User blog:Holokami/Introduction to Psionics

'''[Still a WIP. Information is correct (but may change), but new information will be added as time goes on.]'''

What is Psionics?
Psionics relates to the use of the mind only in order to manipulate, gain information about, and connect with the world and others around it. One who possess psionic abilities is broadly known as a “Psychic”. For reasons discussed later on, psionics can be described as an emergent property of a conscious population, which enhances the individuals of the population as individuals. Psionic abilities in all their aspects and forms, e.t.c., function via the mind. Psionics can be neatly described in four “schools”.


 * Manipulation, the ability to manipulate any aspect of the world and reality.
 * Information, the ability to gain any information desired through.
 * Connection, the ability to connect to any other being/thing.
 * Domination, the potency, raw power, or authority of a psychic.

What is a Mind?
A psionic individual possesses something non-psionic individuals don’t- a “mind”. In this sense, the “mind” describes an immaterial psionic “structure” that develops “within” the individual. It is through this mind, or “psionic framework”, that psionics functions in all its aspects.

The psionic framework is constructed from psions- psionic “particles” which are generated from psionic fields. However, unlike the particles we’re familiar with, these “particles” do not naturally interact with the particles we and our universe are built from, and possess properties and emergent functions almost alien to our understanding.

How Does a Psionic Framework Form?
Before we can discuss the formation of a psionic framework, we first need to discus psionic information, that is, information that only a consciousness/sapient intelligence could generate: memories, experiences, knowledge, understanding, choices, creativity, imagination, self-reflection, e.t.c.. In a similar way to how mass is attracted to mass via gravity, psions- psionic “particles”, are attracted to this type of information.

Known as the “Information Force”, this attraction psionic information possesses on psions is not nearly strong enough to tear an already formed psionic framework out of another person no matter how hard you try, but it is significant enough to initiate the development of the framework. However, enough psions have to be around in order for any psionic frameworks to form. As a population develops and grows in size, the amount of psionic information grows rapidly with it, and this generates a lot of pull, drawing in more and more psions. After a certain point, there will be enough psions that a psionic framework can develop, and then from there psionics only becomes more and more common, as more and more psions are pooled in.

Born Psionic?
An individual is never conceived psionic. However, many are born psionic, or develop it later on as their psionic framework completes itself. As a child develops in the womb of its mother, there are three ways a baby can develop psionics.

Psionic Aided Development
If the mother is a psychic, then it’s likely the psions from the mother’s psionic framework can attract enough extra psions to develop a psionic framework within the child. This method leaves the child’s framework with random capabilities and abilities, although sometimes the mother’s framework can influence the development of the child’s.

Inherited Mind
If the mother is a psychic, then it’s likely the psions from the mother’s psionic framework can begin to extend into the child, passing on the framework of the mother. This method will leave the child will either an exact copy of the mother’s psionic powers and abilities, or a derivative contained within/as their power/ability set.

Random Development
If the mother is no a psychic, then if the child develops a psionic framework, it will be random and original.

Psionic Powers
Psionic powers come in an enormous variety, from fire manipulation to clairvoyance, from illusions to precognition, and even more. The powers an individual has are determined by the flaws that form in their psionic framework, limiting its observational capacity. To explain, in psychic powers/abilities there are three fundamental steps: observing, processing, and acting. These are the most basic steps in psychic processes, and all powers go through them.

Observing - Observing anything, such as the past, future, another’s mind, an object’s location in space, another location, what a material is made of, and any/all other types of information. This step is where the “selectivity” of a psychic’s power comes in. The more selective a psychic’s observations, the more specific their power(s). This is also what causes some psychic to have two or more powers that are unrelated to each other.

Processing - Processing the information received through observation, and then processing the actions to take. The information and actions processes are limited to what observations were made, and the actual power(s) of the psychic. Processing is split into two types:
 * Information Processing - The processing of the information gained/received through observing. Such as turning the information of the future gained through precognition into sensory information, processing the thoughts gained through mind reading, or processing a location in space and what's in it, e.t.c. A psychics fundamental steps will end here if they're a clairvoyant, a mind reader, e.t.c..
 * Action Processing - Action processing is processing the action(s) wanting to be taken, such as sending information to another person via telepathy, moving an object via telekinesis, creating an illusion, altering matter, controlling energy, manipulating a mind, e.t.c.. Action Processing can be done consciously, unconsciously, or subconsciously.

Acting - The action occurs. The action processed in the prior step takes place, through the mechanisms and functions of the power of the psychic, such as moving matter with telekinesis, teleporting via bending space, sending a message through telepathy, e.t.c..

The Trengove Limit
Discovered and calculated by Australian Psionologist, Professor Harrison Trengove, it is the limit at which psionic development ceases, as all flaws have been worked out of the psionic framework, all abilities have been opened up to the users, and there is no room for growth. This point is a range of raw power which extends to roughly 750 AU, and capabilities which allow the psionic to manipulate (the laws of) physics freely within, or just beyond that range.

Fundamental Types
Now that you know the three fundamental steps of psychic processes, the three fundamental types of psychic powers/abilities can be discussed. These types describe, at a very basic level, the three different ways psychic powers/abilities can work, based on the three fundamental steps.

