One of the big mysteries, riddles, questions, whatever you wish to categorize it as, of the series is: what the heck is going on in Rand's head? This implies a lot more questions: Is Rand mad? How does Rand know what he knows? Who is Lews Therin? Is he real? What is going to happen to him?

This is an attempt to explain those questions (and maybe a few others not listed, who knows).

What is going on in Rand's head?

Well, to begin, let's answer the first sub-question, then get back to this one.

Is Rand mad?

Unequivocally, yes, Rand is mad to some degree. He's been channeling for over two years now, and massive degrees of channeling at that. If the taint isn't causing some degree of madness in him by now it probably never will (and we know it does).

Yes, Rand is mad. But just because he is mad does not mean we cannot puzzle out what is going on with him.

So, back to the main question, what is going on in Rand's head?

Well, since Rand is mad, how do we know what is considered "normal"? Or, what makes Rand different/abnormal from anyone else? Not a lot. But the main thing in regards to the question in hand, is that Rand has memories/knowledge that he should not have. To name names, he should not know some of the things he pulls out of his behind to save his skin (examples being a vast amount of his channeling weaves like balefire, the lightning-seeking weave used to kill Shadowspawn in The Shadow Rising, Skimming in The Shadow Rising, Traveling in The Fires of Heaven, and his impenetrable shield in The Path of Daggers, and there are many references to Rand exclaiming that he generally does not know what he's doing until he does it).

But we've seen this before. Namely Nynaeve has discovered balefire on her own by apparently no outside memories/knowledge at all. Aviendha has discovered Traveling all on her own with apparently no outside memories/knowledge. Even Egwene has discovered smaller things on her own with no outside memories/knowledge, when she can suddenly tie off flows in The Dragon Reborn (not unknown knowledge, but something just out of the blue).

But there is a correlation in these examples: all of them are in fact sparkers. Rand, Aviendha, Nynaeve, and Egwene. All born with the spark. So, one could say that this is just a case of wilder tricks, or in some fashion that wilders are the key to new discoveries/re-discoveries. Could very well indeed.

However, with Rand we have another anomaly: he has distinct memories from another lifetime. I'll use that phrasing again, distinct memories. These are shown ad nauseam from The Fires of Heaven until Crossroads of Twilight, and that limit is only remarked upon because as far as the information we have that is the end of the series (I'm not saying it is of course, just that that is where we have the facts until).

Some examples:

**TITLE: Fires of Heaven, CHAPTER: 2 - Rhuidean

Ilyena never flashed her temper at me when she was angry with herself. When she gave me the rough side of her tongue, it was because she. . . His mind froze for an instant. He had never met a woman named Ilyena in his life. But he could summon up a face for the name, dimly; a pretty face, skin like cream, golden hair exactly the shade of Elayne's. This had to be the madness. Remembering an imaginary woman. Perhaps one day he would find himself having conversations with people who were not there.**

**TITLE: Fires of Heaven, CHAPTER: 6 - Gateways

"You were always ambitous, Mierin." His voice grated in his ears. "Why do you think I turned away from you? It wasn't Ilyena, whatever you like to think. You were out of my heart long before ever I met her. Ambition is all there is to you. Power is all you ever wanted. You disgust me!"

...

Rand's face was like rock; he hoped it hid his shock. He had no idea where his words had come from, but it seemed he could remember her. A dim memory, from before. I am not Lews Therin Telamon! "I am Rand al'Thor!" he said harshly.**

**TITLE: Fires of Heaven, CHAPTER: 6 - Gateways

"Why would Rahvin choose now to attack me? Asmodean says he looks to his own interests, that he'll sit to one side even in the Last Battle, if he can, and wait for the Dark One to destroy me. Why not Sammael, or Demandred? Asmodean says they hate me." Not me. They hate Lews Therin. But to the Forsaken, that was the same thing. Please, Light, I am Rand al'Thor. He pushed away a sudden memory of this woman in his arms, both of them young and just learning what they could do with the Power. I am Rand al'Thor! "Why not Semirhage, or Moghedien, or Graen-?"**

**TITLE: Fires of Heaven, CHAPTER: 20 - Jangai Pass

Like Mar Ruois. He tried to shake the thought away, but in his head he could see that great city after it was retaken, immense towers blackened and collapsing, the remains of great bonfires at every street crossing, where those who had refused to swear to the Shadow had been bound and thrown alive to the flames. He knew whose memory it had to be, though he had not discussed it with Moiraine. I am Rand al'Thor. Lews Therin Telamon is dead three thousand years. I am myself! That was one battle he meant to win. If he did have to die at Shayol Ghul, he would die as himself. He made himself think of something else.**

**TITLE: Fires of Heaven, CHAPTER: 22 - Birdcalls by Night

After a long silence, Asmodean said quietly, "I never knew that." "What I want to know is, why?" Rand chose his words carefully, hoping that they were all his. He remembered Sammael's face, a man-Not mine. Not my memory-a compact man with a short yellow beard. Asmodean had described all the Forsaken, but he knew this image was not made from that description. Sammael had always wanted to be taller, and resented it that the Power could not make him so. Asmodean had never told him that. "From what you've told me, he is not likely to want to face me unless he is sure of victory, and maybe not then. You said he'd likely leave me to the Dark One, if he could. So why is he sure he'll win now, if I decide to go after him?"**

