The Jim Twins
Does Twin telepathy exist? While it has not been scientifically proven, there is no denying that twins share a very special connection. What about twins that have been separated? One of the most intriguing cases is that of the Jim twins - separated at birth but went on to lead strikingly identical lives.
How is a twin conceived?
I'm not going to go into too much detail here about the birds and the bees, but a twin is conceived in one of two ways. Either the female releases two eggs which are fertilized and you have what are called fraternal twins. While they will look similar and like siblings, you can usually tell them apart quite easily. They develop in their own embryonic sacks and grow separately in their Mother's stomach. The other way it occurs is when one egg is released, and once it is fertilized, it splits into two, meaning they have the same genetic structure. This is called an identical twin. Often it is hard to tell them apart as due to having the same genetic structure, they almost look exactly alike with subtle differences. They grow in the same embryonic sack in their Mother's stomach. Both sets of twins form close bonds as they are conceived together in the Mother's womb, however, it is thought that due to identical twins sharing the same genetic make-up, there could in fact be a telepathic connection between the two. In fact, telepathic connections in twins have been reported in both instances.
Image source: https://www.kidspot.com.au/baby/real-life/in-the-news/scientists-have-discovered-a-new-type-of-twin/news-story/ba59f2b8f859bb1c2817df18e4b606c9
The story of the Jim twins
In 1940, at only 3 weeks old in Ohio, a set of male twins were put up for adoption. They were separated and adopted out to two separate families who did not know each other. The very first coincidence was that both families decided to call their new son James. Soon both were called Jim for short which is a common nickname for people called James. They lived only 40 miles apart all of their lives not knowing their twin brother lived so close. When one of the twins turned 37 knowing he had a twin brother somewhere in the world sort out to find his long-lost brother. In 1977 after approaching an Ohio courthouse to gain information, he made telephone contact with his brother and they decided to meet. On February 9th, 1979, the Jim twins were reunited and shared their life stories with one another. It soon became obvious they had more in common than they first realized. So much so in fact that Scientists saw them as a valuable tool for twin research. Here are some of the eerie similarities the Jim twins discovered about each other:
- Both had childhood dogs they named Toy
- Both had an interest in Math and Woodwork but were not so great at Spelling
- They both Married twice
- Both of their first wives were called Linda
- After they divorced, they both went on to marry ladies called Betty
- They both had a son. One named their son James Alan and the other called his son James Allan
- They were both heavy smokers
- Both drove Chevrolets
- One Jim was a security guard and the other a Deputy Sheriff
- They would travel to the same beach in Florida for their vacations
Image source: https://firsttoknow.com/jim-twins/
Dr. Thomas Bouchard of the University of Minnesota studied them extensively as a part of his study on reunited twins. In a personality test, their results came in so close that it could have been concluded that the same person took the test. Their medical history was almost identical, as were their brain wave tests. There were a lot of press and television interviews and the world was fascinated by this story. It also raised a lot of questions, particularly with the Nature VS Nurture debate.
Nature VS Nurture
Nature VS nurture is quite simple. It argues if certain personality and behavioural traits are a result of our genetic make-up or they are learned by outside influences and the way we are educated.
Image source: https://www.simplypsychology.org/naturevsnurture.html
Are we born with these traits or do we learn them? In the case of the Jim twins, they had very different upbringings from two separate families yet lived very similar lives and had a lot of personality traits. While there of course were some differences, researchers were amazed at just how alike they were. In this case, it pointed toward their traits being a result of their genetic makeup. So if in fact we are born a certain way, what about however the special connection that twins share. Does it mean because they were conceived together that there is some sort of connection? Is there any merit to twin telepathy?
Twin telepathy
Twins will often tell you they can feel their sibling's emotions, they know what they are thinking and they seem to have a sixth sense when they are in trouble. They can finish each other sentences and they just know what the other is thinking. Does this come from just knowing the other person really well or is there some sort of telepathic connection? When you look at the above case in the Jim twins, for example, they had an almost identical genetic makeup and their brain waves were almost the same. Does this mean that because their brain waves operated in the same way and perhaps at the same frequency they were very easily able to 'tune in' to the other? By not knowing each other, did they unknowingly have some sort of influence on each other's lives through this connection? Is this how twins could potentially have a telepathic connection? There have been a lot of studies in this area, but like a lot of things especially regarding telepathy, science has not been able to prove that it exists. Again it is speculation. What is curious though is the number of accounts that seem to support the notion that there is a telepathic connection. In fact, not just identical twins can have this connection. Fraternal twins who have a different genetic make-up are also reported to have this telepathic connection, so what is it that connects them?
Whether or not it does exist, what we cannot deny is that twins do have a connection that only a twin can explain. The above case is quite fascinating and certainly opens the door for a lot of discussions. So what do you think? Do you think twins have special twin telepathy? Are you a twin? Do you have a telepathic connection with your sibling? I would love to hear your stories!
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