Reader - A Reading-type psychic, or reader, is a psychic who can observe and process information, but nothing more. These powers are unable to take actions based on the information gained.
 * Examples: Claircognizance, clairvoyance, precognition, e.t.c.
 * Steps: Observation >> Processing

Editor - An Editing-type psychic, or editor, is a psychic who can observe, process and act. The actions which can be taken through this type of psychic power/ability is limited by the observations that can be done. Editing-types are limited to things that already exist.
 * Example: Telekinesis, teleportaion, telepathy, astral manipulation, empathy, e.t.c.
 * Steps: Observation >> Processing >> Action

Writer - A Writing-type psychic, or writer, is the rarest and generally most powerful type of psychic. A Writing-type is a psychic whose processing and acting steps aren't limited by or connected to the observation step. This means the mind executes the psychic processes based on the psychic's thoughts alone, and acts them out independently of reality, overriding reality itself. There are two subtypes of Writing-type psychics.
 * Strange - Strange-type psychics are psychics who possess a particular capability which should not be achievable, yet have not crossed the Trengove Limit.
 * Manifestation - Manifestation-type psychics are psychics who possess the ability to manifest objects, or even beings, from their thoughts/imagination.
 * Steps: Thoughts Processing >> Action

Collector - A Collecting-type psychic, or collector, is a psychic who has no specific ability or powers themselves, but instead can gain, via copying, the psionic abilities and powers of others through some mechanism.

Super Mutation
As a result of exposure and interaction with psionics, the human body developed a mutation which seems only to occur in people whose psionic framework never developed enough. There are some rare exceptions however. The super mutation is a mutation of the body, where some or all of its capabilities and attributes are heightened: strength, healing, immune system, e.t.c… The most obvious effect of the super mutation is the slowing down or ceasing of aging.
 * Enhanced Condition
 * Supernatural Condition
 * Semi-Immortality

The super mutation also has another effect of making those with it have a fantastic figure, great looks, and keeps them super healthy, as it enhanced all attributes of the body.
 * Enhanced Beauty
 * Enhanced "Coolness"
 * Enhanced Cuteness
 * Supernatural Beauty

Super Psychics
In very, very rare cases, a psychic can be born with the super mutation. There are two classes of psychics like this:
 * Psychic Super Mutant: A psychic born with the super mutation, however, the super mutation and psychic powers simply exist alongside each other, and do help each other.
 * Super Psychic: A psychic born with the super mutation, however, the super mutation and psychic powers work with each other, and enhance each other. Super Psychics typically have powers involving raw power, raw energy, ESP, or Pre/Retrocognition.

Inversics
Psionics is a branch of “Psychic Phenomenon”. There are three branches of Psychic Phenomenon:
 * Psionics
 * Super Mutation
 * Inversics

Inversics is the third and final major branch of psionics, and it’s also by far the rarest. Inversics is, as it sounds, the inverse of psionics. Using anti-psions and negative psionic forces (negative in a mathematical sense), e.t.c., instead of normal psions and psionic forces, e.t.c.. While a few anti-psions are no threat to people, if an inversic framework (a psionic framework constructed from anti-psions) develops, it’s as toxic towards life as negative psionics, or inversic forces.

All psychics who are born inversics, which is few and far between to begin with, die in the womb, or shortly after birth, as the damage the inversic framework deals to them becomes too great. The only way to successfully live with an inversic framework it to possess the super mutation, and the odds of being born with the super mutation as an already desperately rare inversic are extremely low.

While inversics is capable of all the same powers as psionics, Inversics functions a little differently to psionics, as the order of operations is backward. Where as a psychic will need to expend energy to make something happen. Simply put, an inversic can make something happen, which in turn generates inversic energy (negative psionic energy) to "balance" the system.

Psionic Categories
The World Psychic Association, with the aid of Harrison Trengove and Lumi Faraday, developed a psionic power and capability scale which would help them understand and categorise the powers of psychic. There are two sets of this scale: Power, denoting the maximum mass the psychic could effect with, and range the psychic can utilise, their raw power, and Capability, denoting micro-dimensional mastery- the fineness of their power.

Power

 * S*
 * Range: 500 to 750 AU
 * Mass: Up to 3 Solar Masses
 * S
 * Range: 40 to 500 AU
 * Mass: Up to 2 Solar Masses
 * A
 * Range: 2 to 40 AU
 * Mass: Up to 1 Solar Mass
 * B
 * Range: Planetary to 2 AU
 * Mass: Up to 3E27 kg
 * C
 * Range: Continental to Planetary
 * Mass: Up to 6E24 kg
 * D
 * Range: Country to Continental
 * Mass: Up to 2E22 kg
 * E
 * Range: County to Country
 * Mass: Up to 1E19 kg
 * F
 * Range: Town/City to County
 * Mass: Up to 1E16 kg
 * G
 * Range: Street to Town/City
 * Mass: Up to 1E13 kg
 * H
 * Range: Building to Street
 * Mass: Up to 1E9 kg
 * I
 * Range: Single Person to Building
 * Mass: Up to 1E6 kg

Capability

 * S*
 * Physical: Capable of manipulating the basic structure of space and time- physics as a whole.
 * Mental:
 * S
 * Physical: Capable of manipulating the most elementary particles of matter, and are capable of manipulating space, and/or time.
 * Mental:
 * A
 * Physical: Capable of manipulating the atomic nucleus.
 * Mental:
 * B
 * Physical: Capable of manipulating individual atoms.
 * Mental:
 * C
 * Physical: Capable of manipulating molecules and molecular bonds.
 * Mental:
 * D
 * Physical: Capable of manipulating proteins, and larger molecular/organic structures.
 * Mental:
 * E
 * Physical: Capable of manipulating objects over the scale of themselves: people, cells, organs, buildings, hammers, cars, marbles, etc.
 * Mental:

Q&A
[ Feel free to ask any questions, and I’ll pop the answers either into the main sections, or add it here! ]