---
category: Scientific Theory & Technology
created: 2025-07-23
description: A tachyon is a hypothetical subatomic particle that travels faster than
  the speed of light.
summary: A tachyon is a hypothetical subatomic particle that travels faster than light,
  not forbidden by quantum physics, and invoked in fringe physics contexts including
  some parapsychology research as a proposed mechanism for precognition.
tags:
- concept
- physics
- theoretical
title: Tachyon
updated: 2025-07-23
---

A [Tachyon](/concepts/tachyon/) is a hypothetical subatomic particle that travels faster than the speed of light. In theoretical physics, tachyons are not forbidden by quantum physics, and their existence has been explored as a potential explanation for phenomena that seem to defy conventional understanding.[^1]

[Hal Puthoff](/people/hal-puthoff/) became interested in tachyons as a possible explanation for the unknown energy field or force that might be involved in [Animate Physics](/concepts/animate-physics/) and [psi](/concepts/psi/) abilities. He hypothesized that if tachyons existed, they could provide a mechanism for instantaneous communication or influence, which could account for phenomena like [ESP](/concepts/extrasensory-perception/) and [Psychokinesis](/concepts/psychokinesis/).[^1]

---

[^1]: Jacobsen, Annie. *Phenomena: The Secret History of the U.S. Government's Investigations into Extrasensory Perception and Psychokinesis*. Little, Brown and Company, 2017.