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Andy Weidemann - Joe Weidemann

Ms. Parent

AP Language and Composition

23 March 2018

The Real Twin Connection

Being a twin is an experience not many can relate to. People who are not twins do not

understand the true bond between them. This bond is even closer than the bonds between

normal siblings, thus creating a curiosity about the way twins communicate. For years,

scientists have been studying the relationships between twins, and despite the substantial

amount of research done, many myths still exist. These myths include the idea that twins can

communicate telepathically, feel each other’s pain and emotions, and sense that something is

wrong. Although they share a close personal relationship, twins do not share a telepathic

connection.

Two different types of twins exist, and both types are rumored to have a telepathic

connection. Fraternal twins, who make up approximately two thirds of all twins, do not share

the same DNA. They can be born different sexes and vary in appearance. Identical twins,

who make up the remaining one third of all twins, share the same DNA and usually copy

each other in appearance. Roughly one fourth of all identical twins are mirror twins, which

means that one twin resembles a mirror image of the other (“Twins - Identical and

Fraternal”).

Similarities between twins go beyond appearances, as many twins share health

conditions due to the resemblance in their genes. Shown in the Appendix is a graph from

“Insights From Identical Twins,”​ ​an article from the University of Utah. The graph shows the

comparison of identical and fraternal twins in the percent of each twin sharing the same
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genetic disorder. A varying percentage of both types of twins share medical conditions such

as autism, alzheimer’s, and schizophrenia, but identical twins share the same disorder more

often.

The shocking similarities in appearances and health conditions further the interest in

twin telepathy and connection. Many people believe that having homogenous health

conditions is an example of a shared feeling between the twins and attribute it to twin

telepathy. This is a misconception, and the people who believe it fail to understand that twins

inherit similar genes and flaws.

In addition to sharing genes, twins share an experience that ultimately has a profound

effect on their lives. Twins embark on the journey of life with an extra companion that others

lack and develop an intense bond with each other. In her article titled “Understanding Twin

Interconnections”, Dr. Barbera Klein, a leading clinical psychologist in the field of twins,

explains that twins have two separate personalities: as a twin, and as an individual. Klein

goes on to say that the “twin identity creates the deep attachment that consciously or

unconsciously twins long to share throughout their lifespan.” This longing for attachment

allows twins to grow closer than ordinary siblings.

The bond, which evolves and grows throughout life and provides the myths about

telepathy. Many believers of telepathy presume that an unnatural telepathic connection must

come along with this bond, but this belief has yet to be proven. According to Dr. Brent

Donnellan, a psychology professor at Michigan State University, “there is considerable

evidence that identical twins are quite similar (on average) in terms of their personalities,

attitudes, and other psychological attributes. Similar people might think alike and have the

same reactions to external stimuli. This similarity in psychological functioning would not

involve literal mind-to-mind connections between twins. It might generate a sense of

connection, however.” This sense of connection can be misconstrued into the belief that twins

communicate telepathically because the connection seems unnatural.

Instances of similar people having a deep understanding for one another are not

exclusive to twins. Many other bonds create a deep sense of understanding of tendencies,

feelings, and instincts. These occurrences can happen between any two people with a close

personal bond, including friends, partners, or family members. This sense of understanding

may lead to the people involved sharing feelings or knowing how the other may react in

certain situations (Fierro). This special way of understanding others happens often to

non-twins, yet fails to capture the eye of the public because they are not as interesting as

twins supposedly being able to feel what the other is feeling.

Similar to the deep understanding that twins have for each other, empathy can be

mistaken for telepathy. The incredible bond between twins often makes them feel responsible

for their counterparts and boosts the effects of empathy. In situations where a single twin is

hurt, it is common for their counterpart to empathize and ache for the other. While this may

appear to be one twin feeling the other’s pain, it is rather one twin being upset that their

sibling is hurt. Empathy is human nature and not in any means a form of telepathy.

Many people who believe in twin telepathy are convinced by stories seen on

television about twins miraculously interacting in ways that seem supernatural. These

occurrences are often normal and explainable, yet the media reports on them because they

entertain viewers. For example, in 2009, Gemma Houghton saved her twin sister who had

experienced a violent seizure in the bathtub and nearly drowned. Houghton said that she had

a random, intense feeling that she had to check up on her sister and ended up saving her life.

The two sisters had been incredibly close throughout their childhood, and they credit the

experience to twin telepathy (Wagner). To many, this story provides evidence that seems
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undeniable; however, just like many other twin telepathy stories, there is a basic explanation

for this occurrence. It was known that Leanne, Houghton’s sister, had a long history of

suffering from seizures. This would have made it a normal occurence for Gemma to check on

her. This story would not have been newsworthy if anyone else in the family, other than

Gemma, had saved Leanne (Radford). In reality, other similar stories are either coincidences

or contain fabrications, and they are reported on because they entertain rather than inform.

If twin telepathy was real, there would be more stories similar to that of the Houghton

sister’s. According to The University of Texas at Austin, roughly 32 out of every 1000 people

are born as a twin (“The Twin Project”). A substantial percentage of people in the world were

born as a twin, and if twin telepathy was possible, many more stories of telepathic events

would exist. These experiences occur in small numbers in the twin population and provide

mere anecdotal evidence in support of twin telepathy.

