he accepted test: Why?
by Rand-althor: 2003-09-23 | Not yet rated
This theory is really something I started thinking about last year, and after rereading the series a few times, specifically books 2 and 3, I think I may have found out why you cannot channel in the Accepted Test.
First we have to try to figgure out what exactly the ter'angreal does. I believe that it transports you to a mirror world, or at least a mirror world like place. Instead of being a visitor, like Rand, Loial, and Hurin were for part of book 2, you take on the exact memories of who you are, as the group did when Rand transported them late in book 2. Therefore, your knowlage, abilities etc are the same as they would have been had you lived that life.
Next lets address why Nynaeve didn't get burned out/killed when she channeled in her test. The lashed out with the power a lot, but seemed to not really know what she was doing, as with her healing early in the series. Elayne does the same thing. she channels in her test, and is fine.
I believe that there are one of two reasons why the Aes sedai burned out studying it, died. The first is that in another reality, you would have practiced your ability more, or less. If you have practiced it less, then your abilites are not as high as they were outside, so you try to embrace that much of the source, and you can't in that reality. Another possiblility is you are using weaves that you may not know in that reality, which probably causes something to happen, but even I'm a litte doubtful about that one.
Basically, I think in most of the tests, you have different abilities, and therefore if you channel using knowlage from outside the ter'angreal, it will burn you out or kill you.
I hope this made sense to someone, becasue it is not really organized that well.
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1
Tamyrlin: 2003-09-27
Well, I agree that the ter'angreal does somehow manipulate the Unseen World, either by using a mirror world, or the dream world in a mirror world...etc (this is an idea we have discussed at length in our study on T'A'R and on the board, so, lets just say I agree with that concept). You bring up an interesting point with the rest of your theory. Is it uncommon for anyone to channel in the testing ter'angreal because the normal person that is tested is usually inexperienced with channeling, instead of the experienced Nynaeve, Elayne, and Egwene? That might have something to do with it. Instead of someone who has no control over their channeling, but attempts to do so while going through their tests, those girls had experience and their channeling didn't affect them? I like it.
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Callandor: 2003-09-27
**Elayne does the same thing. she channels in her test, and is fine.**
I think you mean Egwene, we never get to see or hear about Elayne's test except that it wasn't all that nice.
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Rand-althor: 2003-09-28
Yes i did mean Egwene. Thank you for pointing that mistake out.
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Korell: 2003-09-29
the only thing i really question on this theory is that in a mirror world they may not have the same str or maybe not know the same weave now not know the same weave would not be that big of a deal but those who were studing them were experienced AS and my thought there is that it is stated that in the mirror worlds the ones that are to far from reality tend to feel like they are falling apart that said a AS who had been studying for years most likly would have had the same power that point even in the mirror worlds however this does not mean that they dont lead to a MW or that they may have a diffrent str but perhaps one or the other
The real question though what was this testing arches orginal use i mean the oath rod was originally a punishment so i wonder what these were for
I think the accepted test may actually draw on your subconcious of what you think and somhow manipulates TAR into these thoughts anyway over all i think there is definatly somthing to be found in this line of questions as far as how does it affect the person when they enter the arches
5
A Wild One: 2003-09-29
I think the reason AS who've studied the ter'angreal used for testing Accepted were injuried is due to their arrogant self-righteous belief that their preconcieved notions made in ignorance are absolutely correct. Whereas Nynaeve was just ignorant and reacted without restraint.
As Korell pointed out, the original use of this ter'angreal is unknown. Personally I think it was a tool for studying the mind, some kind of pycho-theraphy device to help patients face their fears. And IIRC it's mentioned that in the AOL there was a permanent standing field of the Power used for enabling ter'angreal that needed the Power for activation.
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The Leveler: 2003-09-29
It has to send them to TaR. The resonacnce? This does something to your mind. The "Aes Sedai" use this because they are sick and twisted :)
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Jiana: 2003-09-30
The arches may have been originally used to be something like what you get in *Finn land. One of the major purposes of the ter'angreal is to make a person confront their fears. I have always thought that that was at least one thing that it was originally used for. Perhaps it was used when recruiting soldiers, or choosing who would be the ruler of a certain territory? The ruler option would be more likely to me, as in the AoL, they didn't have wars, therefore would have no need of armies... unless the ter'angreal was created during the War of Power.
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Caramoor: 2003-09-30
Perhaps the ter'angreal were used as a vacation, virtual reality like in Total Recall. The reason I say this is because all the trips taken seem to be someone surreal. A happy lifestyle, bliss, etc. The only thing that draws them back is the character's duty (nyneave and elayne).
Anyway, if it was made after Saidin was tainted, and saidin was used to create it, could the taint cause the ter'angreal to focus on fears, much the way it corrupted the ways or has rotted the seals?
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Jiana: 2003-10-02
I don't think saidin was used to create that particular ter'angreal. It needs three women channeling saidar to operate. Until just recently, no Aes Sedai would soil her hands using a ter'angreal that drew both saidin and saidar. Let's face it, they still have considerable trouble with the fact that men who can channel are out in the open now. The arches were made with saidar, and use only saidar. But I do like the "vacation" theory though. :)
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Callandor: 2003-10-02
**A happy lifestyle, bliss, etc. The only thing that draws them back is the character's duty (nyneave and elayne).**
I don't think so. Nynaeve had to tear herself away from a long life with Lan, the love of her life, and a family to be an Aes Sedai. Egwene has to tear herself away from doing a mercy killing for Rand and saving the world, and a life with Rand as a husband and a family as well, to be an Aes Sedai.
