History Main / MasterOfYourDomain

The human body is an amazing machine, the brain even more so. It is also a frustrating one at times, often acting as if it has ... well, a mind of its own. Many bodily functions are handled with our direct, conscious control, such as pulse and respiration rate, digestion, and even how we register pain. There are those who have sought to challenge the authority of the autonomic: ascetics and warriors, yogis and sadhu, Tibeten monks and Zen masters. Western science took the ball and ran with it to extract the concept of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biofeedback "biofeedback",]] a method of consciously controlling normally automatic functions of the body. The real thing is extraordinary enough (see RealLife below) but, predictably, fictional works often exaggerate it to the point of CharlesAtlasSuperpower.

* The Bene Gesserit of ''{{Dune}}'' are probably the MostTriumphantExample, being able to manipulate every aspect of their bodily functions. For one, it's impossible to torture someone who can (a) shut down their pain response and/or (b) commit suicide at any time by stopping their own heart. Then there's their ability to alter their body chemistry to negate poisons or even create them.

** This is a classic illusion in the world of mentalism, but isn't actually an example of this trope since the performer only pretends to use their mental powers to slow and stop their pulse.

* David Berglas, Derren Brown and many other magicians perform and effect where an audience member, preferably medically qualified, monitors their pulse, tapping in time with it on a cymbal or similar for the benefit of the rest of the audience. Once a clear rhythm is established, the performer makes their pulse slow down, become erratic, and eventually stop altogether.[[/folder]]

* CoryDoctorow's story "[[http://www.salon.com/technology/feature/2002/08/28/0wnz0red/ 0wnz0r3d]]" features computer hackers that figured out how to hack their own bodies. Among other things, they created T-cells in their own bodies that could infect HIV-positve people and cure them.

* In ''TheSymphonyOfAges'' books by Elizabeth Hayden, Achmed the Snake can change his heartbeat to match the rhythm of anyone possessed by a demon or from the island of Serendair in order to track them across long distances.

** It also has a Warden whose power is essentially "mind-over-everyone's-body" -- including his own.[[/folder]]

* "Biofeedback" is a method of body functions' control through using biometric equipment for, well, feedback. I.e. compensate limited self-awareness with electronics, learn to handle whatever it measures on your own.

* Daredevil, thanks to his training with Stick, can speed up his healing via meditation. It's a safe assumption that Elektra can too. Probably Shang Chi too.

* In one episode of ''TheIncredibleHulk'' (1970s TV show), the main guest character was a cop who was also involved in martial arts, who could turn his pulse off during meditation. He and his sensei tried to help David to use meditation to supress the change.

* Dieter Tautz, a "yoga master" in the film ''{{Scanners}}'' is said to be capable of controlling his heart rate and several other usually uncontrollable body functions.[[/folder]]

* The ASHUniverse has Contact, a superhero whose power set includes a physics-violating version of this.[[/folder]]

* The Envoys from Richard K. Morgan's ''AlteredCarbon'' (and sequels) are all capable of manipulating their bodily function. In Broken Angels, Takeshi Kovacs [[spoiler: has a neural inhibitor remote attached to his skull programmed to kill or sedate him if he so much as got angry. Willing himself completely calm, he rips it out of his head without triggering its responses.]]
* CoryDoctorow's story "0wnz0r3d" features computer hackers that figured out how to hack their own bodies. Among other things, they created T-cells in their own bodies that could infect HIV-positve people and cure them.

For the more extreme cases, it's often {{Hand Wave}}d by NinetyPercentOfYourBrain and other HollywoodBiology.

* Medaka of ''MedakaBox'' is able to consciously control her reflexes and sundry other biological processes that I'm not bothering to reread the manga for.

* Almost every book by PoulAnderson features biofeedback. BoatOfAMillionYears has Hanno the immortal who learned to accelerate his own already enhanced healing (he *was* an immortal after all)

* Used in the ''StarWars'' ExpandedUniverse. From putting yourself into a trance that allows you to seem dead, to Vergere's 'Art of the Small' which she used to alter her own bodily chemistry until her tears could inflict or cure diseases if she wished, it's all over the place.

