States of Conciouness

From: Ramos-Tavener, Doyle Wayne <st670_at_Jetson.UH.EDU>
Date: Sun, 24 Mar 1996 14:13:07 -0600 (CST)


Nick Brooke states (my paraphrase) that he finds the idea that the God Learners
were Illuminated to be problematic. After reading his response as well as Peter Micheal's "Shouts of Nothingness" (thanks Peter!) I must say that I agree - but for a few qualifications. Peter's piece states that Stafford claims that the GL"s struggled with Illumination. I interpret this statement to mean that though a large majority of the GL's were not Illuminated, many of them were aware of Illumination and its consequences in an _intellectual_ sense. (I, Doyle, may be aware of Post-modernism, but I believe that I am still a prisoner of my constructions.) The Gl's may not have called it Illumination, or realized that this was the insight that Nysalor brought, but I do think that they wondered about it, sought it, explored it, etc.

>OK, if it suits your Glorantha there's no reason why the God Learners shouldn't
>have been *another* Illuminated Empire, like Nysalor's in the First Age and the
>Lunars' in the Third. And, hey, why not say Errinorru was Illuminated, too. And
>the EWF. And... (yawn)

I see your point here, and I must say I do agree with it. But to my mind, there is a difference between a spiritual revelation and a conception. The Gl's, IMHO, had the conception, by and large, and not the spritual experience.

This brings up a whole 'nother can of worms to my mind. For the longest time I have believed that one of the most problematic areas of Gloranthan role playing is the simulation of states of conciousness. The consensus argument seems to be:
A) In Glorantha states of conciousness bring about magical benefits.

B) Game mechanics are needed to simulate 1)the assumption of an altered state of conciousness and 2)the effects that the altered state brings.

C) The game mechanics used color and taint the proper understanding of these states of conciousness, thus inhibiting the proper role play of these states.

D) These states are spritual in nature, and thus can never be truly understood, and therefore can never be role played properly anyway.

While I understand and accept a, b and c, I totally reject d. My answer is to adopt new mechanics, which allow a proper simulation of states of conciouness. Simulation means just that. I might never be properly Post-modern, but it doesn't mean I can't properly role play an Illuminate.

Speaking of which, how many states of conciousness can we identify in Glorantha? I count:

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

Are the last three offices only, or are they also altered states of conciousness?

Or is this area so gray as to make the question meaningless?

Thanks

Doyle


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