There are a number of comments from Q&As that shows that this is possible and more complex. - Edit 1
Before modification by RugbyPlayingAshaman at 13/12/2011 08:31:49 PM
I don't think the answer is as clear cut as you would think because we do know that it is the metaphysics of the Pattern that determines whether souls have access to the One Power once embodied. Namely, Team Jordan and RJ himself have stated that not only is channeling tied to the soul, but strength is variable across incarnations, strength has more to do with the body than the soul and that channeling is both a combination of a genetic recessive gene but also metaphysical elements, such as the Soul and whether the Pattern needs it. Further, we are told that Talents occupy a more circular relationship than a genetic explanation would indicate; we are told that it is the Soul's Talent that not only determines a persons' interest in healing others, but also impacts their ability to be skilled with healing weaves. To add fuel to this fire, we are told that the Pattern ultimately determines if the Talent is even needed. Basically, I now think that 'strength in the Power' is a limited way of understanding how it really works, since it ultimately seems that your destiny in the Pattern may actually be circular - ie: your importance to the Pattern determines the strength of your channeling in a physical body before you are incarnated, with momentary t'a'veren states increasing your ability still further as needed by The Pattern. It is the combination of metaphysical and physical elements that make determining what strength is very difficult. As you say, it is a combination of genetics and the soul, but it is more complicated because the Pattern determines if those first two elements are enough.
Maria gave an answer that described this type of circular pattern; in the case of this question, it was the Talent in Healing tied to the soul that lead women to become Wisdoms, not all of whom used the Power in their healing, but whose Talent and life experience resulted in a greater capacity for Healing weaves and healing in general. Almost as if their status of Healers was what is in their soul and not necessarily a 'Talent' or genetic potential:
Team RJ stated that channeling was tied to the soul but the body affected the strength, which is why I think it is interesting to think that the body may have less to do with the One Power ultimately and be more of a crutch. We know the souls are eternal, but it is the body that limits "strength". Since the body is tied to genetics, this has more to do with the physical realm than the metaphysical realm:
quote from Team RJ:
Paraphrased Quote 2 from RJ:
Another interesting quote regarding the metaphysical needs of The Pattern. In this quote, Maria clarifies that if the Pattern doesn't need a Talent, the Talent won't manifest. This is counter to how genetics are said to work and is probably why there can be Ages where there is no One Power while the souls of channelers could be reborn in such a time period:
RJ clarified that burning out or being Stilled would only affect a current life i.e. their current physical body. This is noteworthy because it once again shows a difference between the physical realm and the metaphysics of the One Power - Siuan may be weaker in this life, but her soul's ability is not affected:
Quote 1:
Quote 2:
Maria gave an answer that described this type of circular pattern; in the case of this question, it was the Talent in Healing tied to the soul that lead women to become Wisdoms, not all of whom used the Power in their healing, but whose Talent and life experience resulted in a greater capacity for Healing weaves and healing in general. Almost as if their status of Healers was what is in their soul and not necessarily a 'Talent' or genetic potential:
Luckers: In Knife of Dreams Ch. 23, 'Call to a Sitting', Tiana notes that many of the women who are strong in Nynaeve’s method of Healing used to be village Wise Women. She wonders why that should make any difference, and indeed it does seem to imply that their life experience in some way affected their degree of Talent. How would this work out under the understanding of Talent as a soul ability? Does life experience change the strength of the Talent, whilst soul ability decides if you have it? Or should we make a distinction between Talents which are skills—like Healing, or that Shielding Talent Berowin of the Kin has—and Talents which are abilities—like Foretelling, Wolfbrothering or Dreaming?
Maria: Okay, let’s look at this. Why did these women choose to be village Wise Women? Maybe they haven’t sparked, but the Talent is there. They may not understand it, but they feel that they should be healing the sick. So, instead of life experience affecting the Talent, I think that it’s more that the Talent affects the life experience.
Also, Aes Sedai have been taught that Healing is done one way, and that way is the only proper way. It’s sort of like the gesture limitation; if an Aes Sedai learns to make weaves using gestures, she’ll have a really hard time making the weave without making the gesture. I think that the former Wise Women are more open to learning the new way, and that gives them another advantage at it.
Maria: Okay, let’s look at this. Why did these women choose to be village Wise Women? Maybe they haven’t sparked, but the Talent is there. They may not understand it, but they feel that they should be healing the sick. So, instead of life experience affecting the Talent, I think that it’s more that the Talent affects the life experience.
