Ask Lemmy

Exactly the opposite.

To read minds, you need to completely quiet your own. Essentially turn it off.

The problem is that once it's off, if there is nothing to keep it moving (other person's thoughts), it just kinda stalls.

If two (real) mind readers tried to simultaneously read eachothers mind and there wasn't anyone else nearby, they would become catatonic until someone who was actually thinking came by which would allow the mind-readers thoughts to move again.

If nobody came by, they'd both eventually die.

It's all covered in the RFC MR-232 standard.

Preamble to the MR-232 Standard (Mind-Reading Interface Protocol)

This specification defines the electrical, mechanical, and procedural characteristics required for establishing a reliable bi-directional interface between two or more Mind-Reading Entities (MREs). The MR-232 protocol ensures that mental transmissions, hereafter referred to as thought signals, are conveyed with integrity, confidentiality, and minimal cognitive interference.

The standard prescribes signaling levels, channel allocation, and arbitration methods to prevent recursive reflection scenarios (wherein two MREs attempt simultaneous reciprocal mind access). To mitigate infinite regress conditions, MR-232 mandates a Collision Arbitration and Safeguard System (CASS) whereby priority is negotiated using predefined mental “handshake” patterns. In case of unresolved contention, both MREs revert to a defined quiescent state (null cognition exchange) until a stable channel can be reestablished.

Safeguards include:

Loopback Prevention: Automatic suppression of recursive self-thought feedback when both MREs mirror inquiry at identical intervals.

Privacy Interlocks: A mandatory mental parity check ensures only intentional transmissions are accepted; stray or subconscious emissions are discarded.

Fail-Safe Timeout: If no valid acknowledgment is received (High-Ack) within a defined cognitive window, the session is terminated to preserve neural stability.

Nah man, the cascading feedback loop would make their brains leak out their ears.

You have to do the QTE and keep mashing the button combos, whoever does it faster wins and get to read the other's mind. Its its a tie, you get stuck in QTE hell forever.

If one could easily differentiate between one's own thoughts and external, then there would be no problem.

They would gradually merge into a single consciousness.

I think it would have to be clear what was going on because they can differentiate their own thoughts from others to confidently say that wasn't a homegrown idea. That would make it more like looking into an infinity mirror where it's all contained inside the mirror and you can just look away or see it for what it is.

This happens in Magic the Gathering. Jace and Alhammarret are apprentice and mentor at first, then Jace realized Alhammarret was using him, so they fought. If I recall, Jace made Alhammarret forget how to breathe, and that was that.

Wanna come with me?

• No, have just been there.

🤯

Yes.