I just wanted to take a second and write up a post about the reality of hearing spirits in the Physical and in the Astral. The way I usually describe hearing spirits is you have to listen with more than just your “ears” so to say.
Methods Spirits use to speak:
Words (aloud and using telepathy)
Feelings and Emotions (This includes changes in energies and atmosphere)
Pictures and Images (Sometimes Visions or Memories)
Body Language (More Common with Animalistic Spirits)
Using the five senses (Taste, Smells, and Physical touches etc.)
As humans we are used to just listening with our ears and with our eyes so when we start to associate with spirits we believe we cannot hear them when in reality we are just not listening with the correct senses. Some spirits will use feelings and emotions more than they use words while others will use pictures exclusively to get their point across. I have found that the more humanoid spirits prefer words or telepathy while more animalistic spirits prefer body language. When playing telepathy games with my hound companion Ry, to indicate lying, he made my eyes go up and to the left which is usually what happens when a person is lying.
A friend of mine believed they were unable to hear spirits and had grown frustrated with themselves because of this. With work we were able to determine that their issue was that they listen to words and pictures and their companion spoke with feeling/emotions and body language with some words thrown in. They were hearing about every fifth word because every fifth word was said in a way that they were actually listening. They are now working on sharpening their skills in their weaker aspects of listening and have had tremendous success so far. Another friend of mine told me a story of how her mother always knew when one of her aunts was around because she would have the taste of cloves in her mouth. It was later found out that she had been using cloves to combat tooth decay pain while she was alive.
Spirit communication is about more than just listening with your ears listen with every option open to you and don’t be afraid to experiment with better ways to hear. I know Ry will change up his method of speaking to see what I can hear best. He also does this to throw me off and make things more interesting. My adorable giant ball of love!
There are a few games you can play with your companions to help with hearing them better or to practice in areas you are weak. I will make a post detailing some of the methods I have found at a later date.
Shared mindspace, they dont really explain exactly how this works but supposedly its a sort of dream-like location within the mind that both parties can interact with
Relive memories, i believe this forces both parties to experience the memory. although this is also possible when one is unconscious
Read surface thoughts as well as hidden thoughts if one goes deep enough
Can probe for information? This is somewhat different but tangentally similar to the memory sharing
Can implant false memories or information, possibly even replacing them
Can also remove memories but its not clear whether that means supression or erasing
Dunno if its possible with non vulcans but since they can transfer their own katra that might mean they can steal them from others. I cant imagine such a process would be easybut perhaps plausible
They can also put a katra into a body. The priestesses can do this to return it to its original body. But theres nothing that says said body has to be their own. Although its likely that a katra thats in the wrong body might have a difficult time with it
If they have access to a mind they can also shut it off
Depending on several factors their telepathy may be strong enough to meld through hard surfaces
Has healing properties? This isnt well explained in canon but i think it means that healers with the skill to mess around with neurons (in a helpful way) can fix certain psychological problems. Im not sure this would apply to mental disorders though
Always establishes a loose link. The usage of this is limited but they can sense when the link is destroyed but not much else.
Headcanon/ Fanon
Entering ones mind gives them access to their subconscious processes: (Etc. pain)
For each mind meld, the link grows stronger and can possibly form into a bond
Marital Bonds:
Canon/ Semi- Canon
Sense each others presence at close distances
Sense surface thoughts, impressions, and/or intentions at varying distances
Including when the other is shielding or otherwise hiding
Aware of shifts in consciousness/awareness
Aware of shifts in mood/emotions
Non vulcans can share some physiological/psychological immunity (Ex. Deltan or Orion pheromones)
Easier to meld
Can enter a shared mindspace (during meditation or sleep), may be possible across long distances
Headcanon/ Fanon
Communicate telepathically, limited by the power and ability of either involved
Share sensations or memories when lucid
Can have shared dreams and interact in said dreams. This is similar to the shared mindscape except that all the qualities of dreaming (lack of lucidity, dream plot) may still be applicable
In the case of strong bonds, it may act as a monitor allowing them to be aware of general or possibly more specific health concerns
Can place them in a healing trance if they havent already themselves?
Can track each other by using their minds as a sort of compass
[Protagonist] didn’t hate their telepathy. It was rather helpful in navigating life and avoiding rough situations. They got through many tests and job interviews using it.
It was handy and improved their life in almost every situation.
They just hated hearing the thoughts of the things that watched them when [Protagonist] was alone.
