- “People didn't like being, you know, the actors in your little sock puppet theater.”
- ―Buffy Summers[src]
Mind manipulation was the ability to influence someone's mind by creating, controlling, or negating its parts and functions. The possible applications included debilitating it,[1][2][3][4][5] exaggerating thoughts,[6][7] inducing an action,[8][9][10][11][5] giving obsessive emotions,[12][13][14][15][16] affecting memories,[17][18][19] changing the personality,[20][21][5] adding knowledge,[22] and forming a belief.[13][23][24]
Contrary to hypnosis, the victim was unaware that an external force was at work (except in debilitation cases[1][18][5] or the induced action allowed it)[8] even when pointed out.[20][13][23][14][17] Some spells of reality alteration also involved manipulating the memory and perception of a certain population.[25][26][27]
Cases[]
Witchcraft[]
- Catherine cast a Bloodstone vengeance spell meant to destroy Buffy. Initial symptoms included euphoria and diminished motor coordination. Over the course of the next few hours, it slowly eradicated the target's immune system.[1]
- On Halloween 1997, Ethan performed the ritual of Janus, which cursed the costumes he had sold to change the wearer into whatever they were dressed as.[20]
- In 1998, Amy used a spell on her teacher Ms. Beakman so she would believe that Amy was handing her a class assignment, when in truth her hands had been empty.[13]
- Around Valentine's Day 1998, Amy cast a love spell on Cordelia, with the beneficiary being Xander, using a locket as talisman. However, the locket deflected the spell from enchanting Cordelia and affected all of the other women in Sunnydale instead. This included Katherine Wexford, Willow, Buffy, Jenny, Harmony, Joyce, Drusilla and Amy herself, who all fell obsessionally in love with Xander.[13]
- Mister Trick, in the employment of Mayor Wilkins, called upon the warlock Ethan to distract Sunnydale's adult population during a tribute ceremony for Lurconis. Ethan cursed the Milkbars that were distributed to adults through Sunnydale High School students. The curse on the chocolate made adults act immature as if they were teenagers, leaving much of the city unprotected.[2]
- Allen Lloyd cast a spell that shattered the emotional control of every officer and detective in Kate Lockley's precinct. It first made them be open about their feelings, but it eventually made them all unable to act rationally.[6]
- When Willow cast a spell to have her will done, one of the accidental effects was Buffy and Spike to become engaged and thus completely enamored with each other.[14]
- During Jonathan's augmentation spell, a series of achievements accomplished by others in the past were remembered as crediting him instead.[25]
- Monks from the Order of Dagon performed a spell that altered reality to make Dawn fit into the world, making everyone in Buffy's life remember the girl as always having been present as her younger sister.[26]
- A spell prevented any human who witnessed or heard of the connection between Ben and Glory from remembering it.[17]
- Willow tried to cast a memory spell to make Buffy and Tara forget specific negative memories. However, other ingredients around the ritual caught on fire, affecting them and the entire Scooby Gang with total amnesia.[18] She had cast the same spell on Tara earlier regarding a fight they had.[28]
- Amy cast a spell on Brie that made her leave her girlfriend for a supposed date with Willow in the Bronze.[9]
- When Ryan and Simon forcibly tried to get Amy back on the dance floor and insulted Willow, the witches magically trapped the two into go-go cages and skimpy outfits, forcing them to continuously dance.[9]
- Willow managed to exert powerful levels of telepathic mind control. She ordered the medical staff to leave the operating room and made the policemen fall asleep with a simple order.[10] This mind control also extended to Anya, despite her statement that vengeance demons were immune to mind-controlling magics.[11]
- While attempting to perform a spell to restore Cordelia's memories, the Angel Investigations team forgot everything about their lives up to their teen years.[19]
- The Penance Malediction was a form of hex wherein a victim was punished by their own subconscious by turning it against themselves. Seeking vengeance, Amy performed this hex on Willow so she transformed into Warren after kissing Kennedy. Over time, the hex caused Willow to be like Warren not just physically, but also verbally, emotionally, and mentally.[21]
- Willow used mind manipulation on a cop to gather information on Caleb. Although initially successful in leading the cop to believe that Giles was with the Interpol, she gradually found it more difficult to continue to exert her control.[24]
- In 2003, the demon Cyvus Vail led a team of wizards[29] to give Connor a new, normal life with a human family, and removing every memory related to him from the memories of the Angel Investigations staff.[27]
Demonic[]
- Moloch the Corruptor had the ability to influence the minds of humans, making them serve him and believe they loved him. According to Giles, this power only seemed to work on impressionable minds and its effects varied between individuals as Fritz became totally devoted to him while Dave, who at first was loyal, betrayed Moloch when he couldn't bring himself to kill Buffy. Willow also broke free from his spell after it became clear that he was evil.[12]
- The demon known as Hans and Gretta Strauss influenced humans around it to persecute witches or females who appeared to have connection to the supernatural.[23]
- Thesulac demon use its telepathic abilities to read and whisper to the minds of its chosen victims, taunting them with their hidden fears and insecurities. The fear they inspired not only fed the Thesulac, but also drove the victim to insanity and to commit acts of violence such as suicide, lynching and murder.[15]
- Rahmon had the ability of causing madness and insanity in those around him. His power was unintentionally transferred to a shroud when a high priest bound him in a case.[3]
- The half-demon Billy had the power to bring out the primal misogyny of any man who touched him or came into contact with his body fluids.[7]
- Sweet had an ability to cause every being, including other demons, in a given area to burst into singing and dancing, as well as making them feel like they were in a musical, as demonstrated when he lured Dawn into dancing with him.[8]
- When Lorne's ability to sleep was removed, his powers were altered; instead of sensing destinies, he began to write them, granting him a sort of suggestion power. He inadvertently altered Spike's cynic personality into being constantly positive, made Wesley and Fred act drunk despite having had very little alcohol, made Gunn literally "stake out his territory" by urinating all over the office, and influenced Angel and Eve to have sex with each other.[5]
Biological[]
- The She-Mantis released pheromones to attract males, making them smitten by her very presence. On the other hand, it also repelled vampires.[30]
- The females of the Oden Tal demons lived bound to servitude to the males in their home world. In order to subdue their personality so they could be easily controlled, their ko were removed in a painful surgical process.[31]
- Dr. Sparrow performed a medical procedure on Gunn that granted him a legal upgrade, with absolute knowledge of all human and demon laws from every dimension,[22] fluency in some demonic languages,[32] strategy,[33] deductive reasoning,[34] knowledge of golf techniques,[35] and light operas for elocution.[36] According to Gunn, the upgrade didn't enhance his mental capacity, but merely "revved up some idling brain cells."[22]
- Wolfram & Hart offered the procedure of sleep removal described as during 20 minutes and resulting in no scarring. Lorne underwent the procedure and was able to spend a month without any sleep.[5]
Objects[]
- Madame Anita's contained an enchanted room that made every touch, emotion, and desire extended for maximum pleasure.[37]
- Million Dollar Spin to Win was a mystical game invented by magician Lee DeMarco, owner of the Tropicana casino. The unlucky victims of this scam became capable of doing nothing more than endlessly playing rigged slot machines.[4]
- The Brooks letterman jacket was a Sunnydale High School varsity jacket worn by the males of the Brooks family, being passed down to R.J. Brooks in 2002. It carried a love spell that made Dawn, Buffy, Willow, and Anya fall obsessionally in love with him.[16]
- Humans with prolonged exposure from the corrupting energy of the Seal of Danzalthar would eventually lose their own will, ad would slowly be transformed into servants of the First, in the same manner as the Harbingers of Death.[38]
References[]
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