The Genius of 'PSI King's Sensorium' (Psychonauts 2)

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

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[@Alphapkmn]

Going with Helmut’s slight viking asthetic, the bridges could also be a reference to the Bifrost, commonly depicted as a rainbow bridge

[@GaleGrim]

Oh... yeah, and the members are rainbow colored cause the bridge him to the world around him! Makes sense!

[@saturniidspectre]

To me it also felt like a nod to Pink Floyd with the prism and the cover of their most famous album "Dark Side of the Moon", partly because I feel like some of the music in this level is reminiscent of Pink Floyd's music.

[@SteezyMPeezy]

They’re musical rainbow bridges, I’m pretty sure it’s just because he’s a big gay hippy 😂

[@ashofthefallen5550]

You mean the pathway to the afterlife?

[@Alphapkmn]

@@ashofthefallen5550 The bifrost doesn’t lead to Valhalla specifically-it is the bridge connecting Asgard to Midgard

[@MusingsMuses]

This level means a surprising amount to me because it taught me a valid real life skill. During a video call with my boyfriend, out of nowhere he started having a panic attack, made worse because he had had SOs that reacted very negatively to it happening and worried I too would freak out and panic. But I remembered in this level that you could only fight panic attacks by slowing down and taking your time, so I just got quiet and stayed calm for the duration of the episode, only talking to assure him I was ok. Eventually I said something that apparently surprised him enough to, quite literally, snap out of it, but he did later tell me he was surprised how well I'd handled him having such an abrupt change of mood. I did confess that this game taught me what to do but I keep thinking on that day and how this game very literally prepared me for a real life situation I probably wouldn't have handled as well otherwise.

[@codyboise9989]

It means alot to me too, it's wonderful to hear people taking what they learned in psychonauts and applying it to their own mental issues and it's nice to see what they've learned and help themselves and hopefully others fight their mental demons.

[@katietaylor8314]

I'm going to remember that, because goddamn - you're right! Can't believe I didn't realise it before!

[@techmaster9781]

And people say video games cause violence

[@HunterSentinel]

Sometimes it simply takes a bit of patience, introspection, and empathy to work through something like that.... really a ton of situations in life are made so much better with these three things.

[@Amara87387]

Another good lesson is Celeste. Imagine a feather, kept afloat by your breathing, focus on keeping that feather afloat. Helped me with one of my own panic attacks. Also your story is really sweet. Panic attacks are rough, I’m glad you were able to help him

[@mushputato]

One can have all the answers, or they can have bagels, they cannot have both. This is the true lesson James was trying to teach you.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

This is a lesson from James I will never forget.

[@daltonwiltsey4815]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT maybe they are cousins

[@adeptusmedicus]

But what if it's an everything bagel, can I have it all?

[@mushputato]

@@adeptusmedicus In that less is more, so too does the everything bagel take away more than it provides. Everything at once, in a way, is little different to nothing at all.

[@mckayleepugmire9947]

I remember thinking "It looks like Psi-King's favorite sense is hearing... makes sense given that he's clearly a musician." I still think I'm right, hearing is his favorite sense, so only his favorite member of the Psychic 6 gets to be audio

[@Lady-Bug3]

That also explains why Bob was an ear.

[@wiiblii8584]

Yerp, his favorite sense is represented by his favorite person!

[@Mark-xs4gi]

I interpreted it as Bob being 'his listening ear', but I like your theory too!

[@bubonic019]

He's a musician, and his husband was presented as an ear ❤

[@dragobane4728]

​@@Mark-xs4giwhy cant it be both?

[@artxiom]

I think the colors could be based on Chakras - which would also fit the entire theme. For example, Ford Cruller is green - he assembled the Psychonauts so he's represented by green, the color of the heart Chakra. Campton Boole is yellow, the Chakra color for self-esteem, self-worth and self-confidence. That was exactly what he was struggling with. About the other ones I can only speculate but there seems to be definitely some form of connection.

[@SecretAgentYaya]

I think this one might be hitting the money, Chakra is derived from Hinduism, which influences a lot of the level to begin with. If I can take a crack at the colours; Green - Heart. Just like you said, Ford is the heart of the Psychonauts considering he founded it. He's also instrumental in the whole conflict with Maligula due to his love for her. Yellow - Self-Esteem. Again, like you said, this is something Compton struggles with and only gains when Raz manages to help him out, it only having being heightened with the battle for Grulovia. Red - Stability. Otto may be an odd fellow, but he managed to cope in the aftermath of the battle for Grulovia far better than the others in the Psychic 6. Indigo/Violet - Imagination/Intelligence. Chakra is kinda flimsy on separating the purples out, but both of these describe Cassie, an author who used her wits to get out a really bad situation, to a tee. Blue - Communication. This one is a bit weird on Bob at first glance, but his Alcohol issue can definitely inhibit communication. And while he spiralled once he thought Helmut had died, there is dialogue that implies that Helmut was aware of it to some extent beforehand. On a lighter note, Bob would be the one Helmut would communicate most with for the relationship to work. Orange - Creativity. Helmut isn't formally assigned a colour, but his orange hair is a super striking feature, and his whole thing was performing arts which is a massively creative endeavour. I think it works on a even deeper level too; looking at basic colour theory, the best complementary colours are those that are opposites. On the most minimalistic colour wheel, the opposites are Green and Red (Ford and Otto, both being key in Helmut still surviving to the present), Purple and Yellow (Cassie and Compton, very close friends who just work well together) and Blue and Orange (Helmut and Bob, being a couple). Even the sensory choice backs this up. The video already states the link between taste and smell, but vision and touch are the most primary senses in terms of interacting with the world, and for a singer like Helmut it makes sense that his most natural complement would be the sense of hearing.

[@LadyBern]

@@SecretAgentYaya would he know that they are struggling with these issues following his death? If say see them as he saw them before it all went to pot

[@juju8285]

@@LadyBern He is, Compton, the only one this statement applies to, only acted confident WITH CASSIE, and Helmut knew this.

