Sixth sense

The concept of a sixth sense, or the ability to perceive the supernatural and other unseen phenomena, is a recurring theme in the Fatal Frame series. A significant number of characters in the series possess this trait to varying degrees, and it can manifest in many different ways. Some people are born with a greater sensitivity, or inherit it from a family member, as is the case with Miku and Mafuyu Hinasaki; others develop it later in life as a result of a traumatic experience, like Yuri Kozukata and Ose Kurosawa. A brush with death can make existing psychic powers stronger, as can the Camera Obscura, which causes a bond to form between the user and spirits inhabiting the hidden world. In the hands of someone with strong spiritual power, the Camera Obscura can also have the effect of exorcising ghosts.

In the series, psychic powers are often, though not always, associated with characters who are physically weak and/or "close to death". Miyuki Hinasaki and Shiragiku are both noted to have been frail, sickly children. In Minakami Village, the firstborn twin, thought to be the weaker of the two, was sacrificed to unite the twins' single divided soul and become a Crimson Butterfly. The Shadowborn, people conceived during a union between a living person and a ghost, are also said to have very strong psychic powers.

Women are more likely to be psychic in the series, and female Shrine Maidens with strong spiritual power are the most common type of sacrifices and ritual participants used to seal the Gates to Hell (Rope Shrine Maiden, Twin Shrine Maiden, possibly Shadow Priestess), channel spirits and divinities (the Vessels of Fatal Frame IV and Spirit Camera), and take on the secret burdens of worshippers and pilgrims (Tattooed Priestess, Maiden of Black Water). In both Fatal Frame and Fatal Frame V, women with a strong sixth sense are explicitly mentioned as desirable sacrifices, and in Fatal Frame the Demon Tag Ritual was designed to find the child with the strongest power to become the Rope Shrine Maiden.

Visually, the sixth sense is associated with long hair. In Fatal Frame V, the Maidens of Black Water are especially noted for their long, loose, wet black hair, and their name in Japanese is a reference to it. (See Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water#Note on the Title.)

It is also possible for a sixth sense to become dormant. Miyuki Hinasaki's faded as she grew up, and Miku Hinasaki stopped seeing things for a while after her brother died, but in both cases the ability returned later in life.

Sensing Ghosts

The main effect of the sixth sense in the Fatal Frame series is the ability to see ghosts. Some exceptionally powerful ghosts, especially those corrupted by a malevolent local influence like the Malice or Black Water, are visible to everyone, but characters with a sixth sense can see weaker spirits moving in the mundane world, invisible to others. In A Curse Affecting Only Girls, Michi Kazato can see spirits with one eye at a time, and wears an eyepatch to prevent it.

In addition, people with strong psychic powers are more visible to spirits, whereas characters with less sensitivity, like Kei Amakura, are sometimes able to pass them undetected. People with a sixth sense may be vulnerable to possession under the right circumstances, and can fall under the control of powerful spirits (as Mafuyu does with Kirie, Mayu with Sae, and Misaki with Sakuya).

Visions of the Past

Another common manifestation of a sixth sense is to see things that happened in the past. This may come in the form of dreams, but people with stronger powers also see visions while waking. They may be triggered by touching an object, as when Mafuyu picks up Junsei Takamine's notebook and sees a vision of the group entering Himuro Mansion, or simply by entering a location, e.g. when Mayu Amakura enters the Osaka House for the first time and sees a brief vision of the horrors that took place in Minakami Village. In Fatal Frame IV, Misaki Asou's camera is specifically said to be able to capture the past.

Visions of the Future

Less commonly, people with a sixth sense may see glimpses of what is to come. Most often this appears to come in the form of an unspecified sense of foreboding: for example, Miku's feeling that Mafuyu was "going far away" when he left for Himuro Mansion, and Tomoe Hirasaka's "bad feeling" about the mansion as she researched it. Mayu Amakura also had an unsettling dream about her father and crimson butterflies the night before she and Mio returned to the Minakami region. A scrapped opening to Fatal Frame originally had Miku dreaming of Himuro Mansion before she arrived there.

In Fatal Frame IV, an artist and Moonlight Syndrome patient named Yuko Magaki had a detailed vision of the Day of Tranquility, and spent his time painting the scene he saw, especially the faceless woman in red. In Fatal Frame: Shadow Priestess, Tousei Ryuuzaki unwittingly creates photographs of the future after taking a picture of Sara Washizuki.

Sensing Emotions

Another ability that comes with the sixth sense is the ability to read minds and sense other people's emotions. In supplementary material for Fatal Frame, the creators said of Miku: "When she is exposed to negative emotions, such as anger, hatred and grief, she feels them twice as strongly as other people. The reason why she doesn't get used to seeing ghosts however many times it happens is because ghosts are masses of hate and sadness, and this reaches her directly." This is explored particularly in Fatal Frame V, where Yuri Kozukata and Miu Hinasaki are both able to sense the emotions of people they touch. Miu's powers are much stronger than Yuri's, but both are isolated by their ability, and avoid people. In Deep Crimson Butterfly, Kureha can also sense people's thoughts and feelings by touching their hand, and gains a twisted enjoyment from their fear. In some cases, when the sixth sense is combined with a meek personality, the person may be easily swayed by the opinions of others, as in the case of Haruka Momose.

Specialised Abilities

Some kinds of psychic ability and practice are limited to certain locations or types of people.

• Twins are thought to share a special empathy. They can sense each other's thoughts and pain. Mio Amakura, the less sensitive twin, is able to share Mayu's vision by taking her hand, and throughout Fatal Frame II sees occasional glimpses of what Mayu is doing when they are separated.
• On Rogetsu Isle, the soul was believed to be a mass of sound. The Guardian maidens could hear these as musical tones, which they called Moonsounds.
• In the area around Mount Hikami, a kind of fortune-telling called Shadow Reading was practised. After touching a token, psychics can follow a shadowy trace and locate missing items and people.
• Glancing was the special ability of the Maidens of Black Water, who would take in the thoughts and feelings of people who died so they would not be alone. Some maidens used touch to do this, but the stronger ones could do it by simply looking into the dying person's eyes, hence the name.
• The shrine maidens at Karasawa Shrine learn various techniques to protect themselves against ghosts without using the Camera Obscura, mostly by creating barriers.

Characters with a Sixth Sense

FF1

Mafuyu Hinasaki, Miku Hinasaki, Miyuki Hinasaki, Kirie Himuro, Tomoe Hirasaka

FF2

Mayu Amakura, Mio Amakura, Miyako Sudo

FF3

Rei Kurosawa

FF4

Misaki Asou, Sakuya Haibara, Sakuya's Mother, Yuko Magaki, Ruka and Sayaka Minazuki (as Guardians)

FF5

Yuri Kozukata, Miu Hinasaki, Rui Kagamiya, Ose Kurosawa, Hisoka Kurosawa, Shizuku Mikomori, Haruka Momose

Shadow Priestess

Sara Washizuki, Beniko Shirasagi

A Curse Affecting Only Girls

Michi Kazato