The Psychology of Psychonauts - Milla's Dance Party

[@rhiannonbamford8741]

Fun fact: according to the devs, there used to be a glitch that caused the Nightmare Room audio to play everywhere in the level, which apparently _thoroughly_ freaked out a programmer who didn't know about the room.

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

Oh jeez. That would be freaky as hell.

[@dadipedia948]

And she said she could control her nightmares…

[@eoinprather7234]

Oh dear god-

[@definitelynotascammer]

Hah He deserved it Shouldve asked about secrets

[@Tengu125]

Man, that's amazing 😆

[@mochiman6307]

So I remember the developers saying that mias mind is an example of a healthy one, she's moved on from her past but it still pops up

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

Exactly. Both Sasha's and Milla's can be considered healthy. While we never get over things like that, she did not Spiral the drain but instead found a way to both cope and use her past in a beneficial way. From Lungfishopolis forward we see unhealthy minds.

[@QuestionDeca]

@@GamingUniversityUoG Honestly, the greatest danger to Milla's Mind isn't her nightmares at this point in her life, it's overcompensation. For now, Milla is healthy, but as shown in the Rhombus if she were to become unbalanced she's more likely to seek to protect, not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself, but say Milla and Sasha do get married in the future, and she gets pregnant? Her reaction to the stress would be to protect her child(ren), and I fear how far she'd go if postpartum depression kicked in on top of her possible smiling depression. I'd fear that she'd try to protect her child(ren) from herself, or her life (a psychonaut's life is inherently dangerous, as her adventures show). Perhaps she'd put them up for adoption(s), fighting with Sasha is a high possibility considering his own childhood, or even aborting any child without telling Sasha if the depression/fear of endangering her child(ren) becomes too great. At best, any child of hers will definitely grow up with a literal helicopter mom, though a happy seeming and moderated one.

[@ginsengaddict]

@@QuestionDeca I'm not too sure that's how it would play out, tbh; Sasha's own parental experiences make his very aware of what having distant parents can do to children. They, oddly enough, have all necessary experience between them to make great parents.

[@QuestionDeca]

@@ginsengaddict My supposition is a worse (but not worst) case scenario, basically the most likely thing to go wrong. Under normal circumstances I agree she’s be a good parent, but Postpartum Depression is not normal.

[@frohawkmaster]

@@ginsengaddict Hell in psychonauts 2, they basically treat Raz as a surrogate kid. Complete with, like all parents, not being that helpful in a game with a kid protagonist.

[@darkAwesome100]

Personally i think at first the cheerfulness was a mask, but over the years it kinda seeped into her psyche and she genuinely became that person. She isn't acting anymore. Her loss still haunts her in vulnerable moments, but she knows that there is more to life. It makes her bubbly personality more complex, like adding salt to chocolate to make it taste sweeter.

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

Based upon her dialogue after we rescue her, I would have to agree. She does say it will take her a while to get her dance work party going again after the incident. She kind of made it her default happy state but it can be interrupted like we see in the first game.

[@Nicooriia]

If you turn on Subtitles in the game and enter the nightmare room, the icon showing the nightmares talking won't show the faces of the nightmares, but instead depict the burning children.

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

I didn't know that. That's creepy.

[@Nicooriia]

@@GamingUniversityUoG i noticed it on my second playthrough when I actually had subtitles on in case I missed something, and HOO boy, that made that part even more painful.

[@junior40222]

My brother went to that room one day and he told me about it. So i decided to check it out and...i shat on my pants dude ngl

[@screamingcactus1753]

I think an interesting thing to point out is that there aren't any mental cobwebs in or near the nursery or the nightmare prison. This is a place she visits at least fairly regularly. She hasn't abandoned these memories even though she tries to hide them.

[@d3str0i3r]

i'd go so far as to say she doesn't really try to hide them that much, she's not actively presenting that side to anyone, but she hasn't done much to keep others from finding out, and i suspect if anyone asked her about it privately she'd explain honestly what happens and in a healthy situation i imagine that is something you revisit regularly, you don't let it control you, but you reflect on it to see what you can do to prevent similar things from happening

[@Hitomora]

I think she's open about her trauma, all anyone would have to do is ask her about it. Sure she'd be sad about it but she'll explain what happened and how it affects her in her daily life, though she does get uneasy and panic when Raz finds the room I believe it was because she wouldn't want any of her students to figure out about her past since she wants to protect all children from harm... Even if its her own self doubt. Plus its much easier for her to explain her grief/trauma to an adult than to a child especially if its someone like Sasha, whom she seems romantically involved with.

[@racer927]

Yes, I love that detail as well. Remember Sasha's warning about completely suppressing things like censor energy? You can see that here she only keeps the actual harmful parts of her nightmares at bay, everything else is visible because she doesn't pretend it never happened. Meanwhile, Oleander's Shame is locked behind a cobweb because he *wants* to forget about being kicked out of every branch, or how Gloria's inner sunshine is held behind several cobwebs because she feels so responsible for her mother's suicide and chewing herself out for it.

