System Shock

The human mind is amazing. It is constantly active. Even when you're asleep, it's working hard. When you're not thinking about anything, it's thinking. And even when you are contemplating as much as you can, it's doing that work, plus regulating your entire body to keep functioning.

We so often think of our heroes as having exceptional mental fortitude. And really, most heroes do have that. But all humans have a limit. And when that limit is exceeded, we suffer system shock.

When the mind is overloaded, so many things can happen. It can short out and fall unconscious. It can create any number of mental disorders. It can misfire and cause physical damage to the body. Severe system shocks can cause death.

It is not always easy to tell what can cause such a shock to a person; it's unique to the individual. Some common things like thinking you're about to die or being surrounded by something you are irrationally afraid of (like spiders or clowns) could trigger a system shock.

I find it an interesting subject to explore, seeing all the ways the brain can be broken, and all the things a broken brain can do. It also requires a deep understanding of a person to be able to portray it accurately, which should definitely be considered a point of pride.