Summary
Conceptual Manipulation is the ability to manipulate, create, and/or destroy abstract concepts. This ability has a variety of applications, ranging from not combat applicable to incredibly dominating. Conceptual Manipulation involves the manipulation of universal concepts, and not the universe directly. However, through this power, one can change the universe's fundamental principles on the highest level.
Each concept is linked with its respective "object". In this way, altering the concept will change every object in the same way the concept itself was changed, effectively altering reality on a universal, if not higher, scale.
Possible Uses
- Concept Creation: The ability to create concepts. By using this ability, destroyed concepts can be restored or new ones created, giving the user the ability to create fundamental principles that govern reality and the world around them. With this power, one can create a concept that is unfathomable to the current mind, changing the world to match this new conceptual universal.
- Concept Alteration: The ability to manipulate, alter, or change concepts. By using this ability, concepts themselves can be changed in a variety of ways. The concept can have have an object added to it, an object taken from it, or change the current principle of the concept. If a concept is changed, the world is altered in some way to fit this new conceptual definition, though the extent of this varies by the type of concept being manipulated.
- Concept Destruction: The ability to destroy or remove a concept. By using the ability concepts are removed from reality. This can be wide-spread or very targeted, either erasing the concept of an overarching fundamental principle, such as space, or an individual. When destroyed at this level, nothing can be restored without using similarly powerful conceptual creation. Conventional regeneration or resurrection, no matter how powerful, would prove impossible as the very abstract concept of the character would not exist.
Possible Examples
Platonic Forms: Such concepts, or forms, are completely transcendent of reality in every aspect. These forms are beyond all spatial and temporal dimensional constructs and all of reality merely "participates" in these concepts. For example, a circular object is circular because it is "participating" in the form of "circle-ness". In this way, the alteration of these concepts will change every object of the concept across all of reality. These concepts must exist prior to and after the existence of any object of the concept.
Aristotelian Universal: Such concepts are abstract and govern all reality. These concepts shape everything, and changing them would either require the alteration of every object of the concept or, if manipulated directly, change all objects of the concept alongside the concept itself. These concepts, however, exist simultaneously with and are bound by the object of the concept. In this way, an abstract Aristotelian Concept can be destroyed by destroying all objects of the concept, restored by re-making an object of a previously existent concept, or changed by changing all objects of the concept across reality. This, however, does not qualify for this form of Conceptual Manipulation, and is rather treated as a byproduct of another action akin to a "domino effect". This type of Conceptual Manipulation can only be obtained if the abstract concept itself is changed directly, and not by indirect methods. For example, destroying humanity and thus "ending the concept of humanity" would not qualify, while directly "ending the concept of humanity" and thus destroying humanity would qualify.
Lesser Realist Concepts: Such concepts are abstract, but do not govern reality. Instead, these concepts are governed by the perception of these concepts by sentient beings. Without the perception of other beings, these concepts would cease to exist. As such, these concepts are far more vulnerable and are generally lesser when compared to all other abstract concepts. However, these concepts are truly abstract, and manipulating the abstract concept itself is still Conceptual Manipulation. Similarly to Type 2, this type of Conceptual Manipulation can only be obtained if the abstract concept itself is changed directly, and not by indirect methods. For example, destroying all sentient life (or otherwise blocking all perception) and thus ending all concepts of this level would not qualify, while directly destroying all concepts of this level and thus blocking all perception would qualify.
Non-Qualifying Concepts
Concepts that are not abstract or universal, such as those outlined in Idealism and Nominalism, do not qualify for Conceptual Manipulation of any kind. For a character to qualify for Conceptual Manipulation the character must be able to manipulate abstract and universal concepts.
Indirect manipulation of concepts, such as the universal changing of the object does not qualify as Conceptual Manipulation. The use of social influence or any non-supernatural power to achieve an alteration of a concept does not qualify as Conceptual Manipulation, as this is not a direct manipulation of the concept.
Limitations
- All Conceptual Manipulators are bound by the object of the concepts they have been shown to manipulate. A character able to manipulate the concept of darkness is not able to manipulate the concept of matter or an individual unless otherwise shown.
- All Conceptual Manipulators are bound by the application of the object of the concepts they have been shown to manipulate. A character that can only manipulate the concept of light cannot use their Conceptual Manipulation to increase the potency of their Mind Manipulation, for example. Similarly, concepts that have not shown weaponization of some sort cannot be used offensively.
Notable Users
- Goddess Madoka (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
- Superman (DC Comics)
- Yaldabaoth (Persona 5)
- Abstracts (Marvel)
Notes
- It's not uncommon for a work of fiction to describe something that behaves similarly to a "concept" as described on this page without actually labeling it as such. As such, it's worth mentioning that such an example need not necessarily be named a "concept" in order to qualify a feat as Conceptual Manipulation. It's more important to describe how the feat corresponds to the Conceptual Manipulation page than it is to look for the word "concept" in a feat's description.