History Main / FaintingSeer

[[quoteright:350:[[ComicBook/SpiderMan http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/2669499_madame_web_sees_everything.png]]]]

Sometimes the interruption means that the prophecy in question is incomplete -- in some cases when the seer dies or the props are destroyed, it's because an interested third party is trying to hide the outcome. What all this amounts to is a psychic version of TheWorfEffect, and is equally popular with [[{{Telepathy}} telepaths]] and [[TheEmpath empaths]]. You know shit's serious when the team psi keels over in the middle of a scan.

-->-- '''Rick Cook''', ''[[WizBiz Wizard's Bane]]''

!Examples:

* In TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}, it's less FaintingSeer and more like [[YourHeadASplode Seer with A Serious Case of Exploding Head]]. The main culprit is usually incoming Tyranids Hive Fleet or incoming Warp Storm.

Historically, this was invoked in many traditions by viewing narcolepsy or epilepsy (both commonly referred to as "the falling/sleeping sickness") as signs that one was gifted with prophesy.

* Pretty much everyone associated with the Comicbook/{{X-Men}} who has mental powers has an episode like this at least twice.

* Happens a few times in ''Series/MutantX'' with Emma, who although isn't a seer is said to have constant headaches because of it
** Or is she? We never really got to see the full extent of her powers because they [[DroppedABridgeOnHim Dropped a Bridge on Her]]
** It's pretty much how the season two episode "Reawakening" starts

See HeroicRROD when the hero breaks down due to physical or mental exhaustion.

* [[WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGalaxyRangers Niko]] can usually handle whatever she senses through her PsychicPowers. There have been a few occasions where it sucker-punches her, though. The best example was in "New Frontier" where she tries to find Eliza. As she's reaching out to find Eliza's presence, she runs straight into the [[BigBad Queen]]...who is ''much'' more powerful and forcefully ejects her. It causes Niko to briefly black out and fall over the console, freaking Zachary out.

[[folder:Film]]

* Downplayed in ''Film/{{Blackbird}}'', in which Randy has inexplicable premonitions of [[spoiler:Leslie's death]], and the first one leaves him momentarily dizzy and unresponsive.

* In an episode of ''JusticeLeagueUnlimited'', when Felix Faust usurps Hades's place in the underworld, magically-sensitive characters Dr. Fate and Zatanna find themselves in a bad way, laid out on their beds and screaming in pain.

* Whenever Cheetara uses her Sixth Sense in ''{{Thundercats}}'', it leaves her drained and weakened.

* Fiver in ''WesternAnimation/WatershipDown'', especially the animated film version; trapped in the warren, particularly, he swoons and froths at the mouth while panicking over what he thinks (correctly) is certain doom all around them.
** For a given value of "Them". [[spoiler:His ravings give Hazel a [[TheHerald cunning plan]] which results in doom for the attacking Efrafans only]].

* Fiver in ''WatershipDown'', especially the animated film version; trapped in the warren, particularly, he swoons and froths at the mouth while panicking over what he thinks (correctly) is certain doom all around them.

* ''TheSimpsons Movie'' opens with Grampa having a convulsive fit in church as he gives a dire warning: "Twisted tail! A thousand eyes! Trapped forever! Eepa! EEEEEPAAAA!"

* Literary example of the interrupted prophecy type: in the Weis and Hickman ''[[TheDarkswordTrilogy Darksword Chronicles]]'', the protagonist is the subject of an ancient prophecy that states that he will bring about [[TheEndOftheWorldAsWeKnowIt the doom of the world]]. It turns out the prophet died before he could speak the last line, and in the third book the prophet's ghost reveals the last clause -- [[spoiler:"... or its salvation."]]

* Hen Wen (a clairvoyant ''pig'') in ''[[PrydainChronicles The High King]]'', including a combination of terrified refusal to pass on her visions, and bizarre, nonsensical prophecies before the oracular sticks shatter and she goes into HeroicBSOD.

* Zhegorz Fiavrus, from TamoraPierce's ''[[Literature/CircleOfMagic Cold Fire]]'' and ''[[Literature/CircleOfMagic The Will of the Empress]]'', can't see the future, but can see distant images on the wind. This has slowly driven him mad, and he gets very agitated when he sees anything important: "Game pieces, game pieces! See the pretty game pieces, the ladies and the mages, two in one, a nice long game of capture the pieces!"

* Downplayed in ''Film/{{Blackbird}}'', in which Randy has inexplicable premonitions of [[spoiler:Leslie's death]], and the first one leaves him momentarily dizzy and unresponsive.

%% * Aphrodite from ''Literature/TheHouseOfNight''. She becomes a CassandraTruth when she falls from Neferet's good graces.

* In ''PuniPuniPoemi'' the local Fainting Seer has a vision while in the bath with her sisters, who then rush out to confront the evil and leave her there.

