<div>The etymology of these words shall help.</div>
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<div>Eidolon is a Greek philosophical term, denoting the abstract reality of an idea. For Plato, these are the universal Forms, the perfect instantiations of a given idea that all particular instances of are imperfect emanations. Aquastor comes from Paracelsus, an entity formed from thought alone. So an Eidolon is a projection from a higher world (the Platonic world of ideals/Yesod) to a lower world (the physical world/Briah). An aquastor would be a created being formed of pure thought (intention).</div>
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<div>It's also important to note that Severian only absorbs some of Thecla's memory and personality, but not her consciousness itself. While these things may be in some way linked to the brain, the sense of identity, the self-consciousness and transcendental unity of apperception, is not, and thus, Severian-as-intentional-being never experiences a disconnect between his death(s) and rebirth(s).</div>
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<div>Lane</div>
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<div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Dec 2, 2008 at 6:02 PM, Son of Witz <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:sonofwitz@butcherbaker.org">sonofwitz@butcherbaker.org</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">Hey Friend.<br><br>Eidolon or Aquastor, I'm not sure I know the difference.<br><br>One interesting aspect of this is the question of where does consciousness lie? Severian was able to absorb the consciousness by eating flesh with pharamacon. But his consciousness moves on despite his various deaths. I suppose the Aquastor idea covers that. But I wonder if this is an example of our question as to whether Severian is Divine or not. If he is, surely his consciousness is not limited to his body.<br>
<br>There's also another switchup like this with the Severian that is Apu Punchau, right?<br><br>I'm re-reading Urth now, so maybe I'm jumping the gun here.<br><font color="#888888">~witz<br></font>
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<div class="Wj3C7c"><br><br>>Well, one of the reasons I like the Eidolon theory (being the below<br>>mentioned 'friend') is how it resonates thematically. This would make<br>>Severian not bodily resurrected (which he may or may not have been before,<br>
>with my vote for was), but resurrected in a 'subtle body', held together by<br>>the 'mind of god'. Things in quotes are meant to reflect my metaphoric<br>>reading. Sort of like Christ after the crucifiction. So, as the New Sun,<br>
>he is really a 'new Severian', which is the Severian who becomes the<br>>Concilitor.<br>><br>>So, the first incarnation of the Conciliator, the figure who has a huge<br>>impact on Severian and Urth in BotNS, is in fact an Edilon Severian<br>
>resurrected, who comes back to Urth as the New Sun, who will subsequently<br>>influence Severian in BotNS, who will go on to become Eidolon Severian etc<br>>etc. This time loop aspect is so damned attractive to me, and so brilliant<br>
>in so many ways.<br>><br>>On Tue, Dec 2, 2008 at 12:56 PM, Son of Witz <<a href="mailto:sonofwitz@butcherbaker.org">sonofwitz@butcherbaker.org</a>>wrote:<br>><br>>> >Does anyone know whose body Severian took over after he fell from a<br>
>> >great height inside the sailship?<br>>> ><br>>> >And is it this body which writes the first three books? I would assume<br>>> >this must be.<br>>> ><br>>> >And did the first Severian also take over this body?<br>
>> ><br>>> >Dave<br>>> ><br>>> ><br>>> >---<br>>><br>>> This is something that confuses me. having just read that part.<br>>> My friend suggests he's an Eidolon at this point.<br>
>> But I think he may have died and been resurrected in the very first part of<br>>> Shadow, swimming in Gyoll, leaving behind the skull that he finds later?<br>>> He's also resurrected in the Avern Duel, but there is no additional body.<br>
>> Perhaps he just came close to death. I think that's where the eidolon<br>>> reading comes in, because that's the only body left behind, unless the skull<br>>> in Gyoll is that.<br>>><br>
>> Although,it's plausible he could have been having an Out of Body Experience<br>>> when he closed the dead Severian's eyes after that fall. There are other<br>>> instances where Sev has a sort of astral projection that he views himself<br>
>> from without himself. I'm gonna reread it with that in mind, because that<br>>> could probably account for all of them. No?<br>>><br>>> ~witz<br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>><br>
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