[@carelesswhisker4155]

Something I really appreciate about Milla and Sasha's minds as the only two "healthy" minds we explore is how diametrically opposed they are, much like their waking personalities. Sasha is a pragmatist, his personal journey involves ordering and making sense of both the external and internal world, he creates a perfect cube that acts as a sort of filing cabinet, he can easily retrieve whatever he likes. Milla is an idealist, she is much more focused on the emotional or spiritual aspects of psychology. Where Sasha taught Raz how to control his emotions, Milla shows him how to go with the flow as she does. The whole party is long and winding, and it requires this mindset to traverse. You have to move with the pinball plunger to get the required height for a jump, you have to roll back and forth in a bowl to gain the speed to get height elsewhere. Both of them have trauma, and hints that they didn't always deal with it in the healthy way they do now. But for both of them that trauma is compartmentalized, Milla's nightmares don't define her mental landscape the way boyd's paranoia for instance shapes his. Sasha's level hints this but it becomes much more clear in Milla's that healing does not mean "removing the hurt", you will never be Untraumatized. It means finding a way to cope with what happened, to put those thoughts down when you need to

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

In a sense the wound will scar over. You'll always have the scar even after it heals. Very well said. I love that not only have they found s way to cope, but they balance one another. Everything that Sasha is missing in his life he finds in her and everything Milla is missing she finds in him. She helps him break out and experience positive emotions while he is a rock to to keep her grounded. Perfect duo.

[@migueeeelet]

You could even say that they teach Raz two very important aspects of being a psychonaut: Letting yourself go with the flow of the mind of whoever you are in, in order to understand them, and having a strong mind and analitical eye to achieve your goals in there

[@IceFireofVoid]

My grandpa was a firefighter. He struggled to sleep every night and never slept well. Every time he tried, he was haunted by the screams of victims of burning buildings he wasn't able to save. It was with him until the day he died. I never knew until members of the family talked about it after his death. He was always cheerful around me. This one hits hard.

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

I could not even imagine what that would be like. Your grandfather must have been a strong man to have endured that. Hiding it in order to allow your family to have a safe and happy household. My grandfather flew bombers in WW2 and he wasn't able to hide it. Needless to say my father had a rough childhood as a result. Respect to your grandpa.

[@katietaylor8314]

@@GamingUniversityUoG I heard an account from one guy whose grandfather was a veteran but never spoke about the horrors he had seen. When asked, he would only say "I will not be responsible for another person's nightmares."

[@masterchiefdp]

I know this is like 10 months late, but, I'm sorry for your loss. Hope you're doing ok.

[@discordlexia2429]

@@katietaylor8314 War is when old men force young men to do terrible things to helpless, good people, then throw them away with trauma they won't be past when they're old themselves. It's terrible for everyone except the rich and powerful, who it's great for, and who are the only people who can decide when to start a war. Nobody should become a soldier, for any reason, and we need to stop pretending it's a good thing to do.

[@discordlexia2429]

Firefighters are the bravest, noblest people on the planet. They're heroes that face down the forces of Mother Nature herself to save others. Your grandpa didn't suffer for no reason, because of him there were a lot of dying screams that nobody ever had to hear.

[@bramslamm]

I think the reason Milla's nightmares are so hidden is specifically because her dance party is a psychic construct she created as a classroom for her students. Like Oleander, her mindscape is one she specially prepared, knowing that people were going to enter her mind. The reason she tries to keep Raz out is probably because, as an adult, she knows it would be irresponsible to let her young students be exposed to her trauma. Like Sasha, I think her life between her traumatic past and the present day has allowed her to grow and heal from her past wounds. It's possible that, if another psychonaut who wasn't a child was to enter her mind, the nursery aspect would be more readily accessible, like Milla being more willing to share her trauma with a therapist than with her children. I think this shows that Milla, while having a troubled past, is one of the most mentally healthy characters in the game.

[@icantthinkofagoodname.3983]

I feel like Milla's level like Oleander's is fake, but she's not trying to hide anything malicious. Both of them share a similarity in that they're both obstacle courses with theming based on their personalities. And given her background she would knows what are good ways to teach kids so she made this area for them to practice levitation. And while she does have her nightmares connecting to it she isn't trying to cover them up, but only slightly dissuading people from going to them, like how you wouldn't want somebody finding out about something about yourself.

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

Agreed. Oleander was completely false. Milla's drew real things she enjoyed and wrapped herself in it. It served the dual purpose of giving the campers a laid back and friendly environment to practice while help keep her mind dancing instead of dwelling.

[@frohawkmaster]

Even Sasha's is staged. All the psychonauts in the first game are capable enough that they have some direct control over their minds. Only in 2 do you see psychonauts who need help. Their are only a handful of minds that are actually "Staged".

[@seamusburke639]

@@GamingUniversityUoG Sasha works very similarly; on the surface, his mind is a perfect, orderly cube, one where potential agents can safely train in a controlled environment. Then the tests become chaotic and sprawling, showing how you need to be ready for anything when you're a Psychonaut. He acts like even the chaos was planned, but Raz sees right through it.

[@Rzulf4]

A fun detail about the way Milla's obstracle course is designed: In most other minds or even during normal platforming sections of the game you can fall from ledges and spots you're supposed to levitate into, and your ball can easily get out of control and throw you off the ledge. This is significantly more difficult in Milla's party, where railings are almost ever-present and you need to miss your mark by a lot or outright try to get your levitation ball out of the railing on these 'flower' platforms. Furthermore Milla sets up a series of checkpoints through her course to lessen the sting of frustration at not getting a sequence of jumps right, you don't have to start over after you reach certain theresholds. Unlike Oleander, whose obstracle course sets everyone up for failure, Milla's training sets everyone to succeed at their own pace. This shows she's a good teacher, encouraging success rather than punishing failure and makes for a relatively relaxing entry into one of the most ubiquitous powers in Psychonauts. This also shows that she cares for her students dearly. Also, she doesn't punish you at all if you reach her painful memory vault - her measured reaction is also a mark of emotional maturity and the fact she doesn't strictly repress her nightmares, but rather controls them rather than lets them control her. Most other people would probably react much more negatively to you finding their worst memory. The cage has a door in it, but it's closed and impervious to all damage - this also might symbolize that it would take more than one meddling kid to turn Milla's mind on it's head. Compare it to Sasha's or Hollis's minds - they're generally also seen as sane but it's much easier to make their minds blow up into mess that needs to be taken care of, and while Hollis might've been stressed by the Psychonauts' dire financial straits and in a more vurneable state of mind, Sasha was literally in his element - so it shows his peace of mind is more fragile than Milla's.

