| Mental Shield | |
|---|---|
| Ability information | |
| Category |
Shield |
| Type |
Mental |
| Usage information | |
| Ability to |
Block the effects of other mental abilities |
| Used by | |
- "Her mind is impenetrable; no one can read her thoughts unless she allows it. She can shield herself from all types of psychic attacks and learns to shield those around her."
- -Entry on Bella's gift
A Mental shield is Bella Swan's raw supernatural force-field that blocks any and all kinds of powers acting on the mind, not necessarily malevolent ones. Aside from Bella, her father Charlie shows a very similar power, though he limits the effects of psychic powers.
Description[]
As a human, Bella considered this power a 'glitch' in her head; Edward had teased her that he could only read FM minds, and that she was on AM. Her shield seems to be based on her "private mind", a place where no one can harm her. It also made her very desirable to Aro, who likes to collect vampires with special abilities for the Volturi guard.
Three months after she became a vampire, Eleazar identifies her as a shield. With the help of Eleazar, Kate, and Zafrina, Bella learns to gain some control over it, eventually learning to push her shield outward to protect others from psychic powers.
This proves useful in Breaking Dawn when she includes her family and friends under it, protecting them from the powers of Jane, Alec, or any of the Volturi guard with psychic powers. She also learns to remove it to allow mental powers to work on her, as seen at the end of the story when Edward reads her mind.
Her shield works by turning it into a dome that protects those in it and also works as one-way glass, allowing the powers of the shielded individuals to work undisturbed. In the case of shape-shifters, a cascading effect has been observed: shielding an Alpha ensures the protection of the entire pack. In battle, Bella needs to be protected from physical attacks in order to keep her shield around her allies.
Control[]
Initially, Bella had a hard time pushing her shield from her to protect others. She described it as an elastic recoil. This obstacle mainly comes from her subconscious desire to protect her mind above all else. Once she learns to let go of that desire, she is able to project it outward to protect others though it takes a lot of concentration to make it work properly.
At the end of Breaking Dawn, Bella removes her shield to allow Edward to read her mind. She describes this as being much more difficult than pushing it out, as it struggles to protect her and it takes all of her concentration to make it disappear altogether. Since the shield is constantly active, she needs to concentrate fully to be able to remove it even for a few seconds.
Limitations[]
Though Bella's shield is powerful, it has many limitations. Its greatest flaw is the inability to repel physical attacks; an intruder can walk through it directly to attack. If Bella is attacked while trying to shield someone, her shield will automatically recoil, leaving her charges. Also, if the intruder has a supernatural talent, then once he is under the shield, his power will work effectively against anyone behind it as well as those outside of its protection, even Bella because once her shield is pushed out from her it no longer protects her. defenseless.
Renesmee Cullen can penetrate her shield as she can place thoughts and images into her mother's mind.
Her shield is useless against a power that is not invasive to the mind. Alice Cullen manages to get around it, because her ability allows her to sense the outcomes of decisions already made, which would probably relate more to the flow of time than to the mind of individuals. Bella can't block Jasper Hale's ability to control emotions; Marcus's ability to read relationships works on her as well; Benjamin's control of natural elements because it's a purely physical power; James's tracking sense; Bree's ability to absorb energy and powers will work on her; Fred's ability to control others which is an advance form of Jasper's gift will work on her.
Similar abilities[]
- Afton's ability shields himself from attackers by making them think he is invisible. His power is more limited in that he can only shield himself and can be seen if you focus hard enough. Since his power only makes others think he is invisible, this power most likely works on a mental basis.
- Renata has the ability to repel physical attacks, much like how Bella's shield repels mental powers. Her gift is limited by making the attacker temporarily forget their intentions and motivations and go the other way.
- Fred has the ability to make those around him to want to keep a distance from him and even drive them away from him. This power serves a great purpose in protecting him.
- Bree ability to absorb the powers and energy of those she touch allows her protection from gifts as long as she touches them.
- Charlie Swan can also shield himself against mental powers but by weakening psychic powers.
- Danutza Roman has a similar-different ability and it is called Physical Shield. It protects from physical weapons/attacks.