Retrocognition

"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
Past Evocation
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

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)