Re:Julian Jaynes and The God-Learners

From: Simon Hibbs <simon_at_fcrd.gov.uk>
Date: Tue, 7 May 96 14:01:34 BST


Mike Cule says :

Extract from the letters of a proto-GL scholar.

>They remain tied to the primitive magics of their shamans and priests and to
>the world view that blinds them to the promise of Solace. They are convinced
>that our own spiritual practices are destroying us and are smugly sure that we
>are not going to be their overlords forever.
>
> My Lord, I fear they may be right. Since I came to this place from our
>island home, I have done some serious thinking that I might never have faced
>had I not come into contact with these 'primitives'. Thinking about the roots
>of our faith and theirs. Thinking about the nature of the world we live in.

This is a very modern scientific-paradigm way of thinking.  

God Learner-ism came out of the deep philosophical introspection of the 'Return to Rightness' movement. Looking at other magical traditions and saying 'Hey, I wonder how that works, perhaps I should try that too' is more akin to the path taken by Illuminates. IMHO the God Learner enquiries went so deep into their own philosophy they discovered some fundamental truths about Glorantha. These enabled them to understand(*) and manipulate the myths (and hence the magics) of other Gloranthan cultures. They were not realy looking for this in the first place, it just happened.

(*) It is as though they could heroquest _into_ the myths of another culture rather that just passing _through_ them as Arkat did. Remember, Arkat was illuminated. He could rob powers from a cult and then move on. The GLs could change a myth forever. Rather than stepping sideways into another myth, it is as though they could 'submarine' into a myth and affect it from the inside.

Simon Hibbs
simon_at_fcrd.gov.uk


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