Re: !illumination

From: Robert McArthur <mcarthur_at_fit.qut.edu.au>
Date: Fri, 4 Aug 1995 16:37:45 +1000 (EST)

George replies
> >From: Robert McArthur <mcarthur_at_fit.qut.edu.au>
> >Date: Thu, 3 Aug 1995 13:40:47 +1000 (EST)
> >Subject: !illumination
> >
> >Thought for the day: it is possible to be be illuminated, and then become
> >un-illuminated. Illumination seems to be a worldview shift as well as a
> >cosmic
> >lifeline change - such as detecting chaotic vs not. There are a number of
> >cases
> >of worldview changes regressing, as there are of worldview changes that
> don't
> >(or haven't yet :-) changed back. Earth being at the centre of the universe
> >being one of the latter ;-)
>
> I think that the nature of illumination is that it forces the perception of a
> "truth" that is obvious & unavoidable. So unless you can learn that the
> truth is incorrect, or you magically unleapn it, you are stuck. Compare it
> to learning your wife has been unfaithful, now go ahead and "forget" it.

[Possible turn off into existentialism starts] Ah, but what is truth? If I see the light (?) and join a faith that practices and believes in polygamy then the "truth" may have changed. Truth is merely one being's perception of reality which can change from time-to-time, as the reality can!

(wow, to think I made that up at 4:30 on friday afternoon in one go :-)

If you want a Gloranthan example, we have stories of beings whose names we don't know, or practices that are not known, because it is possible in Glorantha to have total anhiliation (I'm not too hot on the 'total' business). Going onto the hero/godplane can have effects *now* (cf. trollkin 'curse'). It *is* possible to forget things - ask the Wyrm's friends who knew the secrets and who were'nt killed (admittadly not many!).

What is done can be changed into something else.

Whoops, gotta go (as you're all probably glad of) Robert McArthur

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