(The part "Not mine. Not my memory," is of course Rand talking to himself)

**TITLE: Fires of Heaven, CHAPTER: 44 - The Lesser Sadness

Vaguely it seemed that there had been no attack after.. . After what? He recalled countering Sammael's last move with something particularly nasty, but he could not pull the memory to the surface. Not balefire. Mustn't use that. Threatens the fabric of the Pattern. Not even for Ilyena? I would burn the world and use my soul for tinder to hear her laugh again.**

**TITLE: Fires of Heaven, CHAPTER: 52 - Choices

Heartbeats only. Three steps she had taken when Rand seized the male half of the True Source, molten steel and steel-shattering ice, sweet honey and midden heap. Deep in the Void, the fight for survival was distant, the battle before him scarely less. As Moiraine vanished beneath the wagon, he channeled, pulling the heat from Lanfear's fires, sinking it into the river. Flames that a moment before engulfed human forms, vanished. In the same instant he wove the flows again, and a misty gray dome came into being, a long oval enclosing him and Lanfear and most of the wagons, an almost transparent wall that shut out all not already within. Even as he tied the weave, he was not sure what it was or where it had come from-some memory of Lews Therin's perhaps-but Lanfear's fires struck it and stopped. He could see people outside dimly, too many thrashing and flailing-he had taken the flames, not the searing of flesh; that stench still hung in the air-but none would burn now that had not already. Bodies lay inside, too, mounds of charred cloth, some stirring feebly, moaning. She did not care; her channeled flames winked out; the gnats were dispelled; she never glanced aside.**

**TITLE: Lord of Chaos, CHAPTER: 11 – Lessons and Teachers

With a bitter laugh he released the Power again and knelt there. He had been so sure. Only two Aes Sedai. Of course he could handle them; he had handled Egwene and Elayne together. What could they possibly do to him? He realized he was still laughing. He did not seem able to stop. Well, it was funny. His fool pride. Overconfidence. It had gotten him in trouble before, and more than him. He had been so sure he and the Hundred Companions could seal the Bore safely....

Leaves crackled as he forced himself to his feet. “That was not me!” he said hoarsely. “That was not me! Get out of my head! All of you get out of my head!” Lews Therin's voice murmured indistinctly, distantly. Alanna waited silently, patiently, in the back of his head. The voice seemed afraid of her.**

**TITLE: Crown of Swords, CHAPTER: 7 - Pitfalls and Tripwires

The wine punch tasted of plums. Rand could remember fat sweet plums from the orchards across the river when he was young, climbing the trees to pick them himself.... Tilting his head back, he drained the goblet. There were plum trees in the Two Rivers, but no orchards of them, and certainly not across any river. Keep your bloody memories to yourself, he snarled at Lews Therin. The man in his head laughed at something, giggling quietly to himself.**

There are of course more examples, but don't want to berate a known fact.

So, Rand has memories from a past life. Big deal. Well, he's not supposed to. People are not supposed to have those memories. Heroes of the Horn are not supposed to know who they are/were. I say Heroes of the Horn, because we know for sure that they are not supposed to, but it can easily, and it's so much a certainty it's unbelievable it hasn't been stated, apply to every soul reborn. People simply do not know who they once were or who they "truely" are.

This is shown by Birgitte's experiences:

**TITLE: Shadow Rising, CHAPTER: 52 - Need

Nynaeve shivered, fear warring with the anger that let her contain the Power. Moghedien. Lanfear. This woman spoke so casually of the Forsaken. "Birgitte, what did Moghedien promise you?"

"She knew what I was, even though I did not. How, I do not know." Birgitte glanced at Cain; he appeared absorbed in his sword, but she lowered her voice anyway. "She promised to make me weep alone for as long as the Wheel turns. She said it as a fact that simply had not happened yet."**

**TITLE: The Fires of Heaven, CHAPTER: 14 - Meetings

If Birgitte was right, then somewhere in the world a boychild had been born, a mewling babe with no knowledge of who he was, yet destined for adventures that would make new legends. The Wheel wove the heroes into the Pattern as they were needed, to shape thc Pattern, and when they died they returned here to wait again. That was what it meant to be bound to the Wheel. New heroes could find themselves bound so as well, men and women whose bravery and accomplishments raised them far above the ordinary, but once bound, it was forever.**

Birgitte in her re-incarnation in the Age of Legends had no idea that she was a Hero of the Horn. She did not know she was Birgitte reborn in the Real World. This is furthered by her assertion about Gaidal Cain. This is obviously the norm; unless of course you wish to say that Rand is the only normal exception in knowing who he once was in a world in which no one knows who they once were let alone which soul they are reborn ;).

