The Thought Cabinet is a special feature in Disco Elysium, giving a glimpse into the head of the Cop and the thoughts swirling within. Mileage may vary.
Overview
The choices you make during the game can unlock different Ideals to "Research", researching these ideals basically allows you to choose what your character's ideals are. While you research, you will be afflicted with the temporary penalty or bonus of the specific Ideal. In-game time will need to pass by conversing with people or reading to progress the research. Keep in mind, while you're sleeping, research does not progress. It only progresses while you're awake. Once finished, the Temporary Bonus/Penalty is removed and you gain the permanent bonuses/penalties. You can spend a Skill point to open more slots for more Ideals, but keep in mind you will also have to spend a Skill point if you want to remove an Ideal you have already researched. (So don't commit to an Ideal you don't want.) You can pause researching one Ideal to focus on another while one is currently in the research phase. Keep in mind, you can also research multiple Ideals at the same time as long as you have the slots to do so.
Tips
If you want more XP, "Jamais Vu (Derealization)", "Actual Art Degree" and "Wompty-Dompty Dom Center" offer bonus XP.
If you're looking for more money, "The FIfteenth Indotribe", "Indirect Modes of Taxation", "Hobocop" and "Wompty-Dompty Dom Center" have monetary awards associated with them.
If you want to be good in a gun-fight, "Bringing the Law (Law-Jaw)" offers good bonuses for that.
Bonuses
Name | Temporary Research Bonus | Bonuses After Research | Research Time | How to Acquire |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ace's High | +1 Empathy towards Kim | +1 Empathy towards Kim Kitsuragi
+1 Esprit de Corps |
2h 45m | After successfully shooting down the corpse, choose "Slap it". With Interfacing ≥ 5, Ace's Low becomes an option. |
Ace's Low | +2 Empathy towards Kim | +2 Empathy towards Kim Kitsuragi
+1 Espirit de Corps |
2h 45m | After successfully shooting down the corpse, choose "Slap it and wait for an Ace's Low" (requires Interfacing ≥ 5). The option "Slap it" gives Ace's High instead. |
Actual Art Degree | -1 Perception | -1 Hand/Eye Coordination
Conceptualization passives heal +1 Morale and give +10 XP |
1h 30m | Enough art-related dialogues |
Advanced Race Theory | -1 Drama | Learning Cap for Rhetoric raised by 5
+1 Conceptualization |
1h 40m | Talk to Measurehead (The Muscle guy near the Union building) pass a Conceptualization check. |
Anti-Object Task Force | -2 Pain Threshold | Attacking physical objects heals damage
+1 Pain Threshold All FYS (Physical/Pink) learning caps raised by 1 |
2h 15m | Keep hitting physical objects with your hands/feet. |
Apricot Chewing Gum Scented One | -Reaction Speed | +2 Perception | 5h 5m | Open the hidden compartment in the clipboard (Active skill check Interfacing≥10), smell your Ledger's Note, check the Pour L'Homme Labourer Jeans for the Apricot Chewing Gum Wrapper, examine the wrapper and take a deep breath. |
Arno van Eyck | +1 Interfacing | All MOT white checks unlocked
Reveal Arno van Eyck gig posters in the world |
50m | Once you give Egg Head the tape found in the tree, agree with Acele about Arno Van Eyck must live around here. (Must have converted the church into a dance club) |
Bankruptcy Sequence | -1 Empathy | Int Check Failures give 1 Real | 5h 15m | Talk the container in the dockyard open and successfully pitch a bad idea, like the welkin radio board game. (Requires an active Conceptualization check) |
Boiadeiro | -1 Physical Instrument | -1 Esprit De Corps
Cigarettes give +2 INT (Blue SKills) *Int boost is currently bugged and doesn't work |
6h 30m | Pass an Inland Empire check when talking to Manana (Union guy overlooking the strike) after wondering about your name. Must have talked to Everat to open this dialogue. |
Bringing of the Law (Law-Jaw) | -1 Rhetoric | Learning Cap for Hand/Eye Coodination raised to 6
Automatically Succeed all Hand/Eye Coordination passives -1 Rhetoric |
2h 55m | Choose options that enforce the law, refer to yourself as the Lawbringer to Lilienne, the Net Picker (In the Fishing Village, Day 3 and beyond) |
Caustic Echo | +1 Volition | +300 xp on Completion
-1 Authority All MOT (Yellow/Agility) learning caps raised by 1 |
10h | Open hidden compartment in ledger, throw card away, think about it immediately afterward |
Cleaning Out the Rooms | None | +1 Suggestion