[@SiegeDestroyer]

@@SecretAgentYaya my one correction is, Otto/Dr Touch is actually orange. The creative genius of the group. Red/stability is absent because Helmut himself is not stable.

[@Idiot_Juice]

@@SecretAgentYayathis is the best interpretation ive heard of this level and its characters and tbh even if its wrong i think id prefer it over anything else because it just fits so neatly into every characters theme

[@makeshiftmasquerade]

You know how each of the Psychic 6 represent different senses? I have a theory that Lucy represented the sense of proprioception (which is the ability to determine one’s orientation in space) in Helmut’s mind when she was around! Here’s why: Helmut’s body was struck with one of Maligula’s floods, and then became frozen in the ice. Now, water inhibits our vestibular system, which handles proprioception and interpreting a body’s orientation in space. Many people get confused about which way the surface is because of this, especially in cold water with ice sheets blocking someone from reaching air. In the symbolic sense, on the day he died, not only did Lucy lose her moral sense of direction, but Helmut lost his spatial sense of direction. Not to mention that Maligula abruptly changed everyone’s orientation in the group and disrupted their collective balance when she left… Proprioception! Lucy being missing in the level is reflected in just how wonky everything is in terms of spatial orientation as well. Once the main story is over, I think Helmut’s brain would make a lot more spatial sense due to her being back. Oh also, proprioception relies a LOT on vision. Wink wink?

[@benthomason3307]

or she could be, you know, his psychic 6th sense.

[@SuperSwordman1]

Is it just me, or do Panic Attacks look similar to Nightmares from the first game? Wonder if an enemy themed around 'phobia' would look somewhat alike too.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

They definitely look similar!

[@johnstevenson1861]

That's what I was thinking, maybe they are related from another. Similar to Censors who range differently based on the persons mind. Even though these worlds are from the mind, I get this strange family tree based on each enemy. Especially Bad Ideas has a similar look to Nightmares.

[@SiegeDestroyer]

How panic attacks and nightmares play out are very similar. They both play out the same in the brain.

[@HonestMagpie]

In a sense, we find out that the Hand of Galochio is implied to be a manifestation of Raz' fear of water, so we could argue that that is one example of a phobia that we see. We also see, in Rhombus of Ruin, the Psilirium affects Milla by making her envision a train coming after the children. I'd suspect that phobias tend to make themselves known as the entities they represent. Water, danger, fire, etc; and probably have close kinship with nightmares and panic attacks (Such as the fiery room that the nightmares in Milla's head live in). That said, I would love to see a phobia specifically given an enemy type in game! (Also, just as my own desire, I want to see pet peeves be an entity in minds. :) I think it'd be neat.)

[@SuperSwordman1]

@@HonestMagpie Ooh Pet Peeve would be really interesting. Maybe less of a dangerous enemy and more like a debuffer like Doubts

[@alexanderchippel]

I have never seen a "brain in a jar" represented in media that isn't absolutely terrifying. Like not a single one has ever implied that it was a good idea.

[@lefishe5845]

This one is quite bad just kind of stuck in your own head with no stimulus

[@mscrabson]

My absolute favorites here (on top of all psychedelic rock stuff) are Bob’s lines: “Better hurry… you know how I get” - we see exactly how he gets in his level. And “Hey PSi King, wanna go for a RiDe In A VaN??” which is so flirty that I just can’t

[@codyboise9989]

I think also raz connecting the waves of light is like connecting wires together. Since helmuts senses are jumbled, by connecting to each area he's helping helmuts reintegration to the world but also his senses themselves.

[@KaeMcSpadden]

Another Easter egg to Brutal Legend is if you use the clairvoyance power on Helmut’s brain, he will see Raz wearing Eddie Rigg’s outfit.

[@KaeMcSpadden]

I read that the idea of this level starting with nothing but as a speck with no activity was inspired by Tim Schaefer’s fear of falling into a coma.

[@BigKlingy]

Before the video, I want to say one thing I really like about Helmut and this level is an aspect of his song. It was a big feature of one of the trailers, and from their context it'd be easy to assume its lyrics were metaphorical. Then you play the level, and when the song hits you realize the lyrics are entirely literal. He really was lost at the bottom of a frozen lake, unable to feel anything, and you need to find embodiments of his senses to unlock his memories. (A mental vault even appears in the cutscene) Seeing footage of this level again reminded me how much I love this game. One of the highlights of 2021 for me. The Panic Attack enemies hit hard for me because my mother has them, and Helmut's dialogue during the fights is scarily accurate. The first time I experienced one of hers I thought she was dying and went into full fight-or-flight mode myself. I later learned how they worked and got a lot better at helping her calm down. Getting to beat up the Panic Attack enemies was a huge catharsis for me. I've always heard smell was a big component of taste. Something I've found interesting in my life is how senses manifest differently in different people. I tend to have pretty good vision and hearing but my sense of smell isn't great, but I know someone with poor hearing but an insanely good sense of smell. One thing I absolutely love about this world: to my knowledge, there are no Doubts in Helmut's mind. He had regrets for obvious reasons, and panic attacks from sensory overload, and there's actually ONE very small cluster of Bad Ideas (which I take to represent his attempt at talking Maligula down with a dramatic monologue), but from everything we see of Helmut he's not the kind of guy to doubt himself. He's a loud and proud rock star and he's pretty clear in what he wants out of life. There's a few meanings to Bob representing hearing, since it's implied Bob first fell in love with Helmut when he heard his music, but also that Helmut sees Bob as someone who always listens. Wow that story with the DoubleFine discord. Wrong time to eat a bagel, ouch. Still, it's good to know the developers had a meaning in mind for the colours. I also love how Helmut is such a powerful and renowned psychic than he's able to unwittingly authorize Raz for a new power, even before he remembers who he is. I think it's the first time Raz gets a "badge" from one of the Psychic Six besides Ford.

