A Mentat is a fictional profession or discipline in Frank Herbert's Dune universe. Mentats are humans trained to mimic computers: human minds developed to staggering heights of cognitive and analytical ability. FicTioNaL is a Gaming Legend. ... Frank Patrick Herbert (October 8, 1920 – February 11, 1986) was a critically acclaimed and commercially successful American science fiction author. ... The fictional Dune universe, or Duniverse, is the political, scientific, and social setting of author Frank Herberts six-book Dune series of science fiction novels. ...

Overview

As established by Frank Herbert, following the defeat of the thinking machines by humanity in the Butlerian Jihad, it was forbidden to create sentient machines: The Thinking Machines are a fictional group from the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. ... The Butlerian Jihad is an epic turning point in the back-story of Frank Herberts fictional Dune universe. ...

Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a human mind. — Orange Catholic Bible A fictional book from the Dune novels of Frank Herbert, the Orange Catholic Bible, also known as the Koranjiyana Zenchristian Scriptures or Zenchristian Navakoran, is one of the most important religious texts in the Dune universe. ...

The Mentat discipline was developed as a replacement for computerized calculation, just as the Bene Gesserit and the Spacing Guild took on functions previously provided by thinking machines. For thousands of years, society considered Mentats the embodiment of logic and reason. The Bene Gesserit (as seen in the prologue of an alternate version of the David Lynch Dune film. ... The Spacing Guild is a fictional organization in Frank Herberts Dune universe created in a series of science fiction novels starting in Dune and ending with Chapterhouse Dune. ...

Unlike computers, however, Mentats are not simply human calculators writ large. Instead, the exceptional cognitive abilities of memory and perception are the foundations for supra-logical hypothesizing. Mentats are able to sift large volumes of data and devise concise analyses in a process that goes far beyond logical deduction: Mentats cultivate "the naïve mind", the mind without preconception or prejudice, that can extract the essential patterns or logic of data, and deliver useful conclusions with varying degrees of certainty. They are not limited to formulating syllogisms; they are the supreme counselors of the Dune universe, filling roles as menial as archivists and clerks, or as grand as advisors to Emperors.

A Mentat's capabilities can be greatly increased by taking sapho juice, but using it leads to addiction. Sapho is extracted from the root of the Ecaz tree and its use doubles or even triples the Mentat's immense processing power. However, repeated use leaves a permanent "cranberry-colored stain" on the user's lips. Sandworm from the cover of Heretics of Dune. ...

Being a Mentat can be a profession in itself, or the discipline can be added to other roles. The ability to be a Mentat is a talent limited to a small number of people; thus, those with the discipline are prized in whatever role they choose. There are also varying degrees of ability. In Dune, Thufir Hawat is considered to be one of the best mentats known at the time. Paul Atreides is a Mentat duke (and later emperor) in Dune, and in Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse Dune, Miles Teg is a Mentat bashar (or general) and the most formidable military commander in the known universe. In Dune Messiah, Duncan Idaho is recreated as a ghola, and trained as both a Mentat and as a Zensunni philosopher; he then serves Paul as the House Weapons Master. In Children of Dune, he marries the Regent, Paul's sister Alia, but is then instrumental in protecting the royal heirs from her, demonstrating that Mentats are rarely simply disinterested observers and counselors. Dune is a science fiction novel written by Frank Herbert and published in 1965. ... Thufir Hawat, portrayed by Freddie Jones in the 1984 movie Thufir Hawat, portrayed by Jan Vlasák in the Dune miniseries Thufir Hawat is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. ... Paul Atreides, as portrayed by Kyle MacLachlan in David Lynchs Dune (1985), wielding the infamous Weirding Module. Paul Orestes Atreides is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. ... Heretics of Dune is a 1984 science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, fifth in a series of six novels. ... Chapterhouse Dune is a science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, last in his series of six Dune novels. ... Miles Teg is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. ... Dune Messiah Dune Messiah is a science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, the second in a series of six novels. ... James Watson as Duncan Idaho in the Dune miniseries Duncan Idaho is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. ... A Ghola is a creature in the fictional Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. ... Zensunni in Frank Herberts Dune series is a religious belief that is a hybrid of principles of Zen Buddhism and Sunni Islam. ... A philosopher is a person who thinks deeply regarding people, society, the world, and/or the universe. ... Children of Dune Children of Dune is a science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, third in a series of six novels set in the Dune universe. ... Alia Atreides, portayed by Daniela Amavia in the Children of Dune miniseries. ...

It is also possible to vary the discipline: In Dune, the Tleilaxu create 'twisted Mentats' for the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Piter de Vries being the most notable example). These are sociopathic Mentats free from the usual constraints of human morality or instinctual considerations (de Vries is, among other things, a sadist and acts as torturer for the Baron). In Heretics of Dune the Duncan ghola supplied to the Bene Gesserit by the Tleilaxu has been altered in many subtle and hidden ways by the Tleilaxu, including the addition of submerged Mentat abilities. The Bene Tleilax or Tleilaxu are a secretive society in the fictional Dune universe created by Frank Herbert in the Dune series of novels. ... Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, portrayed by Ian McNeice in the Sci-Fi Channels Dune miniseries The Baron Vladimir Harkonnen is a fictional character from the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. ... Piter De Vries is a fictional character from Frank Herberts Dune science fiction series. ... Antisocial personality disorder (APD) is a personality disorder which is often characterised by antisocial and impulsive behaviour. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

In God Emperor of Dune, Leto II outlaws the order and crushes any renegade training schools he finds. Unlike his execution of historians for the purpose of controlling his legacy and symbolism, Leto never explicitly mentions why he suppresses Mentats, leaving the reader to conclude that it simply plays a role in his larger purpose of oppressing humanity in order to create his Golden Path. The art is not eliminated, however, surviving through underground schools; notably, the Bene Gesserit preserve the art, assuming that Leto knows of this (through his prescience) and approves. God Emperor of Dune is a science fiction novel by Frank Herbert published in 1981 — the fourth novel in the Dune series. ... Leto Atreides II, portrayed by James McAvoy in the Children of Dune miniseries Leto Atreides II is a fictional character in the Dune universe, created by Frank Herbert. ... The Golden Path is Leto IIs strategy to prevent humanitys destruction in Frank Herberts fictional Dune universe. ... Prescience is the ability to predict the future through vision. ...

Later, in Chapterhouse Dune, the Duncan ghola speaks to the Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother Bellonda and recalls his past incarnation from the time of Leto II: A Reverend Mother is a fictional character appearing in the novel Dune, being a Bene Gesserit woman who has finished her training. ... Bellonda is a fictional character from the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. ...

I went to Wallach IX at the Tyrant's command ... My orders were to suppress the Mentat school you thought you had hidden there ... I, a Mentat, forced to suppress a school that trained people the way I was trained. I knew why he ordered it, of course, and so do you. Wallach IX is a notable fictional planet in Frank Herberts science fiction universe of Dune. ...

Bellonda retrieves the following information from Other Memory: The Bene Gesserit (as seen in the prologue of an alternate version of the David Lynch Dune film. ...

Order of Mentats, founded by Gilbertus Albans; temporary sanctuary with Bene Tleilax who hoped to incorporate them into Tleilaxu hegemony; spread into uncounted "seed schools"; suppressed by Leto II because they formed a nucleus of independent opposition; spread into the the Scattering after the Famine. Hegemony (pronounced or ) (Greek: ) is the dominance of one group over other groups, with or without the threat of force, to the extent that, for instance, the dominant party can dictate the terms of trade to its advantage; more broadly, cultural perspectives become skewed to favor the dominant group. ... The Scattering is a fictional event that takes place in Frank Herberts Dune books. ...

The Mentat may be considered part of a comparison of the extremes of masculine and feminine intellect^{[citation needed]}. The Mentat exhibits a superhuman version of the stereotypically male analytical disposition; in contrast, the Bene Gesserit exhibits a superhuman version of the female intuitive disposition. The Bene Gesserit (as seen in the prologue of an alternate version of the David Lynch Dune film. ...

Origins

The origin of the first Mentat is explored in the Legends of Dune prequels written by Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert. During the Butlerian Jihad, thinking machine leader Omnius sees humans as animals, but the independent robot Erasmus argues that any human can become brilliant. Omnius picks a nine-year-old, blonde-haired boy who appears to be the wildest and most unkempt of all, and challenges Erasmus to prove his theory. Erasmus calls the boy Gilbertus Albans, thinking that this sounds like a smart human's name. After initially failing to make progress by using a system of benevolence and rewards, he switches to a system of strict supervision and punishment, and the method works. By emulating Erasmus, whom he has come to consider his father, Albans becomes the first to display computer-like cognitive and calculation capacity on the level of thinking machines.-1... Kevin J. Anderson (born March 27, 1962) is an American science fiction author. ... Brian Herbert (born 1947) is an American author. ... Omnius was the evermind, or controlling intelligence, of the robots in the Legends of Dune series, a trilogy of novels written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. ... Erasmus is a Thinking Machine in Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Andersons Legends of Dune trilogy. ...

To his own surprise, Erasmus too develops an attachment to the boy; when Gilbertus is about 20 years old, Erasmus performs a life-extension procedure on him without permission from Omnius. Because of Gilbertus' remarkable memory-organizational ability and capacity for logical thinking, Erasmus nicknames him "Mentat," created from the words mentor, mentee and mentation. During the Battle of Corrin, Erasmus deactivates an explosive trip mechanism in the thinking machine defenses in order to save Gilbertus, thereby dooming the entire machine empire. The robot says: Life extension refers to an increase in maximum or average lifespan, especially in humans, by slowing down or reversing the processes of aging. ... The Battle of Corrin is an important battle in the fictional Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. ...

Perhaps when all the thinking machines are gone, you can teach your fellow humans how to think efficiently. Then all my work will not have been for nothing. — Dune: The Battle of Corrin Dune: The Battle of Corrin is the third book in the Legends of Dune series. ...

The Mentat Mantra

The David Lynch Dune film includes a scene in which Piter De Vries recites the following upon drinking sapho juice [1]: David Keith Lynch (born January 20, 1946, in Missoula, Montana) is an American filmmaker. ... Dune is a 1984 science fiction film directed by David Lynch, based on the 1965 Frank Herbert novel of the same name. ... Piter De Vries is a fictional character from Frank Herberts Dune science fiction series. ...

It is by will alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the juice of sapho that thoughts acquire speed, the lips acquire stains, the stains become a warning. It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.

This mantra is a creation of Lynch and does not appear in the books, though in Dune there is mention that Thufir Hawat has cranberry-stained lips from sapho juice.

The same mantra is also recited by the Harkonnen Mentat Hayt in the beginning of the House's campaign in the Dune 2000 video game before briefing the player on the first mission. Emblem of House Harkonnen from Emperor: Battle for Dune For the novel of the same name, see Dune: House Harkonnen. ... Dune 2000 is a Dune computer game, released by Westwood Studios in 1998. ...

References in other media

"Mentats" is also the name of a drug in 1997 computer game Fallout and its 1998 sequel Fallout 2, which temporarily enhanced the user's mental attributes. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Fallout 2 is a critically-acclaimed computer role-playing game published by Interplay in 1998. ...

See also

• Mental calculator