Impression (Dragonriders of Pern)
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Impression is a concept from the Dragonriders of Pern novels by Anne McCaffrey. In Pernese terms, the word Impress is the joining of minds. This happens when a fire-lizard, Wher, or dragon is hatched from its egg. On the moment of hatching, it seeks out and finds the one with whom it wants to bond. For fire-lizards and Whers it is quite often the person closest to them who has food and offers it to the newborn and is almost a reflexive, instinctive thing.
When a fire-lizard or wher Impresses, it can give its trainer or owner impressions about what it is feeling, and it has the ability to project its thoughts to a limited extent.
However, for a Pernese dragon, this is not only a choice but a necessity. Impression goes far deeper for a dragon. It has been said that a dragon is incomplete without its lifemate, and cannot survive if it does not find one. There have even been cases when a newly-hatched dragon cannot find a suitable match and goes between.
The emotions, thoughts, desires, wants and needs of both dragon and human are known to each other. The dragon knows his or her name, and so tells it to the human counterpart, and would be surprised to learn the human did not know its name at birth. For a dragon and a human, Impression is more than merely the melding of two minds together. They literally become one being with two bodies, their souls intertwined to the extent that there is no way for them to tell where dragon begins and human ends. Thus, it surpasses the familiar concept of telepathy.
In the books, Gold Queens and Bronzes had only been shown to Impress heterosexual females and males respectively. However, for Blues and Greens, they chose homosexual men at the end of the Ninth Pass, although in the beginning of their existence, they were partnered with females. Brown dragons usually chose heterosexual men.
However, how a dragon Impresses, and the logic behind is, is up for debate amongst many fans; specifically, if a rider-to-be's sexuality depends upon their Impression. This has led to several statements by Anne McCaffrey, including the "Tent Peg Theory"[1] and "The Renewable Airforce Document".[2] The Tent Peg Theory is seen as taboo in most Pern fan communities, as it is seen as derogatory towards homosexuals.
Though a human can live, shattered and incomplete, with the loss of his or her dragon, if the human partner dies the dragon will instantly go between as it cannot comprehend or fathom life without its human counterpart. In the case of Gold dragons with unhatched eggs the maternal instinct can prevent the dragon from committing suicide until her eggs have safely hatched and the hatchlings have themselves impressed.
A few sensitive people are able to share thoughts and feelings with dragons even without the bond of Impression. Lessa, the heroine of Dragonflight, is one such person. This ability is largely seen in females, though technically anyone can hear a dragon if the dragon wishes them to.
