User:Stargazer
I started reading Brandon's works in 2015 and have been following the community on and off since then. Finally decided to start contributing here in 2019. I'm new to editing wikis, so I'm mostly going to be using this for figuring that out.
Current Projects
- Queen Tsa: Finished writing article; I have an ebook of Oathbringer coming in a few weeks, and I'll search that to make sure I'm not missing anything when it comes in.
- Gran-Gran (Becca Nightshade): Marked article as complete. I'd like feedback, since that's my first complete article.
- Ironsides (Admiral Judy Ivans): Just claimed. I'd like to get Gran-Gran marked as complete and get some feedback on that article before starting on this one, if possible.
- Cognitive Shadow: Noticed this on the urgent list and thought I'd put some work into it.
Cognitive Shadows Work
“A force of mind, holding his spirit together, preventing it from diffusing. ”
Cognitive Shadow is term used by Brandon to refer to a spirit that has not yet moved into the afterlife.[2] While the manifestations of this kind of entity can vary depending on the world it occurs on, Cognitive Shadows can occur on any planet of the Cosmere. In general, they are similar to the concept of ghosts on Earth.
Mechanics
Cognitive Shadows can be created by a variety of processes. Some of them are created when a person has sufficient attachment to something in the Physical Realm. When a Vessel that has held onto a Shard for a long time dies it becomes a Cognitive Shadow that can continue to act.[3] The Cognitive aspect of a recently deceased person can become a Cognitive Shadow by finding a source of Investiture to anchor themselves to the Cognitive Realm before passing on to the Beyond. The Investiture replaces the parts of the soul that connects it to the Three Realms, providing an anchor for it in the Cognitive Realm. [4] Some Vessels can prepare a Cognitive Shadow at or just prior to their death or Splintering, allowing a portion of their power to continue to function with a small amount of direction; the Stormfather is an example of this.[5]
Examples
Roshar
When the Singers turned to Odium for help in fighting off the humans, he responded by infusing some of them with his power, which turned them into Cognitive Shadows. They reside on Braize, but return to Roshar during every Desolation. Since they lost their bodies long ago, they must possess the bodies of living singers; doing so kills the mind of the possessed body.[6] This cycle of rebirth strains the minds of the Fused and, eventually, they go crazy. When this happens, they instead possess chunks of rock and become a Thunderclast during the Desolations. Odium could remove the Investiture that maintains a Fused, which would send that Fused to the Beyond.
When the Heralds of The Almighty took up the Oathpact, they gained a direct connection to Honor. This connection transformed them into Cognitive Shadows.[7] Each time they return to Roshar, a new body is created for them.
Prior to Odium's splintering of Honor, the Stormfather was just the spren of the highstorm and one of the three Bondsmith spren. After Honor's death, the Cogntive Shadow of its Vessel, Tanavast, merged with the Stormfather, though it does not appear that the Stormfather has Tanavast's memories.[8]
Scadrial
“Look at you Kelsier! You haven't form or shape. You're not alive, you're an idea. A memory of a man holding the power will never be as potent as a real one with ties to all three Relams.”
—Ruin on Kelsier's Ascension[9]
After his death, Kelsier found the Well of Ascension in the Cognitive Realm and, with Leras' help, merged with it. As a result, he became infused with Preservation's power and became a Cognitive Shadow, though, since the Well was created as a prison, he was unable to leave.[10] After Vin released Ruin from the Well he was able to travel the Scadrian Cognitive Realm and influence the Physical Realm. With the help of a device made by the Ire, he was able to hold the Shard of Preservation after Leras died, though, according to Ruin, he was made for a weaker Vessel than a normal person.[9]
- The mist spirit
The mist spirit that Vin sees during The Well of Ascension is not a cognitve shadow. Depending on the scene, it was an actual manifestation of Preservation[11] or Ruin's imitation of that manifestation.[12]
Nalthis
Returned are Cognitive Shadows that have been attached back to their bodies with a divine Breath.[13]
Brandon has indicated that, if given enough extra Breath, a Lifeless might develop a Cognitive Shadow
Sel
- Aona
The voice Raoden hears above the pool may be Aona's Cognitive Shadow
Threnody
Common on Threnody, Shades are somewhat unique in that they can convert living people into more Shades. This is explained by the kind of Investiture the people on that planet have, as well as the lack of Shard.[14]
Notes
- ↑ Mistborn: Secret History part 2 chapter 1#
- ↑ Steelheart release party
— Arcanum - 2013-09-24# - ↑ Orem signing 2014
— Arcanum - 2014-12-06# - ↑ Worldbuilders AMA
— Arcanum - 2015-12-04# - ↑ Oathbringer Houston signing
— Arcanum - 2017-11-18# - ↑ Oathbringer London signing
— Arcanum - 2017-11-28# - ↑ Orem signing
— Arcanum - 2017-12-21# - ↑ Shadows of Self San Francisco signing
— Arcanum - 2015-10-09# - ↑ a b Mistborn: Secret History part 6 chapter 4#
- ↑ Mistborn: Secret History part 1 chapter 1#
- ↑ /r/books AMA 2015
— Arcanum - 2015-03-12# - ↑ Mistborn: Secret History part 2 chapter 2#
- ↑ Stormlight Three Update #6
— Arcanum - 2017-01-20# - ↑ Words of Radiance San Francisco signing
— Arcanum - 2014-03-06#