Tanya Smith, age 14, of Annapolis, Md., for her question:

WHAT IS ESP?

ESP is an abbreviation for extrasensory perception, a term that describes a way of communicating or of being aware of something without using the known sense organs.

An awareness of another persons' thoughts without the use of sight, hearing, taste, touch or smell would be an example of ESP.

The evidence for the existence of ESP is highly debatable. If extrasensory perception does indeed exist, the way it works is unknown.

Most scientists believe the best way to think of ESP is this way: It is something that might be true but it has not as yet been proven.

Extensive research on ESP is currently being conducted in the United Sates and England.