[@tomcarter5037]

I think I know why Audie is blue "The blues" is a sad form of music and Helmut felt like Bob drowned and was probably devastated cause he failed to save his husband

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I mean, honestly I really like that explanation.

[@tomcarter5037]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT be honest who's your favourite of the 7?

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

@@tomcarter5037 Compton. Easily. I love Compton.

[@tomcarter5037]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT cool want to know mine?

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

@@tomcarter5037 Definitely!

[@codyboise9989]

The way in which the panic attack attacks with swipping movements is similar to how I felt in the body, like me a few month's prior to the prospect of getting my first blood. screening.

[@5h3nn0ng]

Are the rainbow bridges a reference to the Bifrost in Norse mythology? Helmut obviously has a Viking theme in his design, and the Bifrost is said to be a bridge between Asgard and Earth/Midgard. I think its supposed to be a representation of you linking him back to reality

[@Wiimeiser]

That sounds like something that happened on the side but was so fitting that they doubled down on it.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I never would have thought of this connection and I love that you pointed this out, because I would totally see this being a wink and nod. Whether this was done intentionally or not, it's still perfect.

[@slowbrofriend6526]

@@ThoughtBubbleYTdid the 5 min ama guy ever tell you the secrets?

[@firehedgehog1446]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT Would make a lot more sense than being linked to the Gay Pride flag which was designed in 1978 while this game takes place in the 1960s, at least a whole decade before that stupid cancerous flag was even a thing (And I mean cancerous in it's more literal description; It started out as something good, cause cancer cells started out as normal cells, but then it started taking over EVERYTHING so now everyone hates it & its takeover is destroying creative freedom)

[@codyboise9989]

The mind is a crazy thing, sometimes we judge ourselves more so then anyone. But like Helmut and the psychic six, it's the people closest to us to show us that what we think about ourselves isn't as close to reality as we might think.

[@katietaylor8314]

The 5 minute AMA shouldn't have started until you responded! That guy is officially a tease. I loved this level, and Helmut is definitely my favourite character in the game. You can easily see why Bob fell for him; he's just such a sweet, fun-loving, kindly man - the kind of person who makes you feel better just by being there. He and Raz get along so well so quickly that I can easily imagine the two of them becoming good friends (between that and wanting to see Helmut get his body back, plus WELL DUH is why I'm hoping for a third game).

[@michaelolsen8370]

Bummer about the missed 5-min Q&A SO here's my guess on the colors Green eye: the color we can see the most Pink touch: sometimes pink, skin is what feels the touch Blue ear: blue is calm, calm is most willing to listen 🎶 Purple smell:Purple soothing lavender Orange/yellow tastes?: joyful Orange juice, filling banana 🍌, ...you need to brush your teeth?.... How right am I?

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Definitely some interesting thoughts!

[@tomcarter5037]

Michael I like your idea but I'm positive I think mine fit the gloves given by the sensorium so wanna hear my idea?

[@truekurayami]

There is also a possible link to the negative aspects of how Helmut saw them. Green with envy Feeling Blue(Sorrow) Yellow from Disgust Rose tinted view(Naiveite) though I'm not sure what Purple would be tied to as well, specifically here it could signify Arrogance or Irreverence for two that come to mind

[@michaelolsen8370]

@@tomcarter5037 I sure I got yellow wrong 😅

[@Technotoadnotafrog]

That last one makes sense because that's the color most associated with food. It's used a lot in fast-food logos because of that.

[@danielcurren2119]

I think the colors of the senses are reflective of the real life psychic six's emotions based on emotional color theory. Each color has a lot of different interpretations, but there are strong main emotional themes that are used in society, like red is danger, yellow means caution. etc. - green- could be seen as growth as ford grew the psychonauts and psychic six, but also could be seen as sickness as ford was sick of what had become of his lover, and how he had to break himself and the team as a result - blue is seen as affection, sincerity and loyalty; such emotions that bob would have for the psychonauts and especially helmet. Blue is also especially notorious for symbolizing sorrow, grief and depression, the kind that bob felt at loosing helmet - purple is seen as ambition, as cassie aspired to leave her old life behind, royaly as the bees treated her as a queen, as well as imagination and wisdom through cassie's experience through her difficult life leading to becoming a psychonaut and using that wisdom to make mindswarm to help others through motivation - pink is seen as sensitivity, faithfulness and friendship, as otto keeps working with the psychonauts as desires to still be with his friends even after they had left - yellow is seen as optimism and happiness, but also caution. Compton is happy to work with the psychonauts and cassie, but is scared of blowing up everything and letting those he cares about down

[@nickkakakis472]

Yea you have really good point.

[@AnimeMe40]

Also! Music was a very VERY important passion in Helmets life, it makes sense that the man he loves would represent sound. 💕

[@Rainygirl3100]

One detail I love is that Vision, the first sense recovered, has a limited green-yellow-blue palette. This resembles deuteranopic color-blindness, which is usually a genetic problem but can also be brought on by damage to the optic nerve or brain (in this case, disconnection between the two). As the levels progress and Helmut regains control over more of his senses, more and more color is added back to his mindscape.

[@Dingghis_Khaan]

26:06 I really like this reference to the Nowhere Man sequence of the Yellow Submarine movie. Helmut himself was a real nowhere man, sitting in his nowhere land, making all his nowhere plans for nobody. Didn't have a point of view, knew not where he was going to. He left it all, 'til somebody else lent him a hand.

[@LordDaret]

He really was sitting in a nowhere land, stranded all alone.

[@Thejigholeman]

odd thing about brains in a jar is that you still probably wouldn't live much longer than if you were in a normal body. the brain is still degrading, still getting older, still marching towards death as it slowly breaks down.

[@mrlaz9011]

you'd probably perish via dementia, which is a very terrible way to go.

