The medium Soulcasting works through

[+Oltux72]

By which medium does a Soulcaster talk to the soul of the object in the CR? Is it the same way Cognitive Shadows and travellers in the CR talk to each other? Can it be blocked?
In particular can you Soulcast inside a Coppercloud or near a concealing Aviar?

[Ixthos]

10 hours ago, Oltux72 said:

By which medium does a Soulcaster talk to the soul of the object in the CR? Is it the same way Cognitive Shadows and travellers in the CR talk to each other? Can it be blocked?
In particular can you Soulcast inside a Coppercloud or near a concealing Aviar?

I imagine that the same medium that all the mental metals use to either send, receive, or block allomantic pulses. Those same pulses are produced by shards when in or interacting with the physical and cognitive realm, and at least some of their perpendicularities (as the pits didn't seem to produce any, but the well did). It seems like all uses of investiture produce them, but some are easier to sense than others, as Lightweaver applications are less "noisy" than Windrunner applications, and Feruchemists abilities don't seem as energetic as those of an Allomancer.

So it likely is either a spiritual thing which manifests in the cognitive as perceivable ripples - or instructions for soulcasting - or is entirely a cognitive wave, equivalent to sound in the physical realm, and possibly similar to whatever allowed someone the ability to get beads in Shadesmar to clump together around a seed bead - investiture infused pulses of an idea directed towards the representation of an objects idea-side nature.

Ultimately, we don't know what other items or analogues exist in the cognitive realm, and how they differ from the physical.

[Karger]

14 hours ago, Oltux72 said:

In particular can you Soulcast inside a Coppercloud or near a concealing Aviar?

It may be more difficult but I think a soulcaster is likely capable of punching through the coppercloud effect.

[+TheFoxQR]

The medium is probably Cognitive, but the means may go all the way up to Spiritual.

[Pathfinder]

I believe (though I do not think we have anything concrete to go on at this point), that copper would function as a masking effect, not a disabling one. As in, if someone soulcasted in a copper cloud, then depending on the strength of the copper cloud, a bronze seeker outside the cloud would not be able to detect the soulcasting, but the soulcasting could still take place. Now regarding the copper cloud somehow limiting soulcasting. When you soulcast the way we see Jasnah do quite a bit (she is standing in physical realm, and soulcasts another thing in the physical realm), that is when the soulcaster "astral projects", by sending an "investiture bubble" of the soulcaster into the cognitive realm. That "investiture bubble" person can be interacted with with individuals in the cognitive realm, as well as if the "investiture bubble" is harmed or killed, so too is the person. Hence the danger inherent in soulcasting. You potentially leave your physical body vulnerable, as well as your cognitive self. I could believe that theoretically a copper cloud could hide someone's cognitive representation in the cognitive realm, preventing a soulcaster from soulcasting it, but personally I do not believe that is the case. In addition, even if it was (which I acknowledge is a possibility), we do have a WoB stating that soulcasters (the fabrial, we aren't even getting to the radiant version being stronger, and having more possibilities) are used to pushing through investiture to soulcast. The same WoB says a soulcaster (the fabrial) could soulcast metal minds. So if a copper cloud could mask someone's cognitive self in the cognitive realm, I think the soulcaster could push through the interference, and still soulcast their target. 

[ZenBossanova]

This talk of how soulcasting works, brings to mind something I wondered: One of the reasons Nightblood has no concept of Good and Evil, is that he was made from metal, which had never been a living being. 

But what if Vasher had started with soulcast metal, that was originally a sapient being? Would Nightblood understand mortality better? 

[Pathfinder]

On 7/4/2019 at 8:17 PM, ZenBossanova said:

This talk of how soulcasting works, brings to mind something I wondered: One of the reasons Nightblood has no concept of Good and Evil, is that he was made from metal, which had never been a living being. 

But what if Vasher had started with soulcast metal, that was originally a sapient being? Would Nightblood understand mortality better? 

It would make the process of awakening easier, but based on the WoB below, I do not think it would aid in providing a means of understanding good and evil. Though I suppose it could go either way.

 

Questioner

So the lighteyes that get Soulcast into stone, can they be Awakened?

Brandon Sanderson

*pause* So… Yes, but their soul is gone. When they get Soulcast into stone it is only the corpse, so yes they could.

Questioner

Would it be a lifeless or a-- Would it be like Awakening something inorganic or would them once being alive help?

Brandon Sanderson

The fact that they were once alive will help. There's a Spiritual Connection that still exists on the Spiritual Realm and that is going to help. But you're not going to get the person back. The fact that it is the exact form of a person is going to be really helpful. It would be a lot easier to Awaken that than it would be to Awaken other stone.

Shadows of Self release party (Oct. 5, 2015)