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Order Only - legilimency and poaching
Saturday, 1 March 2014 12:05I received a package from my mother this morning. It was a surprise to me, because she never sends me anything, not really. It was a book on field legilimency and interrogation techniques, which is I suppose her way of saying that I ought to be practising. Maybe Lana Sandoval-Pennifold told her that I legilimised Vince and Greg for one of the challenges, or perhaps she just thought to send it on her own. I'm not sure. There wasn't a letter included.
Anyway, the book is interesting, and confirms much of what I always suspected about Mummy. From a very young age I noticed how, when she had conversations with others, Mummy would bring up certain subjects out of the blue. A table of people might be discussing fashion, or theatre, and Mummy would suddenly go quite off topic, mentioning the name of a dissenter that MLE was questioning, or something else related to the Protectorate and loyalty.
Well, it turns out that this is actually a subtle interrogation technique known as "poaching." The theory behind it is that you get someone comfortable and talking about everyday things, then you introduce "trigger words" when they least expect it. In most cases, the subject will not have time to occlude and will have an immediate thought related to the "trigger word," without being able to stop from doing so.
To give an example of how it might work, imagine that you're talking with someone about school-work and they unexpectedly mention that they just read the newly released, proper version of Pure Victory. They didn't even ask you a question, you see, so you're not necessarily on guard. And before you could verbalise your response, you might think the word "rubbish," or even visualise yourself reading the original Pure Victory and enjoying it very much. So without even asking you a question, the legilimens who is poaching you has a sense of how the topic of Pure Victory makes you feel.
I know it sounds scary, being "poached," but there are probably only two people who can do it. Voldemort and my mother. And maybe me, if I can practise it. I would like other people to practise on besides Justin, so if anyone trusts me and would like to volunteer, please let me know.
Fortunately, most of you will never have to make polite chit-chat with either Voldemort or my mother, but for those of you who do or will, working with me might be a good way to practise occluding, too.
Anyway, the book is interesting, and confirms much of what I always suspected about Mummy. From a very young age I noticed how, when she had conversations with others, Mummy would bring up certain subjects out of the blue. A table of people might be discussing fashion, or theatre, and Mummy would suddenly go quite off topic, mentioning the name of a dissenter that MLE was questioning, or something else related to the Protectorate and loyalty.
Well, it turns out that this is actually a subtle interrogation technique known as "poaching." The theory behind it is that you get someone comfortable and talking about everyday things, then you introduce "trigger words" when they least expect it. In most cases, the subject will not have time to occlude and will have an immediate thought related to the "trigger word," without being able to stop from doing so.
To give an example of how it might work, imagine that you're talking with someone about school-work and they unexpectedly mention that they just read the newly released, proper version of Pure Victory. They didn't even ask you a question, you see, so you're not necessarily on guard. And before you could verbalise your response, you might think the word "rubbish," or even visualise yourself reading the original Pure Victory and enjoying it very much. So without even asking you a question, the legilimens who is poaching you has a sense of how the topic of Pure Victory makes you feel.
I know it sounds scary, being "poached," but there are probably only two people who can do it. Voldemort and my mother. And maybe me, if I can practise it. I would like other people to practise on besides Justin, so if anyone trusts me and would like to volunteer, please let me know.
Fortunately, most of you will never have to make polite chit-chat with either Voldemort or my mother, but for those of you who do or will, working with me might be a good way to practise occluding, too.
