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Pstandard Psychic Pstance: Difference between revisions
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Whenever someone uses their [[Psychic Powers]], they put a hand up to their head (most traditionally with the middle and fore fingers on the brow and thumb on the cheek or mandibular joint, and the other fingers folded). If they're doing something really hard, it takes ''both'' hands on their temples. If they're using telekinesis, they gesture at what they're affecting, and the power acts as a sympathetic parallel of their hands. For a [[Crystal Ball]], lots of swishing is involved as if to polish the ball enough to see through clearly. Again, if it's something difficult, then they have to use both hands—and ''quiver'', and maybe [[Psychic Nosebleed|their nose will bleed]].
A type of [[Magical Gesture]]. [[Healing Hands]] is a similar standard-gesture power. Not to be confused with the [[Face Palm]]. Compare [[Blasting Time]].
{{examples}}
▲== Anime & Manga ==
* In ''[[Akira]]'', Tetsuo plays this trope straight, gesturing when moving water glasses, dismembering people, crushing bridges, etc.
* ''[[Naruto]]'': Gaara largely averts this. While he can make his sand move (and kill people) with various gestures, the hands-to-head thing usually doesn't happen unless he's having a psychic argument with [[Sealed Evil in a Can|Shukaku]].
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** Actually, he's pointing his fingers to the center of his forehead, which is said to be where the 'third eye' is in yoga, or something like that.
== [[Comic Books]] ==▼
▲== Comic Books ==
* In early ''[[X-Men (Comic Book)|X-Men]]'' comics, Professor X was often depicted (as an icon on the cover, but seldom in an actual story) doing a ''double'' hand-to-temple gesture, like someone trying to salute with both hands at once. However, Jean Grey rarely used hand gestures with her telekinetic powers. This is because they're using two different powers: Professor Xavier is the most powerful telepath in the Marvel Universe, but he has no telekinesis whatsoever. Prof. Xavier, Jean Grey and almost every other telepathic character (see Emma Frost) depicted in the [[Marvel Universe]] do the hand-to-head gesture when using the telepathy—but ''not'' when using TK (see: Hellion).
** However, Jean Grey ''does'' use this trope when using her telekinesis in ''[[X
* In ''[[Bone]]'', Thorn holds two fingers directly in front of her eye when using her Veni-yan-cari powers.
* Mastermind Excello of ''The Twelve'', being a forties sensitive, constantly has this pose. Either because he's doing his ultra-senses thing, or because he's having headaches from all the noise he inadvertently senses.
== [[Fan Works]] ==▼
▲== Fan Works ==
* Averted in ''[[With Strings Attached]]''. After Ringo discovers that he's telekinetic, he starts to play with it by pointing at stuff, frowning at it, etc. He quickly learns that all this nonsense distracts him from the concentration required to actually move things. Later, people are unnerved when he just sits there with his eyes closed and stuff happens. (Also, the power is completely invisible, so no wiggly lines or power glow or anything.)
* ''[[Star Wars]]'': Most Force powers seem to operate this way. Telekinesis uses one or both hands to "grab" or "push" the object. Mind-trick usually uses a wave or a point. Blocking energy attacks involves holding out your hand to stop them. Force-choking involves holding your thumb and forefinger out in a "pinching" gesture. Force Lighting always shoots out of the fingertips rather than anywhere else.
** In ''[[Star Wars]] Episode II: [[Attack of the Clones]]'', when Yoda was holding up a pillar to prevent some other Jedi from being crushed by it, he was using both hands and shaking besides.
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* ''Firestarter''. Andy does this when 'pushing' someone. After he's been captured by The Shop, Cap (the villain played by Martin Sheen) sees him doing this and realises too late that Andy is no longer drugged—Andy takes control of Cap's mind before he can signal a guard.
* ''Zapped''. Barney Springboro is your typical 80's nerdy virgin teen who gains the ability to move objects [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peI4XH3wahk using only the power of his half-assed glare]. Given that he's played by Scott Baio, it's hard to say if it's being subverted or played straight.
