Psychic Block Defense: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

 

 

 

 

One of the most impressive things about this trope is the variety of ways it can be represented. Frequently it manifests with a theme regarding the character's organization or whoever installed the block, as a form of signature. For example, a servant of the [[Milkman Conspiracy]] may have the details of their secret base protected inside an unbreakable mental milk bottle that can only open with a specific code phrase. Even a non-psychic can have one with the [[Charles Atlas Superpower|right training]], or thanks to a friendly psychic installing one.

Inferior shields will allow the attacker to know you're hiding something. A ''really good'' shield may let the invader think he got access to what he was searching, and feed them false information. This is also the best defense to employ against something or someone trying to find you with [[Psychic Radar]].

 

 

* Inverted in [[Code Geass]] by mind-reader Mao. Instead of the victims of his Geass trying to block him out, ''he tries to block out everyone else''.

 

* Tabitha Smith from ''[[Nextwave]]'' has permanent mind control defense. More specifically, [[Too Dumb to Fool|she has no mind to control]].

* Done for laughs in one ''[[Groo the Wanderer]]'' story, where an evil wizard is attempting to read Groo's mind... and fails spectacularly, because Groo is so dumb ''there's nothing to read.''

 

 

* Used fairly often in ''[[Harry Potter]]'' fanfiction set in ''Order of the Phoenix'' where Snape is ostensibly teaching Harry Occulemency. Fanfiction being what it is, the defense usually involves Harry having sex with half the female cast and using memories of it to thoroughly squick Snape out.

 

== Literature ==

* For some unexplained reason Martians can't read [[John Carter of Mars|John Carter's]] mind at all. However, he can read their's just as easily as they can each other.

* In the ''Twilight'' stories, Bella Swan has a completely effective, passive mind shield which prevents anyone from reading her thoughts. In the last book, {{spoiler|when she becomes a vampire, she learns how to extend her shield to protect others against all forms of mental attack, and how to lower her shield to let Edward in.}}

* [[Deryni]] have what they term "shields" which can be adjusted from a complete blockage down to transparency. The more skilled a Deryni is, the more control s/he has over the adjustment. Since Deryni are also empathic, the shields are quite necessary to protect Deryni from the strong emotions of others as well as keeping their own thoughts and feelings private. Shields can be affected by head injuries or drugs like ''merasha'', and they rapidly degrade when a Deryni dies. A few people thought to be human (Sean Lord Derry and Sir Kenneth Morgan, Earl of Lendour ''de jure uxorius''<ref>in right of his wife</ref> among them) are found to have rudimentary shields. Psychic walls can also be constructed in the minds of people (human or Deryni) who have sensitive information that must be protected.

* The Occlumency skill in ''[[Harry Potter]]'' is useful for this, among other things. And done right, it might be undetectable.

 

 

* Dukat from ''[[Deep Space Nine]]'' is able to block Vulcan mind melds thanks to his disciplined mind.

** This defense is primarily used by trained telepaths, it is also stated that [[Muggles|Mundanes]] can do this with sufficient practice and willpower as well, assuming they know it is happening (or are [[Properly Paranoid|paranoid enough]] to do this on suspicion alone).

 

* ''[[GURPS]]'' has the Mind Shield psionic ability and the Mind Block cinematic skill.

* In ''[[Traveller]]'' Classic, psionic characters with the Telepathy ability could use the Shield power, and an Artificial Psionic Shield Helmet was on the list of available equipment. In the ''Mongoose'' edition, the Mind Shield blocks inbound ''and'' outbound Telepathic powers as long as it's up, and flat out stops the shielded individual from being picked up by [[Psychic Radar]].

* Members of the Secrets Caste of the Sidereal ''[[Exalted]]'' have the innate ability to immunize themselves and those around them from mental scrying. Furthermore, Sidereals specialized in their own unique astrological magic can feed false information to nonmagical astrologers attempting to read their minds or futures.

* Psykers with the "Living Nightmare" trait from ''[[Dark Heresy]]'' have full mind defense against mind-reading attempts: Trying to read one will give little more than white noise. Although mind-control is still possible, Living Nightmare psykers have a +15 bonus to oppose mind control when compared to an equivalent character without the trait.

* In [[Mage: The Awakening]], any mage of at least Apprentice-level proficiency in the Mind Arcanum can do this at a second's notice.

* [[Rifts]] and other Palladium Books games have a psychic ability called Mind Block, which simply prevents psychic attacks altogether while it is active. A more powerful version, Mind Block Auto-Defense, acts as an automatic defense that triggers anytime the user is under psychic attack, at the cost of a permanent reduction of the user's psychic energy capacity.

 

== Video Games ==

* Nanomachines can be used to put up psychic barriers in [[Metal Gear Solid]].

** Keep in mind, Coach Oleander is a psychic with years of training. [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|Raz received little to no psychic training whatsoever.]]

* [[Sam and Max|Max]] might be the President of the United States, but there are even things ''he's'' not allowed to know, as evident by trying to read Agent Superball's mind.

 

 

== Webcomics ==

* Aylee from ''[[Sluggy Freelance]]'' briefly has a form with this power, an adaptation against Leono's probing of her mind.

* ''[[Captain SNES]]'': Daos thinks this happens when he breaks through Alex's mind and finds a blinking smiley face. The truth is is that Alex really is absolutely terrified of Evil Otto from the ''Berserk'' arcade game.

* Thannagarians in ''[[Justice League]]'', such as Hawkgirl, have psychic block defences that keep telepaths such as J'onn from reading their minds. {{spoiler|J'onn manages to overpower one in the second season finale, but the effort physically wounds him and [[Mind Rape|more or less reduces the Thannagarian to a vegetative state.]]}}

** Project Cadmus also develops anti-telepathy tech and equips all of their agents with it.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Magic and Powers]]

[[Category:Psychic Block Defense]]