[@lucasmartinez5703]

Yep I always felt Milla was a super tough person mentally compared to everyone else but could never quite put into words why unlike you.

[@dustymcwari4468]

And Raz caught Hollis during a time she was organizing her own ideas and taking suggestions, making her also think Raz's meddling was her very own mind taking those decisions out of desperation or something

[@deformedrabbit]

Milla reminds me of Nancy from Doctor Who. Nancy lost her son to a kind of extraterrestrial virus, and she starts spending her life protecting and caring for orphans/homeless children during the London Blitz. And the Doctor, seeing this behavior, immediately asks who she has lost, without knowing anything else about her.

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

I've never seen Doctor Who but that's interesting. It is common for those who have suffered something like this to dedicate themselves to service. In a sense caring for the other kids helps to fill the whole where their own children used to be. But also make sure to try and pass on safety and happiness to others.

[@deformedrabbit]

@@GamingUniversityUoG I couldn't find the exact scene I was talking about, but I found the one right after it. It has Nancy, the children, and Nancy's son. Also, it's just a good scene. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWqUlX-Ynq2FZ5Y

[@seamusburke639]

@@GamingUniversityUoG There's a great episode from Matt Smith's run called NIGHT TERRORS that I think you might find interesting. The Doctor stumbles on an apartment complex where people are being sent to a haunted dollhouse location. It turns out that a small boy who lives there is really an alien who wanted to settle with a normal family, and he's afraid his parents are going to send him away thanks to all of his psychological issues. The dollhouse was a physical manifestation of trying to bury his fears without confronting them. It's only after his dad re-assures him that he loves him that everything goes back to normal.

[@poppunpresents]

One really interesting detail is that if you look at the cage in the nightmare room, there's a door on it, you can't open it, but it suggests that there's something on the other side Milla wants to access. My interpretation is that what we see is an area set up for students to learn levitation in, but working with children again does nudge memories of the orphanage to the surface and instead of trying to repress this, she sections it off, which reflects that instead of being paralyzed by flashbacks to the trauma of the fire, she's channeled those feelings into ensuring that these new children are kept safe, and the door leads to her true mental world beyond the trauma. If you revisit her mind she says that she'll be elsewhere, having a party with some old memories, which could be that she's dealt with her grief in a way that she's able to remember the happier times at the orphanage, and that's where she is when you revisit. Granted those old memories could be from some of her missions after, or even her own childhood before, but the orphanage memories would be the most relevant to her job at that moment and the most likely to be brought to the surface.

[@RachelCop]

If you notice, you're the one in the cage and not the nightmares themselves.

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

Interesting way to look at it

[@Phoenix-nk8tg]

Kinda like a shark cage, safety in "captivity"

[@thepotatoofheaven]

Maybe it's suppose to he her caged by her own anguish?

[@lucasmartinez5703]

She'd be the type of parent to wrap her kid in tons of bubble wrap. But since she's overcome her issues and has a healthy mind, I don't see her being an overprotective helicopter parent. But I think if she hadn't moved on from her pain, that's who she would be.

[@blazlock7285]

How we have some memories we do not want others to see. Repression is evident and reflects that she looks to be free and open, a figment of her former child raising side, to teach others of joy and freedom.

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

That's an interesting point too. Much like Crystal and Clem always trying to cheer on others when they internally feel the opposite. Almost like these characters don't want others to feel the way they do.

[@samf.s.7731]

I think she uses suppression, though she's not as suppressed as Sasha for instance; she is more like a real.person, she suppresses as much as she can (Mature defense mechanism) and she manages to take control.of.her life rather than let her bad experiences confine her. They are still.very dark though. I think the way she kept her nightmares under control by locking them in one room and keeping that vault "out of site" was a brilliant move by the devs to depict her healthy coping. She processed the trauma, managed to.move on, and tries not to allow herself to ruminate. Nein suppresses everything and it backfired big time because you can only hold down so much before it becomes impossible to suppress anymore. And he feels the need to suppress nearly every experience and hide everything which is clearly not healthy .Milla is considerably healthier despite potentially having ulterior motives to her coping mechanisms (living someone else's life through a persona she created and projected to the world), maybe she wants to live someone else's life (that 1st vault makes her look almost like a Bond girl who's as efficient as Bond, she looks great, she does great things, she's uhhhmm satisfied) but the thing is, it ends up being exactly the life she leads, she is the person from the sketches in the 1st vault, so she' achieved self fulfillment and actualization, bravo!

[@DarkArtistKaiser]

I must admit, I understood some of the psychology of the minds, but these videos really help to give better psychological insight. In a way it kinda helps with a bit of self reflection as well. Thank you for making these. ^^

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

Same here. I look at this series and anything in literature in general as an excuse to do some self examination. We see these characters struggle and we wonder are we doing the same thing? How do I learn from this? Once we get into the patients of Thorny Towers things will get even more relevant.

[@FarBeyondStrange]

Where where.

