Retrocognition

Retrocognition
Blindfold (Marvel Comics) is able to see events of the past
Power/Ability to:	Discern events of the past.

"I HAVE A UNIQUE MEMORY."

"But I haven't even been CONCEIVED yet."

"I DID SAY UNIQUE."

― Death and Susan (Discworld)

The power to discern events of the past. Opposite to Precognition.

Also Called

• Backward Knowing
• Flashback
• Hindsight
• Past Evocation
• Past Vision
• Postcognition

Capabilities

The user can discern the past and past events using various means, usually entering a trance while seeing and hearing a noted past event, whether it be concerning themselves or of an unfamiliar lineage in a past occurrence. Occasionally spontaneous.

Applications

• Revealing an intricate history.
• See the events happening in before.

Techniques

• History Reading: to understand person's history.
• Past Life Awareness: to know of one's past lives.
• Past Recollection: to intuitively know what has occurred.

Variations

• Empathic Retrocognition: see into the past using emotions and sentiments.
• Flash Retrocognition: see into short-term past.
• Retrocognitive Artistry: write, paint or draw the past events through art.
• Retrocognitive Dreaming: perceive the past events through dreaming.

Associations

• Ancestral Evocation
• Astral Manipulation
• Astral Projection
• Magic
• Psychometry
• Retrocognition Manipulation
• Seer
• Spiritual Powers

Limitations

• May be unable to notice present surroundings.
• May need specific concentration.
• May unwilling perceive collective knowledgeable attachments.
• May gain instability from attained knowledge.
• May become infected with information.
• May be unable to tap into history of other universes.
• May be unable to perceive contents from parallel universe.
• May require physical contact.
• May have to enter a state of trance.

Known Users

Television/Movies

• Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
• Cordelia Chase (Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel)
• Faith Lehane (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
• The Giver (The Giver)
• Rosemary (The Giver)
• Jonas (The Giver)
• Gabriel (The Giver)
• Daphne Powell (No Ordinary Family); only via physical contact
• Cisco Ramon (The Flash)
• Reverse-Flash (The Flash)
• Eve (The Sarah Jane Adventures)
• Roxie Torcoletti (Eastwick)
• Angela Petrelli (Heroes); via Precognitive Dreaming
• Phoebe Halliwell (Charmed)
• Allison DuBois (Medium)
• Sara Pezzini (Witchblade); via the Witchblade
• Doctor Manhattan (Watchmen)
• Melinda Gordon (Ghost Whisperer)
• Maxim Horvath (The Sorcerer's Apprentice)
• Alex (Twitches)
• Camryn (Twitches)
• Dinah Lance/Black Canary (Birds of Prey)
• Cordelia Foxx (American Horror Story: Coven)

Cartoons/Comics

• Chronosapien (Ben 10 Series)
  • Clockwork
• Saturn Girl (DC Comics)
• Dream Girl (DC Comics)
• Captain Comet (DC Comics)
• Blindfold/Destiny (Marvel Comics)
• Doctor Manhattan (Watchmen)
• Terror Inc. (Marvel Comics)
• Tarot (Marvel Comics)
• Talisman (Marvel Comics)
• Nate Grey (Marvel Comics)
• Silver Surfer (Marvel Comics)
• Padparadscha Sapphire (Steven Universe)
• Believix Fairies (Winx Club); via Tracix wings
• Stella (World of Winx)

Anime/Manga

• Users of Memory Reading Quanx ability (Denma)
  • Korah
  • White hair
• Watchmon (Digimon)
• Éclair (Fairy Tail)
• Gods (Kubera); via Insight
• Leone Abbacchio (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 5/V: Golden Wind/Vento Aureo); via Moody Blues
• Masamune Tōya (Norn9 Norn+Nonette)
• Ishizu Ishtar (Yu-Gi-Oh); via the Millennium Necklace
• Fake Shiki (Tsukihime)

Video Games

• Sora (Kingdom Hearts); via Kairi's heart to her memory
• Desmond Miles (Assassin's Creed)
• Cole MacGrath (Infamous); via Psychic Vision

Literature

• Ghost-whisperers (Shadow Falls); via a ghost's memory
  • Kylie Galen
  • Holiday Brandon
  • Della Tsang
• Dusty Everhart (Arkwell Academy series); via Dream Walking
• Lirael (Old Kingdom series)

Known Objects

• Time TV (Doraemon)
• Time Gem (Marvel Comics)
• Zecora's Potion (My Little Pony series)
• Time Flower (Pokemon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew)
• The Witchblade (The Witchblade)
• Millennium Necklace (Yu-Gi-Oh)
• The Mask of Uroboros (Witcher 3 Wild Hunt)

Gallery

Clockwork (Ben 10) viewing the past

Time TV (Doraemon)

Padparadscha Sapphire (Steven Universe) is a defective Sapphire who's future vision instead predicts the immediate past.

Leone Abbachio's (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 5/V: Golden Wind/Vento Aureo) Stand, Moody Blues can reenact, or "replay" past events with utmost precision.

Zecora's Potion (My Little Pony series) allows Twilight to view visions of the distant past.

Time Flower (Pokemon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew)