The Voice | what it is and how it works
While it might've served as inspiration, a Jedi mind trick it is not. This teachable skill is synonymous with the Bene Gesserit because (just like them) it's all about control.
While Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation stayed true to the books, HBO’s Dune: Prophecy presented the Voice as the overpowered variation of a Jedi mind trick.
This version is a magical get-out-of-jail-free card that will constantly raise the question: Why doesn’t the Sisterhood just command its way through whatever obstacle it faces?
So let’s set the record straight about the Voice and see what the books say about:
what it is,
how it works,
when it was invented, and
why the Bene Gesserit don’t use it all the time.
As always, my primary focus will be on the Core Canon (i.e., the six books written by Frank Herbert) - only if we don’t find answers there will I venture out to the Expanded Universe.
1. What It Is
VOICE: that combined training originated by the Bene Gesserit which permits an adept to control others merely by selected tone shadings of the voice.
This is the definition provided by Frank Herbert in the appendix of the original Dune.
It isn’t magic or witchcraft, it’s not an inherent ability that some people are born with (looking at you, Jedi), neither does it require the awareness-enhancing properties of Spice.
It’s a skill that anyone can learn - with the proper training.
“What training?” you ask.
Although it’s not explicitly stated, I’d posit that it’s connected to the overall prana-bindu training that Bene Gesserit undergo. If you’re unfamiliar, prana-bindu training results in a high degree of muscle and nerve control - and successfully using the Voice relies on such precise control of the muscles.
(Side note: this connection is also confirmed by the Dune Encyclopedia, an EU book that wasn’t written by, but did have Frank Herbert’s approval.)
I was very deliberate in saying that anyone can learn it - not just the girls, the boys too.
I concede that we don’t have many males using the Voice, but early in the original book there’s an exchange between Gaius Helen Mohaim and Lady Jessica confirming that it has nothing to do with chromosomes. It has everything to do with training in the Bene Gesserit way.
The Reverend Mother looked at Jessica. “You’ve been training him in the Way — I’ve seen the signs of it. I’d have done the same in your shoes and devil take the Rules.”
Jessica nodded.
“Now, I caution you,” said the old woman, “to ignore the regular order of training. His own safety requires the Voice. He already has a good start in it, but we both know how much more he needs… and that desperately.”
That’s how Paul Atreides learned, and that’s how Miles Teg (from the fifth book) learned.
2. How It Works
2.1 Mechanics
The first insight we get is when Paul and Jessica are restrained in a ‘thopter, headed for what seems like certain death in the desert. Knowing about the Voice, the Harkonnens took all necessary precautions: they gagged Jessica and one of their captors is deaf.
The deaf one, Jessica thought, studying the scarred face. The Baron knows I could use the Voice on any other man.
But they never imagined Paul having extensive training. And while his first attempt wasn’t perfect, it was enough.
“Remove her gag,” Paul commanded.
Jessica felt the words rolling in the air. The tone, the timbre excellent — imperative, very sharp. A slightly lower pitch would have been better, but it could still fall within this man’s spectrum.
The Dune Encyclopedia goes into the “scientific” details of frequencies and how inaudible sounds affect the unconscious… but what we get from this short paragraph is that the audio-neuro control mechanism depends on modulating tone, timbre, and pitch and relies on subtleties of rhythm and intonation.
And once Jessica - an adept in the Voice - is free to talk, she doesn’t simply command the hearing guard to defend her. Her actions are much more nuanced.
She pitched her voice in low, intimate tones. “Gentlemen! No need to fight over me.”
And once the fight is over and the deaf soldier is dead, she doesn’t simply command the remaining guard to jump out of the ‘thopter. That wouldn’t work. Instead, she convinces him to let Paul go - who then “expands” on that opportunity.
2.2 Psychology
That last bit proves that the Voice is not an absolute weapon that can do anything. There’s not a single pitch-perfect way that will work on everyone - the target(s) and the intended action are all part of the equation.
Remember what Jessica thought about Paul’s first attempt?
A slightly lower pitch would have been better, but it could still fall within this man’s spectrum.
They got lucky that the pitch was appropriate for the target and the desired action.
(Side note: have you ever wondered why the only Force power that isn’t 100% reliable is the Jedi mind trick? Never seen a Force push fail on a person, yet the mind trick only works on the weak-minded? I wonder how that came to be 😉)
Having said that, we have seen the Voice used on crowds. Paul tried it with the Fremen when he finally united the tribes and declared himself the ruler of Arrakis, and Miles Teg used Voice-like commands when he needed his soldiers to obey him.
That’s why the prana-bindu that enables an adept to use their voice box in such a precise manner is only one part of the required training - you also need to learn the skill of observation to understand your target’s psychology.
A master of the Voice will know without fail when a command would work when a more subtle approach is required, and when it would have no effect at all.
2.3 Limitations
Because of the delicate balance that is required, the Voice does not provide absolute control.
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