The human body is an amazing machine, the brain even more so. It is also a frustrating one at times, often acting as if it has ... well, a mind of its own. Our subconscious controls many functions, like pulse and respiration rate and even how we sense pain. There are those who have sought to challenge the authority of the autonomic: ascetics and warriors, yogis and sadhu, Tibeten monks and Zen masters. Western science took the ball and ran with it to extract the concept of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biofeedback "biofeedback",]] a method of consciously controlling normally automatic functions of the body. The real thing is extraordinary enough (see RealLife below) but, predictably, fictional works often exaggerate it to the point of CharlesAtlasSuperpower.

The human body is an amazing machine, the brain even more so. It is also a frustrating one at times, often acting as if it has ... well, a mind of its own. The subconscious drives make their own unignorable demands: from morning wood to pain itself. There are those who have sought to change this: ascetics and warriors, yogis and sadhu, Tibeten monks and Zen masters. They sought ways to challenge the autonomy of the autonomic. Western science took the ball and ran with it to extract the concept of biofeedback, a method of consciously controlling normally autonomic functions of the body. The real thing is extraordinary enough (see RealLife below) but, predictably, fictional works exaggerate this to the point of CharlesAtlasSuperpower.

--> -- '''FrankHerbert's''' ''Dune''

[[folder: Anime ]]
* Gundam Wing has Heero Yuy, who could control his brainwave activity.
* The BigBad from NinjaScroll mastered this to a deeply exaggerated level; he can control every single cell of his body and regenerate from any level of damage short of total annihilation.
* Medaka of Medaka Box is able to consciously control her reflexes and sundry other biological processes that I'm not bothering to reread the manga for.

[[folder: Literature ]]
* The Bene Gesserit of Dune are probably the MostTriumphantExample, being able to manipulate every aspect of their bodily functions. For one, it's impossible to torture someone who can (a) shut down their pain response and/or (b) commit suicide at any time by stopping their own heart. Then there's their ability to alter their body chemistry to negate poisons or even create them.
* The Dunyain from the PrinceOfNothing books by R. Scott Bakker are essentially unisex Bene Gesserit with a few Mentat skills for good measure.
* The Envoys from Richard K. Morgan's AlteredCarbon (and sequels) are all capable of manipulating their bodily function. In Broken Angels, Takeshi Kovacs [[spoiler: has a neural inhibitor remote attached to his skull programmed to kill or sedate him if he so much as got angry. Willing himself completely calm, he rips it out of his head without triggering its responses.]]

* The Monastics from TheActsOfCaine books have their Control Disciplines.
* Used in the StarWars ExpandedUniverse. From putting yourself into a trance that allows you to seem dead, to Vergere's 'Art of the Small' which she used to alter her own bodily chemistry until her tears could inflict or cure diseases if she wished, it's all over the place.
* In The Symphony of Ages books by Elizabeth Hayden, Achmed the Snake can change his heartbeat to match the rhythm of anyone possessed by a demon or from the island of Serendair in order to track them across long distances.

[[folder: Live Action TV]]
* The Bionic Woman (1970's) episode "Biofeedback", which had a guest character who could use biofeedback to control his own bodily functions.
* In the Star Trek episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before," the newly psychic Gary Mitchell can control his heart rate.
* In one episode of TheIncredibleHulk (1970s TV show), the main guest character was a cop who was also involved in martial arts, who could turn his pulse off during meditation. He and his sensei tried to help David to use meditation to supress the change.

[[folder: Comic Books]]
* Batman has done this tons of times, usually in the form of slowing his heart to fake death or conserve oxygen.
* Superman has done it too, slowing down his heartbeat to fake death and escape inprisonment as Clark Kent.
* Issue #10 of WarrenEllis' GlobalFrequency is pretty much a 20-page fight between two guys who can do this. It is predictably messy.
* In Stormwatch Team Achilles (#23 or so), Baron Chaos fools TheAuthority's appallingly high-tech scanners into thinking he's in a coma.