(Even if this only applies to Heroes, it still applies to Rand, since the Dragon is a Hero of the Horn:

**Q: "Is this soul born in any other age, or only at the advent and the closing of the Third Age, as The Dragon/TDR?"

A: This soul is one of the Heroes, and bound to the Wheel, spun out as the Pattern wills. "It" is born in other ages, but in a non-Dragon incarnation, to suit the pattern of that Age.**)

So, what causes this? How do people not know? There must be something blocking the past life from the present life. There must be a barrier. And, we know it exists. Evidence comes from, again, Birgitte:

**TITLE: Shadow Rising, CHAPTER: 52 - Need

"I am Birgitte," the woman said, leaning on her bow. "At least, that is the name you would know. And the lesson might have been yours, here as surely as in the Three-fold Land. I remember the lives I have lived as if they were books well- read, the longer gone dimmer than the nearer, but I remember well when I fought at Lews Therin's side. I will never forget Moghedien's face, any more than I will forget the face of Asmodean, the man you almost disturbed at Rhuidean."**

**TITLE: Fires of Heaven, CHAPTER: 14 - Meetings

"Four days and three," Nynaeve muttered. She and Elayne had been coming to speak with Birgitte as often as they could, though too frequently it had not been possible with Thom and Juilin sharing the camp and standing night guard. Birgitte actually remembered the War of Power, one lifetime of it anyway, and the Forsaken. Her past lives were like books fondly remembered from long ago, the more distant dimmer than the nearer, but the Forsaken stood out. Especially Moghedien.**

Going off of what Birgitte has explained, when people are reborn (or it could be once they die -- it really doesn't matter as long as you agree that there is a barrier put in place at some point in time), there seems to be a barrier that seperates past and their soon to be current life. This is how Birgitte's past lives can be seperate and distinct, like seperate books.

Further evidence, comes from Rand himself:

**TITLE: Lord of Chaos, CHAPTER: 3 - A Woman's Eyes

He hesitated, heron-branded palm stroking his long sword hilt. He had no idea what a gholam was. Lews Therin had not stirred, but he knew that was the source of the name. Bits and pieces sometimes drifted across whatever thin barrier lay between him and that voice, and became part of Rand's memories, usually without anything to explain them. It happened more often, lately. The fragments were not something he could fight, like the voice. The hesitation lasted only a moment.**

**TITLE: Lord of Chaos, CHAPTER: 21 - To Shadar Logoth

Duty is heavier than a mountain, death lighter than a feather. Lews Therin had to have that from him—memories passed both ways across that barrier, it seemed—but it cut to the heart.**

There is the barrier mentioned exactly, and this one can easily be seen to refer to it in context:

**TITLE: Fires of Heaven, CHAPTER: 43 - This Place, This Day

A memory slid across the emptiness. Not his; Lews Therin's. For once he did not care. In an instant he channeled, and a ball of fire enveloped the top of a hill nearly five miles away, a churning mass of pale yellow flame. When it faded, he could see without the looking glass that the hill was lower now, and black at the crest, seemingly melted. Between the three of them, there might be no need for the clans to fight Couladin at all.**

So, now we are getting somewhere. Everyone has a barrier seperating their past and present lives. Yet, Rand has memories clearly from his past life. What's going on?

Well, we've reached that point. Everything stated above, I feel, should be taken as established fact off of the books, without contention. When I have engaged in this discussion previously, that was granted; hopefully, it shall be repeated.

From now I feel people can bring up a valid arguement to this theory. Of course, if people wish to object to the above, I will discuss it, but I will state now (and do not take this for arrogance) that I feel said objections to be useless.

Now to discuss how Rand knows what he knows, who is Lews Therin, and is he real.

Some pre-assumptions (basic facts that somehow get disagreements):

1. Lews Therin is dead. He died at the spot of Dragonmount 3500+ years ago, we "saw" this happen in the books in the Prologue of The Eye of the World.

2. His soul was reborn as Rand al'Thor. This of course is the key facet to this entire series: Lews Therin was the Dragon; Rand al'Thor is the Dragon Reborn. Can't help but see that as crytal clear ;)

3. Time keeps moving forward in the series. By that, I mean when one event happens, time keeps moving, the Pattern keeps weaving, forward. It's not that there is a present in which Rand is living out this story that we read, and Lews Therin is hanging around 3500+ years in the past still living. Doesn't work like that. Time keeps moving forward after events happen.

Those three, again, I feel are easily taken as facts, but list your disagreements if you have them (hopefully you have none).

Now to the meat. To the theory!

How does Rand know what he knows?

Good question. This is of course linked to the above facts I have presented, and of course, going by the title, dealing specificallly with the barrier between past and present lives.

As established, everyone who is reborn by the Wheel (or if you wish to maintain an incredibly picky perspective, Heroes of the Horn reborn) has a barrier between past a present lives. Somewhere between the death they experienced in their past life, and the time that their soul is put back into a new fetus to be called "reborn," a barrier has been placed to keep those past memories and experiences seperate and distinct (exactly like Birgitte's "books") from their new life which is going to accumulate new memories and experiences.

So, how does this pertain to Rand? Well, at first, it doesn't. Not a bit. At the start of the series, Rand is absolutely no different from anyone else in the world. He has no idea that his soul is the same soul that was once in the body of Lews Therin; he has no memories from his past life as Lews Therin; he has no knowledge of any mystical re-discovered channeling weaves. He is, for all intensive purposes, normal.

Compared to Rand in Crossroads of Twilight, it's a joke to say he was once normal, but he was.

What changed this, in my opinion, is a number of things. But the overwhelming factor was the taint on saidin.

Proposal: The main cause of what is wrong with Rand, from memories of past lives, to knowledge he should not have, and even to Lews Therin, is due to the taint degrading the barrier between Rand's past and present lives.

