Difference between revisions of "Telepathy"

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Telepathy is the capacity for two living creatures to communicate with one another solely via mental connection to one another. Telepathy is distinct from biological communication methods, such as bioelectric field interactions or non-verbal body languages.  
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Telepathy is the capacity for two living creatures to communicate with one another solely via mental connection to one another. Telepathy is distinct from biological communication methods, such as bioelectric field interactions or non-verbal body languages. Consensual telepathic contact is easy to maintain.  
  
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At the basest of levels, telepathy serves to allow the exchange of emotional sensations. Much akin to sensation of heat or cold, it's very obvious to both parties that the emotional sensation comes from 'outside' of them.  
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Intrusive actions trigger instinctive resistance from the subject. After an intrusion, the subject may suffer depressive or aggressive fits, headaches, and feelings of emotional disquiet. Basic telepathic self-defense teaches people how to identify these particular symptoms and to isolate them from influencing decision making. The drug [[Gambutrol]] is an expensive but relatively common prescription that obfuscates brainwaves to make telepathic intrusion more difficult.
  
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Most mortal creatures do little to protect their surface thoughts. Scattered and sometimes incoherent, it takes little special effort to pick up stray emotions or ideas from someone not taking efforts to conceal their thoughts. More talented telepaths can decipher complex and abstract considerations more readily. This is generally a 'passive' role, receiving whatever is 'broadcast'.
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'''Potential Uses'''
  
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More focused telepathy specifically requires a connection or conceptual 'bridge' between sender and receiver. Typically this is a psionic energy construct that links the two minds. This puts the telepath in a more dominant position, allowing them to more freely navigate the target's mind. It also makes the telepath more vulnerable to feedback, trauma, or psychic injury.  
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The lowest-level telepaths are empaths. They can read (or sometimes impart) emotional sensations in those around them. It takes little effort to pick up stray emotions or strong surface thoughts. This is a 'passive' role for the telepath.  
  
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At higher levels, telepathy allows for the exchange of thoughts, ideas, even images or points of view. Higher-level psychics often use the psionic 'bridge' as a neutral meeting ground for their minds, allowing for dialogue without exposure.  
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Disciplined telepaths can exchange thoughts, ideas, even images or sensory data with their subjects. Some can project their awareness into the [[Astral Plane]]. Telepaths can manipulate the senses of their subjects to hide things or to create hallucinations only the subject can perceive. It is possible to read or suppress memories, or implant compulsions and change behavior patterns. The more complicated the task, the more focus, time, and effort is necessary. Compulsions violating core ethics or causing self-harm are the most difficult of tasks.  
  
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Particularly potent telepaths are capable of more subtle stratagems. They can encourage strong emotional reactions from their target's internal dialogue. They can provoke compulsions or even direct actions and disguise their compulsions as being wholly internal. The aftermath of a psychic intrusion tends to result in depressive or aggressive fits, headaches, and feelings of significant disquiet. More forceful impulses require exponentially increased effort from the telepath and deeper penetration to the target's psyche.
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'''Risk of Injury'''
  
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The most effective counter to telepathic intrusion is an instinctual reaction. Subtle commands are rarely rejected, particularly if they're in line with the subject's desires or opinions. More radical commands-- commission of atypical behaviour-- tends to provoke a stronger instinct response and vastly increases the difficulty of the psychic's attempt to enforce the directive. A violent woman might slap someone with little encouragement, but it's unlikely she'd commit suicide on demand. A peaceful man is unlikely to hit his children but it's easier to encourage him to leave an altercation before it becomes violent. Long-term exposure to repeated psychic commands can cause psychosis and even brain damage.  
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Simple manipulations, 'Jedi Mind Tricks', require little effort to effect. Deeper dives into memory or deeply-rooted compulsions require building a strong mental bond between subject and psychic, and leaves the psychic vulnerable to psychic injury or retaliation. Mental discipline and willpower are important traits for controlling these contests. Particularly toxic or mentally unwell subjects can cause significant harm to a psychic unprepared to experience their mindscape. If the subject is badly injured or traumatized, any linked psychic may experience that trauma as if it were happening to them. Many amateur mind-controllers have died of strokes or seizures after compelling a subject to harm themselves.  
  