* ''[[Carrie]]'' does this subtly—usually, all she does is look at her target, as evidenced when she throws the asshole kid off his bike, or locks down the school gym at the start of her [[Roaring Rampage of Revenge]]. However, when she slams shut all the windows and doors in her house, she doesn't even do this. [[Justified Trope|Justified]] in that (at least in the [[
* Quite a lot of this in the ''[[X-Men (film)|X-Men]]'' film series, really. Jean is probably the biggest source, though Magneto, Storm and Xavier all do this to some degree. Professor X is shown doing this in all the posters for ''[[X-Men
== [[Literature]] ==▼
▲== Literature ==
* [[Lampshaded]] in ''Ten Little Wizards'', a [[Lord Darcy]] fantasy/mystery by Michael Kurland, when Darcy voices his concern that Master Sean's ritualized object-levitating stance looks extremely uncomfortable. Standing with his legs spread wide and arms extended out fully, sorcerer Sean replies that it's not so bad: during their training, apprentice wizards are required to hold such positions for hours at a time.
* Subverted in ''[[Mistborn]]''. Vin automatically uses the palm out gesture when pushing on things telekinetically, before her mentore reminds her that it's completely unecessary ''and'' makes her drop her weapon.
* Used to an extent in ''[[The Dresden Files]]'' with evocation. With enough willpower, it's possible to skip this entirely, and the stronger a wizard is, the more he can do with a simpler motion. [[Magical Database|The Archive
== [[Live-Action TV]] ==
* ''[[Heroes (TV series)|Heroes]]''
** Sylar "flicks" things out of the way. In fact, his gestures are so slight compared to the common psychic hand motions that it borders on trope subversion (tipping over the vehicle carrying Ted is no biggie).
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* Averted in one episode of ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]''. Kes [[Badass|slowly walks through a corridor, which she shreds with her powers.]]
* ''[[Supernatural]]'' has the demons pinning people against the wall with a flick of their hand. When Sam uses his [[Psychic Powers]] to exorcise and/or kill demons, he stretches out his hand and sometimes puts a hand to his head. Ava put her hands up to her head when controlling demons, and tried to pass it off as a headache.
* In the "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" episode of ''[[The X-Files]]'', the eponymous psychic doesn't really do this, but parodies it at one point; when he reveals he's been sent a mysterious letter promising further bloodshed (from, presumably, the killer) and the agents ask him who it was from, he grabs it, puts it to his forehead and yells "The killer!" in a sarcastic tone of voice.
== [[Radio]] ==
▲== Radio ==
* Invoked in the ''[[Adventures in Odyssey]]'' episode "Blind Girl's Bluff", wherein a blind girl feigns clairvoyance with the help of a friend and a two-way radio.
{{quote|'''Audrey:''' Alright, Lisa, now put your fingers on your temples and clench your eyes. Act like you're thinking real hard.
'''Lisa:''' Mmmmm... I'm thinking ''real'' hard... mmmmm.... }}
* Averted in ''[[Dungeons
==
▲* Averted in ''[[Dungeons and Dragons]]'', where one of the advantages of Psionics over Magic is the utter lack of any [[Magical Gesture|Somatic]], [[Magical Incantation|Verbal]] and [[Eye of Newt|Material]] [[Spell Construction|components]], allowing use even when unable to move or speak.<br />They may not have required, functional gestures of this kind, but its still quite common for such characters to be described with such actions simply as mannerisms. A particular dwarf psion in the group may well be perfectly capable of blasting enemies without moving a muscle, even when bound and gagged, but when his hands are free, he still usually holds one out toward whatever he's blasting.
▲== Video Games ==
* In ''[[The World Ends With You]]'', Neku does this when [[Telepathy|scanning]] NPCs and when using any of his [[Psychic Powers]] in battle that don't require him to move. It's a variant, as rather then putting his hands directly on his temples, he places them so that they cover his headphones. For bonus points, he [[Power Floats|levitates]] while doing it.
* Sophia Hapgood did it in ''[[Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis]]'', {{spoiler|except [[The Coconut Effect|when she really IS]] communing with spirits.}}
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** Including the ''telekinetic [[Everything Is Worse With Bears|bears]]''.
** Raz strikes one of these whenever he [[Item Get|gains a new psychic power]].
* Ness from ''[[
** In contrast, in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]] Brawl'', Lucas uses hand signs and other hand motions when using his powers.
