Types of Abilities

[jennythe_reader]

I've noticed that Beta's and Gamma's abilities seem to fall into three basic catagories.

Manipulation of physical objects: Andre Kent, Brian Mikkelson, Cora Marie Pace, Eddie Cieslewicz, the Louisiana Gamma, Melinda Grossman,

Manipulation of thoughts/emotions: the Augusta Gamma, James Cauldwell, Jason Saito, William Villette

Manipulation of energy/the electro-magnetic spectrum: Hafidha, Dave Schumacher, Paine Lake Gamma

I'm not quite sure where Chaz or the Danville Vermont gamma fit, and Frank Scott seems to do both objects and thoughts.

I'm not sure what this means, but it is interesting.  Anyone else have any thoughts?

(I know, I should have linked to the wiki entries, but it's a lot of links)

[BeatriceEagle]

Well, if one believes that betas are latent-stage gammas, you could see their abilities as a kind of targeting system.  Chaz and Hafidha both have abilities which would make locating victims very easy for particular kinds of gammas.

(Also, technically, Saito doesn't manipulate emotions.  He just reads them.]

[jimsmyth]

Well, if one believes that betas are latent-stage gammas, you could see their abilities as a kind of targeting system.  Chaz and Hafidha both have abilities which would make locating victims very easy for particular kinds of gammas.

(Also, technically, Saito doesn't manipulate emotions.  He just reads them.]

Yowza on that targeting-system thought.  Like I needed anything to make me more uneasy.

As to Saito, he seems to read thoughts about fear.  I think he tastes the emotions.  (ugh.)

[VCorvidae]

Well, if one believes that betas are latent-stage gammas, you could see their abilities as a kind of targeting system.  Chaz and Hafidha both have abilities which would make locating victims very easy for particular kinds of gammas.

(Also, technically, Saito doesn't manipulate emotions.  He just reads them.]

Yowza on that targeting-system thought.  Like I needed anything to make me more uneasy.

As to Saito, he seems to read thoughts about fear.  I think he tastes the emotions.  (ugh.)

Oh, that's like that brain disorder where people hear colors and taste pain. Umm... aphasia? I think that's it.

[glinda_w]

Oh, that's like that brain disorder where people hear colors and taste pain. Umm... aphasia? I think that's it.

Synesthesia... aphasia is when the words go away (otherwise known as me with a level 8 or higher migraine *wry*)

[VCorvidae]

I've noticed that Beta's and Gamma's abilities seem to fall into three basic catagories.

Manipulation of physical objects: Andre Kent, Brian Mikkelson, Cora Marie Pace, Eddie Cieslewicz, the Louisiana Gamma, Melinda Grossman,

Manipulation of thoughts/emotions: the Augusta Gamma, James Cauldwell, Jason Saito, William Villette

Manipulation of energy/the electro-magnetic spectrum: Hafidha, Dave Schumacher, Paine Lake Gamma

I'm not quite sure where Chaz or the Danville Vermont gamma fit, and Frank Scott seems to do both objects and thoughts.

I'm not sure what this means, but it is interesting.  Anyone else have any thoughts?

(I know, I should have linked to the wiki entries, but it's a lot of links)

Ummm... these are all variations of psionic abilities, no?

If I remember my research correctly, most psionic abilities are supposed to center in the frontal lobes of the brain.

Chaz's post to livejournal today included the following information:
"Huh. And now I wonder if spree killers have a less active prefrontal cortex (instrumental in rationally inhibiting costly impulsive behavior) than serials.

Your prefrontal cortex is the part of your brain that reminds you of the consequences of your actions. I suspect it's not coincidence that the prefrontal cortex doesn't actually finish development until the early twenties. (Hey, that means there's still hope for mine!)"

So, now I wonder. Does a gamma become a gamma because the frontal lobes of their brains that are supposed to remind you of the consequences of your actions are busy doing other things. And a beta isn't a gamma because their  prefrontal cortex can multitask.

Must go revisit my research into psionics.

[VCorvidae]

Oh, that's like that brain disorder where people hear colors and taste pain. Umm... aphasia? I think that's it.

Synesthesia... aphasia is when the words go away (otherwise known as me with a level 8 or higher migraine *wry*)

I knew it was one of them. I have Apraxia. Occasionally, the wrong words come out.

[jimsmyth]

I knew it was one of them. I have Apraxia. Occasionally, the wrong words come out.

