Psionics

"Magic. Just call it magic. It's totally magic."

- A Dominion marine on psionic powers.

Psionics is the practical application of supernatural phenomena in the form of mental, matter, chance, or causality manipulation, on scales ranging from individual to collective. The scientific study of psionics is known as psiology.

The presence of psionic powers within a species is rare and is dictated by their structural makeup. Even the subtlest of changes to an organism's (or species') genetic code can destroy its psionic potential.

Psionic Sensitivity
Psionic Sensitivity is the degree of effect psionic powers and phenomena have on an individual and directly correlates with their capabilities in using it. As a rule of thumb, the more sensitive an individual is to psionic powers, the more capable and powerful their own psionic abilities are. The scale of sensitivity will range from species to species, and individual to individual, though the cause of this is not an exact science fully understood by many stellar empires across the Local Group.

Sensitivity scales typically range from Psionic Deafness - the immunity to direct Psionic phenomena at the expense of an inability to use it - to Psionic Hypersensitivity, which causes Psionic phenomena to take an increasing toll on the individual, although grants immense, albeit unstable if not properly trained, psionic abilities.

Many cultures exploit their most and least sensitive psionic individuals, such as the ankoran through the Covenant Ghost Program, which trains highly gifted individuals with a strong psionic potential to act as assassins and special operations experts.

Psitech
It is possible to integrate the power of psionics into the technology, both to amplify power, such as focusing the energy into a psionic blade or to allow the technology to perform paranormal effects, such as teleportation through a psionic matrix. Psitech can be used to psionic abilities to create shields, charge tools and weapons, and to materialize, manipulate or meld matter.

Abilities
Psionically-capable individuals may wield a variety of powers, although many Psionic abilities require great deals of training of Psionic strength to utilise effectively. Although telekinesis, telepathy, and psychometry (a form of extrasensory perception in which a psychic is said to be able to obtain information about an individual through paranormal means by making physical contact with the person) are common Psionic abilities.

Precognition, astral projection, and the ability to project an invulnerable image of themselves and teleport to its location after a short period of time, known as Transferance, are some examples of Psionic abilities. Other rarer abilities include, but is not limited to, Psionic vampyrism, psychic assaults, pyrokinesis, and the ability to cause a Psionic implosion.