+1 Inland Empire +1 Rhetoric |
5h 35m | Pass a difficult Logic check with Soona at the church after investigating the void of sound (Day 3+) |
Coach Physical Instrument | -2 Encyclopedia | +2 Physical Instrument if shirt slot is empty
-1 Encyclopedia |
40m | Talk to Rene Arnoux - the old guy playing petanque. Your Physical Instrument starts telling you to play the ball. Instead observe, ask questions about the game and end up "failing" the throw. Requires at least 2 points in Physical Instrument. |
Col Do Ma Ma Daqua | None | +3 Perception
-1 Encyclopedia |
7h 10m | Talk to Lena (Wheelchair lady) about the invisible Phasmid (Requires Suggestion) then go outside and listen closely |
Cop of the Apocalypse | -1 Rhetoric | Learning cap for Inland Empire raised to 6
Learning cap for Shivers raised to 6 |
6h 55m | Keep thinking about the apocalypse (Requires PSY/Purple stats) |
Date of Birth Generator | None | Learning Cap for Logic raised by 4
-1 difficulty to all FYS (Physical/Pink) passives |
7h 15m | Wonder when you were born |
Detective Costeau | -2 Conceptualization | +1 Savoir Faire
+1 Espirit de Corps |
2h 30m | Keep referring to yourself as Detective Costeau (Requires failing a Conceptualization check), refuse your real name. |
Fairweather T-500 | -1 Savoir Faire | +1 Hand/Eye Coordination against enemies in FT-500 armor | 3h 30m | Find pieces of the ceramic body armor and equip one of them |
Finger on the Eject Button | +2 Authority
+2 Suggestion |
Suicidal ideas every evening | 2h | Keep wanting to kill yourself |
Finger Pistols (9mm) | -2 Savoir Faire | +1 Reaction Speed
Empty hand slots give Suggestion +1 |
1h | Talk to Siileng the Samaran street vendor and whip out your finger-shooters. Requires 5 points in Composure skill. |
Guillaume le Million | -1 Logic | +1 Pain Threshold
All PSY (Purple) Learning Caps raised by 1 |
4h 30m | Pass an Encyclopedia check with the Mirror in your room |
Hardcore Aesthetic | -2 Interfacing | +1 Volition
+1 Endurance |
Manage to form the church nightclub, sync your sines with Noid, and pass the white Conceptualization check in his dialogue. | |
Hobocop | -1 Composure | Reveals extra Tare bottles on the map
More money from selling tare bottles Learning cap for Shivers raised to 6 |
4h 20m | Become homeless or refer to yourself as homeless |
Homo-Sexual Underground | None | Stopped obsessing about sexuality
Allows you to discuss sexuality with Kim |
8h | Pass the Composure check for the smoking man and ask him if he's in the underground movement |
Indirect Modes of Taxation | -2 Empathy | Ultraliberal dialogue options give +1 Real (Pro-Capitalist, Anti-Working class, Anti-Taxes, Hustle for money)
-1 Empathy |
1h 45m | Pick up shoes in the Apartment block and wear them, Accept Bribes from Joyce (Rich Lady) and Evrart (Union Boss), Support Capitalist Ideals, basically any choice that supports just you making money. Your subconscious will contact you. |
Inexplicable Feminist Agenda | +2 Authority vs Males | +1 Empathy
-1 Electrochemistry |
3h 45m | Support Feminism in the early parts of the game |
Jamais Vu (Derealization) | None | -1 Encyclopedia
+1 XP for every orb clicked All INT (Blue) learning caps raised by 1 |
3h 25m | Talk to Lena (Wheelchair lady) about understanding your reality she will refer you to Joyce (Rich Lady) who you can converse with about reality to unlock this. |
Kingdom of Conscience | -2 Half-light | Moralist Dialogue options heal +1 Morale
Learning Cap for Volition raised to 5 Learning cap for Logic raised to 5 |
1h 25m | Pick up pants near the fishing village and wear them or choose neutral/moderate dialogue options (Don't be pro-capitalism, don't be pro-communism, don't be pro-nationalism) |
Lonesome Long Way Home | +1 Encyclopedia | Perception learning cap raised to 5
Speed (the drug) gives 1 PSY (Purple Stat) *PSY boost is currently bugged and doesn't work |
6h 5m | Wonder where your home is. |
Magnesium-Based Lifeform | -1 Shivers | +2 Volition
-1 Logic |
1h 15m | Talk to Cuno about the Magnesium in his Shack. |
Mazovian Socio-Economics | -2 Visual Calculus | Left-wing Dialogue options give +4 xp (Communist)
-1 Visual Calculus -1 Authority |
3h 10m | Choose left wing dialogue options. (Communist ones) Your Rhetoric will contact you. |
Motorway South | -1 Visual Calculus | +1 Inland Empire
All INT (Blue skill) White Checks Unlocked |
8h 10m | Talk to the old pine rep and then the old driver lady about the void |
One More Door | +1 Half-light | -1 Half-Light