[@brnchiggins]

I think the diagnosis of Smiling Depression is more accurate then even the video creator realizes. Take another good listen to the soundtrack in Milla's Dance Party. Sounds like fun with the bouncy music, and there's even a voice laughing along with the song, right? Wrong. Listen closer and you'll realize that background sound accompanying the music in Milla's mind isn't laughter, *it's the sound of someone crying*. Milla's using the party in her head to drown out the sadness she still feels deep down.

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

I really need to pay more attention to the music. But yeah I know people in my life who have forms of smiling depression. Always putting on an upbeat demeanor to mask what they are feeling.

[@jakobm87]

@Split Yes, but emotional baggage cries out in the voice of whoever carries said baggage. The contrast between Milla's backstory and the happy mood of the level makes the crying more noticeable and unsettling than in other levels.

[@lefishe5845]

C:*

[@benthomason3307]

I'm not haring it. Listen for yourself: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3nTg5aPjd6sp9E

[@lucasmartinez5703]

Yeah everyone has something to cry about. That's why even Milla has emotional baggage.

[@whatthewonder]

I’ve been wanting psychonauts analysis videos so much thank you for this excellent content. A little behind the scenes: in the leaked psychonauts backstory doc, it was revealed that the fire was a catalyst for her psychic powers. It’s a horrible and traumatic first experience, but she eventually turns it into something positive after she got help from the Psychonauts. I love Milla a lot and I hope we learn even more about her in the sequel :*)

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

I actually just found those documents before the latest video in this playlist. I plan to incorporate them into the rest of the breakdowns. It is really sad thinking she may have caused it herself. And yes that is the point. There is always two reactions to traumatic events like this. Let it consume you or use that emotional energy and channel it into something productive.

[@thescoobydude8681]

Their are actually unused voice lines for Milla that are eluding to what happened. “The orphanage! It’s on fire!”, “What’s that smoke over hill?” And many others.

[@ginsengaddict]

I kinda have this idea for a possible third instalment, where existing powers need to be used in new ways; one such way is for pyrokinesis to be used to *put out* existing fires. Relevant in the event that Raz may need to go back into Milla's mind and help her deal with her trauma in a more direct way.

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

At that point I feel like Milla would be engaging in confabulation. Basically, creating new memories where the fire didn't occur. It is a philosophical question. Would Milla be the same person she is now without that Trauma? By taking away someone's pain that they have already worked through, it sometimes makes them a weaker person. Strife can be a good developer of character in some circumstances. By the way I love your Username. Ginseng tea is one of my favorites.

[@BonusDuckie]

Very interesting discussion. I think the devs delved deeper into this in Psyconauts 2. *SPOILERS AHEAD FOR PSYCONAUTS 2 - BRAIN 2* When Raz tries to "fix" Hollis' mind, she instead loses it. Psyconauts is a metaphor for psycology. Psycologists don't go and change a person to what they believe is their right state; they help the patient heal, but that's something the patient has to do. As Hollis say, psyconauts help people defeat their own demons, not reprogram their mind. So deleting a trauma inside someone's head will only make them incomplete.

[@d3str0i3r]

@@BonusDuckie other parallels to real medical professionals is how after that experience, raz asks for the consent of everyone who reasonably can offer consent, for example he doesn't ask helmut as he's unable to communicate, and while ford asked he just leave everything alone, he's not in a state where that consent, or lack thereof, can be considered reasonable

[@dolphinboi-playmonsterranc9668]

On my second playthrough I noticed a strange outcrop in the wall and wondered what it was. Man, that was heavy. At least she's happy with Sasha.

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

I feel they are perfect for each other. Both are broken in some form and the positive influence of the other fills in the cracks so they can be whole.

[@kiroubada]

great video, one thing I wish you mentioned was how Raz's fear of water is so strong that water harms him even tho Milla explained how when levitating you should be immune to water

[@alunarosaadmoramelullaby6314]

That explains so much. I thought I was just being strong by smiling and being okay, but wow I didn't think it was a bad thing.

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

I feel it is always good to have at least one trusted person with whom you can show your real face.

[@alunarosaadmoramelullaby6314]

@@GamingUniversityUoG I just try to take it one day at a time and one step at a time, cause slowly but surely you will get better. I've been working on myself for about 3 years now to sort out my life and it helps, but yes it does help even better to know that there's others out there too.

[@FerreTrip]

@@alunarosaadmoramelullaby6314 On a planet with nearly 8 billion served on its big McDonald's sign out front, you're _never_ alone. Depression sucks no matter which way it rears its ugly head--it screwed me up a good deal and still hits me from time to time. I've never heard of smiling depression before, but it makes perfect sense to me. I'm glad you know that it will get better, because that's an enormous step in recovery. Take your time, go at your own pace, and soon, that smile will show on the inside, as well. I know it's hard. Keep tryin' :)

[@alunarosaadmoramelullaby6314]

@@FerreTrip thank you and just think from the age of 6 to 18 I wanted to end it because I felt like I had no purpose and I was just making my family's lives worse by being alive. Now though I know better and yes I'll admit that I still have a long way to go but it's worth it to have a real happy life in the end. I know that people do crazy things that they regret later because of depressions and scars from the past but they have to remember that it's not the ones causing the pain that controls their lives it's their decision if they want to follow down that path or work themselves to be better. Lots of people are strong by shouldering their own pain but they're even stronger when they can admit that they are in pain and are willing to be better than the people who cause it. I have many scars from my past from the age 3 until my teens and I'll still get scars to this day but I don't let those scars degrade me from trying to be a better person. I'm not strong or weak I'm just human and it's my choice to be someone who is willing to help others to be better but it is their decision in the end if they take my advice when I give it. I will not tell others how to live their lives but I will tell them that they are not alone.