Immediately, people like to disagree. We have no basis that the taint degrades the barrier between past and present lives. I say that we do: Rand. Of course that doesn't fly over too well ;)

But we do have the fact that the taint on saidin is "corrosive." This is proven, by the Ways:

TITLE: Eye of the World, CHAPTER: 45 - What Follows in Shadow

"The Aes Sedai rubbed her fingers against her palms distastefully. "You feel the taint, the corruption of the Power that made the Ways. I will not use the One Power in the Ways unless I must. The taint is so strong that whatever I tried to do would surely be corrupted."

The taint of the Ways is so corrosive that it has degraded parts of the bridges and Islands:

TITLE: Eye of the World, CHAPTER: 45 - What Follows in Shadow

"This explains much," Moiraine said softly, "and it makes me afraid. So much. I should have guessed. The taint, the decay. I should have guessed."

TITLE: Eye of the World, CHAPTER: 45 - What Follows in Shadow

"It could not pass," Moiraine said. "I thought it could not; I hoped it could not. Faugh!" She tossed her staff on the ground and scrubbed her hand on her cloak. Char, thick and black, marked the staff for over half its length. "The taint corrupts everything in that place."

The Ways, having been made with saidin, are tainted. They are degrading away, in a very specific way:

TITLE: Eye of the World, CHAPTER: 44 - The Dark Along the Ways

"Rand wondered what held the bridge up. The horses' hooves made a gritty sound, as if bits of stone flaked off at every step. Everything he could see was covered with shallow holes, some tiny pinpricks, others shallow, rough-edged craters a stride across, as if there had been a rain of acid, or the stone was rotting. The guardwall showed cracks and holes, too. In places it was gone altogether for as much as a span. For all he knew the bridge could be solid stone all the way to the center of the earth, but what he saw made him hope it would stand long enough for them to reach the other end. Wherever that is."

Remember and make note of how the taint degrades things: like an acid.

And then there is the "rotting" disease which is known to be caused by the taint:

TITLE: Eye of the World, CHAPTER: GLOSSARY

"One Power, the: The power drawn from the True Source. The vast majority of people are completely unable to learn to channel the One Power. A very small number can be taught to channel, and an even tinier number have the ability inborn. For these few there is no need to be taught; they will touch the True Source and channel the Power whether they want to or not, perhaps without even realizing what they are doing. This inborn ability usually manifests itself in late adolescence or early adulthood. If control is not taught, or self-learned (extremely difficult, with a success rate of only one in four), death is certain. Since the time of Madness, no man has been able to channel the Power without eventually going completely, horribly mad; and then, even if he has learned some control, dying from a wasting sickness which causes the sufferer to rot alive-a sickness caused, as is the madness, by the Dark One's taint on saidin. For a woman the death that comes without control of the Power is less horrible, but it is death just the same. Aes Sedai search for girls with the inborn ability as much to save their lives as to increase Aes Sedai numbers, and for men with it in order to stop the terrible things they inevitably do with the Power in their madness. See also channel; Time of Madness; True Source."

So, we know that the taint can affect physical things: the Ways, and a male channeler. So, why is it out of the line to assume it can also affect metaphysical things as well? In this case it would obviously be the barrier. I myself find it highly suspect since the taint is what I would consider a metaphysical object/substance/thing anyway (but getting in that kind of a definition could be tricky and I feel useless). In either case, the taint breaks things down. We know it comes into contact with channelers. So, where is it out of line to assume it affects this barrier?

Well, let's say that it does affect the barrier. What would happen? I feel, the degredation would be just like the Ways. And herein we enter into the tricky part of theories: analogies.

An analogy that I like, seems counter-intuitive. Imagine a jar. Inside the jar, are the present life's memories. The lid, the "barrier", is the cap over them. The "air" outside the the jar, are all the past lives' memories.

How you wish to designate for multiple past memories, I myself haven't fully settled on (is it many jars standing on top of the other with the lids touching? I don't know, I just feel it's a complication and it's best to deal with the simplicity of this for now).

We then apply what we suppose, to what we know.

Say you take an eyedropper and you sprinkle some acid (the taint obviously) droplets in a random way. What happens? The same thing in the Ways -- holes appear, small at first, but with more and more dropplets, larger and larger holes begin to show.

Eventually the holes will break through the lid, and then you can have leakage of memories from past lives into present lives.

So you have Rand al'Thor, first starting out touching saidin, and realizing nothing is going on really. But, as he channels more and more saidin, specifically at the points where he is allowed access to an angreal, sa'angreal or using it more, the more taint enters his body, and more "acid dropplets" fall on the "lid" and more memories can cross the barrier.

Go back and read the three quotes I gave above about the barrier from Rand's POV. He remarks about the barrier being "thin" and the memories "moving" into him.

From The Shadow Rising until Crossroads of Twilight, there appears to be a correlation that supports this notion.

When did Lews Therin first "appear"? Undoubtedly, the first "sign" of what eventually would be Lews Therin appeared in The Shadow Rising, when Lanfear reveals herself to Rand:

TITLE: Shadow Rising, CHAPTER: 9 - Decisions

"And you loved power!" For a moment he felt dazed. The words sounded true-he knew they were true-but where had they come from?**

Seemingly innocent, but true. Facts Rand should not have about Lanfear, that he does now.

