Imprinter

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In the fictional Dune saga by Frank Herbert, an imprinter is a member of the Bene Gesserit specifically trained to a high level of sexual skill, who has the task of sexual imprinting.

Young men in a position of power or future power, or those with specific qualities that the order wishes to incorporate into their breeding program are the targets of an imprinter. Men seduced by an imprinter are permenently affected (imprinted) by the intense sexual experience and are thereafter consciously or subconsciously favourable to the order. In Heretics of Dune the Honoured Matres have refined this ability to such an intense level that the targeted male becomes completely enslaved. In Chapterhouse Dune the order has learned their method from the captured Honoured Matre Murbella and use it for their own purposes, specifically to awaken the memories within the ghola of Miles Teg.

An imprinter can be successfully resisted if the subject has been psychologically pre-conditioned. When the imprinter attempts to seduce the subject, he will automatically respond to the conditioning and resist, or attempt to slay her. More simply, if an imprinter is recognised they can be simply avoided.