[[folder: Film]]
* Raizo from NinjaAssassin survives hideous injuries by using this technique. So does the BigBad. So do the mooks.
* The ability to consciously slow down one's own heartbeat to fake death is used to escape imprisonment by JamesBond in DieAnotherDay.
* OurManFlint: Derek Flint could use meditation to put himself into a state of suspended animation that was indistinguishable from death (no pulse or breathing).
* The most recent IncredibleHulk movie (2008) has Banner learning to suppress his transformations with ujjayi breathing and meditation.
* Dieter Tautz, a "yoga master" in the film Scanners is said to be capable of controlling his heart rate and several other usually uncontrollable body functions.[[/folder]]

[[folder: Western Animation]]
* In one episode of the Justice League, the Flash feigns death by making his heart beat so fast that it looks like he's flat-lining.

[[folder: Tabletop RPG]]
* Metabolism Control in GURPS allows the character to control all autonomic biological functions.
* DungeonsAndDragons had the Suspend Animation psionic ability that allowed the practitioner to feign death.
* Paranoia: the mutant abilities of Adrenalin Control (increase Strength and Endurance), Chameleon (skin pigments) and Suspended Animation.
* Traveller Classic. The psionic ability of Awareness allowed Suspended Animation, the Regeneration of injuries and enhanced Strength and Endurance.

[[folder: Web Original]]
The ASHUniverse has Contact, a superhero whose power set includes a physics-violating version of this.[[/folder]]

*

* The Bene Gesserit of Dune are probably the MostTriumphantExample, being able to manipulate every aspect of their bodily functions. For one, it's impossible to torture someone who can (a) shut down their pain response and/or (b) commit suicide at any time by stopping their own heart.

* Issue #10 of WarrenEllis' GlobalFrequency is pretty much a 20-page fight between two guys who can do this. It is predictably messy.[[/folder]]

* The most recent IncredibleHulk movie (2008) has Banner learning to suppress his transformations with ujjayi breathing and meditation.[[/folder]]

* Thích Quảng Đức, a Buddhist monk in Vietnam, set himself on fire as a means of protest against the policies of the Diem regime. He then sat down on the road and quietly burned to death without screaming in pain or otherwise reacting in any way to the fact that he had just set himself on fucking fire![[/folder]]

The human body is an amazing machine, the brain even more so. It is also a frustrating one at times, often acting as if it has ... well, a mind of its own. The subconscious drives make their own unignorable demands: from morning wood to pain itself. There are those who have sought to change this: ascetics and warriors, yogis and sadhu, Tibeten monks and Zen masters. They sought ways to challenge the autonomy of the autonomic. Western science took the ball and ran with it to extract the concept of biofeedback, a method of consciously controlling normally autonomic functions of the body. The real thing is amazing enough (see RealLife below) but, predictably, fictional works exaggerate this to the point of CharlesAtlasSuperpower.

The human body is an amazing machine, the brain even more so. It is also a frustrating one at times, often acting as if it has ... well, a mind of its own. The subconscious drives make their own unignorable demands: from morning wood to pain itself. There are those who have sought to change this: ascetics and warriors, yogis and sadhu, Tibeten monks and Zen masters. They sought ways to challenge this. Western science studied this and extracted the concept of biofeedback, a method of consciously controlling normally autonomic functions of the body. The real thing is amazing enough (see RealLife below) but, predictably, fictional works exaggerate this to the point of CharlesAtlasSuperpower.

* The latest IncredibleHulk movie has Banner learning to suppress his transformations with ujjayi breathing and meditation.

* Thích Quảng Đức, a Buddhist monk in Vietnam, set himself on fire as a means of protest against the policies of the Diem regime. He then sat down on the road and quietly burned to death without screaming in pain or otherwise reacting in any way to the fact that he had just set himself on fucking fire.[[/folder]]