[@devilsadvocate1380]

I agree, it really would not grant the immortality "Fallout" depicts for their brains-in-a-jar. think it could extend your life if you are susceptible to non-brain organ failure, as you would no longer have a heart or lung to fail on you but I agree with you that the brain will degrade and eventually collapse on its own. Depending on genetics it might prolong your life for 10+ more years compared to when you would have died from a heart attack but you would not be that much older than the "Average" age would be.

[@alexjewett7455]

True. Even in a robot body, your brain is still flesh and blood.

[@lionheart6176]

heres how i can interpret it to the best of my ability Ford: the visionary, an eye for talent who saw value in Helmut Bob: the husband who was always willing to lend an ear. the one that Heard helmut's music and fell in love. Otto: the man who always had the magic touch in Helmut's view, always willing to lend a hand. Cassie: the one who could always smell a good opportunity. although probably a bit nosey from helmut's perspective. Compton: the guy who had good taste, the compassionate speaker who spoke in the tongue of the animals.

[@deucesommerfeld1248]

Could the candies that are given to the tongue gates be... psychedelic drugs of some kind? Relating to the whole hippie movement and the strange psychedelic and sporadic colors.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I mean. It's 100% not out of the question. But to keep it pg I'm sticking with saying that it's candy. lol

[@deucesommerfeld1248]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT Oh no that is totally understandable. Regardless, I loved the video, Psychonauts is such a wonderful game! Can't wait for Bob's Bottles!

[@SuperSwordman1]

@@deucesommerfeld1248 I'm waiting on Hollis's Hotstreak

[@Pellimori]

"This candy feels funny"

[@loganhayse8771]

Here are my color theories: Green - growth, prosperity; much like nature, green is given to their leader to illustrate this with his vision. Red & Blue - hot and cold; opposites; the hand being red showing his passion and sweat as well as a more natural skin tone to the other colors; blue ear for the sadness and how Bob has a tendency to listen too much to what others think. However there's a gentleness deep down that Bob has when he's not drowning himself. The blue may also represent his love of liquids like booze so blue has more of a water tone. Blue and red are not complimentary on the color wheel. Yellow & Purple - the tongue is reliant on the nose and the two complimentary colors work together to produce smell and taste. Yellow has a youthful and somewhat enthusiastic feel to it; that many people feel enthusiastic when eating a meal and the experience of the flavor. Purple is usually a royal color, can also be mysterious much like Cassie and her selves, also a very spiritual color which may describe Cassie's look into how she views herself and her level needing to recombine her selves into one.

[@raxelleon8189]

The part where Helmut’s body gets lost in the river and his brain gets put in a jar without anyone discovering either is a reference to an Arabian Nights story. In the story, a genie/Djinn is released from a jar that was sunk to the bottom of a river and subsequently rewards his rescuer by trying to kill him. This is because he, like Helmut, fell into a deep despair about being neglected and trapped for so long.

[@The_campfire-wm]

Psi Kings Sensorium is probably my favourite level in the whole series, mostly because of the huge emotional impacts

[@loganhayse8771]

The rainbow bridges may also be a nod to the bifrost since he does wear a viking helmet. I think the bridge has multiple thematic layers which is why I do love the series.

[@austinmorrison6953]

Interesting how the censors are smaller than usual in this world. Representative of how vulnerable Helmut’s mind still is in this state?

[@Iwidelyoutliveeverything]

The fact that "audie o" wasn't Ottie O" for Otto Mentalis is a crime.

[@ineedzemedic5810]

We eatin GOOD TONITE

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I hope you enjoyed the video!!!

[@shadowblood95]

I feel like it's important how early in the game we encounter Helmut. You feel smart for a minute when you go through his memories, and you see Raz figuring out what you've already picked up.

[@jameswest6232]

This level and Helmut just meant so much to me when I first watched playthroughs (sadly can't play myself as of writing this). I suffer from anxiety and in no small part because I have misophonia (a hearing disorder that makes me super sensitive to certain sounds), so I honestly cannot describe how much I just identified with Helmut when he's shouting, "Dear universe, please SHUT UP!"

[@cryptidmads9417]

While I don’t know about all of the band, I think I can guess why two of them have the colours that they do. Vision is entirely green because Helmut has green eyes, while Dr Touch has the orange/red going on because Helmut has a pink skin tone - if you compare Touch’s skin with Helmut’s, it’s an exact match. Another fun fact about Touch; his head (along with pretty much every stray hand in the level) is specifically a left hand. Look back at the performance of Cosmic I: which hand is Helmut holding his mic in?

[@hellhog7368]

to be honest i loved this level the most but the colours were so bright i can feel my eyes being sore just looking at it

[@robert2german]

Regarding the sensory deprivation, but in a different game, in the recent lore behind the Exos of Destiny 2 it talks about how implanting an organic mind in a synthetic body can be very traumatic, especially since the new body does not have any of the organic senses (a feature that had to be hard-coded into later iterations of the Exos). This often resulted in the mind rejecting its artificial body.

[@HornedRabbit]