Many people who believe in twin telepathy bring up the aspect of twin talk. Twin

talk, also known as cryptophasia, refers to the private language developed by twins in the

early stages of life. This communication may seem like a secret language or a form of

unnatural communication at first, but it can be traced back to the natural bond between twins.

According to “Idioglossia and Secret Language of Twins”, an article by Pamela Prindle

Fierro , these secret languages are caused by twins learning to react to nonverbal gestures or

speaking because they have learned to understand each other. Although it seems that twins

are verbally communicating through mysterious sounds and grunts, but they are really trying

to pronounce words and speak. This is natural and occurs when children are growing up and

learning to speak and react. Cryptophasia seems to present observable evidence in support of

twin telepathy, but it is nothing more than the developmental process.

Despite no credible evidence, some psychologists believe in telepathic powers. Guy

Lyon Playfair, a parapsychologist, is well known for believing in paranormal or supernatural

phenomenon. In his article “The Twin Thing”, he cites a study conducted by Jeremy Barrett

in which a twin was mildly electrocuted, and the other twin was studied with a polygraph in

another room. The twin being studied was found to have a slight reaction in the polygraph

when his counterpart was shocked. Jeremy Barrett said in the article “what we have done

with the polygraph instrument is measure things happening which should not be happening.

There is absolutely no doubt at all in my mind that there is a communication taking place

between these pairs of people which is beyond any explanation other than telepathy.”

Although the study in Playfair’s article states that there is evidence for twin telepathy,

it has been heavily criticized by other researchers. The experiment has no scientific basis or

credibility in the psychology field because it is not a credible, controlled experiment. When

asked if he believes twin telepathy is real, the previously mentioned Dr. Donnellan

responded, “No. Mostly because I don’t think there is any credible evidence from

pre-registered studies that support telepathy.” Dr. Donnellan believes that any study in

support of telepathy or extrasensory perception is not credible. He also believes that these

studies are often tampered with and often concluded when the experimenter gets favorable

data. This is a common problem because many experiments are not pre-registered or peer

reviewed. The polygraph study is not credible and most likely cannot be repeated; therefore,

it does not provide substantial evidence for twin telepathy in the scientific world. Professor

Jeff Craig, the deputy director of the Australian Twin Registry, says that “as researchers, we

don’t understand everything, but there’s no evidence so far that there’s any extra-sensory

perception (Blumer).” Any new evidence in support of twin telepathy would be viewed as
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supporting the supernatural, and the scientific world currently holds no evidence that

anything supernatural exists.

The myth of twin telepathy is created by the incapability to experience what it is like

to have a twin. The amazing bond that ties twins together is unexplainable, yet the world

tries to make sense of it. Many believe that extraordinary means of communication between

twins exists, but overlook the fact that the anecdotal evidence they believe proves twin

telepathy is either explainable or fabricated. Without any evidence to support that twin

telepathy exists, a majority of scientists have concluded that twins communicate through

normal means.
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Appendix

Figure 1. Comparison of Identical and Fraternal Twins in Sharing Traits.

Figure 1 displays the graph from the University of Utah’s article ​Insights From

Identical Twins.​ It shows the percentage of twins of both types who share miscellaneous traits

for medical conditions.

]
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Works Cited

Blumer, Clare. “Do Twins Feel Each Other's Pain or Have ESP?” ​ABC News,​ Australian

Broadcasting Corporation, 6 August 2016,

www.abc.net.au/news/health/2016-08-06/myths-and-facts-about-twins/7694586.

Accessed 7 April 2018.

Donnellan, Brent. Personal Interview. 2 April 2018.

Fierro, Pamela Prindle. “Idioglossia and Secret Language of Twins.” ​Very Well Family,​ 15

August 2017, https://www.verywellfamily.com/twin-talk-idioglossia-2447516.

Accessed 18 March 2018.

---. “Twin Telepathy: Separating Fact From Fiction.” ​Very Well Family,

14 December 2017, https://www.verywellfamily.com/twin-telepathy-2447130.

Accessed 11 March 2018.

“Insights From Identical Twins.” ​Insights From Identical Twins,​ University of Utah,

learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/epigenetics/twins/. Accessed 7 April 2018.

Klein, Barbara. “Understanding Twin Interconnections.” ​Psychology Today,​ 29 August 2017,

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/twin-dilemmas/201708/understanding-twi

N-interconnections. Accessed 11 March 2018.

Playfair, Guy Lyon. “The Twin Thing.” ​Paranormalia,​ 19 Feb. 2010,

monkeywah.typepad.com/paranormalia/2010/02/thanks-to-author-and-paranormal-res

earcher-guy-lyon-playfair-for-this-article-on-twin-telepathy-guys-excellent-book-twin

-tel.html. Accessed 7 April 2018.

Radford, Benjamin. “The Riddle Of Twin Telepathy.” ​Live Science, 7​ May 2014,

https://www.livescience.com/45405-twin-telepathy.html. Accessed 11 March 2018.

“The Twin Project.” ​The University of Austin Texas, h​ ttp://sites.la.utexas.edu/twinproject

/facts-and-figures. Accessed 21 March 2018.

“Twins Identical and Fraternal.” ​Better Health,​ 2017. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.

au/health/conditionsandtreatments/twins-identical-and-fraternal. Accessed 18 March

2018.

Wagner, Stephen. “Evidence For Twin Telepathy.” ​Thought Co. ​21 April 2017,

https://www.thoughtco.com/twin-telepathy-best-evidence-2593932. Accessed 18

March 2018.