* ''VisionOfEscaflowne'' is a rare example of the FaintingSeer as ''the main character''. OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent Hitomi Kanzaki often uses tarot cards to read people's futures (and she once receives a nasty surprise when she gets phantom-attacked by the Death card). She also makes a chilling discovery later when she finds out that [[spoiler:her anxiety about the future is actually causing the worst-case scenarios she fears to come true]].

* In ''{{Toriko}}'', a fortune teller asked his crystal ball about [[ExtremeOmnivore Zebra]] - the ball, instead, chose to self-destruct.

* In ''JonathanStrangeAndMrNorrell'', a character repeatedly draws an Emperor card from the Tarot deck. Each time, the card looks more and more like the legendary figure the Raven King. It ends with his shrieking about the fortune this tells.

* In ''Literature/HarryPotter'', Sibyl Trelawney always faints after going into a trance and prophesying.
** When it's a real one, that is. Which is, as far as we know, a grand total of twice in her lifetime.

* Fiver from ''WatershipDown'' is prone to fits of panic after his visions, particularly towards the end.
* ArthurCClarke's ''ChildhoodsEnd'' features a group of party-goers trying out a ouija board. Clarke, being a [[MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness hard science fiction writer]], explains the ouija board's mysterious powers by way of subconscious personal knowledge from at least one of the planchette-holders. One of the members asks what planet the [[BenevolentAlienInvasion Alien Overloads]] come from. When the ouija gives out an answer (which turns out to have been 100% accurate), one of the women faints (who turns out to have been the person who subconsciously knew the answer).

* Lots in the TalesOfTheBranionRealm series, to the point where it's standard practice for an acolyte to physically hold the Seer steady while he prophesies. They tend to hit their heads otherwise.

* ''{{Smallville}}'' had a blind seer who looked into Lex Luthor's future, and she ''died''. The audience got to watch her vision, and it wasn't pretty.

* ''GarthMarenghisDarkplace'' has Liz seeing what becomes of Garth's old friend([[spoiler: He explodes]]) in a horiffying vision, crushing Sanchez's hand in the process.

* Built in the game mechanics of ''{{Earthdawn}}'', sort of : whenever a mage (or windling) uses his astral sight in a place where an horror dwells, he takes damage.

* Played with a bit in the first ''BreathOfFire'' game. The seer, Bleu, tries to determine the party's future by looking at a crystal ball. It shatters, but she simply shrugs and mutters that it's probably nothing to worry about.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}} II: Lord of Destruction'', the seer of Harrogath, the home base for the expansion back, has her hair turn white, goes shrieking mad, and dies when she sees what's coming.

* ''BaldursGate'', being set in the fairly magic-saturated ForgottenRealms, has plenty of [=NPCs=] who comment on sensing a great destiny is in store for the PC. However, anyone you meet who claims to be an ''actual'' Seer or Fortune-Teller will have a massive freakout on being asked to see your future. Then there's ''"[[Literature/GoodOmens The Nice and Ominous Prophecies of Alaundo the Wise]], [[strike: Witch]] Seer"'', which give the distinct impression their original rendition wasn't ''quite'' as calm as their current recitations in Candlekeep.

* Elayna from ''StarOceanTheLastHope'' faints after having an apocalyptic vision of the future. It's a wonder that our heroes actually come to her aid when she does, as she spent the previous 20 minutes trash talking and verbally abusing them. She makes up for it later, however.

* In ''GoldenSunDarkDawn'', two FortuneTeller sisters have set up shop in Harapa. The younger offers Matthew and friends a free reading from her crystal ball, and has a vision of them bringing disaster upon the world. This frightens her into a fit, and she refuses to ever tell fortunes for "those accursed warriors" again. Her sister completely averts this trope by remaining calm, upbeat, and giving some advice that's actually pretty helpful [[spoiler: even in the middle of the aforementioned disaster]].

* In ''IcewindDale 2'', you meet an already-fainted seer who attempted to scry on the goblin army attacking the Ten-Towns and got a nasty PokeInTheThirdEye from a goblin shaman. He is alive and recovering but only halfway conscious and lucid and speaks in riddles.

* Happens a few times in ''MutantX'' with Emma, who although isn't a seer is said to have constant headaches because of it

* This happened in the ''GlobalGuardiansPBEMUniverse'' when Second Sight, perhaps the most powerful precog in the setting, got flashes of the upcoming apocalypse when Dagon began his plot to unleash the [[EldritchAbomination Great Old Ones]] from their interdimensional prison. The shock of the visions knocked her unconscious for nearly an hour.

* The title character of ''DominicDeegan: Oracle for Hire'' has been known to have some very strange things happen when he has major visions. When he first saw the Storm of Souls, he spent a week in a coma. Later in the same story arc, an accident with a teleportation spell during a vision caused white light to come out of his eyes, and he was subsequently teleported to another plane.

* In "Literature/TheHeroesofOlympus" The Lost Hero, Rachel passes out after speaking in someone else's voice and issuing a prophetic message. Piper notes that the other campers appear to be used to this, as they calmly pull up a chair and wait for her to wake up.