Telepathy

"He can read the thoughts of anyone in close proximity to him, with the exception of Bella Cullen."

- Entry on Edward's gift

Telepathy is the ability to read the minds of another individual. Edward Cullen, Caius Volturi, Aro and the Quileute shape-shifters all show this ability, though in different manners.

Description
Edward's gift allows him to hear the thoughts of others from a distance and see the images in their minds. As a human, he was capable of reading people, which is why he manifests this power as a vampire. Like hearing and vision, this gift behaves pretty much like a sense, and Edward can't exert much conscious control over it.

A strong bond between Edward and other individuals allows him to read their minds from a greater distance when he concentrates on them, though it only works within a few miles' range. Like Alice and some other gifted vampires, Edward's ability seems to work best with other vampires. He has also commented that picking up a shape-shifter's mind is easier when the shape-shifter is in human form.

He can use it to keep tabs of what other people are experiencing at the moment, and has therefore an advantage in a fight, as he can anticipate his opponent's moves, as shown in the practice fight with Jasper. Thanks to this power, he is on par with Jasper, who is known as the best fighter in the family. He can also use it to experience Alice's visions when she is in close proximity with him.

Limitations
Edward's telepathic ability is limited to hearing or seeing only the current thoughts of the people around him, except for Bella Swan and anyone she shield, whose thoughts he does not perceive. Also, his power is raw, which makes it impossible for him to stop hearing the thoughts of those around him, although he states he can drown out extra voices by concentrating on environmental details or one specific mind. Edward found most of the kids in Forks High School unimaginative, and, in some cases, vulgar. He also had the displeasure of reading Jacob's mind, due to his thoughts and "little fantasies" about Bella.

Similar abilities
"Aro needs physical contact to hear your thoughts, but he hears much more than I do. You know I can only hear what's passing through your mind at the moment. Aro hears every thought your mind has ever had."

- Edward explaining Aro's gift


 * Aro's ability is the same general class of Edward's, though much more powerful. With physical contact, he can read every thought, emotion and memory stored in the possessor's mind.


 * Renesmee Cullen's ability is opposite to Edward's. By touching someone, she can project her thoughts into his or her head to communicate with them. Like her mother's, Renesmee's talent is very powerful; not even Bella can block her out.


 * In the Quileute wolf packs, all members' minds are connected to each other when they are in wolf forms, allowing them to read each other's minds. This enables a degree of teamwork unimaginable otherwise and essential in collaborative activities requiring high coordination, like hunting or battle, or when the pack is spread over vast areas. No privacy exists in the team. When a pack member shifts his allegiance to another Alpha, his mental connection with the previous pack breaks, to reform with the new one. It is interesting to note that Alphas in telepathic connections can control the thoughts they share.