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?
Star trek! Vulcan mind melds (not to mention betazoids and other telepaths) are absolutely psychic
Star Gate?
Currently rewatching SG1.
While it exists in the universe, I wouldn’t really call it popular. It’s basically just a small plot point in a handful of episodes, unless I forgot something
The sci-fi book series “Perry Rhodan” features a lot of humans and other beings with all kind psionic powers.
Telepathy, telekinesis, invisibility, teleportation, fire, ice, atomic restructuring, the list is really really long.
Firestarter
trouble instigator
T-wisted Drew Barrymore.
Surprised no one has mentioned Stranger Things.
The Stars My Destination and The Demolished Man both have this in some way, perhaps explaining the presence of Mr Bester in Babylon 5.
Philip K Dick has recurring themes of pre-cogs and telekinetics.
X-Men is extremely heavy on telepaths, and has quite a few telekines and other variants.
Peter F. Hamilton’s Greg Mandel trilogy - the titular character is a former psi-soldier turned mercenary. IIRC, candidate psi-soldiers are given a brain implant that squirts out psi juice on demand, and each soldier develops unique and unpredictable powers. Greg’s was the ability to sense, control, or kill other nearby minds.
Two video games got me kinda obsessed with psionics as a younger person:
Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy. It’s a near-future military thriller where the main character has amnesia, but finds himself with telekinesis, pyrokinesis, remote viewing, mind control, and “mind drain” to power those abilities. That game was amazingly cool and had a banger single called “With My Mind” by Cold (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZQk3ig-i_s)
It’s been a long time, but our guy basically battles a rogue paramilitary bad guy faction that’s like “If MK ULTRA actually worked on a few dudes and they were super fascist.”
Second Sight: Still gotta play this one! Kinda like Bourne Identity. Guy wakes up in a strange facility with psychokinetic powers and amnesia, and strange government people are trying to kill him. He can throw things around with his mind.
(I feel like these were the same game pitched to two different publishers hahaha)
Hehe I remember really trying to exercise my mind to put out matches or move objects. Was quite disappointed. :p
Chronicle: This one is an interesting movie. Kinda a found footage superhero film. Three friends touch a weird rock and end up with telekinesis. Things kinda derail out of control from there. Excellent effects.
(Somebody already mentioned “Push” which is also super cool.)
apocalypses, advanced telekinesis, which allows him to re-order matter and make new materials from it, though he doesnt have telepathy right off the bat, he apparently is able to manipulate telepaths if it is being used against him, and also shield against telepathy.(if you consider his mutant power enhancement bestowal as psionics). EMMa frost, unique diamond form makes her immune to telepathic attacks(depending on the film/show) she also has similar ability to block telepathy/ add a telepathy wall in someones mind. psylocke, has the psi-blade ability, plus her telepathy apparently.
Chrono-skimming seems to be an advanced version of telepathy, you can project your conciseness into a future or past self. kitty pryde in DOFP, could do this to bishop and wolverine, although she never did to a future self. HERS IS unique because she is using her phase shifting ability to do it.
AOT, eren(attack titan) was able to chronoskimm into a past self, although its more obscure.
Mindbridge was pretty good iirc.
oh forgot babylon5. its a major part of the world.
dune, foundation, starship troopers, stranger in a strange land, martian chronicles, its fairly common in a lot of classic scifi as some sort of evolution things that happens. even 2001. Sometimes its hard to identify if there are psychic abilities or technology that is allowing for the abilities.
“More Than Human” by Theodore Sturgeon is a novel about a collective of psionic humans who have to work together because they have an unusual mix of powers and weaknesses. One of them is a forever-infant whose role is a living supercomputer, for example
“Ishmael” by Daniel Quinn is a bit of a stretch, but it’s technically a conversation between the main character and a telepathic gorilla, if you want something a little different than the usual story about psychic humans
On the movie side, there’s “Beyond the Black Rainbow,” a somewhat trippy thriller and sort-of horror story about a psychic adolescent girl being raised by a scientist who developed a disturbing obsession with her. Might be a little rough to watch on that note, but it’s good. I liked the way they portrayed how her powers worked and it was an interesting audio-visual experience besides
The Scanners movies. Just watch the first one though.
I can’t remember the exact examples, but Farscape had a decent few in it.
