Doyle includes two more concensus truths that I am not as happy with, so I shan't include them. Then he goes on to identify some unique states of consciousness in Glorantha.
> Heroquest Conciousness
> Illumination
> Runequest Sight (I don't know about this one. Is it more a magical technique
> or state of conciousness?
> Initiate
> Priest
> Shamanhood
These are very good as a beginning. I had been wrestling with the issue of Gloranthan Magic in the GoonQuest 2 rules, and having no success so far, but I believe this line of thought may produce something. My feeling is that the states of consciousness are more along the lines of:
Infinity (possessed by dragons and superheroes)
Illumination
RuneQuest Sight
One per Rune
One per God
I'm thinking here about how this might work in the game rules. Without putting numbers on them, IMO, the more skill a person has in a state of consciousness the more easily s/he may reach it when s/he wants, and the more power s/he has with it. If s/he invokes a state of consciousness and fails to control it, make it subservient to his/her own personality or will or what have you, then s/he acts as the state of consciousness dictates. Someone who invokes the state of consciousness for a god's rune and loses control of her will acts as the god would act in the myths. Someone who invokes the state of consciousness for a Rune and loses control will act as that Rune requires, an altogether more primal set of behaviors than the gods themselves. Both RuneQuest Sight and Illumination have pathological equivalents too, as would the runic professions such as Shamanism (spirit) and Sorcery (law). There's got to more. I'll think about it.
IMO Doyle has done an important thing. He has identified a problem that we can solve.
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