[@FerreTrip]

@@alunarosaadmoramelullaby6314 And "Bingo" was his name-o! That's exactly what my job as a peer specialist is. I don't tell trauma survivors and mental illness patients how to live or what to do, I tell them they're not alone and that there is hope, because I've found hope, myself. Good on you for doing so, yourself! And of course, you're _quite_ welcome :)

[@deaddeku6998]

I always liked to view Mias mind as a healthy way variation of dealing with trauma. She wants Raz to leave because he’s a child. He’s 10, this kind of thing isn’t something he should be confronted with at such a young age. Mia doesn’t have a cobweb over the nursery. She has those horrible thoughts controlled, and understands it wasn’t her fault, but she still never forget the orphans who died, which is why she works at Whispering Rock when given the chance. She has a deep motherly desire to protect the children, and she is genuinely a upbeat person, because she’s accepted the fire was not something she could have prevented. Im sure she still grieves for them, because she they were her everything at that time, but she has already accepted the loss, and grown as a woman who provides motherly support to others around her.

[@leightonpetty4817]

The lack of a cobweb is one of my favorite details in the entire game. She hasn’t abandoned or covered up the memory to get a moment of peace, she still grieves them every day, but she has found new purpose in helping care for those the world over.

[@caitlinfairchild2889]

According to the devs, Milla's mind is an example of how a healthy mind is supposed to be. The better example of smiling depression comes from Clem and Crystal, which maybe you'll cover later when covering the campers. Only just discovered this series recently.

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

Clem and Crystal definitely are the best example I agree. For milla it just seemed like a good time to discuss the idea.

[@LemonadeStand618]

Interesting side note: there are mental cobwebs everywhere around the party area, but the nursery and the nightmare room don't have any mental cobwebs within them. I find this interesting as it implies that Milla's cheerful attitude is more of a facade, she never moved on, she's always thinking about that fateful night, every, waking, moment.

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

Great point regarding the cobwebs. Something like that isn't something you really get over. Just learn to live your life and don't let it paralyze you.

[@trolldecai6874]

Funny little fact, if you use Clairvoyance on the nightmares in Milla's Dance Party, they just see you as a normal partygoer.

[@Esshersimpbdlcrew]

Also. To add onto the nighmare thing. There are unused lines that get worse and worse with her being like "SOMEONE PLEASE SAVE THE CHILDREN!" And twards the last lines its almost sounds like shes crying and suffering

[@CSM100MK2]

So happy to finally see you return to Psychonauts analysis! I always felt it seemed abandoned immediately after your playthrough, you didn't even want to upload the rest of the clips in a timely matter and we barely got any more analysis videos. please, see this idea through and do more!

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

I'm already writing the script for the next one and hope to have it out shortly. Glad to be back into the series.

[@juniorkusma7937]

I just realized how bizarrd it is someone being able to enter your mind and discovering your biggest secrets

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

That's why I love the little detail in the sequel where Raz asks permission before entering. Because yeah a lot of us wouldn't want to lay our minds bare to another.

[@sanguiniusonvacation1803]

Poor lady. I delt with a fire in our small town a while ago and spent some time near someone with sever burns head to toe , and the smell and the way my lips got sticky from the air around her still haunts me .

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

I'm sorry you had to deal with that. I couldn't even imagine.

[@SuperTunnelBoy]

This was great! The other videos in this series were too and I really look forward to seeing you cover the rest of the game

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

Thank you! I'm happy to say you won't have to wait long for the next one.

[@FerreTrip]

As a newly-accredited certified peer specialist, these videos are very interesting to me. My job deals with helping trauma survivors and/or mental health patients recover from trauma and/or illness, using my own recovery from those two things to prove that it's possible and encourage them to keep going. Learning more about different kinds of conditions is very helpful, I think, in getting me to understand the way some people work, or at least finally put words to it.

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

I'm really glad you've enjoyed these! I'd recommend doing more research on these since I've been told a lot of these don't go fully into it. But keep up the great work! There are a lot of people who need help. You're doing a good thing.

[@NegativeDumpster]

I've noticed something about the nightmares; specifically, their heads - They appear to be wearing gas masks. Like the sort of masks you might see a _firefighter_ wear. And if you look closer, there seem to be spines growing from their snouts. Since the nightmares were specifically created with Milla in mind, my theory is that the developers originally intended for Milla to have a grudge against firefighters, over their "failure" to save the orphans. The fact that have pronounced pairs of *demonic horns* instead of firefighters' helmets would've implied that Milla has literally *demonized* them over the years. This is further supported if you turn on subtitles in the nightmare room; the pictures accompanying the dialogue attributes the whispers to the dead children, _not_ the nightmares, which would imply that Milla has convinced herself that the firefighters are just there to mock her and her lost orphans. Edit: Fixed several typos in "nightmares".

[@doomguy676]

I got the game not that long ago and found this on accident. The reel didnt really get me but when i got into the box it was intense. Rarely does a game catch me so off guard.

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

Heading into the fire prison is freaky. All the whispers and imagery. Always weird to see the friendliest character having those demons locked away

[@Springtime562]

10:16 yea... my room and the bath room are my safe havens my room because its comforting and the smell Repels others when I need space. And the bath room because of the lock so I feel safe because of it.