All PSY (Purple) White Checks Unlocked |
45m | Try and fail to open the bunker door north of the Church, Red Interfacing Check (Day 3+) |
Opioid Receptor Antagonist | -2 Electrochemistry | No positive effects from drugs
No negative effects from alcohol |
55m | Make anti-drug related comments |
Overproductive Honour Glands | -4 Drama | Learning cap for Authority raised to 5 | 20m | Do honourable activities, refuse Bribes from Joyce and Evrart, keep your word, etc. |
Regular Law Official | -2 Inland Empire | -1 Shivers
-1 Inland Empire All learning caps raised to 3 |
1h 20m | Be normal and boring. Your drama will contact you. |
Remote Viewers Division | -1 Perception | -1 Difficulty to all PSY (Purple) Passive Checks
-1 Drama |
6h | Choose ESP options |
Revacholian Nationhood | -1 Composure | Nationalist dialogue options damage -1 Morale
Alcohol gives +2 FYS (Physical/Pink) *FYS boost is currently bugged and doesn't work |
9h 10m | Support Fascism and your stomach (Endurance) will contact you. |
Rigorous Self-Critique | -1 Authority | INT (Blue) and PSY (Purple) Red Check failures heal +1 Morale
FYS (Pink) and MOT (Yellow) Red Check failures heal +1 Health Learning Cap for Pain Threshold increased to +6 |
6h | AKA Sorry Cop. Keep apologizing for everything and feeling sorry for yourself. |
Searchlight Division | None | +2 Perception | 3h 15m | Talk to the Lena, Lilenne and working class woman about missing people |
Some kind of Superstar | -2 Logic | -1 Logic
Learning caps for the following raised to 6 Visual Calculus Suggestion Electrochemistry Composure |
1h 10m | Keep referring to yourself as a Superstar |
The Bow Collector | -1 Authority
-1 Hand/Eye Coordination |
+3 Shivers | 6h 10m | Gotten at the same time as White Mourning, requires a Conceptualization 6 check. Choose the Bow Collector option when talking to the Ancient Reptillian Brain |
The Fifteenth Indotribe | None | +10 cents for each green orb clicked
Learning Cap for Savoir Faire raised to 6 |
5h 55m | Talk to Joyce (The Rich lady) about her company Wild Pines (Specifically the option about "8 percent of *all* cargo in the world. |
The Insulindian Miracle | None | All White Checks unlocked | 7h 45m | Tell Joyce about the Unions ultimate end goal and then listen to her explain how these islands were discovered |
The Jamrock Shuffle | Possibly not implemented yet as no one has found a way to unlock it. | |||
The Litany of Contact Mike | -1 Logic
-1 Conceptualization -1 Drama |
All FYS (Physical/Pink) White Checks unlocked | 15m | Talk to Acele (she's a girl by the tent) about Contact Mike (near the Boardwalk, day 3+)
Requires a passive Encyclopedia Check of 8 |
The Precarious World | All red checks fail | Critical success/failure thresholds -1 (might be bugged, do not get crit success on a 5&6 dice roll) | 4h | Pass the Shivers check with the Dice Maker inside the abandoned business building behind the Bookstore. |
The Suicide of Kras Mazov | White check failures heal morale
+1 Rhetoric |
Examine the Bust of Kras Mazov in the apartment building. | ||
Torque Dork | -2 Conceptualization | +2 Interfacing
All Interfacing White Checks unlocked |
25m | Must start the game with 3 Encyclopedia OR LESS
On day 2 walk past Kim's Motorcar and click the yellow orb while having 4 Encyclopedia and 6 Interfacing as well as not knowing your name. Exhaust all dialogue options and say you just know you like cars. |
Volumetric Shit Compressor | None | All currently locked white Endurance checks unlocked
Learning cap for Endurance raised to 4 |
30m | Throw up twice while looking at the Hanging Corpse and want to quit Police work. |
Waste Land of Reality | -2 Physical Instrument | -1 Physical Instrument
-1 Inland Empire -1 Suggestion +1 to all Psyche skills (PSY/Purple) No positive effects from Alcohol |
20 hours | Get Sober. Research Advanced Race theory then talk to Measurehead (The Muscle guy by the Union building) and tell him you need to get sober. Can also be obtained by talking to Tiago inside the church on day 3+ and saying you should get sober. |
White Mourning | -1 Authority | +20% Zoom Out Distance
All MOT (Agility/Yellow) learning caps raised by 1 |
5h | Read the entire note inside your Ledger, pass a Interfacing check. |
Wompty-Dompty Dom Centre | -1 Suggestion | Encyclopedia passives give +10 xp and +2 Real
-2 Suggestion |
42m | Talk to the guy with the kid admiring the Mural on the Boardwalk about all the nerdy stuff. (After Day 3 you can cross the waterway) |