Non-Newtonian liquids
Water is an all-time favorite metaphor in hypnokink. The imagery of a flowing river or a babbling brook, or the feeling of wave after wave of water flowing over you, are some of the most used. And for good reason. Water is everywhere. We consist of a large part of water, and the variations on the theme are numerous.
But limiting ourselves to just water misses out on a lot of cool behavior. The world of fluidity is large and is rich in opportunities. Consider syrup. It behaves like water, but is very, very, slow. A slow, thick liquid, like thoughts that are about to go into a deep trance.
Or consider mist. Mist can swirl. Mist drifts. Mist comes closer and closer. You are defenseless to mist, and it covers you, all parts of you, and there is no way to resist. You are not able to gasp it as it flows over you.
But all of those fluids react more or less linearly. They always behave in the same way. I think there is a huge opportunity for liquids that behave slightly differently. The non-Newtonian liquids, so to say.
For example, sheer thinning. A fluid, take toothpaste, that resists flowing. It is firm, holds it shape. Right until the right amount of pressure is applied in the right way. The toothpaste becomes liquid and starts to flow. Almost unlimited, like it has always been liquid, and it will not stop flowing as long as that confident pressure is being applied.
More emulsions have the same behavior. You can imagine quicksand. Or ketchup. But also think of what a perfect metaphor whipped cream can be? And Tumblr's favorite, vanilla extract, in the right composition, does the same.
More unknown are Maxwell fluids. Although you can imagine slime. As long as slime is relaxed, it flows, and sticks, to whatever it touches. It coats, and clings to the hand that caresses it. But only as long as it is under low stress, and stays relaxed. An unexpected interruption, a firm shock, makes the slime firm up. It breaks and it fractures, just like a well-trained mind.
But my favorite has to be sheer thickening. The most famous example of that is Oobleck. That starchy pale liquid that is thin and water-like at rest. If you move carefully and slowly, it behaves like water. It is easy to manipulate. It is easy to let memories sink into it. As long as you go slow, like the subconscious can be slow.
But as soon as I am awake, and my thoughts go fast again, the liquid firms up. It becomes strong enough to walk on, and it resists penetration. I can punch or I can try to grab the instructions, the memories, but the thin liquid becomes hard. Impenetrable. Secured. And I am unable to reach. The memory is as good as gone. All that is there is white. And I draw a blank.
So... what do you think, should we have more variation in our liquid metaphors?
