psychic damage

1. (literally, in video or tabletop games) Damage type associated with mind control, mockery, etc.
2. (figuratively) when experiencing something so horrible that it reverts your mind

1. Well this character is unfortunately resistant to psychic damage.
2. Watching Tung Tung Tung Sahur gave me critical psychic damage.

by OHSHEETSOFPAPER February 3, 2026

Psychic Philosophy

The branch of thought that asks what psychic abilities, if real, would mean for our understanding of mind, reality, and personal responsibility. If you can read minds, is privacy obsolete? If you can see the future, do you have to warn people, or is that interfering with fate? And if you know what your partner is thinking, do you still have to ask how their day was? Psychic philosophy grapples with the ethical implications of powers that probably don't exist, which is either a profound exercise in hypothetical reasoning or a massive waste of time, depending on your perspective.

Example: "He sat in deep psychic philosophy, wondering: if he developed telepathy and discovered his friend secretly hated his cooking, should he stop cooking or just cook what the friend secretly wanted? He then realized he was worrying about the ethical implications of a power he definitely did not have, which was either very thoughtful or very ridiculous. He decided to cook anyway."

by Nammugal February 14, 2026

Psychic Sociology

The specific analysis of group dynamics within communities bonded by shared belief in psychic phenomena, from online forums to in-person development circles. It explores the phenomenon of "psychic pecking orders" (who gets to channel the highest beings), the social function of shared vocabulary (we don't say "guess," we say "receive intuitive impressions"), and the inevitable splits that occur when one member claims to have received a message that contradicts the group's consensus. Psychic sociology proves that even among people who communicate with the beyond, terrestrial drama finds a way.

Example: "At the spiritualist church, a classic example of psychic sociology unfolded when two mediums both claimed to channel the same spirit guide but received conflicting messages about whether the group should serve tea or coffee after the service. The guide, apparently, was as indecisive as the humans, leading to a schism that lasted three years."

by Nammugal February 14, 2026

Psychic Social Sciences

The study of how groups of people who believe in psychic phenomena organize themselves, establish credibility, and interact with the skeptical mainstream. It examines why psychic fairs always have the same layout (tarot in the corner, palmistry by the window, aura photos near the exit), how psychic networks form hierarchies (the more cryptic, the higher the status), and the complex social dynamics of "proving" something that can't be proven. It's anthropology for people who communicate with the dead, which makes fieldwork unusually complicated.

Example: "A psychic social sciences study observed that at psychic conferences, the most popular booths were those whose practitioners made the vaguest predictions. 'You will experience a change' was universally preferred to 'you're getting a new job in October,' because vagueness can't be proven wrong. This was called the 'Barnum Effect in action.'"

by Nammugal February 14, 2026

Psychic Engineering

The practice of deliberately developing, training, and applying psychic abilities as if they were any other engineering discipline—with protocols, safety standards, and project management. It's the attempt to turn "I sometimes get a feeling about things" into a reliable, repeatable skill set, complete with daily practice routines, progress tracking, and performance reviews. The challenge is that psychic engineering lacks both reliable tools and clear success metrics, so most practitioners end up measuring progress by how they feel, which is like a carpenter measuring success by how much they enjoy hammering.

Example: "He approached psychic engineering like a project manager. He set SMART goals for his telepathy (Specific: read three minds per week, Measurable: confirm with the subjects, Achievable: probably not, Relevant: to his ego, Time-bound: by Friday). By Thursday, he'd achieved only confusion and was considering rebranding as 'intuitive.'"

by Nammugal February 14, 2026

Psychic Technologies

The tools and gadgets designed to enhance, measure, or simulate psychic abilities, ranging from ancient divination tools to modern brain-computer interfaces that are definitely not mind-reading devices (wink). This includes Zener cards for testing ESP (you guess the symbol, I record the data, we both pretend this proves something), EEG headsets that claim to let you control objects with your mind (they work, barely, if you concentrate really hard and the stars align), and the classic crystal ball, which is just a decorative sphere but looks impressive when you stare into it mysteriously.

Psychic Technologies Example: "He bought a psychic technology headband that promised to boost his telepathic abilities. After a month of wear, he hadn't read any minds, but he had developed a persistent headache, which he interpreted as the universe trying to communicate through discomfort. The manual called this 'psychic sensitivity.'"

by Nammugal February 14, 2026

Psychic Sciences

The systematic study of claimed mental abilities that defy conventional explanation, such as telepathy, clairvoyance, and knowing exactly who's calling before looking at your phone (though that one's usually just pattern recognition). Psychic sciences attempt to apply rigorous methodology to phenomena that are notoriously difficult to replicate in a lab, especially when the skeptics are watching. The field has generated decades of research, countless conferences, and a reliable conclusion: people really want to believe they can read minds, and scientists really want to prove they can't.

Example: "She got a degree in psychic sciences and set up a practice reading auras. Her methodology was consistent: she'd close her eyes, hum, and then tell people what they wanted to hear. When asked about her success rate, she said the universe works in mysterious ways, which is psychic-scientist for 'I'm guessing.'"

by Nammugal February 14, 2026