History Main / PstandardPsychicPstance

** Raz strikes one of these whenever he [[ItemGet gains a new psychic power]]. This gets parodied in ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts 2}}'', when he does this after getting his first all-new power "Mental Connection", and his fellow interns wonder why he's posing dramatically like that. One of the tips he can give his father (who spends the game training his powers) is to "press harder on his temple, to which he responds that he's starting to bruise there.

* The title character in ''Webcomic/DominicDeegan'' sometimes holds a hand to his forehead when using his second sight. This usually happens when he's a) purposely trying to have visions, rather than having them spontaneously, b) not using a CrystalBall as a focus, or c) exasperated. Maybe trying to have visions makes his head hurt. Possibly, considering how many {{Psychic Nosebleed}}s he's had after particularly rough uses of his second sight.
* In ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt'', Parley uses this position to try to [[http://www.gunnerkrigg.com/archive_page.php?comicID=390 communicate with a ghost.]] Which, of course, leads to the ghost asking one of the other characters why she's acting like this.
* Subverted (betcha didn't think that was even possible for this one, huh?) in [[http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=321#comic this]] ''Webcomic/SaturdayMorningBreakfastCereal'' strip.

** Tavros, Vriska, and Aradia all utilize this. Tavros uses it when [[TheBeastMaster communing with native Alternian fauna and Underlings]], Vriska uses it while exerting her MindControl, and Aradia uses it when [[SoulPower summoning the spirits of the dead]].
** Also PlayedForLaughs when Vriska [[https://www.homestuck.com/story/2635 tries REALLY hard]] to manipulate John.
* Used in ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'' in a simplified flashback scene recapping the chapter "bROKEN" for when [[spoiler:Oasis uses pyrokinesis]]. She didn't actually do it like that when it happened, particularly as [[spoiler: she can only do in unconsciously]]. As seen [[http://www.sluggy.com/comics/archives/daily/110821 here]], but mind the further spoilers in the surrounding comics unless you've read up to chapter 63 ("Safe House").
* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', [[AuthorAvatar Dan]] uses this [[http://www.egscomics.com/egsnp/?date=2005-07-05 here]] when he discovers he can communicate telepathically (i.e. use the chat function) while playing a {{Multi User Dungeon}}.

** However, Jean Grey ''does'' use this trope when using her telekinesis in ''WesternAnimation/XMen''. This is a case of DependingOnTheArtist as Jean has been drawn using her hands to direct her telekinesis.

** Raz strikes one of these whenever he [[ItemGet gains a new psychic power]]. This gets parodied in ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts 2}}'', when he does this after getting his first all-new power "Mental Connection", and his fellow interns wonder why he's posing dramatically like that. Raz's dad Augustus spends most of the game practicing his psychic abilities and states that he's starting to get bruises on the side of his head from doing this so much.

* In ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', Imra a.k.a. Saturn Girl does this whenever she uses telepathy.
* ''Series/{{Heroes}}''
** Sylar "flicks" things out of the way. In fact, his gestures are so slight compared to the common psychic hand motions that it borders on trope subversion (tipping over the vehicle carrying Ted is no biggie).
** Peter plays the trope straight, with wide arm movements and full open palm hand gestures whenever he uses his telekinesis.
** Of course, the people with the ability to read minds can do this almost passively. But if they need to focus at all (for example reading an unwilling person's mind, or trying to read another mind reader's mind), it seems they need a sudden twitch movement of their head (and intensive staring) to kick their power into action. And there is the [[PsychicNosebleed Psychic Nosebleed]] if they have to try too hard. Again, Peter always needs this head flick to use the power.
** In the episode "The Eclipse, Part 1", HilarityEnsues when [[spoiler:the titular eclipse [[BroughtDownToNormal nullifies everyone's powers]], but people still try to use their Pstandard Psychic Pstances. Leading to Sylar flicking his fingers uselessly, and Matt to try to mind-control Daphne's dad, only for him to say "Why're you turning your head sideways? What's wrong with you, son?"]]
** Whenever Hiro uses his teleporting or time freezing powers, he usually scrunches up his face and blinks his eyes. At one point, Hiro is actually ''forced'' to teleport when Ando presses his face into this stance. Also lampshaded when Ando tries to teach a memory-wiped-to-eight-years-old Hiro how to use his powers by showing his stance, only for Hiro to reply, "That's the stupidest thing I've ever seen".
** When [[spoiler:Ando injects himself with a Super Serum to get an ability in order to save a now powerless Hiro who's stuck in the past]], he tries to do what Hiro does. Not his stance.
* Used multiple times in the Franchise/StargateVerse, by various [[EvolutionaryLevels Advanced Humans]] (tm).
* In ''Series/{{Chuck}}'', the title character makes a distinctive face when the supercomputer in his brain "flashes." Played for laughs when he and his girlfriend make [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7TcYg9aQIY "flash faces"]] without the accompanying visual and sound effects.
-->'''Sarah:''' It kind of looks like you saw something really bright and tasted something really sour at the same time.
** This also serves as a plotpoint a few times. Once, Chuck figures out that a villain has his own Intersect by the same facial tics.
* Shawn Spencer of ''Series/{{Psych}}'' has eidetic memory, HyperAwareness and his deductive reasoning skills honed to ana amazing degree thanks to being trained by his policeman father. However, he does not become a cop (he used to want to) but he still desires to help people out in a similar fasion so he pretends to be a psychic and ''really'' hams up the gestures while using his powers of observation instead.
** This is actually a tic of his as he uses a more subtle version when he is recalling a specific memory, even when no one is around to. He just exaggerates it for presentation purposes.

* ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}'':
** The telekinesis-by-handwave version appears on this series. Prue only developed this later on, after first moving things by squinting at them real hard.
** Paige goes through the usual hand-motions, with the added need to [[CallingYourAttacks call out whatever object she wanted to move]]. Her telekinesis was a little different. It seems that she could teleport things without touching them with a combination of this trope and using the name of the object, but also alter the object's direction if it was moving.
* ''Series/ThatsSoRaven'''s star Raven has her own nonstandard psychic stance -- whenever she gets a vision, she shakes her head slightly and stares into the camera with a shocked look on her face. Lampshaded in the Crossover ''That's So Suite Life of Hanna Montanta'':
-->'''Zack:''' Hey Raven, you OK? You had this weird look on your face.\\
'''Raven:''' No, I didn't.\\
'''Cody:''' Yes, you did. You were doing this. ''(makes Raven's vision face)''\\
'''Raven:''' I've never made that face before in my life.
* On ''Series/TheTonightShow'' there was of course Carnac the Magnificent, embodied by Johnny Carson, with the dramatic envelope-to-forehead gesture.

* Mork from Ork uses his finger in a parody of ''Series/MyFavoriteMartian'' in ''Series/MorkAndMindy''.
* Doyle [[spoiler:and Cordelia]] on ''Series/{{Angel}}'' put a hand to their heads whenever they got a vision -- but that's because it gives them a ''giant fricking headache'' every time. However, when the latter becomes a demon to carry the power (as it will kill a human with enough time), [[spoiler:she]] doesn't do this, as it's completely painless.
* Sheldon does this on ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' in an attempt to blow up Leonard's head psychically, a la ''Film/{{Scanners}}''.
-->'''Leonard:''' My head's not going to blow up, Sheldon.\\
'''Sheldon:''' Then I'll settle for an aneurysm.

* ''{{Series/Legion|2017}}'': Charles Xavier doesn't need to perform this gesture when he activates his telepathy (as shown in the scenes at the mental hospital), but it helps him to concentrate when he has to probe another mind more deeply than just scanning their surface thoughts. Creator/HarryLloyd [[https://collider.com/harry-lloyd-legion-season-3-interview-charles-xavier/ confirms this.]]
-->'''Lloyd''': There's been a little bit of rubbing at the temples, which I feel he just does when he's turning it up to like 11. If I close my eyes, it's at level two, but if I touch my temples, it's an 11. That's when he's really focused.

** Also PlayedForLaughs when Vriska [[http://mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=004535 tries REALLY hard]] to manipulate John.

* ''{{Series/Legion|2017}}'': Charles Xavier doesn't need to perform this gesture when he activates his telepathy (as shown in the scenes at the mental hospital), but it helps him to concentrate when he has to probe another mind more deeply than just scanning their surface thoughts.

* ''Series/Legion2017'': Charles Xavier doesn't need to perform this gesture when he activates his telepathy (as shown in the scenes at the mental hospital), but it helps him to concentrate when he has to probe another mind more deeply than just scanning their surface thoughts.

* ''Series/Legion2017'': Charles Xavier doesn't need to perform this gesture when he activates his telepathy (as shown in the scenes at the mental hospital), but it helps him to concentrate when he needs to probe another mind more deeply than just scanning their surface thoughts.

