Mindscapes

Your mindscape can be anything you want it to be - a library, a refuge, a playground - make it yours. But if you want my advice, do make it simple, and craft a space wherein you feel comfortable and safe. Start small. Build a solid foundation. Your mindscape will grow as you do, so don't worry about that when you first set out.

— Mater Doreen

The mindscape is a staple technique taught to young augurers in the Order of Augurers as soon as they are old enough to start formal classes. Its purpose, initially, is to allow the young augurer to get to know their own mind and organise their thoughts and emotions with the aim to prevent accidental auguring. However, their mindscape is something which will remain with them throughout their life, growing, evolving and adapting to suit their purposes. It is a tool they will use and build upon their entire career.

Creating a Mindscape

The creation of a mindscape takes place through a series of meditation exercises in which the practitioner gradually builds up the environment of their mindscape and established it as a permanent space within their mind. In essence, there are three steps to the process.
First, the practitioner enters a meditative state in which they are completely and utterly focused on their own inner space. Within this space, a blank canvas is created and then solidified through a period of intense focus. This exercise may be repeated several times until the blank space can be entered easily and without strain by the practitioner.
The second step is for the practitioner to give the blank space an identity, that is to say, to make it their own. A popular way of organising one's mindscape is, for example, by making it appear as a library where books and shelves can be added over time to organise and store ideas, facts and experiences in an easily accessible and logical manner. In this step, thus, the practitioner would build the bones of their library, the structure, a few initial shelves and perhaps a mechanism for cataloguing them. This is not all done at once, rather it is built up little by little over several sessions as this method has proven more reliable for retaining the structure and appearance of a newly established mindscape.
Finally, the practitioner will start adding content to their mindscape. It will be sparse at first, but many find themselves surprised by how quickly the shelves of their libraries fill up. In the beginning, when both the mindscape and the concept of it are new to the practitioner, adding new information to it and cataloguing that information can be laborious, but this process gets quicker with practice to the point where experienced augurers can add pieces of information to their mindscapes without entering. However, doing this for extended periods of time without entering is not recommended. Like uncollected mail, the information tends to pile up at the door rather than find its way to the correct shelf.

Storing and Accessing Information

In order to enter their mindscape, the augurer needs to enter a meditative state in which they are able to access the space within their own mind where the mindscape is located. As with all meditative techniques, this is best done in a safe location.
Once inside, the augurer may take any form they fancy. This is often a source of entertainment and wonder for younger augurers, although they tend to find that the most practical one is the one they are used to - human.
Accessing information is as easy as travelling to its location within the mindscape and retrieving it. Depositing information is a matter of finding the correct space for it and manifesting it as a suitable part of the mindscape. This will take some practice for novices to get used to, but the technique isn't so difficult that it takes years to master like some others.
There are many different types of information which can be stored within a mindscape, and many benefits to doing so.  Most commonly it's used for storing knowledge and facts and cataloguing them in a way that's quick and easy to access. It can also allow the practitioner to revisit memories, or even look at them from an outside angle.
The practitioner may also wish to use their mindscape to revisit dreams or dedicate a portion of it to interring memories and thoughts which they do not wish to access or be bothered by on a day-to-day basis. A word of warning in relation to this, however. It is unwise to stow away particularly painful or traumatic memories in this manner for too long, or at all in some cases. They have a tendency to escape and manifest in unpleasant ways.

Side/Secondary Effects

While within their mindscape, the augurer is unaware of the physical world. While external disturbances may bring them out of the meditative state of the mindscape, they are not aware of what is happening around them. It is therefore of utmost importance for the practitioner to ensure they are in a safe location before entering their mindscape, particularly so if they are planning a longer session.

Manifestation

There is no physical manifestation associated with mindscapes. The person performing the technique may as well just be meditating or even sleeping as far as onlookers would be able to tell.

Related Organizations

• The Order of Augurers

Related Discipline

Auguring

Related School

Meditation

Effect Duration

Variable

Range

Personal

Level

Novitiate

Applied Restriction

Since auguring is illegal in Vanelle, mindscapes technically are as well. However, as they are a personal, meditative technique, they are difficult, if not impossible to police.

by pixabay

by Pixabay

A mindscape can take the form of anything the practitioner wishes. Some augurers build an elaborate and organised library, others a castle while some prefer a more organic environment, such as a forest or garden.