here my best guess of the colors (warning many words) -Red links to love, passion, enthusiasm, confidence, impulsive, unapologetic, and dangerous -Otto expresses all of these through his love of inventing. He maintains his passion and enthusiasm for his inventions well down the line while all the pychonauts let their fears and doubts push them to self isolation. When we first talk to him face to face, he shows off inventions he made out of impulsive and even feels now need to apologize for one that literally just cries. Lastly his inventions tend to be dangerous as the ruins of his old lab will attest to. Side not, Dr. Touch himself is pink which shares a lot with red except danger possably showing that Fullbear sees Otto himself isn't a dangerous person just that its around him -Yellow is more interesting then appears being link to optimism, cheer, and logical being strangely is considered a "non-emotional color, yellow ignores emotions in complex situations". On the negative side yellow is cowardice, judgmental, and the most fatiguing color to deal with. -Compton is generally cheer but due to his excessive emotions causing others to explode he reasonably keeps his emotions in check focusing more on logic. We see examples of his cowardice and harsh self judgment when we find him hiding away and his mind one big staged for all to see and judge him. I don't know for sure how Fullbear interacted with him but for someone so outwardly expressive as Fullbear to deal with someone so emotional suppressive as Compton, it would make sense he sees him as more "non-emotional" and probably a little more tireing to deal with (not in any negative way mind you) -Green is actually one of the rarest eye colors but also links to growth, renewal, calm, logical, stability, harmony a great thirst for knowledge, promoting positive cognizant outcomes and recovery. The green personality type states that their strategic, smart, reliable, independent, and VISIONaries. -Cruller as the one who found Fullbear, he a renewal of Fullbear and the growth of the psychic seven. He stood as the stabilizing pillar and harmony that held everyone together. And he was the leader as their group chased his vision and thirst for knowledge. Also green eyes may show how Cruller was among the rarest people but also green is the most dominating color in nature, showing Cruller part of everything they did. -Blue ties to sadness, compassion, calmness, introvert, loyal, good listening, but sensitive, self-deprecating, stubborn, and anxious. Blue is also the rarest color in nature, with there actually being no naturally occurring truly blue flowers, kinda funny. -Bob seems the most straightforward (as he relates to his color) so i didn't dig to far, he suffered the tragic loss of his mother and still caries that with him to this day. He is an introvert who in his mind has isolated himself. He is sad but is to anxious to let relations take root. Outwardly he appears as a stubborn drunk but inside he is very soft spoken and pron to beating himself up as shown by his mind's boss fight belittling him and him constantly appearing in the form of a helpless potato that someone else needs to carry around. Small note, Audie O steps up between the band and Maligula's shadow and reminds everyone that this is their friend Lucy and states she just might need someone to listen to her and i want to believe this is something Bob actually said, showing not just an ear willing to listen but his deep loyalty to his friend and his compassion for her lose and pain. -Purple is the color i had the most trouble with, so far i got nobility, dignity, creative, soothing, mystery, and inspiring. Also bluer purples lowering blood pressure and heart rate -Cassie appear tall and all of her archetypes appear very dignified. She is well known for her inspiring book, Mind Swarm, which not only took creativity to wright but a tone of creativity to get it published in her situation. Her teacher personality shows here love to inspire others to grow, and she even fought Maligula with an inspirational speech. The bees treat her as their queen, showing the nobility. Lastly the last bit about lowering blood pressure and heart rate i think ties neatly to her relationship with Compton who wants to remain calm.

[@codyboise9989]

I grew up with a father who loved hippie music, heck my niece is named lennon! I honestly listen to the music of this level multiple times a day, do I get tired of it? The answer is an absolute hell no. While I might not be able to percieve what people with synesthesia have, but through this level I've gained a new way of looking at life the world and maybe...just maybe time itself.🤔

[@egbertmilton4003]

What a brilliant analysis of yet another fantastic level. Great work. I love Helmutt, and the exploration of his synaethesia, so being this from you today really made my day.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Thank you so much! I love this level and I'm happy you enjoyed the video!

[@misterdonlon]

Thanks for the shout out ThoughtBubble! Excellent analysis as always my friend!

[@codyboise9989]

Professionals always give credit where credit is due, am I right?

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Of course! Happy to do it!

[@goldendragon_rs2996]

The rainbows could potentially be a slight reference to the Rainbow Gathering that gets held almost every year in the US. It’s another really big hippie thing to promote peace.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

That's definitely a solid possibility!

[@magicrainbowkitties1023]

I mean there's also the 💅

[@Mvmrobots4030]

One thing I enjoy about the sensations characters is what there senses indicate like how fords is the sight sensation because he has good vision I think the others are the same compton probably made food for them cassie may have always smelt good bobby was a good listener and otto well he was probably always tinkering with a new invention

[@もちの花]

I love how even if I don't know that game, your content is still entretaining!

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Thank you so much! That really means a lot! :D

[@Charles-Darwin]

The psychedelic 'candy' I believe represents an acid dose lol back then ppl would lace a sugar cube or candy in general and then deposit it on the tongue for higher uptake - so be careful at concerts, even a drop could send you into a psychonauts adventure irl

[@mcihay246]

If there was one issue with this level for me, is the chromatic aberration that gives me a rather bad headache. Thankfully, there's a patch for it. Who knows how those on console would deal with it, when it applies.

[@thornangel16]

I always was curious over how Lucy would be represented in Helmut’s mind as a member of the band and what sense she would be. I still don’t know the answer, but what’s life without at least a little mystery?

[@Gboysonic]

I think touch and and hearing are paired together because when you make music your feeling the instruments, whether it's strumming a guitar with your finger, or hold drum sticks, or even holding a bow for the violin but you need to hear it to tune it right

[@LordDaret]

30:18 the more interesting thing about this memory is that Helmut KNEW he was retrieved and what was happening around him, but couldn’t do anything about it. He had a way to perceive reality around him, but seemed to be unable to use it to retain his sanity.

[@nadrewod999]

At 13:40, the voice actor of Raz was also given a speaking role in Brutal Legend: he played one of the musicians that Jack Black saved from the collapsing stage props. So having a Brutal Legend reference in Psychonauts 2 is essentially in reference to the Psychonauts cameo in Brutal Legend...

[@firehedgehog1446]

Not just that musician but Richard Horvitz also voiced a Headbanger named Jack, he's the one who gives you the "Riding the Death Rack" side missions, and he wears a pair of goggles that are identical to Razputin's own goggles

[@samuelbarrett1082]

"absolutely delicious looking candy" ... Yea, candy. That's what those were...

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I can’t imagine what else it could be in a psychedelic, hippie movement inspired level. I mean hippies were known for eating lots of candy.

[@grubby_tuesdays]

The colors could represent the connection between the members with the color wheel. Colors directly across from each other are complimentary. Compton and Cassie are yellow and purple, Ford and Otto and green and red, and then helmut and Bob are blue and Orange.

