User:RavynousHunter/Shayne/Psionics

Psionics
Psionics in Shayne's world is the ability to use one's mind to affect the world around them, ranging from simple telekinesis to probability manipulation.

Physical Effects
Psionics has a noticeable physical effect on the human body, most especially the brain. Physical signs of psionic endowment are as follows:


 * The Pituitary gland is around 5-10% larger than in normal humans, it is believed that this increased size is to accommodate certain psionic growth hormones, which trigger a person's Awakening.


 * While around the same size as is found in normal humans, the Amygdala is far denser than normal, averaging a 52% increase in density; in turn, this causes hyposexuality, decreased sense of fear, and decreased memory consolidation time.


 * The Claustrum is more pronounced, resulting in a waking state known as "hyperconsciousness."


 * The frontal lobe of the brain has generally the most pronounced changes, being, on average, 3-5 times more dense in a psychic than in a human. This results in enhanced long-term memory, increased sensations of pleasure, increased drive, enhanced sense of cause & effect relations, but a higher tendency toward obsessive-compulsive disorder, and schizophrenia.

For reasons currently unknown, psychics seem to live far longer than normal humans, and the more psionic potential a person has, the longer they live. This may be the cause of Morden Xeno's extreme longevity. However, physical aging for those who, like Xeno, possess abnormal amounts of psionic potential seems to slow to a near halt shortly after physical maturity is reached.

Also, psychics seem to have a tendency toward being hypoemotional; they experience emotions at a far lower level than normal humans, the effects of which ranging from being described as "cold" to having almost no emotional sensation at all, reacting in an almost machine-like manner to even the most extreme emotional stress, though this level of detachment is rare at best.