* Heavily used in ''[[City of Heroes]]'' and ''City of Villains'', as is to be expected from a game based on western comics. The psychic powers there run the gamut of such poses, from the pose (affectionately named "I'm shooting you with mind bullets!" by the community), through screaming, touching the target of a mind probe, and much gesturing when using telekinetic powers. In a possible partial subversion, most of those are offensive psychic powers. Those that deal with sleeping/stunning/controlling enemies actually do not use the Pstandard Psyhic Pstance.
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* [[Green-Eyed Monster|Parsee]] of ''[[Touhou Project]]'' gestures with both hands to activate her spellcards. With the ability to manipulate jealousy, she's one of the psychic-like characters in the cast. Though the ''actual'' mindreader does nothing of the sort.
== [[Web Comics]] ==
* ''[[Dominic Deegan|Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire]]'': Dominic sometimes holds a hand to his forehead when using his second sight. This usually happens when he's a) purposely trying to have visions, rather than having them spontaneously, b) not using a [[Crystal Ball]] as a focus, or c) exasperated. Maybe trying to have visions makes his head hurt. Possibly, considering how many [[Psychic Nosebleed]]s he's had after particularly rough uses of his second sight.
* In ''[[Gunnerkrigg Court]]'', Parley uses this position to try to [http://www.gunnerkrigg.com/archive_page.php?comicID=390 communicate with a ghost]. Which, of course, leads to the ghost asking one of the other characters why she's acting like this.
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* Used in ''[[Sluggy Freelance]]'' in a simplified flashback scene recapping the chapter "bROKEN" for when {{spoiler|Oasis uses pyrokinesis}}. She didn't actually do it like that when it happened, particularly as {{spoiler|she can only do in unconsciously}}. As seen [http://www.sluggy.com/comics/archives/daily/110821 here], but mind the further spoilers in the surrounding comics unless you've read up to chapter 63 ("Safe House").
* In ''[[El Goonish Shive]]'', [[Author Avatar|Dan]] uses this [http://www.egscomics.com/egsnp/?date=2005-07-05 here] when he discovers he can communicate telepathically (i.e. use the chat function) while playing a [[Multi User Dungeon]].
== [[Web Original]] ==
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* Averted in the e-novel ''E.H.U.D.: Prelude to Apocalypse'', as the narration goes out of its way to show that the characters do NOT shown any physical signs of using psychic abilities.
== [[Western Animation]] ==▼
▲== Western Animation ==
* [[Martian Manhunter]] did this in the first season finale of ''[[Justice League Unlimited]]''. "Flash is still alive! I'm in telepathic contact with him... his spirit is weak, and growing weaker... but he's still here." All while holding his right hand to his head and moving the left one around like he's dowsing for water. Of course, the hand-waving may be justified, as when Hawkgirl does it, she reaches into the speedsters' afterlife (or the way to it, or the way Flash went, or whatever) and ''grabs ahold of him''.
* In ''[[The Venture Brothers]]'', Doctor Orpheus does this whenever he necromances. Or says hello, ''or'' uses telekinesis to [[Mundane Utility|make]] [[What Do You Mean It's Not Awesome?|fritatas]].
* In ''[[Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law]]'', [[media:mentok1.jpg|Mentok the Mindtaker]] often does this, but mainly because he's a [[Large Ham|big showoff]].
* Elektra often did this on ''[[Space Stars]]'', not only as a member of the Teen Force, but also when she crossed over to [[Space Ghost]]'s segments.
* Raven from ''[[Teen Titans (animation)|Teen Titans]]'' will frequently assume the pose while using her powers outside combat. And occasionally, while in combat.
* Yumi of ''[[Code Lyoko]]'' puts both hands to her head when she uses telekinesis on Lyoko. She is also surrounded by an [[Battle Aura|aura]] and initially closes eyes, but open them and wave with a hand when directing the object (generally a boulder set on a course to crush a monster).
== [[Real Life]] ==▼
* The [http://oblong.com/#!/offerings/platform g-speak] platform is a gesture-based interface system. The two-fingers-to-temple gesture is a usable gesture for rearranging files or objects ''en masse'', invoking this trope.▼
▲== Real Life ==
▲* The [http://oblong.com/#!/offerings/platform g-speak] platform is a gesture-based interface system. The two-fingers-to-temple gesture is a usable gesture for rearranging files or objects en masse, invoking this trope.
{{reflist}}
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[[Category:Magic and Powers]]
[[Category:Hand Tropes]]
[[Category:
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