[@RosieTheMushrum]

I just finished this game a bit ago and when they were in the void together I was straight up sobbing lol

[@Staringathesun]

I think everyone might be overthinking the colors debacle. I would think developers would do character designs before level designs. They had Fullbear's character design locked in (colors and everything) well before designing his level. Then all they had to do was take the colors from the upper portion of his shirt and apply them to the color schemes of the senses.

[@thespringlock1794]

great video! i do have a theory as to what the significance of the colours are, in that they represent the core aspect of each member that Helmutt sorta-remembers them for. while some significant traits of certain colours don’t quite line up, others do (hence, *theory*) red on Dr. Touch would represent Otto’s ambition and passion for his work (also, his seeming lack of social adeptness or compassion might’ve led him to be awkwardly *touchy* with his teammates) yellow for Tasty would represent Compton’s mellowness and dependability (I don’t know how the specific sense fits into this on its own, other than maybe Compton’s cooking skills, a *taste* for fine foods) green on Vision would represent Ford’s (pre-memory-wipe) balance and desire to help others, acting as the sticky glue holding the Psychic 6 together (as well as being able to *see* the potential in others) blue on Audie-O would represent Bob’s calmness, and compassion for his lover (being the one member that Helmutt thought fully *heard* him for what he had to say) purple on Sniffles would represent Cassie’s wisdom as a result from her troubled past, as well as her gentleness (something about the bee farming thing perhaps?) (i genuinely can’t think of anything that relates Cassie to *smell* (other than what you brought up), but i could note that her purple and Compton’s yellow also tie into their strong bond, as purple and yellow complement each other on the colour wheel as well.) and of course, white on Ball of Light would represent Helmutt seeing the others as what makes him whole, both his senses and the Psychic 6. it could also work as relating to just Helmutt himself, being representative of a peaceful dove, given the hippie aesthetic. again, theory, so there’s bound to be holes. i did end up cherry-picking the examples i gave, as there isn’t really a definitive set-in-stone list of traits that define every colour-personality tie.

[@thespringlock1794]

mind-shattering* (sorry, forgot the word in the moment)

[@codyboise9989]

This level is very on the nose 👃 Recently I've been smelling things and it brought back some memories I hadn't thought about in years.

[@SteezyMPeezy]

Thank you so much for this series, I can’t wait until the next episode

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Thank you so much! The next is one people have been asking for for A WHILE.

[@SteezyMPeezy]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT videos like this are fantastic, it’s part of the reason I love the video game medium so much!

[@firstname7606]

I find it nice the bob is represented by the sense of sound, because helmet more than likely love the sense of sound the most much like he loves bob

[@The_Gidz]

I didn't realize until I returned to this world for collectibles that all of the audience members were just "Nick", presumably bc that's the body Helmuts brain was in. Nice detail

[@richardkirkland6805]

"I missed an AMA where my question would be answered because I was eating a bagel) This is why I have Discord on my phone, if there's something THIS important to me, then I wouldn't miss something like this over a bagel.

[@juanisol8275]

Groovy magistral and radical video! Here what i think what those colores means for each scenses : 1) Green Eye : means youth hope and joy 2) Yellow Mouth : means Ilumination new life and care 3) Purple Nose : means power temperance and order 4) Red Hand : means pasión stimulus and warm feel 5) Blue Ear : means Infinity serenety and divine pure I hope this helps and i love your channel 😍👍 I love character psychology analysis videos ❤️

[@arkshadow117]

The fact that this beautiful game has jack black in it makes it much much better

[@willropa4226]

Each color of the band could be tied to color psychology, each member of the band representing a different emotion as well as a different sense. Red- Passion, energy, excitement. In fairness, Otto is one of the most enthusiastic members of the Psychic 7, stuff like the astrolathe is credited to him. He built hundreds of inventions during his career through all the ups, downs, and all arounds. Yellow- Cheerfulness, optimism, caution. While Compton doesn't appear to be this when we first meet him, when he gets his confidence back after his Ram it Down section of the game, he is quite a cheerful man, having a pleasant conversation with the three bees and cracking some jokes when he reunites with Cassie. Green- Growth, nature, tranquility. Ford is the leader of the Psychic 7, it was likely his goal to push psychics to their limits and beyond, growing past what they thought they could do. As well, he's the one who fought hard to bring Lucy back, he knew their home was peaceful, the world was too chaotic for them to handle anymore and wanted to keep the peace. Purple- Luxury, creativity, mystery. Cassie was a unique character among the Psychic 7 as she was not just one person with her ability to summon archetypes to alter her personality, while bringing an air of creativity with each new archetype it also brought a sense of mystery in what each one could do. Blue- Calmness, stability, trustworthiness. Tell me, in what world do these 3 points not sound like the hallmarks of love? In Bob's vows, he almost spells these words out, Helmut and Bob truly felt at peace in each other's arms. During the concert when the Lucy figment attacks, Bob is the one who steps forward to attempt to reason with her, wanting to calm her down.

[@nigeladams8321]

Another thing you could see tying into a helmet slack of memory is the deep connection senses have two memory. Like how smelling a smell you haven't smelt in years can bring you back to remembering incredible detail about the moment you last night. Without having senses to attached memories to they might have faded away until he was properly able to reintroduce himself to all of his senses reattach those memories to them.

[@raikespeare]

It’s remarkable that you were able to get through this video cohesively with nary a reference to recreational drugs. Didn’t know that was possible.

[@NathanCalabria]

This level is my favorite! I love how colorful and psychedelic the scenery is. It looks so inspiring to the Beatles' Yellow Submarine. So cool, so groovy, and so colorful.

