Mind Reading

" Boy...you read my thoughts! You've got the Shinning."

"You mean "Shining."

"Shh! You want to get sued? But don't be reading my mind between four and five. That's Willy's time!"

― Groundskeeper Willy and Bart Simpson (The Simpsons)

"The mind is not a book, to be opened at will and examined at leisure. Thoughts are not etched on the inside of skulls, to be perused by any invader. The mind is a complex and many-layered thing, Potter. Or at least most minds are... It is true, however, that those who have mastered Legilimency are able, under certain conditions, to delve into the minds of their victims and to interpret their findings correctly."

― Severus Snape (Harry Potter)

"I have the Shining now!"

"And Chris has the Shining now."

― Chris and Lois Griffin (Family Guy)

The power to sense the thoughts of people. Sub-power of Telepathy.

Also Called

Telereceive
Thought Reading

Capabilities

The user can sense the thoughts of other people, usually hearing them like ordinary speech, but possibly by other senses such as sight. Usually, they sense the surface thoughts (including other mental communications), but they can also learn to push farther into subconscious and memories.

Applications

Variations

Associations

Limitations

Does not work on mindless beings (corpses, animated objects, robots, etc.).
May be limited to a certain range to work, including touch only.
May be limited to one target at a time.
May be unable to "turn off" their power and have to constantly hear thoughts.
- Since the user constantly hears thoughts, this limitation makes mind reading ineffective in large crowds.
May not be able to read impulsive actions.
Users of Psychic Shield (highly resistant) and Psychic Immunity (impervious).
May get overwhelmed by too many thoughts.
May get overwhelmed by too many thoughts, especially the ones which are too complicated (e.g. a genius' mind which is doing calculus), detailed (e.g. an artist's or photographer's mind which has a photographic memory), insane/morally corrupted (e.g. "murder is good", "I will create my idea of the perfect world by genocide", "burning folks to death is helpful"), and/or ones which don't make any sense (e.g. "2+2=5", "a square circle", "a one-ended line").
Depending upon the user's ability, skill, and tolerance, attempting to read certain minds (e.g. genius or the insane) may be hard, impossible, or self-destructive.
Unless one is multilingual or has the automatic ability to translate and decrypt, ability may not work if the target is thinking in alternate languages or encrypted codes.
The more intense the thought, the louder it sounds to the user.

Known Users

Anime/Manga

Goddesses (Ah! My Goddess); only when granting wishes
Kanie Seiya (Amagi Brilliant Park)
Yuu Otosaka (Charlotte)
Mao (Code Geass)
Utsugi Tsukimiya (A Destructive God Sits Next to Me)
Goku (Dragon Ball)
Wisely Kamelot (D.Gray-man Hallow)
Kotoura Haruka (Kotoura-San)
Gods (Kubera); via Insight
Taraka (Kubera); via Insight
Yuta (Kubera); via Insight
Suu (Monster Musume)
Kousuke Seto (Kagerou Daze)
Kaito and Daichi Shiratori (Mob Psycho 100)
Momozo Takenaka (Mob Psycho 100)
Fairy Clan (Nanatsu no Taizai)
Nagato/Pain (Naruto); via Ningendo/Human Path
Unown (Pokemon)
Kusuo Saiki (Saiki Kusuo no Psi-nan)
Hao Asakura (Shaman King)
Anna Asakura nee Kyōyama (Shaman King)
Hilda (Shaman King)
Sadao Makihara/Gourmet (Yu Yu Hakusho); after consuming Murota's ability
Murota (Yu Yu Hakusho)
Dufort (Zatch Bell!)
Aldoron (Fairy Tail: The 100 Years Quest)

Live Television/Movies

Maggie Vera (Charmed 2018)
Trained magickinds (Arkwell Academy trilogy)
- Dusty Everhart
- Captain Gargrave
- Mr. Deverell
- Eli Booker
- Moira Nimue-Everhart
Matt Parkman (Heroes)
Maury Parkman (Heroes)
Peter Petrelli (Heroes); temporarily and via Power Replication
Mind Readers (Angel)
Telepathic Demons (Buffy, the Vampire Slayer)
Buffy Summers (Buffy, the Vampire Slayer/Angel); temporarily
Mason Tarkoff (Witches of East End)
Killian Gardiner (Witches of East End)
Siu May (Mermaid Got Married)
Clark Kent (Smallville); temporarily
Ryan James (Smallville); due to a tumor
Abaddon (Supernatural); via Partial Possession
Renn ("Legend of the Seeker")
Han (The X-Family); via Spell Casting
The Night Man (Night Man); he could only hear evil thoughts
Gary Navarro (The 4400)
Memorella (Power Rangers Dino Charge)
Angels (Midnight, Texas)
- Bowie
- Joe Strong
Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious (Star Wars); via Sith Rituals
Kylo Ren (Star Wars); via Mind Probe technique
Darth Maul (Star Wars); via Mind Probe technique
The Grand Inquisitor (Star Wars); via Mind Probe technique
Seventh Sister (Star Wars); via Mind Probe technique
Linda Twist (Round the Twist); one off via hairdressing
Zack Greenburg (The Zack Files); one off via the headset
The Children's (Village of the Damned)

Cartoons/Comics

Professor Xavier (Marvel Comics)
Franklin Richards (Marvel Comics)
Jean Grey/Phoenix (Marvel Comics)
Emma Frost (Marvel Comics)
Elizabeth Braddock/Psylocke (Marvel Comics)
Rachel Summers (Marvel Comics)
Nate Grey (Marvel Comics)
Kid Omega/Quentin Quire (Marvel Comics)
Ruth Aldine/Blindfold (Marvel Comics)
Monet St. Croix (Marvel Comics)
Masikura (All Hail King Julien)
Neuro (Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu)
Francine Nebulon (Lloyd in Space)
Phillip J. Fry (Futurama: Into The Wild Green Yonder)
Hutch Waterfall (Futurama)
Nine (Futurama)
Legion of Madfellows (Futurama)
Elton (Monster Buster Club)
Charles Zenith (Ben 10)
Ultimate Aggregor (Ben 10: Ultimate Alien)
Sunset Shimmer (My Little Pony Equestria Girls)

Literature

Certain Magicians (Inheritance Cycle)
Dragons and their Riders (Inheritance Cycle)
Sookie Stackhouse (The Southern Vampire Mysteries)
Edward Cullen (Twilight Saga)
Edythe Cullen (Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined)
Aro (Twilight Saga)
Sulpicia (Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined)
Jayfeather (Warriors)
Legilimens (Harry Potter)
Jealousy (Karakuri Dôji Ultimo)
Sascha Starfin (Wild Cards); surface thoughts only
Nightwings (Wings of Fire); only while born under one, two, or three full moons
Darkstalker (Wings of Fire)
Moonwatcher (Wings of Fire)
Caleb Budde ("Power Pills")