Ask yourself. What was the major event that happened previous to The Shadow Rising (and of course this event)? Rand took, and used, Callandor. Callandor is what? One of the most powerful sa'angreal ever made! Given to who? One of the most powerful channelers on the planet (granted, not a full strength then, but still powerful).

Rand was channeling immense amounts of saidin through Callandor in his battle with Ishamael. Much more than he, and many other male channelers, had ever used at that point in time. All that saidin means a lot of taint. All that taint entering into Rand, and all those acid droplets on Rand's barrier.

And what happens soon after this? Rand has his first encounter with what he should not know. Coincidence? Unlikely.

That's not to say that what Rand had channeled previously throughout The Eye of the World to The Dragon Reborn before taking Callandor wasn't adding to this (except for the actual using of the Eye of the World -- pure saidin); it was degrading the barrier, but not on the level great enough to allow the memories of past lives to cross over the barrier.

To continue with this correlation, Rand uses Callandor again soon after his run in with Lanfear. Something mysterious also happens then:

TITLE: Shadow Rising, CHAPTER: 10 - The Stone Stands

"Now. The thought floated like cackling laughter on the rim of his awareness. He severed the flows rushing out of him, leaving the think still whirling, whinning like a drill on bone. Now."

These two "nows" are thoughts in Rand's head. They could very well be Rand himself speaking, but it makes it decidedly odd that it's on the rim of his awareness. It's far more interesting if it is indeed the first spark of Lews Therin speaking, especially in relation to what Rand is doing.

**TITLE: Shadow Rising, CHAPTER: 10 - The Stone Stands

"And the lightnings came, flashing out along the ceiling left and right like silver streams. A Myrddraal stepped out of a side corridor, and before it could take a second step half a dozen flaring streaks struck it down, blasting it apart. The other streams flowed on, fanning down every branching of the corridor, replaced by more and more erupting every second."

Matching what Lews Therin did:

"TITLE: Eye of the World, CHAPTER: Prologue - Dragonmount

"The palace still shook occasionally as the earth rumbled in memory, groaned as if it would deny what had happened. Bars of sunlight cast through rents in the walls made motes of dust glitter where they yet hung in the air. Scorch-marks marred the walls, the floors, the ceilings. Broad black smears crossed the blistered paints and gilt of once-bright murals, soot overlaying crumbling friezes of men and animals, which seemed to have attempted to walk before the madness grew quiet. The dead lay everywhere, men and women and children, struck down in attempted flight by the lightings that had flashed down every corridor, or seized by the fires that had stalked them, or sunken into stone of the palace, the stones that had flowed and sought, almost alive, before stillness came again. In odd counterpoint, colorful tapestries and paintings, masterworks all, hung undisturbed except where bulging walls had pushed them awry. Finely carved furnishings, inlaid with ivory and gold, stood untouched except where rippling floors had toppled them. The mind twisting had struck at the core, ignoring peripheral things."

Another piece of knowledge that he should not know, which just happens to be a piece of knowledge that Lews Therin knew and used previously, and it just happens to occur when Rand is using Callandor, channeling vast amounts of saidin, and having vast amounts of the taint enter into him. And, having a lot of degradation on his barrier.

Those two events would, in my opinion, be roughly what a normal person channeling would take into themselves in about 5-10 years. That amount in roughly a month of time.

Throughout the rest of The Shadow Rising, there isn't much else though. The next semi-major thing is with Rand remembering how to Skim at the very end of The Shadow Rising, after aquiring an angreal and traveling via Portal Stones, but in relation to what has been channeled before to that, it's not terribly a lot, but enough to comment on.

So, what happens in The Fires of Heaven? To be blunt, a heck of a lot. First and foremost, we have the first absolutely confirmed beginnings of Lews Therin, which I have already quoted above:

**TITLE: Fires of Heaven, CHAPTER: 2 - Rhuidean

Ilyena never flashed her temper at me when she was angry with herself. When she gave me the rough side of her tongue, it was because she. . . His mind froze for an instant. He had never met a woman named Ilyena in his life. But he could summon up a face for the name, dimly; a pretty face, skin like cream, golden hair exactly the shade of Elayne's. This had to be the madness. Remembering an imaginary woman. Perhaps one day he would find himself having conversations with people who were not there.**

This is so big it outshines the other two mysterious things that happen in this chapter: the "little sister" comment made by Rand, and his reference to being buried in a "Can Breat". These are along the lines of the "you loved power" slips of knowledge that Rand made in The Shadow Rising. We have a whole new development to deal with instead.

By The Fires of Heaven, Chapter 2, Rand for all classification has Lews Therin in his head. Mark it on your calanders ;) So the main question is: how'd he get there?

Well, a question to answer that question: what happened at the end of The Shadow Rising? A very big event.

