ESP is a term used in some of the songs in the the Mars Volta album De-Loused in the Comatorium. The official meaning taken from the storybook is Ectopic shapeshifting Penance-propulsion, which is a collage of four words. Ectopic is a medical term for something that is out of place (most commonly used for a pregnancy outside of the uterus). Shapeshifting is pretty straightforward; being able to change, or shift, the shape of something (or someone when used in a fantasy context). Penance is a Christian term used when asking for forgiveness or atoning for some wrongdoing. Finally, propulsion refers to driving or forcing something ahead. When you put them together, Ectopic Shapeshifting Penance-propulsion can be taken to mean the process by which Cerpin Taxt is taken to a place outside of where he would normally go, forcing him to acquire different shapes, both physical and mental (or possibly referring to the shifting, and make amends for the "sins" he has committed in the Tremulant’s view.

See also

• The Mars Volta

External links

• TheMarsVolta.com - official site
  
• Official storybook from Gold Standard Labs Free downloadable "storybook" explaining the story of the album. Spoilers ahead. PDF file. Originally sold from the site, but after enormous pressure from fans, as well as the improbability of more print copies being made, they released it online.
• The Comatorium - A big online fan community, with interpretations of songs, bootleg shows and much more
• The Mars Volta Lyrics - Lyrics for De-Loused in the Comatorium, as well as Tremulant and Frances the Mute, with translations and annotations where necessary.

The Mars Volta albums