I don't really see the bliss there, but originally they may have been. Basically it is just a dedication test; you can't handle it, don't return if you can, come back.
11
Caramoor: 2003-10-03
It might nor have been known that Saidin was tainted at the time of creation. And which side was used to create it doesn't determine how it can be activated. Some ter'angreal can be used by people who can't even channel.
And if it were used as a ter'angereal to force novices to confront their fears, then what better to make a female channeler apprehensive than an item created with the help of tainted Saidin?
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jaellon: 2003-10-03
Although the original purpose and use of ter'angreal is generally unknown, the characteristics and function of each ter'angreal have not been seen to change. (e.g. A dream ter'angreal always takes one to TAR when the user falls asleep in contact with it.)
I see 2 key characteristics to this particular ter'angreal:
1) Whether this is an alternate world, a visit to TAR, or a visit into the imagination of the user, I don't know, but the experiences inside it stem directly from the individual.
2) There is pressure to remain within and this pressure always increases as the opportunity to leave approaches.
These two characteristics lead me to believe that this ter'angreal's purpose is to be a test of an individual's strength of will.
As to why Aes Sedai might burn out studying it, the key is their being warded. Perhaps it is the clash of the One Power from the real world and the ter'angreal world. We've seen that when one channels a little, there is a little "resonance." When one channels a lot, there is a lot of "resonance." When one brings weaves from the real world inside, she is burned out.
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Caramoor: 2003-10-05
**Nynaeve had to tear herself away from a long life with Lan, the love of her life, and a family to be an Aes Sedai. Egwene has to tear herself away from doing a mercy killing for Rand and saving the world, and a life with Rand as a husband and a family as well, to be an Aes Sedai. **
Yes bliss. I think your description of events helped my point. Nyneave's life sounded pretty content. And the focus of Egwene's trips were her happy life with Rand and more importantly her daughter. Yes it was happiness and bliss. Only their duty to the real world brought them back.
14
Betrayer of Hope: 2003-10-13
The initial experiments on this ter'angreal had women going into it with protective weaves in place (people without the weaves were fine, but had no clear memory of what happened inside). They were holding the source in readiness. Neither Elayne or Nynaeve started channeling until they were some way into their "fear" sequences.
Aes Sedai do things because this is the way it has always been done...a few Aes Sedai get burned out while holding saidar going into the ter'angreal, ergo, channeling in the Ter'angreal is damaging, so DON'T DO IT. The events around Corianin Neadeal (sp?) vanishing nastily in this particular ter'angreal probably have influenced the rules, and remember she had the dream ter'angreal before Verin obtained it, and there are hints the Black Ajah took a hand in taking Corianin out of the picture.
The Acceptance test ter'angreal gives some hints of the future (that aged lady novice they just discovered, Sharina Malloy as Nynaeve's future friend and councilor, Egwene as Amyrlin without taking the oaths etc) stuff that had not even begun to happen was revealed here first, so it has a basis in fact, but does not reflect the world exactly (Elaida as Black Ajah). This could be something similar to the Ter'angreal at Rhuidean...a woman see's things she needs to be aware of, most cherished desires that can never be, hated fates that must be embraced. that sort of thing.
Maybe this was originally used by Aes Sedai who could not access TAR to get some idea of what was to come. Pity the poor fool who used this just before the attack on Shayol Ghul...
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a dragonburned fool: 2003-10-21
If the original use of the Oath Rod was binding criminals, maybe there was more complex treating of the crimrnals in AoL (AoL people liked complex interventions) incuding the acseptance ter'angreal. The Rod was for preventing redos, but the motives for the crime are also to be removed (I don't think AoL AS could forget that point). Maybe the inproper wishes of the criminal are emphasized in the silver arch so that the poor one realizes his wish is inadequate and even begins to frighten what he desired before... Maybe the way the silver arch chooses the mirror world is by finding in mind an inadequate desire...
16
talera: 2004-05-13
My theory is that the ter'angreal used for testing Accepted works in much the same way the portal stones do; it takes the user to what might have been, if different choices had been made, both by them and by others.
Another idea on why Nynaeve and Elayne were able to channel without coming to harm is because both women are born with the ability to channel. If, as theorised, when the user steps through, they are not a visitor, but have taken on the person entire, in every scenario, both Nynaeve and Elayne can channel.
The only scenario where this wouldn't apply would be if their other self had died learning to channel without guidance, however, it is assumed that the ter'angreal automatically eliminates these alternative realities (unless that is how other candidates have died?)
17
lucky with dice: 2004-09-07
er, Tamyrlin, u said maybe they were ok to channel in the tests because they had experiance of channeling, whereas most people taking the test have very little. I agree with the theory but I think u have it back to front, they could channel in the tests because of their lack of experience (in an alternative dimension maybe the OP works differently in the way weaves are formed). remember that most people being tested for accepted have been in novice white for many years already, and have thus been channeling for quite a while, whereas nyn is tested as soon as she arrives at the tower and egw shortly after, they were not so much using weaves they knew well but finding their own way, figuring out the weaves as and when they were needed. I know this doesnt fall in line with how most weaves are learned, but how many times have we seen rand pull off the impossible by figuring out the weave in an instant.
