Mental Picture Projector: Difference between revisions

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{{trope}}
{{trope}}
{{quote|''" Turn off the screen and let me project my thoughts!"''|Mike Nelson imitating a Local Yokel, [[MST3K]] "Boggy Creek II''}}
{{quote|''" Turn off the screen and let me project my thoughts!"''|Mike Nelson imitating a Local Yokel, [[Mystery Science Theater 3000]] "Boggy Creek II''}}


{{quote|''" He's thrashing around while he's having his dream, and his dream can be seen on the monitor screen!"''|MC Mothmaster Murf "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUnMF7dV86k Amazing Robocop Rap]"}}
{{quote|''" He's thrashing around while he's having his dream, and his dream can be seen on the monitor screen!"''|MC Mothmaster Murf "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUnMF7dV86k Amazing Robocop Rap]"}}
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== [[Film]] ==
== [[Film]] ==
* ''[[Batman Forever (Film)|Batman Forever]]'': The Riddler has a device that can do this. He sees that Bruce Wayne is thinking about bats and concludes that Bruce Wayne must be Batman.
* ''[[Batman Forever]]'': The Riddler has a device that can do this. He sees that Bruce Wayne is thinking about bats and concludes that Bruce Wayne must be Batman.
* ''Futureworld'' (sequel to ''[[Westworld]]'') had a machine that showed the thoughts and dreams the female protagonist was having.
* ''Futureworld'' (sequel to ''[[Westworld]]'') had a machine that showed the thoughts and dreams the female protagonist was having.
* Lewis's Memory Scanner in ''[[Meet the Robinsons]]''.
* Lewis's Memory Scanner in ''[[Meet the Robinsons]]''.
* ''[[WALL-E]]'': When the Captain wants to see what happened during EVE's expedition, he sticks a miniature projector on her head and watches the playback. Justified, since she is a robot.
* ''[[WALL-E]]'': When the Captain wants to see what happened during EVE's expedition, he sticks a miniature projector on her head and watches the playback. Justified, since she is a robot.
* The chair that can monitor [[Robo Cop]]'s dreams as mentioned above.
* The chair that can monitor [[RoboCop]]'s dreams as mentioned above.
* [[Mom and Dad Save The World]]
* [[Mom and Dad Save The World]]
* The Memory Eraser from ''[[Flash Gordon (Film)|Flash Gordon]]''.
* The Memory Eraser from ''[[Flash Gordon (film)|Flash Gordon]]''.


