Are You Ignoring Your Soul’s Messages? NASA Scientist on Telepathy, Intuition & “Ghosts”

In this podcast episode, the hosts engage in a deep and wide-ranging conversation with Dr. Iya Whiteley, a cognitive engineer with extensive experience in human performance at the edge of capability, including astronaut training and advising space agencies. The discussion explores extraordinary human capacities such as telepathy, intuition, extrasensory perception, and synesthesia, alongside experiences in extreme environments like space and aviation. The episode also delves into the spiritual and emotional dimensions of consciousness, examining phenomena like family constellation therapy, birth communications, and the subtle messages our souls may be sending us.

Human Performance in Extreme Environments

Dr. Whiteley opens by describing her interest in human capabilities, especially in challenging and unpredictable situations encountered by pilots and astronauts. She emphasizes the importance of mental preparedness and training astronauts to anticipate and adapt to unexpected scenarios without freezing from shock or fear. This mental conditioning enables them to operate effectively in environments for which humans are not naturally equipped, such as outer space or remote locations like Antarctica. She shares her personal journey learning to fly to better understand pilots' perspectives, which enhanced her ability to develop systems and training programs that support their cognitive and sensory experiences.

The Unique Mindset of Astronauts and Pilots

Exploring the traits of astronauts and cosmonauts, Dr. Whiteley highlights their multi-talented, highly disciplined, and curious nature. Astronauts often come from diverse backgrounds, including arts, sports, and science, yet they share a leadership quality grounded in teamwork, humility, and problem-solving. The commitment to constant equipment maintenance and readiness—exemplified by cosmonauts repairing everything at home before missions—reflects their understanding of self-reliance in isolated environments. Spiritually and psychologically, many astronauts express feeling like "superheroes," boosted by their extensive preparation and the trust built through training.

Intuition and Extra Senses in High-Pressure Situations

The conversation turns to the development of what Dr. Whiteley calls the "extra sensory perception" or "spider senses" that arise especially in high-stakes environments. She draws upon her work in martial arts, specifically aikido, where practitioners cultivate an acute awareness beyond the visual sense, learning to perceive momentum, energy flow, and intention in their partners' movements. This heightened state depends on being free from fear, stress, or tunnel vision, which narrows perceptual capacity and shuts down intuitive sensing. Parallels are drawn to elite athletes and military professionals who often operate from a place beyond the conscious mind, relying on a blend of systematic observation, creativity, and pre-verbal knowing.

The Science and Art of Intuitive Decision-Making

Dr. Whiteley recounts pioneering research involving firefighters who made life-saving decisions based on subtle environmental cues, such as changes in wind or temperature, that are difficult to articulate or teach systematically. Using head-mounted cameras for retrospective review helped reveal how much of their expertise is rooted in tacit, intuitive knowledge that is often under-communicated or filtered when attempting to rationalize decisions post hoc. She suggests that expert intuition is frequently masked by the need for scientific or procedural justification, leading to an underappreciation of deeper perceptual faculties.

Synesthesia as a Model for Expanded Perception

Synesthesia—a neurological phenomenon involving crossmodal sensory experiences like "seeing" sounds or "feeling" colors—is presented by Dr. Whiteley as a metaphor and gateway for understanding human perceptual diversity. She notes there are over 150 known types of synesthetic combinations, which reveal how the brain can merge sensory data in extraordinary ways. The ability of some individuals, including artists and composers, to perceive complex stimuli in intertwined sensory forms showcases the possibility of expanded cognition beyond the conventional five senses. This challenges narrowly defined scientific frameworks and invites curiosity about the breadth of human awareness.

Telepathy, Intuition, and the Field of Consciousness

The podcast explores telepathy and the notion of a shared or interconnected consciousness field accessible through intention and love. Dr. Whiteley acknowledges that many experts in critical fields, including astronauts and surgeons, informally experience intuitive knowing that cannot be fully explained by current science. She cites research such as studies by the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) that demonstrate physiological anticipations of future events milliseconds ahead, pointing to sensory capacities beyond the normative. Integrating these insights with heart-brain coherence and bioelectromagnetic interactions supports the idea that thoughts and emotions influence not only ourselves but also those around us at subtle levels.

Fear, Love, and the Power of Thought

Dr. Whiteley highlights the cultural impact of developing awareness that thoughts can influence environment and others. Growing up with the understanding that the mind's power is real compelled her to avoid negative thinking to prevent harm, echoing Eastern philosophies related to chi or life force. She elaborates on the dynamic interplay between fear and perception, explaining how fear constricts awareness while love expands it, enhancing intuition and connection. This awareness influences how individuals navigate relationships, health, and even conflict, framing love as a universal language and foundational aspect of consciousness.

