Spiral Propagation
"...and for the last ten minutes of my lecture, you were thinking of nothing but spirals. I was in complete control of your mind, preventing you from thinking of anything else."
Basic Mind Control
Spiral Propagation is a cognitive and memetic phenomenon wherein an idea replicates itself through multiple layers of perception, interaction, and interpretation. It can be demonstrated through a simple visual exercise: when a person draws a spiral, they create not just one, but multiple spirals—one in their mind (the intention), one on paper (the external representation), and one in the mind of each observer (the interpretation). Furthermore, the concept of negation (the negative space forming a secondary spiral) doubles the count. Beyond this, the act of discussion forces the observer to mentally reconstruct additional spirals, multiplying the presence of the idea within their cognition. At its core, Spiral Propagation exemplifies how control over attention can lead to control over thought; by guiding focus to a singular idea, an individual can dominate another's cognitive landscape, even if only momentarily. This phenomenon underlies various forms of psychological influence, persuasion, and memetic transmission, demonstrating that control of perception and attention is, in effect, control of thought.
Entry Technique
Spiral Propagation is especially valuable for Psychojacks and Psions. Holding someone's attention and simplifying their thoughts in this manner can lower their resistance, making them more open to suggestion. This is also a technique used in Memetics, allowing the practitioner to slip information into the subconscious of targets while their minds are fully occupied with whatever is engaging the majority of their brains (spirals are simply a stand-in and probably the most recognizable 'mind control' type of subject).
Aggressive Spiral Propagation
Average
Default: prerequisite skill
Prerequisite: Memetics, Any Psionics, Brainwashing, Enthrallment, Hypnotism, Psychology, or Persuasion, Cannot exceed Prerequisite Skill +3.
This technique allows you to lower an opponent's defenses against mental persuasion by simultaneously dominating their attention and distracting them from your mental influence. For every consecutive round (3 seconds) you spend successfully keeping their attention, their mental defenses are lowered by 1 for any roll to resist your attempted use of a prerequisite skill that would trigger an opposed roll.
Defense
Ironically, Spiral Propagation is a good defensive technique against psionics if one is aware of a psion and has mental discipline. By filling the 'spare spaces' of your mind with useless and repetitive information that you've practiced ignoring, you can prevent an opponent from slipping past your normal mental defenses and influencing you. It also focuses the mind on one task at a time.
Defensive Spiral Propagation
Hard
Default: Prerequisites
Prerequisite: Mental Strength or Mind Block+2
This technique allows you to trade Sanity for mental defense. By spending one mental action per round focusing on the technique, mental defense rolls triggered by the following skills are made with a +6: Memetics, Any Psionics, Brainwashing, Enthrallment, Hypnotism, Psychology, or Persuasion
Comments