Mind Probe: Difference between revisions

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Not to be confused with [[Mind Screw]].

 

 

== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==

 

== [[Light Novel|Light Novels]] ==

 

== [[Literature]] ==

* The Psychic Probe in [[Isaac Asimov]]'s ''Robots-Empire-Foundation'' novels is very complicated. Because the series were originally independent from one another, there are multiple descriptions of what, ''exactly'' the probe does; in some cases it directly reads the subjects mind, whereas in others it provides information in the abstract that has to be interpreted by a psychologist. Universal across its portrayals, however, is the warning that it causes severe memory loss and brain damage if used improperly, although in skilled hands it does no worse than cause a few days of weakness. The one time a Psychic Probe does appear in actual usage (''The Currents of Space''), it is used to remove a surface emotion, except that, by mistake, it removed a similar, much deeper feeling - and everything in between, reducing the subject to an infantile state that could neither read, write, speak or even feed or clean himself. One of the main characters (a rich noble) has a secretary who has been probed into complete loyalty, while another is rumored to use such people for certain other purposes. ''Foundation and Empire'' showed that a probe could be blocked by technological interference, although the (technologically illiterate) users thought that the lack of results was because the subject had been isolated for so long that his brainwaves were too alien for the probe to understand. After the failure to probe Lathan Devers, the Emperor's Privy Secretary used his own "psychic probe" to get information from Devers: [[Every Man Has His Price|He offered him $100,000.00]].

* Legilimency in [[Harry Potter]], particularly as portrayed in the movies.

** But it can also be used in a way similar to the use of veritaserum, as a much less painful and more reliable alternative to torture.

* Partially subverted in the ''[[Hammers Slammers]]'' series, particularly the story called ''Interrogation Team''. There, the mind probe is semi-painless and takes the form of a directed hallucination. BOTH the interrogator and the person being interrogated are given the drug, and a second interrogator asks questions while the first, in rapport with the victim, experiences his/her memories as the questions are asked. The drug in question is a combination truth serum and hallucinogen, and is described by the first interrogator as akin to a drug high. In this particular story, the interrogat-ee comes from a heavily defended town, a "red-pill target" - and when the authorization to nuke the town is given, the interrogator shares one last vision with the interrogated person - as he envisions his baby girl melted by the nuclear blast. Both the interrogator and the interrogated individual were disconnected from the machine when it happened. [[David Drake]] does not write ''nice'' stories - perhaps because he WAS a interrogator assigned to the 11th Cavalry during Vietnam.

* In ''[[Fingerprints]]'', Rae can use her [[Psychic Powers]] to mind-probe people by pressing her fingertips against theirs. The person on the receiving end only feels a slight tingle.

* The ''[[Tunnels]]'' series has the Dark Light, a device used by the Styx for interrogation. It also has a [[Mind Rape]] setting which is much less frequently used, as it leaves victims in no condition to answer their questions.

{{quote| "We'll get anything we want out of you," Conn told him. "You know what a mind-probe is? You should; your accomplices used one on my father's secretary. She's a hopeless imbecile now. You'll be, too, when we're through with you. But before then, you'll have given us everything you know."<br />

Kelton began to protest. "Conn, you can't do a thing like that!"<br />

** In the episode "Zim Eats Waffles", Zim has a human test subject with a large happiness probe stuck in his head.

** The megadoomer episode also showed the enslaved workers on a conquered world turned into [[Planet of Hats|package shipping planet]] to all have these.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Mind Manipulation]]

[[Category:Mind Probe]]