I've got a version of that for social situations.  The more common name for mine is foot-in-mouth disease.   

As to the synethesia, that's not where I was going.  Unless there's some 'normal' sense for gamma-based emotion-reading, I guess. 

[VCorvidae]

I knew it was one of them. I have Apraxia. Occasionally, the wrong words come out.

I've got a version of that for social situations.  The more common name for mine is foot-in-mouth disease.   

As to the synethesia, that's not where I was going.  Unless there's some 'normal' sense for gamma-based emotion-reading, I guess. 

Oh, mine is a little more than foot in mouth disease. With Apraxia, the neurons don't fire right. I *know* what I want to say, but the words aren't there and I will stop cold while my brain tries to plot the course around the blockage. Or the wrong words get into queue in front of the right ones, and I'll say something entirely wrong.

[dancing crow]

I knew it was one of them. I have Apraxia. Occasionally, the wrong words come out.

I've got a version of that for social situations.  The more common name for mine is foot-in-mouth disease.   

As to the synethesia, that's not where I was going.  Unless there's some 'normal' sense for gamma-based emotion-reading, I guess. 

Oh, mine is a little more than foot in mouth disease. With Apraxia, the neurons don't fire right. I *know* what I want to say, but the words aren't there and I will stop cold while my brain tries to plot the course around the blockage. Or the wrong words get into queue in front of the right ones, and I'll say something entirely wrong.

Is that like saying mailbox for refrigerator, or glove compartment for garage? or making less sense than that? I've always thought of mine as related to mild dyslexia - I get nouns swapped around frequently, but that is as far as it goes...

[VCorvidae]

I knew it was one of them. I have Apraxia. Occasionally, the wrong words come out.

I've got a version of that for social situations.  The more common name for mine is foot-in-mouth disease.   

As to the synethesia, that's not where I was going.  Unless there's some 'normal' sense for gamma-based emotion-reading, I guess. 

Oh, mine is a little more than foot in mouth disease. With Apraxia, the neurons don't fire right. I *know* what I want to say, but the words aren't there and I will stop cold while my brain tries to plot the course around the blockage. Or the wrong words get into queue in front of the right ones, and I'll say something entirely wrong.

Is that like saying mailbox for refrigerator, or glove compartment for garage? or making less sense than that? I've always thought of mine as related to mild dyslexia - I get nouns swapped around frequently, but that is as far as it goes...

Something like, yes. It also translates into a stutter when I'm trying to force the right word out in spite of what my brain wants me to say, and complete and utter frustration when I'm tired and can't manage the mental discipline to overcome the problems.

[jimsmyth]

I just lose the word completely.  It was there when I set the sentance out in my head, but when it gets to my mouth, there's a hole where that word should be.

It's completely derailing to my train of thought, as well, as finding that word becomes the number-one priority in my mind.  Sometimes, I can describe the lost word, but I still can't think properly until it's found.

I used to blame it on aging.  Then I re-encountered an old college boyfriend, and he reminded me I used to do it back in the day as well.   

[Elizabeth Bear]

Jim, that's aphasia. *g* I have the noun version, where I forget the words for things. That and apraxia-of-speech (different from generalized apraxia, which is a loss of motor control) both afflict me a little.

They especially show up in a homophone or similar-word thing I do, which can be really hysterical. ("19" flat-panel minotaur" was probably my best one, though at WisCon I substituted "epistemology" for "epidemiology" in a sentence related to the WisCholera, and cracked up my entire lunch party...)

Tell one a lot about how the brain stores language, it does.

[Korvar]

For me I get the occasional aphasia (linked to migranes, too - glad it's not just me), and I often find it difficult to remember people's names, especially if two people's name start with the same letter.  I find I can only remember one of the names, whichever I come up with first, and the other one just won't come.

I think the brain worms have been feasting inside my skull.

[VCorvidae]

Jim, that's aphasia. *g* I have the noun version, where I forget the words for things. That and apraxia-of-speech (different from generalized apraxia, which is a loss of motor control) both afflict me a little.

They especially show up in a homophone or similar-word thing I do, which can be really hysterical. ("19" flat-panel minotaur" was probably my best one, though at WisCon I substituted "epistemology" for "epidemiology" in a sentence related to the WisCholera, and cracked up my entire lunch party...)

Tell one a lot about how the brain stores language, it does.

Nice to know that I'm in good company!