* The flower girl from ''{{WesternAnimation/Epic}}'' tries and fails to move a twig with the hands-to-head version in an attempt to prove that she's capable of becoming queen of the forest (the twig was actually a stickbug-person). At the end, [[spoiler: when she does become queen, she does the same thing when she un-shrinks MK]].

* Raven from ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' will frequently assume the pose while using her powers outside combat. And occasionally, while in combat.

* ''Film/{{Zapped}}''. Barney Springboro is your typical 80's nerdy virgin teen who gains the ability to move objects [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peI4XH3wahk using only the power of his half-assed glare]]. Given that he's played by Scott Baio, it's hard to say if it's being subverted or played straight.

** When, much later, the Tenth Doctor does some telepathy, he puts his hands on the ''other'' person's temples. This can be considered a variation of the trope though, as it is a reference to the gesture employed by the Vulcans (and Romulans) in StarTrek to do their mind meld.

* Averted in the ''Film/ResidentEvil'' film series. When Alice uses a power, she never moves her hands.

* In ''ComicBook/{{Bone}}'' there's a variation: Thorn and Gran'ma Ben hold two fingers vertically in front of one eye when using their Veni-yan-cari powers.

** Saturn Girl from the ''ComicBook/{{Legion Of Super-Heroes}}'' takes one or both hands to her head when she uses her telepathy more often than not.

* In ''Manga/{{Akira}}'', Tetsuo plays this trope straight, gesturing when moving water glasses, dismembering people, crushing bridges, etc.

* Jun Lee from ''Anime/GenesisOfAquarion'' uses a slightly modified version of the stance when applying his "psychography" skill to see the unseen: rather than putting his fingers to his temples, he puts his fingers just above his eyebrows, forming a triangular bridge over his eyes.
** Actually, he's pointing his fingers to the center of his forehead, which is said to be where the 'third eye' is in yoga, or something like that.

** In early comics, Professor X was often depicted (as an icon on the cover, but seldom in an actual story) doing a ''double'' hand-to-temple gesture, like someone trying to salute with both hands at once. However, Jean Grey rarely used hand gestures with her telekinetic powers. This is because they're using two different powers: Professor Xavier is the most powerful telepath in the Marvel Universe, but he has no telekinesis whatsoever. Prof. Xavier, Jean Grey and almost every other telepathic character (see Emma Frost) depicted in the MarvelUniverse do the hand-to-head gesture when using the telepathy -- but ''not'' when using TK (see: Hellion).
** However, Comicbook/JeanGrey ''does'' use this trope when using her telekinesis in ''WesternAnimation/XMen''. This is a case of DependingOnTheArtist as Jean has been drawn using her hands to direct her telekinesis.

* In [[Comicbook/{{Supergirl 1972}} her first solo book]], Comicbook/{{Supergirl}} befriends a telepath and precognitive called Wanda. Wanda takes both hands on their temples when she uses her psychic powers.
* Saturn Girl from the ''ComicBook/{{Legion Of Super-Heroes}}'' takes one or both hands to her head when she uses her telepathy more often than not.

** Raz strikes one of these whenever he [[ItemGet gains a new psychic power]]. This gets parodied in ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts 2}}'', when he does this after getting his first all-new power "Mental Connection", and his fellow interns wonder why he's posing dramatically like that.

** Raz strikes one of these whenever he [[ItemGet gains a new psychic power]].

* In ''[[Comicbook/{{Supergirl 1972}} her first solo book]]'' Comicbook/{{Supergirl}} befriends a telepath and precognitive called Wanda. Wanda takes both hands on their temples when she uses her psychic powers.

[[folder: Fan Works]]

[[folder:WebOriginal]]

* [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] by Emerald in ''{{Fanfic/TheRWBYLoops}}'' during her first loop. She doesn't actually need to do this to use her hallucination Semblance, but it's convenient visual shorthand for when she's about to show Ilia what Salem looks like.

* ''Series/ThatsSoRaven'''s star Raven has her own nonstandard psychic stance -- whenever she gets a vision, she shakes her head slightly and stares into the camera with a shocked look on her face.
** Lampshaded in the Crossover ''That's So Suite Life of Hanna Montanta'':

** Mork from Ork also used his finger in a parody of ''Series/MyFavoriteMartian'' in ''Series/MorkAndMindy''.

* In ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', Guinan goes into one of these when Q offers to "relocate" her. We never do really find out what that was about.
** It may confirm a fan theory that Guinan has telepathy or empathy or something, quite possibly on a higher level that anyone could imagine.
* Averted in one episode of ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''. Kes slowly walks through a corridor, which she shreds with her powers.