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Control of a person's mind-- "puppeteering"-- requires immense discipline and tremendous amounts of psionic energy. This creates a feedback loop between the psychic and their target. The more energy and effort devoted, the more deeply the psychic sinks into their target's mind. It becomes increasingly difficult to separate individual identities, emotions, or sensations. Stab a dominated person in the hand and a nearby puppeteer might cry out in pain. It is not difficult for a freed puppet to identify their controller, often unerringly locating them nearby even if they're out of immediate line-of-sight. A psychic who is mind-linked to their puppet experiences significant feedback and psychic backlash, which can cause serious harm or even be lethal. The mortal mind instinctively fights again total control, and like a caged animal grows increasingly frantic and enraged as the puppetting continues. Puppeting someone for prolonged periods can rapidly cause psychosis for both parties and the mental strain will drive a puppet into catatonia in short order.
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Long-term exposure to repeated psychic commands can cause psychosis and even brain damage. Control of a person's mind-- "puppeteering"-- requires immense discipline and tremendous amounts of psionic energy. Even non-psychics can and will instinctively resist against this intrusion, particularly if they are compelled to do something against their core morality. If the puppeting goes on long enough the trauma to the brain can cause a stroke or send the puppet into a fit of insane violence.  
  
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Between telepaths, combat takes on a new meaning. The objective is to gain total access to the core of the target's mind. Telepaths create protections around their minds, typically giving their abstractions a metaphysical form such as high walls and barricades. Particularly intelligent or inventive telepaths create a mental ideologue to give their objectives more coherence, sending armies of whatever they can imagine into battle in an attempt to deconstruct the mental 'fortress' protecting their opponent.
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'''Psychic Combat'''
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Between telepaths, combat takes on a new meaning. The objective is to gain total access to the core of the target's mind. Telepaths create protections around their minds, typically giving their abstractions a metaphysical form such as high walls and barricades. Particularly intelligent or inventive telepaths create a mental ideologue to give their objectives more coherence, sending armies of whatever they can imagine into battle in an attempt to deconstruct the mental 'fortress' protecting their opponent. These are among the most aggressive of intrusions, even if no harm is meant, and requires an extremely skilled telepath using just enough pressure to crack the subject's walls without causing a psychotic fit.
  
 
[[Category: Encyclopedia]]
 
[[Category: Encyclopedia]]

Revision as of 14:09, 22 May 2021

Telepathy is the capacity for two living creatures to communicate with one another solely via mental connection to one another. Telepathy is distinct from biological communication methods, such as bioelectric field interactions or non-verbal body languages. Consensual telepathic contact is easy to maintain.

Intrusive actions trigger instinctive resistance from the subject. After an intrusion, the subject may suffer depressive or aggressive fits, headaches, and feelings of emotional disquiet. Basic telepathic self-defense teaches people how to identify these particular symptoms and to isolate them from influencing decision making. The drug Gambutrol is an expensive but relatively common prescription that obfuscates brainwaves to make telepathic intrusion more difficult.

Potential Uses

The lowest-level telepaths are empaths. They can read (or sometimes impart) emotional sensations in those around them. It takes little effort to pick up stray emotions or strong surface thoughts. This is a 'passive' role for the telepath.

Disciplined telepaths can exchange thoughts, ideas, even images or sensory data with their subjects. Some can project their awareness into the Astral Plane. Telepaths can manipulate the senses of their subjects to hide things or to create hallucinations only the subject can perceive. It is possible to read or suppress memories, or implant compulsions and change behavior patterns. The more complicated the task, the more focus, time, and effort is necessary. Compulsions violating core ethics or causing self-harm are the most difficult of tasks.

Risk of Injury

Simple manipulations, 'Jedi Mind Tricks', require little effort to effect. Deeper dives into memory or deeply-rooted compulsions require building a strong mental bond between subject and psychic, and leaves the psychic vulnerable to psychic injury or retaliation. Mental discipline and willpower are important traits for controlling these contests. Particularly toxic or mentally unwell subjects can cause significant harm to a psychic unprepared to experience their mindscape. If the subject is badly injured or traumatized, any linked psychic may experience that trauma as if it were happening to them. Many amateur mind-controllers have died of strokes or seizures after compelling a subject to harm themselves.

Long-term exposure to repeated psychic commands can cause psychosis and even brain damage. Control of a person's mind-- "puppeteering"-- requires immense discipline and tremendous amounts of psionic energy. Even non-psychics can and will instinctively resist against this intrusion, particularly if they are compelled to do something against their core morality. If the puppeting goes on long enough the trauma to the brain can cause a stroke or send the puppet into a fit of insane violence.

Psychic Combat

Between telepaths, combat takes on a new meaning. The objective is to gain total access to the core of the target's mind. Telepaths create protections around their minds, typically giving their abstractions a metaphysical form such as high walls and barricades. Particularly intelligent or inventive telepaths create a mental ideologue to give their objectives more coherence, sending armies of whatever they can imagine into battle in an attempt to deconstruct the mental 'fortress' protecting their opponent. These are among the most aggressive of intrusions, even if no harm is meant, and requires an extremely skilled telepath using just enough pressure to crack the subject's walls without causing a psychotic fit.

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