Psionics

General

• Testing of ESP potential of humans performed regularly as early as late 21st century, as late as 2330s (TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before"; SGR Novel: The Valiant)
• Testing metrics
  • Esper rating
    • Presumably low value: 011 (SGR Novel: The Valiant)
    • "Better than average" value: 089 (TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before")
    • "Well above average" value: 091 (TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before")
  • Aperception quotient
    • Presumably low value: 2/25 (SGR Novel: The Valiant)
    • "Better than average" value: 20/100 (TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before")
    • "Well above average" value: 20/104 (TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before")
  • Duke-Heidelberg quotient
    • "Better than average" value: 256 (TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before")
    • "Well above average" value: 261 (TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before")

Telepathy

• Umbrella term for any form of non-technological mental connection between two intelligent beings
  • Interlink between two consciousnesses allowing for communication, transference of thoughts, feelings
  • Extreme telepathic talents capable of transferring consciousness from one substrate to another
• Generally accomplished via a paracortex or analogous neurological structure (TOS Novel: The Higher Frontier; TNG: "Dark Page")
  • Presumably a feature of Sargonians in particular, as many known psionic humanoids are descendants of the Sargonian diaspora
• Function of quantum entanglement between two consciousnesses allowing for transmission of information (TNG Novel: The Buried Age)
• Types and variations of telepathy
  • Empathy
    • Detection and in some instances transmission of emotional states
  • Logopathy
    • Contact with, implicit knowledge of linguistic centers
  • Touch telepathy
    • Often relies on entanglement coupled with direct bioelectric contact
• Telepathy difficult to technologically circumvent
  • Can be defended against to a degree via suppressing electron tunneling in the thalamus (TNG Novel: The Buried Age)
• Most telepaths can manipulate their own brain functions to a limited degree, emphasizing certain functions and reducing others in extreme scenarios (SGR Novel: The Valiant)

Telekinesis

• Ability to manipulate the physical world through mental effort alone
• Far less common than telepathy, to the point that some think it nonexistent (SGR Novel: The Valiant)
  • Generally derived more from ascension of consciousness than biological traits
  • Comparative rarity potentially linked to its lack of presence among Sargonians

Known psionic species or castes

• Unless listed otherwise, all those listed are exclusively telepathic
  • Aenar (extinct)
  • Arkenite
    • Generally rare (SKR Novel: Second Nature)
    • Minor telepathy and telekinesis (SKR Novel: Second Nature)
  • Betazoid
  • Deltan
  • Hed'em'disol (extinct)
  • Human
    • Generally very rare (TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before", "Is There in Truth No Beauty?")
    • Universal among Magnians due to proximity to the Galactic Barrier (SGR Novel: The Valiant)
    • Minor telepathy and telekinesis
  • Krett (extinct)
  • Lethean
  • Manraloth (ascended)
  • Medusan
  • Ocampa
    • Telepathy and telekinesis
      • Natural transfer of memory from parents to children due to short lifespan
      • Expression of telekinesis generally requires training
  • Pahkwa-thanh
    • Uncommon (TTN Novel: Taking Wing)
    • Limited to empathic sensitivity (TTN Novel: Taking Wing)
  • Tadigean
  • Tholian
    • Interspecies only
  • Vulcan
  • Xyrillian