[@ChaoticShinny]

i always wondered if the milkman actually was the one who burned down the orphanage

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

I've seen that as a theory. We only saw Boyd committed arson once and he was immediately arrested and institutionalized. As far as I know Milla lived in different country entirely so other than fire being present I don't see a link here.

[@andre_601]

I think Psychonauts 2 strengthens the idea of Her and Nine (Nein?) being a couple of sorts. Because when you talk with her does she tell her that she and Sasha are often communicate with each other telepathically, including right now when Raz talks with her ("Sasha says hi"). And as much of a cheerful character she may be, I doubt she would do telepathic communication with anyone. (Also, after completing the story are they both in the bowling area further suggestion a at the very least close friendship)

[@taylorwright7428]

Completely different game, but 'smiling depression' explains Sayori from DDLC perfectly. I always knew it was a thing, but I never knew there was a name for it. I wonder if there's also other identifiable conditions for other characters. I'd wager Monika's feeling of constant isolation and subsequent obsession probably can be related to something.

[@datwitchyswordfan]

I swear, everyone of these videos get to me. It’s like I’m being taken apart piece by piece, like a surgeon taking out my kidneys and showing them to me before putting them back.

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

The writers on this series probably wrote from some personal experience. Everything is crafted in such a real way that we can see ourselves in the characters.

[@karlhyetravelerofworlds]

Those things in the cages are the same things that attack you in Boyd's mind It's their Nightmares And it's interesting to see how they were handled differently Milla had hers under control and caged away but still there and she acknowledges that Boyd on the other hand has no control over his nightmares they roam free and attack at random Milla dealt with her nightmares in a healthy manner keeping them caged away while still acknowledging that they are there and are a part of her she's moved on but not forgotten Boyd isn't even trying as said before his nightmares roam freely and attack at random, he's had nightmares so much that he just stopped caring to him they are little more than an inconvenience. At least that's what I think I would also very much like to hear what you think

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

From a final game product interpretation I'd agree that Boyd does not have his nightmares under control. From the game design perspective, Double Fine has told us what it is about. Originally, the nightmares in Milla's head were going to escape and begin infecting the other minds. Raz would go a defeat them and put them back in the cage as a collectible. This was eventually cut from the game but the ones in Boyd's mind stayed.

[@lucasmartinez5703]

Yeah the devs felt that Milla would never allow that to happen. Which makes sense with her because of how protective she is of children and how healthy her mind is. Boyd is a different story. That's why the nightmares can attack Raz in Boyd's mind while in Milla's mind they can't.

[@phineasfacingforward3460]

I really enjoyed this video! Thank you for your take!

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

You got it! I'm glad you enjoyed.

[@DavidGonzalez-tv2lf]

When you use the mind's vision power on Milla, she sees Raz as a literal baby. I laughed the shit out of myself when I first realised that.

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

Clairvoyance is the coolest ability in my opinion just because of stuff like this

[@psudodrake]

Smiling Depression: Apparently more common that one thinks. The biggest warning are people who laugh too much. Such people are broken inside, and somewhere in the back of their minds a final thread is about to snap, so be careful not to cut it... As one who works in customer service (IT) you'd be surprised at how many people - mostly women - that I talk to who have this trait.

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

I see it Express itself as dark humor as well. Those who are in a job where they see bad stuff all the time need to make light of it or they couldn't cope. Making jokes about things most people find repugnant but it is necessary. Think it used to be called hangman's humor as well.

[@TooRudeProductions]

Me and my buddy are doing a play through of this, it's coming out next year and we're going through mind my mind for each episode so I am so happy these videos exist to refresh myself because this is the one we're doing tomorrow

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

Perfect timing! Feel free to share your playthrough of the game once you release it. I'll pass it around the community

[@WarriorV8]

Perfect editing actual great example of coping with trauma without ignoring it

[@OdaSwifteye]

This one and the Milkman left and Impression on me and while it took years to realize that Milkman was more than just lolrandom the room with Milla's secret was very direct and fascinating.

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

Milla's room was probably the most striking moment in the game for me. Just came out of nowhere.

[@aldenrustici6445]

Nice! Great job on this video! It was very analytical and educational! :D!

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@danaugust993]

My first impression of Milla was that she's a bit too cheerful and not grounded at all. But she's just much more subtle when expressing negative emotion as the stakes in the story increase, and I picked up on that much better in the sequel. It's not her own emotion she has to control: She chooses to be the calming presence in every room she's in, and that might actually be the reason (almost) her entire mind is a welcoming dance party. It makes her a natural caretaker and mentor figure, and a very interesting contrast to Sasha. Come to think of it, perhaps her gift for levitation is some sort of reference to this being a more enlightened state of mind.

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

Oh her levitation is absolutely a reference to enlightening butbalso her desired state of being above the din of what lies in the surface. Multiple layers of meaning. I agree. Her whole demeanor is one who has suffered horrors, struggled to level herself out emotionally, then acts as a calming presence to others. Helping them achieve a peace of mind.

[@mrowo1224]

Today i learned that i have more in common if Milla than i thought

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

One of my best friends has this personality trait too.

[@JustCyanaid]

Wow! I just found your channel yesterday through the couple other videos you did on psychonauts, so this is really good timing.

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

I'm glad I randomly got back to Psychonauts just in time to give you more then! Welcome to the channel

[@StarWritterSW]

One of the best Brazilian representations ever

[@maxie1168]

That scene in the bus was EVIL EVIL, they wanted her to relive a trauma so bad, it would felt awful for her

[@VinceMouse]

Spoiler Safety | | \/ If you return to Milla's mind after a certain point, the Nightmares are no longer there, despite the idea of them escaping having been taken out. Probably just an oversight, but a good indicator that it was very real at one point.

