Katherine Ellis
Appearances
The Telepathy Tapes
Talk Tracks Ep 6: The Mind's Back Door: Alzheimer's and Telepathy
Wait, what? You gain the ability to telepathically communicate with other people with Alzheimer's?
The Telepathy Tapes
Talk Tracks Ep 6: The Mind's Back Door: Alzheimer's and Telepathy
Dan describes how individuals in Denise's memory care facility seemed to know that Dan was able to telepathically engage with them. People he had never met started coming up to him, somehow recognizing he was able to receive what they were thinking.
The Telepathy Tapes
Talk Tracks Ep 6: The Mind's Back Door: Alzheimer's and Telepathy
That's so amazing. Wow. So this is wild. So nowadays you'll just randomly be somewhere and hear someone with Alzheimer's coming in. How does that work? Do you ever think like, who the heck is this?
The Telepathy Tapes
Talk Tracks Ep 6: The Mind's Back Door: Alzheimer's and Telepathy
I know. It really seems like once the floodgate is open, it's totally accessible. Was there a moment of telepathy you experienced with Denise that you found to be extraordinarily profound?
The Telepathy Tapes
Talk Tracks Ep 6: The Mind's Back Door: Alzheimer's and Telepathy
Well, I love that story so much, Dan. I want to ask you, what is your advice for someone who's looking to tap into the side of themselves that would be open to this kind of communication?
The Telepathy Tapes
Talk Tracks Ep 6: The Mind's Back Door: Alzheimer's and Telepathy
Do you ever experience other people coming into your head who are not Alzheimer's? It's like people who are nonverbal in other ways?
The Telepathy Tapes
Talk Tracks Ep 6: The Mind's Back Door: Alzheimer's and Telepathy
Exactly. Some of the people who wrote in even said they were afraid they were going crazy, but that they were absolutely certain that something real was happening. That their loved one was somehow communicating with them, beyond words. And one name kept popping up as someone who had been through it and really put language to the experience. Dan Gerke. Okay, so tell me about Dan.
The Telepathy Tapes
Talk Tracks Ep 6: The Mind's Back Door: Alzheimer's and Telepathy
That's important. I'm glad we're bringing up the role of the caregiver because I think it's, unless you've sort of experienced this, it's a little bit overlooked on how emotionally, mentally, physically draining it can be. What would be a big piece of advice that you have for someone who may be has a recent diagnosis and you're maybe tasked as being the caregiver.
The Telepathy Tapes
Talk Tracks Ep 6: The Mind's Back Door: Alzheimer's and Telepathy
I really love that approach. I think so many of us have become isolated and afraid to ask for help, but... More often than not, people will surprise you by showing up. It seems like despite the incredible hardship of Denise's illness, you came out of it with some truly beautiful insights about life and connection.
The Telepathy Tapes
Talk Tracks Ep 6: The Mind's Back Door: Alzheimer's and Telepathy
Dan wrote a book called Unforgettable Unbelievable about his wife, Denise, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at just 56 years old. As her disease progressed and she lost the ability to speak, Dan says he began communicating with her telepathically. And now he's become a kind of sounding board for others who are going through similar things and don't know where to turn.
The Telepathy Tapes
Talk Tracks Ep 6: The Mind's Back Door: Alzheimer's and Telepathy
Well, thank you so much, Dan. This has been incredible.
The Telepathy Tapes
Talk Tracks Ep 6: The Mind's Back Door: Alzheimer's and Telepathy
I wanted to end the episode by mentioning that if you're caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's or dementia, please remember you don't have to go through it alone. Support groups can be life-changing. They offer a space to share, connect, and feel understood by people who truly get it.
The Telepathy Tapes
Talk Tracks Ep 6: The Mind's Back Door: Alzheimer's and Telepathy
Whether you're looking for emotional support, practical advice, or simply a reminder that you're not alone, help is out there. You can visit the Alzheimer's Association at alz.org to find local and virtual support groups, as well as resources for caregivers. The National Institute on Aging also has excellent information and tools at nia.nih.gov. I'll be sure to link both in the show notes.
The Telepathy Tapes
Talk Tracks Ep 6: The Mind's Back Door: Alzheimer's and Telepathy
Okay, I'd love to hear a little bit about the moment that you and your wife Denise found out she had Alzheimer's disease.
The Telepathy Tapes
Talk Tracks Ep 6: The Mind's Back Door: Alzheimer's and Telepathy
As Denise's disease progressed, she gradually lost her ability to speak. But what happened next was something Dan never expected. A new kind of communication began to emerge, one that didn't rely on words at all. Dan reports that once Denise became nonverbal, he began to read her mind and communicate with her telepathically. At first, he was shocked.
The Telepathy Tapes
Talk Tracks Ep 6: The Mind's Back Door: Alzheimer's and Telepathy
Wow. Okay. So what was your reaction?
The Telepathy Tapes
Talk Tracks Ep 6: The Mind's Back Door: Alzheimer's and Telepathy
So how do you reconcile with that? What do you think is going on in the brain that, you know, if she can't speak and if she's unable to remember things and communicate with you, like why is she still able to communicate with you telepathically in a coherent way?
The Telepathy Tapes
Talk Tracks Ep 6: The Mind's Back Door: Alzheimer's and Telepathy
Well, what really caught my attention is that we're getting a surprising number of emails about Alzheimer's and dementia. People are saying that they're experiencing thought sharing or telepathy with someone who has dementia or late stage Alzheimer's.
The Telepathy Tapes
Talk Tracks Ep 6: The Mind's Back Door: Alzheimer's and Telepathy
Yeah, I've heard from some other people in emails a similar theory that they feel like their loved one is slowly almost slipping into the next realm or the other side, and that their physical body is still just kind of here, but that that's not really... A true representation of them anymore.
The Telepathy Tapes
Talk Tracks Ep 6: The Mind's Back Door: Alzheimer's and Telepathy
So Catherine, at this point in the story, what were you thinking? Well, I really couldn't stop thinking about why Dan was able to communicate with Denise telepathically. I mean, there are so many people with Alzheimer's out there.
The Telepathy Tapes
Talk Tracks Ep 6: The Mind's Back Door: Alzheimer's and Telepathy
In 2023, an estimated 6.7 million Americans were living with the disease, and the number is expected to more than double by 2060.
The Telepathy Tapes
Talk Tracks Ep 6: The Mind's Back Door: Alzheimer's and Telepathy
If I had to guess, it would probably be a little bit more than 20.
The Telepathy Tapes
Talk Tracks Ep 6: The Mind's Back Door: Alzheimer's and Telepathy
Right. Like, are we getting a glimpse of higher consciousness with this population? And is there some part of ourselves that remains even if memory and language fade away? Or are we all just ignoring something that's always been open and available to us? So, Catherine, let's go back to your interview with Dan. Dan, why do you think you were able to do this with Denise?