[@shinraset]

Personal theory on the colors. Otto color red: aggression, active passions. Bobby color blue: calm, melancholic, sorrowful yet peaceful. Cassiopeia color purple: (I'm not quite sure) Compton Boyle color yellow: possibly related to his timid and easily over stressed nature yet could also have some other symbolism. Ford cruller color green: the color that sits at the center of the spectrum acting as a bridging point for the others. All of this is purely theoretical as I have no concrete proof one way or another and as you can tell I don't have ideas for some of the pieces in play.

[@destinyjewel2588]

My personal take on why purple in particular was based upon what we know about Cassie. Purple is often a representation for those whose deeply interested in spiritual help and the arts. Something that fits when you recall she made a popular self help book as her means of escaping. Even her actions past that are a means to be helpful to someone with varying amounts of success.

[@andrewcurtin7003]

Somthin cool thats been said many times but i still love No censord are present throughout the area till you get to vision, and even then they are few and far between In the beginning coach says sensors are natural and show a mind is working. So the fact they are starting to come out as you work through vision means that you are helping and are starting to restart the more complex parts of his mind, and ghe further alomg you get in the level the more complex emotions show and by extension more complex enemies Its just super cool

[@rayceeya8659]

Panic attacks suck. I get them hear and there. They feel like ultra intense deja vu. I dissociate from reality and then when I come back, I vomit. A lot. Then I lay on the floor and stare at the ceiling until I can walk again. I've been having them since I was a teenager but I didn't know what they were until I was in my 40s.

[@RekRakJat]

Why is the video stuck at 480p?

[@Imbetterthanthebest]

Keep up the amazing work!

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Thanks so much!!

[@SplotchTheCatThing]

One of the things that struck me about this part of the game was how the sensory overload theme is reflected in the music. There's this 2-bar guitar phrase in one section of the main background track that repeats *almost* to the point of becoming a little irritating... (I found a video of the song itself where the part starts around 0:58 and again at 2:33 -- and it might repeat another time, I haven't listened all the way through yet) I can't speak for anyone else, of course, but one aspect of sensory overload that I get is this sense that even after whatever stimulus that got me in that state is gone, it still keeps repeating in my head for a while, grabbing my focus away and making it hard to move past it and concentrate on anything else. These parts of the song evoke that feeling, how this little motif that's nice on its own can turn into something a little grating when it starts to feel like it isn't letting you move on to something else, all while the 5/4 meter keeps grabbing your attention back since the most important beats in the riff aren't quite in the places where you expect to find them.

[@BabyCharmander]

I am laughing because I was there during those moments in the DF server and I didn't realize that was you! XD;; I do hope we find out the answer to that question cuz I'm curious too. Maybe when the art book comes out... Also man I love this level so much. This was the level that actually made me cry when I first played it because Helmut's speech about memories hit really close to home for me. Won't go into detail but I also had some trauma from like a decade ago and the way I thought about it was all wrong (had a lot of self-blame and denial about what had really happened) and when I finally told some friends and family about it, they helped me set my memories straight, which was the first step to my actual recovery. Seeing a strikingly similar thing happen to Helmut and then hearing his speech afterward brought me to tears. Fantastic vid! I've been loving all your vids in this series.

[@shelbybayer200]

I loved the parts for the memory vaults of Helmut

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Helmut's memory vaults are so amazing and impactful.

[@SpookyFraiser]

Ahhh yes... "sweet tooth" ;) what vibrant "sweets" ;)) what fun normal "sweets" ;)))

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

No idea what you're talking about. It's TOTALLY candy. lol

[@doodle_guard]

To add more to the Beatles references, when they were in india, the movie Yellow Submarine was made, which is referenced in helmet's mind a lot, from general art style, to their walking animation in the performance, and outfits, which were also worn by Liverpool four in the Yellow Submarine too, so, it might be a double reference

[@harry.t9523]

I really wonder what it must’ve been like with Jack Black feeding different lines and inflections to Elijah Wood. The Dragon Warrior Panda feeding lines to the Hobbit Frodo Baggins.

[@ajerjavec4723]

When you get to Bob’s bottles there’s something I watch you to discuss the first thing is how much he puts Helmet on a pedestal after all I think auto said they only tolerate it bad because he’d help it were a double deal helmet Was the last enjoyed so that really shows how much you put your lover on a pedestal the second is how much subconsciously does Bob know that His nephew I’ll be fired him because of his alcohol problem that memory says he was giving him a number probably for the alcohol anonymous add them every vote does show his nephew being sad about having to fire him I need he said pictures of Lily

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I definitely have a lot of thoughts on Bob's Bottles.

[@annieclark9041]

Jack Black is one of the best things to happen to pop culture

[@Jack-lo5me]

I think it’s also kinda cool how he is called “helmet” and in his mind he is “Psi King”. Both a King and he wear an object on their head. An actual Helmet in his case, and crown for a king. Both provide a sense of identity to the person, as well as being protective in some cases. A crown is an heirloom that describes the power of a person to their people. As long as they have the crown, they are technically the ruler, though that isn’t always the case. The crown is just as much of protection to a King as a Helmet is to someone. A symbol of not only status and who a person/the person is, but a shield. A helmet that blocks out senses(probably) and protects the head, and a crown that protects a title and power. Maybe I’m stretching? I think it’s neat tho.