Rand and Asmodean in Rhuidean used the male Choedan Kal -- the most powerful sa'anreal in the world (tied or whatever, but you get my point). Of course, there is a difference:

**TITLE: Shadow Rising, CHAPTER: 58 - The Traps of Rhuidean

Vaguely Rand was aware of a great, half-buried statue in far-off Cairhien, of the huge crystal sphere in its hand, glowing like the sun, pulsing with the One Power. And the Power in him surged up like all the seas of the world in storm. With this surely he could do anything; surely he could even have Healed that dead child. The taint swelled as much, curling round every particle of him, seeping into every crevice, into his soul. He wanted to howl; he wanted to explode. Yet he only held half what that sa'angreal could deliver; the other half filled Asmodean.**

(Also like to point out the nice quote about the taint "seeping" into his soul, but that's ambiguous, but interesting nonetheless)

Rand was only using half the output of the sa'angreal. Oh well! It's the most powerful one in the world! Half of the power is easily equal to, and I would say surpassing by a great deal, of Callandor's maximum output.

Added to this, seeming small in the comparison, Rand uses his angreal again to cut Asmodean off from the Dark One, and he also uses it to create a great rift or of the like down Rhuidean (which allowed the lake to form eventually). All together, with every instance Rand has channeled so far, I would place him easily has channeling more than any other male channeler in the entire 3rd Age. It's that much of saidin that he's used, and that much of the taint he has brought into himself.

And what happens soon after? Lews Therin first appears.

Throughout The Fires of Heaven, Lews Therin and memories, not just slips (though a few more do happen), occur more and more. With this, throughout The Fires of Heaven, you have Asmodean constantly teaching Rand;

**TITLE: Fires of Heaven, CHAPTER: 21 - The Gift of a Blade

Before approaching, he reached out through the angreal in his coat pocket to seize saidin. There was no need to actually touch the carving of the fat little man with a sword, of course. Mingled filth and sweetness filled him, that raging river of fire, that crushing avalanche of ice. Channeling as he had done every night since leaving Rhuidean, he set wards around the entire encampment, not only what was in the pass but every tent in the hills below as well, and on the slopes of the mountains. He needed the angreal to, set wardings so large, but only just. He had thought that he was strong before, but Asmodean's teachings were making him stronger. No human or animal crossing the line of that ward would notice anything, but Shadowspawn that touched it would sound a warning that everyone in the tents would hear. Had he done this in Rhuidean, the Darkhounds could never have entered without him knowing.**

Rand also constantly making Wards every night since leaving Rhuidean; and, finally Rand using the angreal for an entire day continually with the Battle of Cairhien. A good (bad, really ;)) heaping of the taint from those.

Then, at the end of The Fires of Heaven, you have of course the two big battles between Lanfear vs. Rand, and Rahvin vs. Rand. Both requiring the usage of the angreal and pushing Rand to his limits of strength. Lots more taint, lots more taint.

Throughout Lord of Chaos, this regular usage of the angreal continues. Lews Therin appears more and more, and in fact begins to talk directly to Rand and their interactions increase in number.

From Lord of Chaos to Winter's Heart, the general trend continues. Lews Therin keeps appearing more and more, stronger and stronger as Rand spends more time channeling and more taint degrades his barrier. Quotes I provided earlier give a general run of the mill with this.

One part I wish to point out to this, and will get back to later on:

**TITLE: The Path of Daggers, CHAPTER: 21 – Answering the Summons

You must kill him before he kills you, Lews Therin giggled. They will, you know. Dead men can't betray anyone. The voice in Rand's head turned wondering. But sometimes they don't die. Am I dead? Are you?

Rand pushed the words down to a fly's buzzing, just on the edge of notice. Since his reappearance inside Rand's head, Lews Therin seldom went silent unless forced. The man seemed madder than ever most of the time, and usually angrier as well. Stronger sometimes, too. That voice invaded Rand's dreams, and when he saw himself in a dream, it was not always himself at all that he saw. It was not always Lews Therin, either, the face he had come to recognize as Lews Therin's. Sometimes it was blurred, yet vaguely familiar, and Lews Therin seemed startled by it, too. That was an indication how far the man's madness went. Or maybe his own.**

Lews Therin continues to get stronger, and shows more and more emotions, as well as resistance to Rand. He's also begun to invade Rand's dreams. Lews Therin -- is getting more and more present in Rand over time, along with Rand channeling more and more of saidin and getting more of the taint.

Finally, the end so far of this correlation comes in Winter's Heart, when Rand finally cleanses saidin. If anyone doubts that Rand channeled more of saidin than any other male channeler of the 3rd Age as of The Shadow Rising (I will make that arguement repeatedly), after the cleansing, I feel it's not only obvious as of this time period, it might even be that he has channeled enough as most people ever did in the Age of Legends (no taint of course, just a vast, vast amount).

So, what has happened to Lews Therin since? Well, not the most abundant information about him, but some:

**TITLE: Crossroads of Twilight, CHAPTER: 24 - A Strengthening Storm

I don't want to kill her. Rand thought at the dead man. I can't afford for her to die. Lews Therin knew that as well as he, but the man grumbled under his breath anyway. Since Shadar Logoth, he seemed a touch less mad, sometimes. Or maybe Rand was a touch more. After all, he took talking to a dead man in his head as a matter of every day, and that was hardly sane.**

It seems to be rather indecisive so far. Lews Therin seems to be as much the same as he ever was before, but now appearing more sane? Or Rand a touch more mad....

In either case, Lews Therin was still growing in presence in Rand's mind at that time.

Alright. If you are with me this far, we can get down to the root of all this and tie it together.

Who is Lews Therin?