[@Tbone680]

I’m not the only one who wants Sasha and Milla to get married and the end of Psychonauts 3(if there ever will be a Psychonauts 3), am I?

[@orelyosif5852]

Man, I love her music so much

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

It is such a bop and fun

[@StagFiesta]

I feel like the first Vault, the Adventures one is placed there intentionally. Like you say its not hidden and its basically expected to be found. Makes me feel like she made it for the campers, a way of encouraging them to continue to become psychonauts. I also do wonder if theres a deeper meaning of her leaving the playroom acessible in what is clearly an inner self she made for the kids. Oleander made his world pretty tight and hid his plans away, along with his true mental vault being behind mental cobwebs. But for Milla, its hard to get to but not exactly locked up or blocked.

[@christophercomtois7175]

Omg am I actually the first person to comment. Awesome. Great video. Wish I had more to say about this one. I really need to play this one.

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

Haha I need to figure out a first commenter award! I would really recommend checking it out at some point. Psychonauts 2 should be coming out this year on current gen consoles. Perfect time to get caught up.

[@Zinkolo]

Did you know that they cut a line of dialogue of her pleading and crying to the children?

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

Probably a little too graphic to include that. It would have been heartbreaking

[@Zinkolo]

@@GamingUniversityUoG indeed but it is very good

[@kerricaine]

My first time playing the game, i misunderstood the nightmares appearing later on. I thought they were a random encounter that only happened if you did see millias trauma; IE seeing her memory in turn traumatized raz, who'd now also be haunted by them at random intervals.

[@jinzokrim9979]

I like your new way of speaking relax and natural ;)

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

Haha is it better then my earlier videos? I really tried to put on that voice lol.

[@jinzokrim9979]

@@GamingUniversityUoG Yes , now it's way more better , the natural tone is always better ^^

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

Good to know lol. Honestly the only thing I changed is waking up at like 5am record since my throat is more relaxed after waking up.

[@metrosity5863]

This is more in depth and better than I thought it was going to be

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@Phoenix-nk8tg]

I remember if you come back to the level later she asks raz to help find her

[@raxelleon8189]

Milla reminds me of Yandere characters we see in anime who seem nice at first but actually tend to have twisted/damaged personalities.

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

I don't see h re ad Yandere since she isn't hyper possessive like that character trope portrays. But she definitely has her own inner demons.

[@Kaysler]

I was hoping you would be doing this video

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

I'm glad I could deliver!

[@EmpyreanRagnarok]

I mean, all things considered, I don't know by Psychonauts terms what the "correct" way to deal with that trauma would be. From the sounds of things, she has accepted the traumatic event that happened and placed it neatly away from her every day life without repressing it. It comes at a single point of access with a gentle deterrent to keep minds, presumably herself included, away from it. Her nightmares are where they can be seen and addressed, but where they can't hurt anyone. I think that's about as correct a way to deal with this trauma as one can.

[@megadog9305]

Something to note about the personal demons that you need to use to kill the nightmares: they look like children, and cry like babies.

[@puffpuffpassmako]

My headcanon is Milla WANTS her students to see the "forbidden room". The room it's kept in is easily accessible, has a memory bank that is required for completion, and the toy chest is wide open. Milla telling Raz not to go in there is a test to see if he'll disobey her and see what she's trying to hide. When raz goes in, she doesn't yell or scold him. She just tells him not to lollygag in there and leave quickly. When raz does leave its never mentioned again. Milla wants to show her students what trauma can do and what healthy coping is like. That trauma can't be forgotten, but it can be (literally in this case) locked away and you can move on

[@wjzav1971]

I don't quite understand. If Milla's response is a healthy one, like using the trauma she sustained to strengthen her in her path forward. And if she is not in denial about it, given how there are no mental cobwebs and she demonstrably has her nightmares under control, then why is it called a Smiling Depression? That does sound like she has demons that do need fixing, that do plague her and that the joyfulness of her dance party is all fake and a facade. Sooo, is her approach of being aware of her trauma but drowning it out in joy a healthy one or not? Does she still need help?

[@freeman1014]

i just started this game and when i was on this level and i found the room with the vault and secret area i was traumatized 💀💀💀

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

Oh yeah Milla's hidden room is horrifying on so many levels.

[@bloodybladenum1920]

I hate that I own rhombus of ruin but no vr

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

I hear you there. I had to borrow my roommates and spent hours trying to get it to work.

[@jaykay8426]

I wonder if there will be a third game where he fixes the psychonauts’ traumas in general, like maybe raz would take out the nightmares milla has, or maybe make Sasha a bit more outgoing instead of being in a box for 20 years

[@drink.juice.]

As agent forsythe stated, psychonauts arent here to fix people or change their minds but to help them fight their own demons. milla and sashas demons are under control so not much more prying is necessary. sasha being in a box is how sasha exists. breaking that changes him.

[@jaykay8426]

@@drink.juice. I mean like, what if milla’s nightmares turn out of control

[@TheBonkleFox]

@@jaykay8426 she would never let that happen. There was originally going to be a sidequest where you had to round her nightmares up after they leaked out, but it was scrapped because the developers felt that someone like milla would never let that happen.

[@jaykay8426]

@@TheBonkleFox well it could be she had some kind of poisoning which caused her nightmares to go on a rampage

[@aymuhspunj]

Nah. That's messing around in the mind too much. Let people handle their own personal demons if they can. Growth increases in adversity.

