Overshadowing, secondary

Differs from the primary form of overshadowing in that the various states of consciousness of the wizard in question are not "blanketed" or overwhelmed by the influence of the Lone Power or one of Its agents. In species where the sense of "I"-ness can be observed to migrate from subject to subject or from role to role in the mind, the overshadowing influence continually jumps "ahead of" or "behind" the mind's consciousness of its own operation and the effects influencing it at any given moment. In this way the overshadowing influence avoids being detected, and is always ready to slip in through the gateway of unconscious behavior and use an unguarded moment to seduce, entice or force the overshadowed wizard into doing something he, she or it would never have done otherwise.

Humans are members of one such species: the process of the sliding sense of self is often referred to in psychiatry as being a function of the mental energy-discharge called cathexis. This rapid shift of the sense of "I"-ness from one mental state to another is one of the commonest reasons why, among many human beings who've done something wrong, the question "Why did you do that?" is so often answered, "I don't know!" And it doesn't have to be the Lone Power causing these perplexing shifts in behavior, either; they can be caused by anything from lack of sleep to suppressed anger at some person, place or thing. Even nonwizardly people who are self-examining enough to be aware of this kind of problem are sometimes caught by surprise when some aspect of the unconscious mind goes "behind their back" and makes them do something they wouldn't normally have done. But wizards, knowing what power is just waiting for this kind of chance to ruin their efforts, have more than the usual need to keep an eye on the status of their own thoughts and emotions. (TWD et seq.)

(See also: Overshadowing, primary.)