While I am quite aware Lews Therin was the Dragon in the Age of Legends, here I am refering to the Lews Therin that is in Rand's mind. He is of course a voice and/or a presence in Rand's head and has and continues (so far) to grow in strength in Rand's mind. Well, that was a simple definition wasn't it?

Is he real?

This is the main contention between my theory, and virtually any other that goes of somewhat of the facts I listed above.

No, Lews Therin is NOT real.

The Lews Therin that is in Rand's head is a construct made by Rand himself.

Thankfully, RJ has killed the two-souler theory completely:

**Q:The question is, with Rand and LTT, do they have 1 soul or 2 souls in the body?

A: They have 1 soul with 2 personalities. The reincarnation of souls does not mean reincarnation of personalities. The personality develops with each reincarnation of the soul. This is the cosmology that I [cobbled] together.**

First, let me provide the other side of the arguement. People that think Lews Therin is real, generally believe everything else about this theory too (as I said, mainly the difference was if he was "real" or not).

What I mean by that, is that people who think Lews Therin is real believe that the degradation of Rand's barrier allowed Lews Therin's entire personality to cross over into Rand's mind.

This I do not believe for two main reasons:

1. A personality is a summation of memories. If Rand had Lews Therin's entire life of memories in his head, I would agree he has his personality. However, to do this, I believe Rand's barrier would have to be entirely degraded. I do not believe that of course ;) It's severely damaged; but not completely gone.

2. If this were true it would mean that Lews Therin would've came over into Rand entirely since the moment the barrier degraded enough to first happen. This means that Lews Therin would've appeared just like he does in Crossroads of Twilight, back in The Shadow Rising or The Fires of Heaven. Rand would've gone from what he was like in that time period, to what he is now in Crossroads. A lot of people do not realize how much of a big change that is. This view does not explain how Lews Therin is growing in presence. It would be like fliping on a lightswitch: Lews Therin wasn't there --> flip --> Lews Therin is there in full swing.

So, Lews Therin is not real. He is a construct. Why do I believe this?

Think of what has happened to Rand subconsciously (and eventually consciously). He's had memories that are not his, blatantly not his, coming into and messing with his own. They are real memories, but they are not Rand's. So, he supresses them. Think basic psychology; it's a defense mechanism.

Rand over the course of the series has learned to supress a lot of things. Mainly, it's his emotions that have been squeezed away by him in his need to be "hard" so that he can be "the Dragon Reborn" in his mind.

Now, what does Lews Therin do? What does he nearly constantly do? He constantly expresses sadness, laughter, fear, and anger, which are exactly the emotions that Rand tries to supress entirely.

Proof of this:

**TITLE: Winter's Heart, CHAPTER: 25 - Bonds

In his room at The Counsel's Head, Rand sat on the bed with his legs folded and his back against the wall, playing the silver-mounted flute Thom Merrilin had given him so long ago. An Age ago. This room, with carved wall panels and windows overlooking the Nethvin Market, was better than that they had abandoned at The Crown of Maredo. The pillows stacked beside him were goose down, the bed had an embroidered canopy and curtains, and the mirror above the washstand had not a single bubble. The lintel above the stone fireplace even had a bit of simple carving. It was a room for a well-to-do foreign merchant. He was glad he had thought to bring enough gold when he left Cairhien. He had lost the habit of carrying much. Everything had been provided for the Dragon Reborn. Still, he could have earned a bed of some sort with the flute. The tune was called "Lament for the Long Night," and he had never heard it before in his life. Lews Therin had, though. It was like the skill at drawing. Rand thought that should frighten him, or make him angry, but he simply sat and played while Lews Therin wept.**

Rand, under all the stress of being the Dragon Reborn, under all the supression of emotions, and I have even felt there might be a dabble of play by entering tel'aran'rhiod in the flesh (but personally not much), still has these memories which are not his that he has been supressing. And, there is still yet another factor: taint madness.

The taint will eventually drive any male channeler mad (except now that it is cleansed of course). Rand, obviously, has channeled a heck of a lot of taint. So, he should have a heck of a big madness, right? Not so. A lot of people write Lews Therin off completely as taint madness -- but it doesn't explain how he knows the things he knows (like helping Rand with the escape at Dumai's Wells), and doesn't explain where Rand is getting these pieces of knowledge (weaves and memories).

So, there is a key difference to be made:

Barrier degradation and taint madness come from the same source, but effect people serepately.

What I mean by that is everyone may have a set amount of the taint to channel before their barrier has degraded enough so that memories cross over into their present lives; it could also be that it is variable, that some people need to channel more than others. I personally say it's a relatively fixed amount.

But taint madness for sure happens differently in different people. Notice Fedwin Morr. He was a male channeler (intensively using saidin and recieving the taint) for less than a year. He went mad.