Astronauts' Unspoken Experiences and "Ghosts in the Cockpit"

Addressing UFO encounters and unexplained phenomena, Dr. Whiteley discusses the term "ghosts in the cockpit," used to describe odd equipment behavior or unexpected aircraft actions experienced by pilots before these could be explained by automation systems. She describes the gradual process of disentangling technological design mismatches from genuine anomalies. The conversation includes the emotional and sometimes spiritual reactions pilots report when encountering unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs), such as overwhelming feelings of love and elation, which challenge traditional masculine norms in aviation culture. These stories emphasize the importance of incorporating all aspects of experience—including emotional and intuitive—into understanding anomalous events.

Astronaut Eye and Perceptual Phenomena in Space

The "astronaut eye" phenomenon, involving astronauts perceiving flashes or streaks of light with eyes open or closed, is explained as the effect of cosmic radiation on the retina. Initially unspoken because of fears of being deemed medically unfit, these experiences illustrate how sensory phenomena in space are complex and often misunderstood. Dr. Whiteley emphasizes the need for openness in exploring the full spectrum of sensory data without prematurely dismissing experiences due to cultural or scientific prejudices, advocating for a holistic approach that acknowledges both empirical data and subjective phenomena.

Family Constellation Therapy and Energetic Healing

The conversation shifts to family constellation therapy, a modality pioneered by Bert Hellinger that involves physically positioning participants as representatives of family members to reveal hidden emotional dynamics. Dr. Whiteley, initially skeptical, describes her visceral experience with constellations and highlights how physical positioning and non-verbal cues reveal deep feelings of acceptance, love, and release within family systems. This process fosters healing by allowing participants to experience unconditional acceptance and open flows of love, which can dissolve longstanding emotional blockages that often transcend generations.

The Role of Love and Acceptance in Spiritual Healing

Drawing connections to Eastern philosophy and mystical traditions, Dr. Whiteley suggests that healing and expanded perception arise when individuals enter states characterized by unconditional love, acceptance, and openness. She references researchers and practitioners who document how people feel "touched" or "released" in the presence of such fields, which defy logical explanation but profoundly transform individuals. These states, often described in spiritual literature as divine or sacred, center on the concept that love is the ultimate creative and healing power.

Communications Before Birth and "Born Knowing"

The episode explores the concept of consciousness and communication with unborn or pre-birth souls, a notion supported by personal anecdotes and collected stories on Dr. Whiteley's website, childbirthvisions.com. She discusses shared experiences where parents claim meaningful pre-birth interactions or intuitions about their children, situating these as early manifestations of innate awareness and soul connection. Intersection with near-death experience research supports the idea that consciousness transcends linear time and physicality, suggesting that human consciousness exists in a broader field that can be accessed before, during, and beyond physical life.

The Power and Complexity of Coincidence and Synchronicity

The hosts and Dr. Whiteley reflect on coincidence and synchronicity, shifting the discussion from random chance to meaningful interconnectedness. Synchronicity is framed as events aligned with one's emotional state, expectations, or intentions—moments when the universe seemingly "plays along" to offer guidance or insights. This perspective encourages openness to seeing patterns and opportunities without rigid attachment. The conversation underscores that dismissing coincidences outright may blind us to deeper layers of meaning and interconnectedness in life.

The Importance of Widening Perceptual Aperture

Using the "gorilla suit" selective attention experiment as a metaphor, the discussion highlights how people often miss significant information simply because of attentional focus. This selective perception shapes not only what we see but influences how we engage with relationships, opportunities, and challenges. The invitation is to cultivate mindfulness and broaden awareness, allowing more subtle and important cues to emerge—from everyday life to complex social and cosmic phenomena—enhancing both practical decision-making and spiritual insight.

Practical Tools: Breathwork, Parenting, and Spiritual Growth

Toward the end, Dr. Whiteley shares practical dimensions of her work, including breathwork and courses designed to foster presence, deepen parental connection, and support newborn development through her Earth Design series and Cosmic Baby Academy. These programs integrate her insights on consciousness, embodied awareness, and the sacred potential of human development, emphasizing how everyday parenting can become a spiritual retreat when approached with openness and intention rooted in the deeper capacities she has studied.

Expanding Consciousness Through Science and Experience

Throughout the episode, Dr. Whiteley balances rigorous scientific inquiry with experiential wisdom, advocating a posture of humility and curiosity toward phenomena that challenge conventional understanding. She likens contemporary limits in science to earlier historical disbeliefs—such as the germ theory—encouraging scientific openness to phenomena like telepathy, intuitive knowing, and fields of consciousness. The episode invites listeners to explore their own perceptions, challenge skepticism, and engage with the mysteries of being alive in ways that honor both intellect and soul.