Dementors suck feelings of happiness out of the person. And well all the memories are stored inside the brain. So what would have happened if we tried Occlumency whenever a dementor approached (only approached, as in the train incident in POA, or the Quidditch match, not moving in for a kiss)? If it worked, there would be coldness and all, but it couldn't force dreadful memories into the mind or suck out happiness.
Will Occlumency work to repel the mental effects of a dementor?
asked Jan 4, 2016 at 2:52
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1Occlumency is harder than producing a Patronous. And if something can be handled easily, why will you complicate the process. :)– ArjunCommented Jan 4, 2016 at 3:21
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Well I was thinking so too but occlumency would be beneficial when we are in close contact with dementors but cannot use spell..like when disarmed or when ministry people wanted to communicate with them...I am just asking it is possible or not– Prakhar LondheCommented Jan 4, 2016 at 3:25
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Related: scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/82055/…– vap78Commented Jan 4, 2016 at 12:54
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1Actually, if so, this may very well explain what Snape's "best way to tackle dementors" was that caused Harry to disagree with him in the sixth book. Obviously Harry's considers the best way to be with a Patronus, so there must at least be an alternative method to repel a dementor. Even if the method isn't technically Occlumency, it may be related in flavor, which would be why Snape would prefer it to a Patronus. (Of course, there are other reasons why Snape would rather not produce a Patronus, but that's a different question entirely.)– BolteAltamontCommented Jan 6, 2016 at 5:52
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1 Answer
Occlumency is generally intended to guard against Legilimency--the penetration of the mind by an outside source. The dementors are not performing Legilimency as such. They are not reading anyone's mind, trying to identify their emotions, or attempting to force a particular thought on them. Yes, they force people to relive their negative emotions, but this is a side effect of their overall desire to feed on positive emotion. The dementors want food, not a way inside someone else's mind, which is the goal of a Legilimens. A Patronus Charm succeeds by providing the dementors with something else to feed on.
If they dementors do not recognize human emotion in something, they know that it cannot offer them a food source, and so they will generally leave it alone. Sirius took advantage of this tendency by using his Animagus form in Azkaban. The only way Occlumency might succeed in warding off a dementor is if an Occlumens manages to block all his human emotions to the point that the dementor cannot sense any of them. But I am inclined to think that such a total block would be difficult, if not impossible. Patronus Charms are complicated enough, considering that Hogwarts does not teach them until students are at the N.E.W.T. level. And few students bother to become Anamagi, as the national register reflects: only the most advanced Hogwarts pupils seem to be offered this opportunity to learn how (i.e., Professor McGonagall). Occlumency is not taught at Hogwarts at all. For most wizards, Patronus Charms are the only familiar option.
So I would answer this question with a very qualified yes. If a given Occlumens can block his or her emotions to the point that his or her emotions are not recognizable as human, then Occlumency could work against dementors. Whether anyone, even Snape, is skilled enough to manage this feat is another matter. And again, Occlumency was invented as a counter to Legilimency, not as a protection against dementors. Bellatrix Lestrange was skilled enough at Occlumency to instruct Draco, but the books imply that she was affected by the Dementors in Azkaban, just like all the other prisoners. Although Occlumency might be able to ward off dementors in theory, as a practical matter, using it in this non-traditional way would require an impossibly high level of skill.
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A good answer but dementors fear patronuses not feed upon them.... they fear of outburst of such a powerful positive emotions that wards away gloom and despair. .hence they flee...and any skilled wizard can achieve full occlumency .if Snape cannot do it, he would have had hard time defending his thoughts from the highly skilled legimens Mr . Voldemort who nearly always know when somebody is lying. . Commented Jan 4, 2016 at 4:32
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Harry is a skilled wizard, but he is a terrible Occlumens because he cannot block his emotions very well. Occlumency depends on a high level of emotional self-control which is separate from magical ability. Snape can probably block any human Legilimens. But my point is that dementors are NOT trying to perform Legilimency. The goal of Occlumency is to block human penetration, not to make someone emotionally unrecognizable as being human, which would be necessary to block dementors. I don't know for certain whether it is even possible.– E. J.Commented Jan 4, 2016 at 5:04
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1I think my interpretation of how dementors respond to Patronuses is basically accurate--based on my memory of Lupin's explanation in book 3--but I don't have the book handy. I'll try to locate a quote when I get a chance.– E. J.Commented Jan 4, 2016 at 5:07
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Occlumency is not shutting mind against human penetration but rather external penetration...and demetors do the same thing...they penetrate the emotions and memory section of mind.. and yes harry was not a skilled oclumence that's why I didn't asked the question targeting him Commented Jan 4, 2016 at 5:40
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1My point with mentioning Harry is that being a skilled wizard does not necessarily enable one to become a good Occlumens. It's a prerequisite, but it isn't enough. Snape does say "external penetration," but he is talking about penetration by Voldemort--a human. (Can goblins perform Legilimency? Hm.) And by penetration he means Legilimency, not simply influencing someone. The dementors don't care what their victims think--unlike a Legilimens, they are not attempting to study another's mind. They want food--positive emotions. Their victims' bad feelings are a side effect, not their main goal.– E. J.Commented Jan 4, 2016 at 16:48