Also, Aes Sedai have been taught that Healing is done one way, and that way is the only proper way. It’s sort of like the gesture limitation; if an Aes Sedai learns to make weaves using gestures, she’ll have a really hard time making the weave without making the gesture. I think that the former Wise Women are more open to learning the new way, and that gives them another advantage at it.
Team RJ stated that channeling was tied to the soul but the body affected the strength, which is why I think it is interesting to think that the body may have less to do with the One Power ultimately and be more of a crutch. We know the souls are eternal, but it is the body that limits "strength". Since the body is tied to genetics, this has more to do with the physical realm than the metaphysical realm:
quote from Team RJ:
Ability to Channel/Souls. I think this has all been reported, but he stated definitively that the ability to channel is tied to soul. He stated definitively that the spark was not tied to the soul but could be affected by a specific body (i.e., if you had the spark in one life, you could be reborn and just have the ability to learn.) He stated with 85% probability that strength in the Power was not tied to soul, meaning that if you were an uber-channeler in one body, you could be weak in the Power in your next body.
Paraphrased Quote 2 from RJ:
There were a few questions about his series, one that I asked was: if channeling was genetic, did the Forsaken need bodies that were genetically compatible for them to be able to use the power?
His answer was that channeling is not just a recessive or dominant gene, rather both genetic and in the soul.
His answer was that channeling is not just a recessive or dominant gene, rather both genetic and in the soul.
Another interesting quote regarding the metaphysical needs of The Pattern. In this quote, Maria clarifies that if the Pattern doesn't need a Talent, the Talent won't manifest. This is counter to how genetics are said to work and is probably why there can be Ages where there is no One Power while the souls of channelers could be reborn in such a time period:
Brandon: My instinct knowing how Jim wrote and knowing the parallels in the notes would be that he would parallel the other Talents along the same lines. A wolf brother then would always have the ability to become a wolf brother and other things along those lines. I’m going off of instinct, so that is an asterisked answer. I can MAFO that and look it up and we can see what we can find, but he did like to parallel a lot of these things...16
[Maria clarifies: Jim says of Talents: “A Talent is a special ability with the One Power. While the name is used for other things, a Talent is, in truth, something which is inborn in the person and not something that can be learned.” And there is mention of the Wheel throwing out what it needs on occasion, and there’s the phrase, “The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills.” The Wheel can give and take as it needs. I believe that the potential for a Talent is there, but it doesn't necessarily manifest each time a soul is born. If the Wheel needs the Talent, the Talent is there. But if the Wheel doesn't need it, it lies dormant.
[Maria clarifies: Jim says of Talents: “A Talent is a special ability with the One Power. While the name is used for other things, a Talent is, in truth, something which is inborn in the person and not something that can be learned.” And there is mention of the Wheel throwing out what it needs on occasion, and there’s the phrase, “The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills.” The Wheel can give and take as it needs. I believe that the potential for a Talent is there, but it doesn't necessarily manifest each time a soul is born. If the Wheel needs the Talent, the Talent is there. But if the Wheel doesn't need it, it lies dormant.
RJ clarified that burning out or being Stilled would only affect a current life i.e. their current physical body. This is noteworthy because it once again shows a difference between the physical realm and the metaphysics of the One Power - Siuan may be weaker in this life, but her soul's ability is not affected:
Quote 1:
Question: Previously you have made it known that an individual who is severed will retain the ability to channel in his or her subsequent life, which connects the ability to channel with the soul. How does burning out affect ones ability to channel in the next life? Specifically, will an individual born with the spark but who burns out during his or her life have the inborn spark in a subsequent life?
Jordan: I don't think I have said if you are born with the spark you would have the have the spark again. I have said if you were born with the ability to channel, to learn or with the spark, you will, when your soul is born again, you will have the ability again, whether with the spark or without. And neither burning out or severing affects that except in this lifetime, your current lifetime.
Jordan: I don't think I have said if you are born with the spark you would have the have the spark again. I have said if you were born with the ability to channel, to learn or with the spark, you will, when your soul is born again, you will have the ability again, whether with the spark or without. And neither burning out or severing affects that except in this lifetime, your current lifetime.
Quote 2:
Linda: Since the ability to channel seems to be primarily linked to the soul, if a Channeler is gentled/stilled, will this affect his/her soul in a [future] life as well, as in, will the ability to Channel still be lost?
RJ: No.
Neptune: I think Linda is asking if the soul is immortal in Jordan's world.
Moderator: So...is it??
RJ: Yes, the soul is immortal.
RJ: No.
Neptune: I think Linda is asking if the soul is immortal in Jordan's world.
Moderator: So...is it??
RJ: Yes, the soul is immortal.