Psychometry in fiction: Token-object reading in storytelling

Psychometry, also called psychoscopy, has long fascinated storytellers and audiences alike. At its core, it’s the idea that objects hold traces of memories, emotions, or histories, and that someone with the gift can unlock them. This creates great opportunities for storytelling because it combines mystery and emotion, while also offering new ways to reveal character histories and advance the story.

Rather than using dialogue or lengthy exposition, writers can use token-object reading to reveal secrets through action. The story doesn’t need long explanations because the truth unfolds in flashes, sensations, and images only the character can see.

Psychometry also prompts us to consider themes such as loss, guilt, and identity. A protagonist touching a war medal may relive past heroism tinged with regret; a young woman holding her grandmother’s necklace could be flooded with bittersweet memories she never knew existed. These moments move the plot forward and connect the audience emotionally to the characters.

That’s the real power of psychometry in fiction. It transforms ordinary objects into catalysts for revelation, uncovering secrets that shape the story while pulling readers or viewers into a shared sense of discovery.

Psychometry in literature

Different cultures shape how psychometry appears in fiction. In Japanese manga and anime, for instance, spiritually aware characters often read lingering energy from artifacts. The concept goes back to Shinto beliefs that sacred objects can house spirits. These cultural differences enhance stories from around the world and add new dimensions to how the skill is shown. 

Here are some stories that feature characters employing psychometry.

Stephen King: The Dead Zone

In Stephen King’s The Dead Zone (and its TV adaptation), Johnny Smith experiences visions of the past, present, and future whenever he touches people or objects. Eventually, his visions about Greg Stillson motivate Johnny to assassinate Stillson before the then-President can start World War III.

The TV series expands on this power with disturbing detail. After Johnny touches a cigarette butt left by the serial killer, he experiences the killer’s thoughts, leading him to mimic the killer's conduct and speech. And, at a crime scene, Johnny relives the killer’s urges and sees an assault and murder unfold from the predator’s perspective. The experience leaves him broken, sobbing, and horrified by the weight of knowing what it feels like to kill.

Andrzej Sapkowski: The Witcher

In Andrzej Sapkowski’s Witcher series, Madame Eva is a fortune-teller who reads more than just tarot cards. While her primary tool is divination, her character suggests an ability to sense the emotional imprints tied to objects. Though subtle, it reflects how literature often uses figures like her to symbolize the profound bond between objects and the memories—or destinies—they carry.

Octavia E. Butler: The Patternist

In Octavia Butler’s Patternist novels, psychics can imprint memories onto objects for others to “read” later. This technique is a method of preserving history among Patternists. In Mind of My Mind, one character has an especially powerful ability: she can “seal” impressions into objects, so they remain untouched by later use. She collects rare items with clear psychic echoes, her most prized possession being a 6,000-year-old clay bowl still holding the vivid memories of an ancient Nubian woman.

Star Wars

In the Star Wars universe, psychometry, also known as Force echoes, is a rare ability that allows Force users to experience sights, sounds, emotions, and even physical sensations tied to the object’s past owners, as if the user were reliving those moments firsthand.

In the Legends novel Dark Disciple, Quinlan Vos, a Kiffar Jedi Master, uses psychometry to extract information from clothing or artifacts. The Jedi Council warns against the practice, however, since touching objects tied to violent deaths can overwhelm the unprepared with dangerous impulses.

In the movies and TV shows, some Jedi can glimpse memories when deeply connected to the person who left them. For example, in The Force Awakens, Rey experiences a sudden flood of visions when she touches Anakin Skywalker’s lightsaber for the first time. Similarly, Ezra Bridger senses his parents through their old radio in Star Wars Rebels, and Ahsoka picks up traces of Sabine Wren’s past from a key in Ahsoka. But true object-based psychometry is far rarer, and people cannot teach it.

SK Alexander: The Empath Series

“Joseph Rodes Buchanan coined the term. In his book, Manual of Psychometry, he defined it as, ‘the development and exercise of the divine faculties in man, a demonstration of the old conception of poetry and mystic philosophy as to the Divine interior of the human soul, and the marvelous approximation of man toward omniscience,’” Lia quoted.
“That’s one heck of a definition, which, frankly, I don’t understand at all,” Colt said.
Lia continued talking. “It’s also known as psychoscopy. By physically touching an object, this token-object-reading allows for relevant associations to be made,” she added. “Anyway, all these fancy words boil down to one thing: you can learn stuff by touching an object.”

-    Excerpt from Wicked Seduction

Psychometry also plays a central role in my Empath Series, where Nathaniel Colt uses it to uncover hidden truths. To ground the ability in authenticity, I draw from real-world techniques and describe Colt’s use of focused intent, visualization, and disciplined mental exercises when handling objects. Like any skill, his sensitivity deepens with practice. This blend of authentic method and fantastical power keeps the story immersive while adding depth to Colt’s character and his journey.

Psychometry in TV and movies

Film and television have brought psychometry to life with striking visuals and dramatic tension. These moments suggest that objects carry emotional imprints, though people often portray them as mystical insight rather than a defined psychic skill.

While these depictions often dramatize for suspenseful effect, they also strengthen the common theme that objects carry stories waiting to be uncovered.

The Crow (1994)

After his resurrection, Eric Draven (Brandon Lee) discovers he can relive memories by touching objects tied to his past. In one chilling scene, he witnesses his fiancée Shelly’s last moments through a police officer’s perspective. His gift evolves further, allowing him to transfer memories—and their pain—directly into others. In the final battle, he uses this ability to destroy Top Dollar, making psychometry both a weapon and a source of emotional devastation.

Constantine (2005)

Father Hennessy (Pruitt Taylor Vince) has a more subtle form of psychometry: he can sense important truths by running his hands across newspaper pages. Constantine (Keanu Reeves) enlists him to uncover key information, but Hennessy’s attempt to read the body of Angela Dodson’s sister, Isabel, ultimately reveals the toll such sensitivity can take.

The Pretender (1996-1999)

Angelo (Paul Dillon), one of Dr. Raines’s early experiments, gains psychometry instead of the standard Pretender abilities. His fractured mind enables him to touch objects and know what their owners are doing in real time. Over time, this talent grows—he studies possessions, assumes personalities, and predicts actions with unnerving accuracy. By the end of the series, Angelo’s gift has developed into full-blown psychometry, making him both dangerous and tragic.

Psychometry in Fiction: Takeaways

Although psychometry initially gained interest from spiritualism and parapsychology, its popularity today is largely because of its portrayal in fiction. Books, films, and television have brought the ability to life, presenting characters who uncover hidden memories, emotions, or secrets through the simplest of objects.

The appeal of psychometry as a storytelling device lies not only in spectacle but also in its emotional depth. When a character touches a war medal or a childhood keepsake and experiences another person’s life, the emotional impact is raw, immediate, and universal. This makes psychometry such a compelling narrative tool.

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