
• Peter copies Matt's power, and they read each other's minds. The telepathy mimicry also created 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)
• Janice playfully tests Matt's powers by having him guess what she's thinking. (The Fix)
• Matt uses his powers to guide his answers during a police hearing. (The Fix)
• Matt's power enable him to learn the location of Aron's diamonds. (Run!)
• Matt overhears a conversation between Niki and Jessica. (Run!)

Gallery

• 
  Matt's attempts to read Mr. Bennet's mind show wild brainwave fluctuations.
• 
  Matt is overcome by the mental cacophony in the convenience store.
• 
  Matt overhears Tom McHenry's thoughts in the precinct locker room.
• 
  Officer Parkman's police work is aided by his power.
• 
  The telepathic officer interviews Ted at FBI Headquarters.
• 
  Matt's intense telepathic concentration results in a single word — and a nosebleed.
• 
  As Niki and Jessica argue, Matt overhears both sets of thoughts.