Psionics involve the use of the mind to alter or command reality, typically through some understanding of a deeper truth about the universe or command over a fundamental law of reality.

It’s pretty cool, but I have trouble thinking of media where it takes a prominent role. The few examples that come to mind are:

Star Wars - The Force Mass Effect - Biotics/Element Zero technology Stellaris - Spiritualist Ethos Warhammer 40k - Psykers/Orks

What are some other examples of psionics in Sci-Fi?

  • itsAsin@lemmy.world
    2·
    3 hours ago

    i just finished a 3 book series by Adrian Tchaikovsky called The Final Atchitecture. it features several characters with this ability. i highly recommend it!

  • ApollosArrow@lemmy.world
    2·
    8 hours ago

    WandaVision: She creates a new reality around herself.

    Fringe: One of the main plot points are psychics controlling reality.

    Push: A movie about a psychic people that can push thoughts into other people’s heads.

    Legion: Mind bendy reality show where the main character can control reality.

  • A_Union_of_Kobolds@lemmy.world
    7·
    14 hours ago

    Lots of psychics in Star Trek. Vulcans, Betazoids, and Ocampa for instance.

    I feel like there are some in The Culture series but its been a minute since I read them and I only got a few books in.

    Dune has a lot of kinda-psychics. Paul and pretty much all the Atreides after him would count i think.

    There are some in the Foundation series I believe

    Starship Troopers had Neal Patrick Harris read a bug’s mind

    Just about anything that’s not especially “hard” sci-fi tends to have psychics of one sort or another. I dont remember any psychics in The Expanse or BattleTech but my knowledge of both is rather limited edit BattleTech no, The Expanse yes from a cursory search

    Also how was OP’s 40k xeno example orks and not Eldar ;D orks are way cooler and more fun i agree tho

    • spittingimage@lemmy.world
      4·
      15 hours ago

      I feel like there are some in The Culture series

      The ship Grey Area uses technology to read flesh minds while investigating war crimes. The other Minds consider that an abuse of power and call it the ‘Meatfucker’ behind its back. I don’t recall any other (pseudo-) psychic phemonema.

      • A_Union_of_Kobolds@lemmy.world
        2·
        15 hours ago

        Thanks! Yeah the more i think about it the more i doubt reading about psychics, which i imagine had to be deliberate seeing as humans had developed absolutely insane levels of control over their bodies (sex changes, producing drugs, etc just by deciding to)

  • givesomefucks@lemmy.worldEnglish
    5·
    15 hours ago

    Not sure why you’re asking for the most popular…

    But Stranger in a Strange Land eventually gets around to that.

    It’s about a human raised by Martians, and he learned a Martian telepathic language that can alter reality. But when returned to Earth, he has no idea how humans act, and is basically an infant.

    But it’s one of those books that changes a lot,bthe begining isn’t what you’re looking for, but just stick with it.

  • zikzak025@lemmy.world
    3·
    14 hours ago

    Might not be relatively popular, but the psionics of the novel/anime Shin Sekai Yori are central to the plot and are portrayed in a pretty interesting fashion.

    Foundation is another (more traditional sci-fi) work which also focuses on psychic people as a central plot point. The book series and TV series are very different, but I’d say each explores the idea well.

    For video games, Control is another one I haven’t seen mentioned yet. It’s based on the SCP collaborative fiction project. Exposure to objects of power awaken the protagonist’s (and other characters’) latent psychic abilities.

  • YappyMonotheist@lemmy.world
    2·
    15 hours ago

    Dune has lucid “prophets” (the guild navigators, Paul and Leto II, for example), and Paul can even see/feel his way around the world through his prophetic visions when he loses his sight in Messiah. “The voice” is described almost as an advanced technique that is purely physical and psychological and not magical so idk if it fits.