== Literature ==
== Literature ==
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** Other notable examples include the first Doctor being interrogated, but because he's being flippant, the screen shows only random objects, and the second Doctor's trial in "The War Games", wherein he mounts his defense by using thought projection to show images of the great enemies he has fought, including the Cybermen, the Daleks, and... The Quarks. Since the Quarks were a one-off and markedly crap villain -- and not even the proper enemies in that episode anyway (they were just service robots working for the Dominators), it has become something of a running joke in the [[Expanded Universe]] that the second Doctor has a weird and inexplicable Quark obsession.
** Other notable examples include the first Doctor being interrogated, but because he's being flippant, the screen shows only random objects, and the second Doctor's trial in "The War Games", wherein he mounts his defense by using thought projection to show images of the great enemies he has fought, including the Cybermen, the Daleks, and... The Quarks. Since the Quarks were a one-off and markedly crap villain -- and not even the proper enemies in that episode anyway (they were just service robots working for the Dominators), it has become something of a running joke in the [[Expanded Universe]] that the second Doctor has a weird and inexplicable Quark obsession.
** Another example occurs when the Second Doctor creates a mental projector with the scanner to explain to Zoey how traveling in the Tardis can be dangerous by showing her clips from "Evil of the Daleks".
** Another example occurs when the Second Doctor creates a mental projector with the scanner to explain to Zoey how traveling in the Tardis can be dangerous by showing her clips from "Evil of the Daleks".
* ''[[Stargate SG 1]]'' "Out Of Mind" A machine is used to project holograms of SG-1's [[Clip Show]] memories. Like anything that shows up on Stargate, it makes reappearances in several subsequent episodes.
* ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'' "Out Of Mind" A machine is used to project holograms of SG-1's [[Clip Show]] memories. Like anything that shows up on Stargate, it makes reappearances in several subsequent episodes.
* ''[[Red Dwarf (TV)|Red Dwarf]]'': "Gunmen of the Apocalypse" projects Kryten's "dreams" onto a monitor.
* ''[[Red Dwarf]]'': "Gunmen of the Apocalypse" projects Kryten's "dreams" onto a monitor.
** Again in "Back In The Red" when a machine is used to probe the crew's minds to obtain evidence in their hearing.
** Again in "Back In The Red" when a machine is used to probe the crew's minds to obtain evidence in their hearing.
* ''[[Farscape (TV)|Farscape]]'': the Aurora Chair is a sadistic version.
* ''[[Farscape]]'': the Aurora Chair is a sadistic version.
* One episode of ''[[House (TV)|House]]'' had one of these. I kid you not.
* One episode of ''[[House (TV series)|House]]'' had one of these. I kid you not.
** At least everyone else in the episode had a realistic level of skepticism. It's like only House realizes it's a TV show.
** At least everyone else in the episode had a realistic level of skepticism. It's like only House realizes it's a TV show.
** A bit of context: The patient was having [[Captain Obvious|unexplained]] seizures and out of body experiences. After running every diagnostic they can think off, they haul out a highly experimental "brain reader." They first show the patient a series of pictures, so the machine can analyse how her brain processes pictures. Then, when they ask her to think of one particular thing, they get a very fuzzy, very basic outline of her mental image. So, it's not exactly making a 3D hologram of her thoughts, but it seems plausible, maybe [[Twenty Minutes Into the Future]].
** A bit of context: The patient was having [[Captain Obvious|unexplained]] seizures and out of body experiences. After running every diagnostic they can think off, they haul out a highly experimental "brain reader." They first show the patient a series of pictures, so the machine can analyse how her brain processes pictures. Then, when they ask her to think of one particular thing, they get a very fuzzy, very basic outline of her mental image. So, it's not exactly making a 3D hologram of her thoughts, but it seems plausible, maybe [[Twenty Minutes Into the Future]].
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{{quote| House: Anyone ever tell you you are a [["Stop Having Fun!" Guys|MASSIVE buzzkill]]?<br />
{{quote| House: Anyone ever tell you you are a [["Stop Having Fun!" Guys|MASSIVE buzzkill]]?<br />
Everyone Else Present: YES. }}
Everyone Else Present: YES. }}
* On ''[[I Dreamof Jeannie]]'', Doctor Bellows tells Major Healey they'll be monitoring his dreams while he's in the shuttle (presumably in terms of brain activity), he assumes it's this trope, and advises not to construe anything from his more interesting dreams...
* On ''[[I Dream of Jeannie]]'', Doctor Bellows tells Major Healey they'll be monitoring his dreams while he's in the shuttle (presumably in terms of brain activity), he assumes it's this trope, and advises not to construe anything from his more interesting dreams...
* Used in ''[[Power Rangers Operation Overdrive]]'' to facilitate a [[Recap Episode]] / [[Clip Show]]. Handwaved in that the guy whose mind they're scanning is {{spoiler|a robot - they're just accessing his recorded video files}}.
* Used in ''[[Power Rangers Operation Overdrive]]'' to facilitate a [[Recap Episode]] / [[Clip Show]]. Handwaved in that the guy whose mind they're scanning is {{spoiler|a robot - they're just accessing his recorded video files}}.


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** In the [[The Nineties|early 90s]] tie-in book "Bart Simpson's Guide To Life", Bart's dream bedroom includes a Video Dream Recorder.
** In the [[The Nineties|early 90s]] tie-in book "Bart Simpson's Guide To Life", Bart's dream bedroom includes a Video Dream Recorder.
* In ''[[Aaahh Real Monsters]]'', the Gromble uses one of these to view his students' scares and grade them. The projection is done through the student's eyes, even if they're away.
* In ''[[Aaahh Real Monsters]]'', the Gromble uses one of these to view his students' scares and grade them. The projection is done through the student's eyes, even if they're away.
* ''[[Batman the Animated Series]]'' "The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne" had Hugo Strange connect Bruce Wayne to such a device and thereby deduce that Bruce must be Batman.
* ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]'' "The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne" had Hugo Strange connect Bruce Wayne to such a device and thereby deduce that Bruce must be Batman.
** It sort of helped matters that he got Bruce to all but say "I'm Batman" in a therapy session, while the monitor showed a black-gloved fist clenched over the [[Bat Signal]].
** It sort of helped matters that he got Bruce to all but say "I'm Batman" in a therapy session, while the monitor showed a black-gloved fist clenched over the [[Bat Signal]].
* ''[[Buzz Lightyear of Star Command]]'' "Star Smasher", Zurg uses a "Mind Probe" is retrieve plans for a trash compacter from the mind of one of the kidnapped LGMs. The plans appear on a computer monitor.
* ''[[Buzz Lightyear of Star Command]]'' "Star Smasher", Zurg uses a "Mind Probe" is retrieve plans for a trash compacter from the mind of one of the kidnapped LGMs. The plans appear on a computer monitor.
* An audio version is used on [[Spongebob SquarePants]]. It breaks when resident [[Cloudcuckoolander]] Patrick uses it.
* An audio version is used on [[SpongeBob SquarePants]]. It breaks when resident [[Cloudcuckoolander]] Patrick uses it.


== Real Life ==
== Real Life ==