Theoryland of the Wheel of Time

TOR Questions of the Week Part II (Verbatim)

When a person channels, where do the flows appear to originate from? Do they extrude themselves somehow from the person's body, or do they seem to appear out of thin air in the channeler's general vicinity? What do the flows look like to a person who can channel? Are they colored, clear or indeterminate, smooth or rough, wispy or solid?

To the channeler, the flows seem to originate in his or her very immediate vicinity, not to emanate from themselves, although to another channeler, those flows do seem to be emanating from the channeler. The latter is the actual case, as the One Power is passing through the channeler, one of the reasons for individual limits on how much of the Power a particular person can handle. (And you have seen characters react as if to a blow from having a flow snapped or cut.)

A channeler sees the flows as colored very faintly, according to which of the Five Powers is involved (red = Fire, Blue = Water, green = Earth, yellow = Air, white = Spirit), although the "feel" of the flows are also different to a channeler, so that a channeler can tell one from another without actually seeing them. (That is how someone can tell that somebody else has channeled, say, Fire and Earth, in their vicinity without seeing the flows.) It isn't a physical feel; you might almost as well say that they have different flavors. They appear to be smooth and nearly transparent, tinged with color.

five powers, one power, channeling, weaves,

Twitter 2009-2010 (WoT) (Verbatim)

Did RJ have a strength scale for each of the Five Powers for each channeler (similar to the one for overall strength)?

BRANDON SANDERSON

rj's notes, five powers,

SciFi.com Chat (Verbatim)

Mr. Jordan, as a witch I would like to thank and compliment you on your explanation of the elemental powers.

I've been reading about elemental powers for years; glad you like it.

five powers, wot influences, one power,

DragonCon Report - Isabel (Paraphrased)

How was Nynaeve able to channel Fire at Rahvin while she was asleep? When Nynaeve & Moghedien battle Rahvin, she channeled fire at him. But according to Moiraine you can only channel Spirit when you are asleep. (The Fires of Heaven Chapter 55)

In Tel'aran'rhiod you can channel everything. Even though she's asleep. If she was not in Tel'aran'rhiod, and she's asleep, Spirit is the only thing she would be able to channel or hold on to. But having stepped into Tel'aran'rhiod, in Tel'aran'rhiod, she is able to channel. Her body is still back in...would only be able to maintain Spirit, nothing more. (Adjusted this answer to its verbatim from audio file -Matt).

Matt: This was the previously paraphrased answer: In Tel'aran'rhiod you can channel Fire. You can channel Spirit only from your sleeping body, but being in Tel'aran'rhiod is different and you can channel anything.

tel'aran'rhiod, five powers, channeling,

Twitter: SwanCon 2012 - PRK (Paraphrased)

Ask him if the manner of the Aiel service to the Aes Sedai in the Age of Legends was just Singing, or if it was also domestic.

TEREZ

As a follow-up you could ask him if female Voices were also used in non-Earthy scenarios, i.e. to enhance saidar in particular?

TEREZ

And ask him if non-Aiel could really have the Voice (assuming the type that enhances channeling) or if Lews Therin was just confused.

PRK

Lews Therin was confused about time and place, but what he was saying was possible.

PRK

There was more than just singing, but Brandon wasn't willing to go into it. Unsure if that was RAFO or irrelevance.

PRK

Brandon said he wasn't willing to talk much about the Voice things. I got the sense it was a subtle RAFO.

aiel, age of legends, aes sedai, lews therin, channeling, saidar, saidin, five powers,