Mindlink Mates: Difference between revisions

{{quote|'''Luke:''' You know, when we were fighting those sentinels down there, something happened to me. To us. We were so close in the Force that it was like we'd become a single person. It was... it was something very special.

'''Mara:''' Really? How special?

This is a romantic trope where lovers share not just their lives and beds but actually [[Psychic Link|their consciousness]]. Most often they're from an already [[Psychic Powers|telepathic]] race but this telepathy goes even further; maybe they're always aware of the other, not just when communicating but ''always'', or they actually feel exactly like the other, or something like that. Sometimes successful reproduction is tied to it. Sometimes [[Morality Chain|the sanity of one,]] usually the male, or both partners depends on the mindlink. Often the link is not unsoliticious. [[Synchronization|It goes both ways, so if something bad happens to one of them...]]

This is a subtrope of [[Fantastic Romance]]. Also see: [[Mental Affair]]

* One episode of ''[[Kino's Journey]]'' touched upon this concept, with less than desirable results.

* Makoto Mizuhara does this with Ifurita at the end of the ''[[El-Hazard: The Magnificent World|El Hazard the Magnificent World]]'' OAV. He's capable of [[Synchronization|synching]] with El Hazard technology, and she's a [[Ridiculously-Human Robots|battle-gynoid.]]

* The elves of ''[[Elf Quest]]'' are telepathic, but they can form an even closer bond where they somehow see the soul of the other. This leads to the affected pair mating like bunnies, so possibly the body is involved as well as the soul.

** Technically, ''Recognition'' (as it's called) happens when the "reptile" part of the brain—left over from millennia ago, before the elves evolved to their current form—psychically connects with another "reptile" brain and the two realize that their offspring would be better equipped genetically than either parent (e.g., one has hearing problems but good eyes, the other has normal eyesight but good ears, so the kid would have good ears ''and'' eyes). The reptile brain then "persuades" the rest of the body to get together with the other elf (you go have sex "or I'll make you ''so'' sick, I promise!"). Oh, and this can happen multiple times—either with the same partner or with completely different partners. So, yes, genetics may override an individual's desire for monogamy.

** In Vegeta's case, this idea came from a scene set during the Buu arc where Bulma seems to sense that something bad has happened to him... he blew himself up.

* Frequently used in [[Fan Fiction]], especially in the ''[[Harry Potter (novel)|Harry Potter]]'' fandom.

** Harry/Ginny is also a popular target - [http://dukebrymin.livejournal.com/43809.html someone made a list], and it's long.

* There are several ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' fanfics involving this, usually between Shinji and Rei. One of them has the couple sharing not only thoughts but sensory information as well, up to and including ''sexual stimulation''. [[Power Perversion Potential]], anyone?

** K/S and S/Mc fic, in particular, make a Very Big Deal out of the "mindlink" aspect - in K/S, Kirk is generally portrayed as very enthusiastic about the bond. In contrast, S/Mc often makes an issue of McCoy's distaste of the mind-meld and his eventual acceptance.

* This is quite common with ''[[Doctor Who]]'' fanfiction too, particularly with Doctor/Master. Their {{spoiler|recent mind meld}} hasn't hurt matters.

** Actually most people just assume that any Time Lord marriage-relationship-thing of more than a passing nature must needs also involve a mind-meld-y telepathic Bond which tends to be Capitalized. There are legions of Rose/9 or /10 fics in which this is the case.

* The Horseshoe Nail series for ''[[Firefly]]'' had {{spoiler|River accidentally pulling one of these with Jayne. Neither were amused when they found what had happened.}}

* ''[[My Inner Life]]'' gives "[[Psychic Link]]" a whole new, disturbing meaning.

* In the ''Snapped'' offshoot of ''[[Team 8]]'', this is implied—Naruto is killed, but manages to hook his consciousness onto that of the Kyuubi as it leaves his body for Itachi's, and then when this kills Itachi both enter and inhabit Hinata (who is still young enough, unlike Itachi, for her chakra coils to stretch enough to survive the Kyuubi's chakra). Later it is stated that Hinata "always has very interesting dreams".

* In ''[[Total Drama Comeback Series]]'', [[Crack Pairing|Ezekiel and Heather]] have complimentary dreams about each other. In this case, is not explicitly supernatural, it just sort of marks their growing feelings and [[Character Development]].