Thanks to everyone who is posting their thoughts on this thread. It looks like you've found many great examples that I want to look at more closely and get back on later, since I am racing around this morning trying to catch up with "real life."
Aiwendill & Mr. Underhill --
A special thanks for references to the other thread and to the writings by Tolkien printed in Vinyar Tengwar. It looks like Tolkien wrote an extended essay on this topic which I had never even heard of. And, from a quick glance at the thread, it seems likely that Elves could communicate like this over long distances. I must admit this is mindboggling to me.
Why wasn't this essay included as part of the history of Middle-earth? Was it simply overlooked?
The funny thing is that I am familir with Vinyar Tengwar. I recently joined the Mythopoeic Society and ordered a current subscription to this magazine which is put out by their Elvish language subgroup (it hasn't arrived yet). However, I didn't bother to look at the list of back issues on another web page and so totally missed this, as well as references to other "original" pieces by Tolkien (Elvish poems, prayers, etc.) that they have printed for the first time.
Anyways, I checked on the website, and found you could order the back issues for $2 each. I ordered these two plus several others that looked interesting. The pertinent ones on telepathy seem to be as follows:
www.elvish.org
#39, July 1998, "Osanwe-Kenta: Equiry into the Communication of Thought"
#41 July 2000, "Etymological Notes on the Osanwe-Kenta"
Again, thanks for this helpful lead.
sharon, the 7th age hobbit
[ May 14, 2002: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]