Psychic Abilities in the Stargate universe

[Sealurk]

I've never been a fan of psychic powers in science fiction (with the exception of Babylon 5, with it being a huge plot point after all), but having just watched The Gift (SGA season 1), I got to wondering. In the Stargate universe, is telepathy basically just a biological form of subspace radio?

(Granted, this may have been explained or implied already and I just haven't been paying attention!)

I'm mainly thinking about the Wraith with this because their psychic abilities have been the best described and shown, but it probably applies to any being / race in Stargate that exhibits telepathy or even telekinesis.

Now, admittedly, this isn't a new idea. In the aforementioned B5, a telepath's powers were hugely enhanced when in hyperspace, leading to an implied connection between the two, i.e. hyperspace is what enables telepathy, it's the medium the signals travel in. And it pops up everywhere in science fiction. But I just wondered if there's evidence for or against the idea of subspace-based neural links as the underlying 'science' of telepathy in Stargate.

Then again, I might just be overthinking this...

[Womble]

I've never been a fan of psychic powers in science fiction (with the exception of Babylon 5, with it being a huge plot point after all), but having just watched The Gift (SGA season 1), I got to wondering. In the Stargate universe, is telepathy basically just a biological form of subspace radio?

(Granted, this may have been explained or implied already and I just haven't been paying attention!)

I'm mainly thinking about the Wraith with this because their psychic abilities have been the best described and shown, but it probably applies to any being / race in Stargate that exhibits telepathy or even telekinesis.

Now, admittedly, this isn't a new idea. In the aforementioned B5, a telepath's powers were hugely enhanced when in hyperspace, leading to an implied connection between the two, i.e. hyperspace is what enables telepathy, it's the medium the signals travel in. And it pops up everywhere in science fiction. But I just wondered if there's evidence for or against the idea of subspace-based neural links as the underlying 'science' of telepathy in Stargate.

Then again, I might just be overthinking this...

I don't think they've ever bothered explaining- well, except for vague references to parts of human brain being "higher evolved" or overactive in one way or another. Judging by the anti-Prior device, the telepathic/telekknetic/etc. abilities have a "wave frequency" of some kind which can be jammed.

BUT prophetic abilities such as displayed in "The Seer" are not explainable by this.

[Prior_of_the_Ori]

I don't think there is much connection to between psychic abilities and subspace. Its different when compared to B5 where telepathy was feared but was explained in that it was engineered by the Vorlons and feared while Trek had humans who became advanced go mad with their power.

Judging by the anti-Prior device, the telepathic/telekknetic/etc. abilities have a "wave frequency" of some kind which can be jammed.

Actually I don't think its jammed as such but rather the anti-prior devices work by emitting a frequency that makes it difficult to concentrate on their abilities. Its why after extended contact with the device, the Priors were shown to be capable of overriding its effects as they got used to it.

I think the only thing that we have seen that jams such abilities was done by the Ancients namely by Morgan or Merlin in the mountain where supposedly the Sangraal was located. Adria's powers were weakened and non functional the deeper she went so either it was a much more advanced version of the anti-prior device or a real psychic jammer is kind of speculation.

[Mister Oragahn]

There's no connection to subspace to notice. All in all, psy powers are very limited.
They don't probe minds much, if such powers exist, as for the Wraith, they're very limited.

You won't see people controlling people from distance or crushing brains. A Wraith queen may control someone, but only when this person has Wraith DNA. Otherwise, it's, as I said, very limited.