seemned

Seemned is a term used in speculative fiction and worldbuilding to describe a class of beings or phenomena that blur the boundary between appearance and reality. In typical depictions, Seemned are noncorporeal or semi-corporeal entities that inhabit environments rich in data, memory, or emotion. They interact with other beings by shaping perception, triggering illusions that feel almost indistinguishable from real events, or altering recollections of the past.

Origin and role within in-world lore vary by work, but the concept is often tied to the idea that what is seen can be misread or manipulated. The name is commonly derived from a fusion of the word seem and a suffix for entities, underscoring their focus on appearances rather than objective truth. In several stories, Seemned arise after information upheaval or collective memory storms, feeding on cognitive activity and using it to sustain their presence.

Biology and behavior are described with a range of interpretations. Some depictions portray Seemned as plasmic colonies or distributed information-based intelligences; others frame them as memetic phenomena that ride on attention. They may be parasitic or symbiotic, and their influence on hosts often involves nudging attention, memory, or perception to stabilize their surroundings or achieve their goals. They tend to avoid direct conflict, preferring to operate through ambiguity and stealth.

In culture and media, Seemned appear as enigmatic antagonists or uncertain allies, serving as symbols of misinformation, the fragility of memory, and the difficulty of distinguishing perception from reality. They are used to explore questions about cognitive autonomy, consent, and the ethical implications of manipulating what people remember or perceive.

See also: illusion, memory, perception, memetic phenomena.