Certain configurations of sapient minds can willfully interact via the Aether to sense or alter reality. For humans, such a state of mind involves a level of dissociation that requires intense trauma, neurodivergence or deep meditation to achieve. Other species (or specially engineered AGI constructs) may find it easier to develop such abilities, and those who have spent time in certain regions of deep pseudospace. Regardless, even the highest degree of fine Aetheric control cannot rival even a shadow of what the Timeless accomplish as easily as breathing.
An uploaded human esper retains their psi capabilities, though they are not economically useful as a mass-market product, as the standard accelerated brainwashing protocols normally used to make enslaved uploads compliant also have the tendency to destroy their ability to touch the Aether. Uploaded espers exist who live free, but suffer the same limitations as any upload, since their minds are considered non-sentient intellectual property and their abilities disputed.
Corporations work hard to discredit espers and suppress awareness of their abilities, funding studies that “prove” that esper experiences are hallucinations or mental illness. Any evidence of cognitive interfacing is buried under corporate-controlled media. Espers who go public with their abilities find themselves labeled as conspiracy theorists or extremists. Entertainment often features ridiculous portrayals of esper abilities, making real cognitive interfacing seem like fantasy.
Legitimate studies of Aetheric cognition are locked behind classified research divisions, ensuring that only corporations benefit from the knowledge by secretly employing trained espers in high-value roles—data analysis, high-risk security, espionage, sabotage, and high-frequency trading via Aetheric foresight. These espers are often recruited and trained by those same research institutions, serving as covert training centers while filtering out any potential threats.