D&D (2024) How does mind flayer feeding actually work?

[Dausuul]

Using mind flayers in my campaign, and that plus BG3 got me thinking about something that's bugged me for years (and is now highly relevant to me, since I will need to describe the corpses of mind flayer victims):

What is the actual physical process by which a mind flayer extracts a humanoid brain?

I mean, it grabs your head in its tentacles. Then, over the course of 6 seconds, your brain is removed from your head. That's... very quick. Does the illithid bore a hole through your skull, liquefy the brain, and suck it out like a spider? Are the tentacles actually feeding tubes through which the brain matter is pulled? Does it psionically teleport your brain into its stomach? Something else?

What does everyone think?

 

[billd91]

Once it’s got you grappled with its tentacles, and you’re incapacitated, it bites into your skull with its mouth, and slurps that brain right out like a sorority girl scarfing down a Jell-O shot. MMMMmmmm…

 

[Vikingkingq]

Did you ever read about how ancient Egyptian embalmers would use a special tool to drag the brain out through the nasal cavity to prepare a body for mummification? Think that, but the tool is fully prehensile.

 

[R_J_K75]

Read the Illithiad from 2E Im sure it goes into detail

 

[R_J_K75]

like a sorority girl scarfing down a Jell-O shot

HEY!! Don't give Jello shots a bad name

 

[Tonguez]

 

[smcc360]

 

[Charlaquin]

Did you ever read about how ancient Egyptian embalmers would use a special tool to drag the brain out through the nasal cavity to prepare a body for mummification? Think that, but the tool is fully prehensile.

That process took a lot longer than 6 second’s though.

 

[TheSword]

The process is described in the 2nd edition Illithiad - which was a sourcebook specifically on Mind Flayers.

The mindflayers tentacles secrete a powerful flesh and bone digesting acid/enzyme that melts holes in your head and it just sucks the goop all out in one go. Effectively the tentacles can effortlessly burrow through flesh and bone. Or it can delicately peel back the skull piece by piece like an epicurean and take its time with you.

Not sure if that’s been updated since.

 

[Oofta]

I found a related video that's quite informative