[@devinanderson8020]

Excellent content

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@Fragmentsinfractals488]

Interesting. I was just thinking about you yesterday.

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

Perfect timing!

[@2ederson]

That sounds like a romanctic confession lol

[@Fragmentsinfractals488]

@@2ederson How exciting! However, I just think we are connected on a God level.

[@blacklight683]

5:31 haha yes horrors beyond my comprehension

[@jaysonklein6018]

I never knew about Smiling Depression until now.

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

One of my best friends growing up had this too. Awareness is a huge step.

[@thegoon3840]

Well this is how I find out I have smiling depression

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

I have some close friends who had mild forms of it. Hope it helps you understand it a bit better.

[@Lior1055]

Who is your favorite characters in the Psychonauts series?

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

Hard to say. The character I relate most to based upon her mental world is Cassie. I love Sasha since he kind of reminds me of my dad.

[@wrongoloid4749]

God I think I beat that level without going to the nightmare room 😤

[@BenHopkins1000]

It’s a nonstop party with a dark side. Are we inside Baz Luhrmann’s head?

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

No clue who that is lol.

[@BenHopkins1000]

@@GamingUniversityUoG C’mon, Moulin Rouge? Australia? Great Gatsby? You’ve probably heard of him

[@MikeBeanFox]

will you be doing the psychology of Psychonauts 2?

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

Absolutely. Once the first series is wrapped up we'll be heading in to that one.

[@MikeBeanFox]

@@GamingUniversityUoG Ok, (Spoilers incoming!!) Let me guess: the Meat Circus is next?

[@uncannybirds2386]

I personally don't think this was an intentional detail in the game, but throughout the second game Milla's screaming is very unenthusiastic and unnatural, like to the point of hilarity. I know she screams once in Loboto's first construct in the second game, but if I remember correctly she does again later in the game. It definitely sounds like she's faking the screaming, which struck me with the idea she might have smiling depression. She is putting effort in putting up a mask of coming off as fine / normal, but the apathy and exhaustion really shows through when she's in a situation that would cause other people fear, while she is too weighed down, or apathetic, or numb to provide a natural reaction, or even feeling.

[@uncannybirds2386]

I feel like she puts a lot of care in providing a healthy teacher relationship / friendship with Raz where he doesn't need to feel worried or traumatized by her nightmares and depression. In my opinion that's why she panicked when Raz discovered the secret nightmare room. She actually does some silent learning and self correction after the first game when, in the second, she stops infantilizing Raz by treating him a little more fair and stop seeing him as a baby, but again she doesn't put the turmoil she's going through on display. I hope since she's constantly talking to Sasha they get to consolidate each other with their feelings, that'd be really sweet.

[@LSDariuss]

Great job!

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

Thank you so much!

[@HouseLyrander]

Does anyone know the music in the outro? I get the feeling that the song is from a Final Fantasy or Wild Arms game, but I can't pin it down

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

It is an Orchestral version of Frog's Theme from Chrono Trigger

[@HouseLyrander]

Thank you very much! I knew it was from a JRPG

[@TheSadowdragonGroup]

I don’t super love the imagery of caging the nightmares. It seems to go against principles of mindfulness and the sort of thing that would lead to the issues scrapped from the WIP version. Seeing them in a more sedate and comfortable setting (perhaps a coffeehouse or all night diner to reference Allison Lonsdale’s song “Invite Them In”) would likely have been a more effective demonstration of how she came to terms with her personal demons rather than repressing them.

[@SavaanahTrick]

Sayori in Doki Doki, the best example of smiling depression

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

I'll have to look into that. Haven't played that game.

[@zafool4997]

Albet with some trickery via Monika

[@mantidream8179]

Milla best mom

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

100% accurate

[@originsmenagerie9920]

You could just put anything in games back in the early 2000s

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

I grew up in the 90s and yeah, so much crazy stuff

[@JasonLucio-g2h]

Art

[@hamhamson7740]

Neat

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

Thanks!

[@lkotro21]

Well... shit. Smiling Depression, huh?

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

One of my best friends was like this. The happiest girl you've ever met publicly but something was behind that smile sadly.

[@lkotro21]

@@GamingUniversityUoG I think I've mastered the smile, so people can't even tell. Thankfully, the intrusive thoughts are not THAT type.

[@silvy3047]

She just likes to dance

[@helluvagooddrawer2027]

The hippie chick

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

Definite disco girl

[@joselinodoumolin6950]

Milla it’s not the same as Mia, come on ma dude you got this😅

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

Technically her name is Camilla, Milla is just a nickname. But yeah I have bad pronunciation on occasion lol.

[@1AnimeChannel]

@@GamingUniversityUoG Mia is what Sasha called her during their first meeting because he couldn't pronounce it, she didn't had a heart to correct and now she likes it.

[@JasonLucio-g2h]

Mila’s kids

[@JasonLucio-g2h]

Carmilla

[@JasonLucio-g2h]

Vodello

[@welcometodowntowncoolsville]

Dude are you okay

[@JasonLucio-g2h]

@@welcometodowntowncoolsville maybe

[@Zombie4Eva]

By the way, the figures saying they were abandoned Is because Milla worked at an orphanage that burned down, and she wasn't able to save them.

[@JasonLucio-g2h]

Adventure

[@davyjones3105]

Why is your voice like that?

[@GamingUniversityUoG]

Mostly because I'm a bad speaker and stumble over my words easily. So i slow my talking down to compensate.

[@augskuh]

where the heck do i donate PM me pl0x