[@nathanblackburn1193]

I don't think hearing and touch being together is wrong at all actually, after all sound is vibrations and you can feel vibrations but you can't taste or smell them and you can't see vibrations in the air only when they're effecting objects so hearing and touch being paired makes sense. Also the reason for each colour for each sense I think are because: green is the one of the most common colours to see in nature as nearly all plants have some green, taste and smell are yellow and purple because they're complimentary colours and taste and smell are soo intertwined, hearing is blue because blue is a calming colour and music can be calming and touch is pink because Helmut's skin colour is pink.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

See I don’t think that it’s wrong necessarily I’m just saying that the way he’s experiencing these sensations could be indicative of auditory-tactile synesthesia because yes we can feel vibrations but the way our brains interpret sounds versus how our brains interpret our sense of touch is through distinctly different processes. Like, when you fee deep bass in your chest, that is stimulating two senses at once. But your body is recognizing that phenomenon as both touch and hearing individually. Synesthesia is when these wires get crossed and in the case of Auditory-Tactile synesthesia for example: when a sound happens through this form of synesthesia it will prompt a specific bodily sensation that is directly connected to your sense of hearing and you brain isn’t processing the inputs correctly. And while I didn’t state this in the video I inferred this synesthesia was occurring because the red enemies appeared in the blue arena and the blue enemies appeared on the red arena. I could still be wrong but that’s where my head was at! :)

[@nathanblackburn1193]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT I mean I'm not saying you're wrong either what I mean is more like taste and smell are both chemical receptor signals, sight is light receptor signals and hearing and touch are nerves sending signals from stimuli, the fluid moving in our ears or pressure on our skin, like a more basic interpretation of why the senses are paired up the way they are (also maybe it's also a bit of wordplay about how music and make you *feel* things) the synaesthesia idea is totally fine and you most likely know more than I do, though I think we can both agree that hearing being represented in Helmut's mind by Bob and hearing being the most important sense for music which is Helmut's specialty is so cute.

[@JamesMarionDesign]

Beef accepted

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

(ง’̀-‘́)ง

[@tristarnova3454]

28:21 I think the reason why those colors is because welp yellow and purple are complimentary, yellow is associated with food, and plus compton’s level is a cookoff, and it appears he did like to cook, and Cassie due to being the only girl is purple, and is smell to pair with Compton, cause of flavor, orange and blue are complimentary like yellow and purple, helmet is obviously orange, his orange hair gives him away, and bob’s level is an ocean, plus he is hearing, cause what’s the best sense form a musician, hearing and green and red are complementary colors, Otto is red and touch cause he was the tinker of the group, and also was the most untrusting, while ford was sight, because he was the leader of the group, how “saw” the good in the group and wore green a lot, and why they are green and red is because ford and otto were the only two how actually did stay with the psychonauts today, and also were the ones who saved him for his death technically, and together they form the six main colors, red: otto, orange: hellmut, yellow: compton, green: ford, blue: bob, and Cassie: purple, but yet for the real rainbow, we can see them as Otto: red, hellmut: orange, compton: yellow, ford: green, bob: blue, and Cassie: violet, due to being close to purple, of course it’s missing one color in the actual rainbow indigo, which is luceria aka maligula, how has indigo colored skin, telling them how they originally were was the s seven colors of the rainbow.

[@MemoThePanda]

That ad insert was delightful

[@brendantoungate8287]

This was a fantastic video, of which I have nothing to add to it, save an example of a famous person with synesthesia. Alanis Morissette has stated in interviews that she experiences sounds as colors. That this level thoroughly explored this idea is just another example of how awesome Psychonauts 2 is.

[@AsgardianQueen]

I think I had a panic attack during Infinity War, my heart was racing.

[@UltravioletNomad]

One interesting implication about this level and helmuts backstory is the fact that he supposedly only had a mastery of sensory projection prior to all of this, we know this because... well he doesn't use it in the battle with Magilgula and felt he was the most powerless of the 6. His isolation in some way taught both him and Raz time dilation, and as far as I know, its not mentioned that any other psychonaut has this ability.

[@redbasher636]

Is this video only in 480p, or am i getting a youtube glitch???

[@codyboise9989]

Can i/you, slow/stop time? Time: fast/slow, never stops You serve time/time serves you. Time moves to suit your needs

[@dgc1570]

So glad to see you back on KZbin.

[@sand_sand7304]

Eat your goddam bagel at your computer like a good gamer

[@codyboise9989]

I think i just figured out why the senses are the colors they are! Since they represent helmuts sense and since he has synesthesia, specifically chromastheia, 👁🟢Vision:the green in helmuts eyes perhaps? 👅🟡Taste: sees yellow 👃🟣Smell: see's purple 👂🔵Sound: comes out blue 🖐🔴Touch: perhaps red because it commonly represents danger and we don't want to put ourselves in harms way, but like helmut says: feeling bad is betting then feeling nothing.

[@lindseyodneal3946]

Your segues to the ad are always fantastic

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Thank you so much!!

[@gaidencastro9706]

The "primary" colors are red, blue, and yellow. Purple and yellow are opposites- Compton and Cassie are partners. Green and red are opposites- Otto and Ford are the group's founding members. The missing color is orange. Who's blue?

[@AmandaLByars]

26:43 I have a Theory maybe all of colors and themes are Based off the beetles movie Yellow Submarine when I see this it reminds me a lot of that movie

[@jonathanspike1012]

was looking forward to this video!

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I hope that you enjoyed it.

[@jonathanspike1012]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT I very much did! I have seen all of your psychonauts related content and look forward to what ever you post. I listen to your streams when I have the chance as well.

[@WWpl4y3r]

About the colors: As much as I can't offer much, I think a pin that I have gives some insight, along with analysis of the senses' behavior, except for Vision. "Tasty" and "Sniffles" are both *supportive of each other* and have *complimentary color palettes*. Considering they represent respectively Compton and Cassie, it hints Helmut knew about his colleagues, and how they were linked to each other. And as we know, Compton and Cassie are like peas in a pod, once they reunite. As for "Audi-O" and "Dr. Touch"(Respectively, Bob and Otto), they aren't in opposite sides of the spectrum, but actually in spaces that in the pin are marked as "triadic". These work on three, meaning that the bickering of the two when you meet them was supposed to have a third party to mediate. Also, I'm led to believe that Helmut isn't portrayed as "off-white", as his real form has a strong **orange** tinge from the beard, despite the monochrome clothes. It's the color that stands out the most from him, and guess what? It is complimentary to "Audi-O"'s hue. And here's where the pin stops helping me, because this is as far as it goes.

[@PilotMonkeyChannel]

What a wonderful examination of yet another amazing level. Amazing work.