**TITLE: Path of Daggers, CHAPTER: 29 - A Cup of Sleep

She could still remember the horror when she realized the boy "guarding" her now had the mind of a small child. The sadness remained, too—Light, he was only a boy! it was not right!—but she hoped Rand still had him shielded. It had not been easy, talking Fedwin into playing with those wooden blocks instead of pulling stones out of the walls with the Power to make a "big tower to keep you safe in." And then she had sat guarding him until Rand came. Oh, Light, she wanted to cry. For Rand even more than Fedwin.**

Notice an unnamed recruit to the Black Tower:

**TITLE: Path of Daggers, CHAPTER: 14 - Message from the M'Hael

Torval shrugged, too casually. "Fifty-one, all told. Thirteen burned out, and twenty-eight dead where they stood. The rest. . . . The M'Hael, he adds something to their wine, and they do not wake." Abruptly his tone turned malicious. "It can come suddenly, at any time. One man began screaming that spiders were crawling beneath his skin on his second day." He smiled viciously at Narishma and Hopwil, and nearly so at Rand, but it was to the other two he addressed himself, swinging his head between them. "You see? Not to worry if you slide into madness. You'll not hurt yourselves or a soul. You go to sleep . . . forever. Kinder than gentling, even if we knew how. Kinder than leaving you insane and cut off, yes?" Narishma stared back, taut as a harp-string, his mug forgotten in his hand. Hopwil was once more frowning at something only he could see.**

Notice Logain who apparently has no ill effects after 6 years of channeling, then gentling, then more channeling after being Healed.

I do not put Taim in here, for I believe the reason he is not visibly mad is quite seperate (IE: he's got black cords in my opinion).

And notice Rand, at around 2 years of extremely intensive saidin usage. The amount of time before madness takes hold varies, as well does the form it comes in.

Fedwin's: turned into a child. Unnamed recruit: spiders under the skin. Rand: his seems to be a seperate voice in his head.

We have Cadsuane's information about some male channelers:

**TITLE: Crown of Swords, CHAPTER: 18 - As the Plow Breaks the Earth

The woman looked at the battered tea things as if she had all the time in the world. "Now you know," she said at last, calm as ever, "that I know your future, and your present. The Light's mercy fades to nothing for a man who can channel. Some see that and believe the Light denies those men. I do not. Have you begun to hear voices, yet?"

"What do you mean?" he asked slowly. He could feel Lews Therin listening. The tingle returned to his skin, and he very nearly channeled, but all that happened was that the teapot rose and floated to Cadsuane, turning slowly in the air for her to examine. "Some men who can channel begin to hear voices." She spoke almost absently, frowning at the flattened sphere of silver and gold. "It is a part of the madness. Voices conversing with them, telling them what to do." The teapot drifted gently to the floor by her feet. "Have you heard any?"**

A lot of people criticized my theory because it didn't explain Cadsuane's assertions. But, it does. These men did not have their barriers degraded in such a way as Rand's has. They might have gotten a bit, but even that I don't believe (took an incredible amount just for Rand, and male channelers do have a short time...). Their voices are much more likely to be just taint madness; not actually rememberances of past lives.

So, what is Lews Therin? He is the summation that is based off real memories that were once Lews Therin as well as being supressed by Rand, coupled with stress of being the Dragon Reborn, and the supression of emotions by Rand for which he is generally the output, as well as taint madness playing a hand.

All this has coalesced in a seperate personality, a seperate construct which Rand has created, called Lews Therin.

What is going to happen to him?

Well, now this is where it gets interesting.

A final puzzle that many theories on Lews Therin fail to answer is: where did Lews Therin go from portions of A Crown of Swords to The Path of Daggers? He just disappears. Why? How? Where?

In this scene (chapter 18, As the Plow Breaks the Earth) when Rand first meets Cadsuane, soon after Lews Therin flees. Main question is why. The answer I feel is simple: This is one of the few times that Rand actually expresses his emotions.

What happens? Rand gets flippin pissed at Cadsuane! (and who wouldn't...)

But what is one of the key things about Lews Therin? He's an outlet for Rand's emotions. Once Rand starts to express his own emotions -- Lews Therin isn't needed anymore. What happens soon afterwards is that Rand goes back to being the Dragon Reborn; he goes back to supressing everything. And, eventually, Lews Therin returns.

This is integral to how Lews Therin is going to be overcome/defeated/removed. Why? It fits perfectly with what Cadsuane is going to teach Rand and all the Asha'man: that they are still human.

**TITLE: Path of Daggers, CHAPTER: 12 - New Alliances

Still, Cadsuane felt a rising thrill of possibility. If she had had any doubts that Sorilea wanted to feel her out, they were gone. And you did not feel out someone in this manner unless you hoped for some agreement. "Do you believe a man must be hard?" she asked. She was taking a chance. "Or strong?" By her tone, she left no doubt she saw a difference.

Again Sorilea touched the tray; the smallest of smiles might have quirked her lips for an instant. Or not. "Most men see the two as one and the same, Cadsuane Melaidhrin. Strong endures; hard shatters."

Cadsuane drew breath. A chance she would have scoured anyone else for taking. But she was not anyone else, and sometimes chances had to be taken. "The boy confuses them," she said. "He needs to be strong, and makes himself harder. Too hard, already, and he will not stop until he is stopped. He has forgotten how to laugh except in bitterness; there are no tears left in him. Unless he finds laughter and tears again, the world faces disaster. He must learn that even the Dragon Reborn is flesh. If he goes to Tarmon Gai'don as he is, even his victory may be as dark as his defeat."

Once Rand (and all the Asha'man will learn it too) has re-learned "laughter and tears," the need for Lews Therin evaporates like a fog in the desert. And Lews Therin, well be gone for good.