Ghost hacking

Ghost hacking is an (as yet) fictional activity, whereby a person -- or machine -- uses similar technologies to hacking a computer, in order to gain direct access to the conscious mind of another person. It is depicted in Ghost in the Shell.

In Ghost in the Shell, many people have ways in which they can connect their brain directly to the diverse networks. While people GeneRally use a firewall, sometimes it's not up to the task, and a good hacker or cracker can gain direct access to the mind of the person in question.

A good natured person could use such a hack to look through another persons eyes, gain information on certain areas etc. In Ghost in the Shell, section 9 occasionally performs hacks of this kind.

A person with a more sinister nature might overwrite a person's memories and thoughts with information from themselves. The victim is incapable of knowing which memories and perceptions are real, and which of these memories have been implanted. (see: Epistemology)

Some believe that the Wachowski brothers' The Matrix trilogy was inspired by "ghost hacking".