The 'Power' Of Intent (Slight Cosmere spoilers)

[Odium's_Shard]

Now, I know what you're thinking. After my last bluff on the 'quantum physics of Spren', many of you may be skeptical (I can name one a few) as to why I may be again bringing science, specifically poorly founded science, once again into the world of the Cosmere. Allow me to explain.

Now, some of you may have read Dan Brown's novel 'The Lost Symbol'. Some of you may be cursing me already for allowing any of his works to taint this board. However, I am an avid fan of the 'science' behind these conspiracy theories, and while I hardly buy into them, it interests me to witness the history of the ancient repeat itself in contorted loops. And in this book, he demonstrated a new (and I must say, existing) scientific field called Noetic Science. Because of the book, the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) reported a tripling in the inquiries it receives.

This particular science is described as 'the science of consciousness, and the physical ramifications of intent'.

Now, here is where this scientific field becomes dramatically controversial, while at the same time, and almost sickeningly in the world of religion, plausible. It states that all aspects of any 'mystical power' to have ever existed were in reality just the work of a culmination of human thoughts, emotions and intents.

Now you're thinking, I can picture you, sat at your computer, laughing at me. Saying I'm mad. Christian's will cry, why, it's Easter, Jesus didn't rise from the dead because people wanted him to. But that's what this science proposes.

Evidence. We all seek it. Now let me gift you. Three hours following the dramatic and upsetting events of 9/11, four scientists in America were running Random Generating Events. Basically, it is a machine that causes unpredictable events. And, surprisingly, at this exact time, when all of America were mourning this monumental event, the scientists recorded that the random Event Generators... were less random. The patterns were becoming predictable, becoming strange emotional messages meaning sadness. They tested again and again in the subsequent weeks, and realised the effect was fading. At first they didn't know what it was. They scratched and turned, thinking. And then it dawned. It wasn't anything they had thought of at all.

The thoughts, the cognitives, all around the world, had the potential to affect, and order, the physical realm.

Tests have been done since, measuring the effects like 'The Placebo Effect', and how a patient thinking that they are receiving the medicine is almost the same as actually receiving it. And they determined that the way we perceive the world might alter it. This ties back in with the Quantum Physics, where observation changes results.

They determined, that if we wanted something to happen in a vast randomness, there were high chances that if there were enough willpower behind it, then it variably came true.

If Jesus, and the Five Thousand Gathered, so wanted the fish to split between them all, or for enough to become available for all, Noetic Sciences propose that on a smaller scale (as myths are often exaggerated) this might one day be possible. Tests such as five people willing a goldfish to swim away from them, the direction of light coming out of a Random Light Generator, all could be determined.

Now, this at last sounds like something similar to the Spren Principle of Certainty.

And last, and finally, Intent was shown to be a skill. People such as herbal healers, or prophets or oracles, may have simply been people who had very practiced 'organs' of thoughts, who could send thoughts the weight of hundreds of collective minds, and so invariably could see the truth, invariably could divine miracles. Nicodemus would be the best example of this. How else could he have known?

I also see links to the and the shaping of the Power of Creation through the Shards Intent. The way the power is formed is determined by how the Shard feels or views that world around it, as something to destroy, to save, to cultivate, etc. I feel the links are here. Maybe Brandon even knows of them?

It can't be mere coincidence that there is a link.

As always, feedback about the Science itself is always welcome, as are suggestions as to the exact links to Brandon's works and Noetic Science. I'm not exactly an expert on the subject, less a practitioner, but I have enough understanding to answer questions you may have. Beware, Noetic Science is highly controversial, please avoid offending other's religious views when responding to the thread.

[Aradel he/him]

While I think this bit of science is both fascinating and holding true with a few theories of my own, I wouldn't compare it to Christianity for the sole reason that during its inception, it was radically counter-culture and any intent on behalf of its leaders or followers would have been opposed by the intent of vastly superior numbers.

EDIT:

I also want to mention that I'm not offended, I just think it's a poor example.

Edited April 8, 2012 by Goradel's Nephew

[Zas678 he/him]

I was going to respond to this, why I believe that this idea isn't correct, (and why I don't think Brandon wrote it in) but I feel like that would be counterproductive, and I don't think I can type what I mean. Instead, I will just say four things.

1. General Theories isn't really the place for this discussion, so I'm moving it to the General Discussion with a Spoiler tag. You seem to be wanting to discuss more about Noetic Science and it's connection to Brandon's works than looking for things in Brandon's books.

2. I'm not sure we should be talking about this on this forum- we've generally had very little religion and politics on this site, and I would classify this under "religion", in the same way I classify atheists as a "religion". I'll leave this decision to some of the other Admins.

3. Brandon has said before that when he writes, he just writes. He doesn't really like pushing a theme, or working in symbolism or political statements into his books. Afterword, he'll look at what he's done and see "Hey, that's similar to this thing in my background- that must be why I wrote it that way."

4. I personally believe that Noetic Science runs fairly contrary to much of LDS* doctrine. There are some things in there that I believe could be pieces of truth (think of Sazed's religions), but I think that Noetic Science takes it too far.

Here's links to what Brandon has said about religion.

Goodreads Warbreaker Q&A

Alloy of Law Reddit Q&A

*LDS- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, often called "Mormons" for our belief in the Book of Mormon.

Edited April 9, 2012 by zas678
Clarification on point 1 & 2

[Odium's_Shard]

Thanks for the reactions!

Now I understand that alot of this stuff can be quite controversial, and I wanted to point out that I never wrote the OP with the intention of persuading anyone that Brandon based it on Noetic Science, just that it seems to run near parallel in some aspects, and quite conveniently encapsulates the entire work-around the Certainty Principle states about spren.

Also, as a religious follower (by LDS you mean the group who believe that Joesph Smith started the Second Awakening?), I'm sure that you especially can understand the incredible parallels that many religious notes explore throughout all of their Holy Scriptures, be it Torah, Bible, Book of the Mormon, Qu'aran, or the Singh Grant Sahib.

Surely, these things cannot all be coincidence. Many people have suggested that a major factor for the reason that many different philosopher's, many different ardents, messiahs, and prophets in the multiple dashing faces of the world's religions, could conceive such similar and yet (please take no offence) unfounded and in some ways illogical step of turning to a higher power to sate their existential challenges.

Why, when many religions talk of multiple gods, all of similar coin, does another, in the same region, speak solely of the One True God, a single coin, with multiple faces? In all essence, be it the Americans, or the Indians, or the Romans, every single one has pointed at higher power.

And yet, all Holy Scriptures, your own included, state many plausible references to the fact that one's body may be the 'temple', the 'oracle', the 'holy ladder'. That apotheosis, the transformation to a deity, was that only difference between us and God. To state the Red Sea Scriptures:

'Thine main difference in man and God is that he, alone, recognizes his hidden divinity.'

Of course, in the opposite direction, one could argue that all scriptures are vague on purpose, in order to inspire multiple message and multiple layers of meaning, and that this particular one was not intended at all to be twisted to prove my point.

Of course, it is all open for debate, without solid proof.