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Your search for the tag 'Spiritual Realm' yielded 31 results

  • 1

    Interview: Oct, 2008

    Dalenthas (15 October 2008)

    Did Sazed leave information about how his new religion should be run for Spook and the others to find? His note to Spook implies that there is an afterlife...

    Brandon Sanderson (16 October 2008)

    Sazed didn't immediately leave this, as he was too focused on other things. The next period of time will be difficult for Sazed, as he essentially sees himself as an avatar of deity—the force of Preservation—and not God with an upper case letter. He's still not sure what Truth is 100%. And there is an afterlife, but it's probably not what you're thinking. In other words, Sazed has not touched Heaven or Hell, and actually doesn't yet know what the final beyond contains. He has, however, run into some people who have been sticking around something of a middle place. It's related to the larger cosmology, and I'm afraid that I'll need to RAFO anything further.

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  • 2

    Interview: Oct, 2008

    Qarlin (16 October 2008)

    I'm sad Ten Soon never got to talk to Vin again, since it was apparent they both missed each other.

    Brandon Sanderson (17 October 2008)

    Remember that TenSoon, with spikes, can communicate more easily with those on the other side....

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  • 3

    Interview: Oct, 2008

    Death Magnetic (19 October 2008)

    I'd first like to say that this series was fantastic. I was exceptionally pleased with how you tied everything together in this final book of the trilogy.

    (1) This series has the best world-building, magic system, and over-arching plot of any epic fantasy I have ever read. I think George R.R. Martin is still the master of creating memorable characters, developing them, and having them interact with each other. Other authors, like Hobb and Rothfuss, are better at evincing emotion. You are an amazing writer yourself.

    That being said, I have a couple suggestions for you.

    (2) The first contradicts itself, so take it for what it is. I would suggest that you write how you feel the story should be written. Getting inspiration from someone is one thing, but changing your work because some people want a happy ending or dark ending takes away from the purity of writing. The part you added in at the end where Sazed let Spook know Vin and Elend were happy in the afterlife really stuck me like a thorn. I think it was apparent how happy they were together in life and how necessary their sacrifices were. That would have been enough for me.

    (3) My other suggestion is more of a plea really. Please don't extend this series just to capitalize on it. If you really feel there is more story to be told, then tell it. I, for one, thought the ending would have been perfect if allomancy, hemalurgy, and feruchemy would have faded from existence as their corresponding gods did. It would have been rather romantic to have people start over with a new "normal" world.

    Congratulations again on completing a masterful work!

    Brandon Sanderson (20 October 2008)

    1. You humble me. I don't think I've NEARLY the skill for characters that Mr. Martin does, and that's not just an attempt at modesty. I hope to be there some day, however.

    2. This is a tricky one. I didn't change the worldbuilding or the cosmology of the story in order to fit what people wanted, but I feel strongly about using writing groups and test readers to see if my intention in a book has been achieved. I show things to alpha readers to see what is confusing or bothersome to them, then decide if that's really something I want to be confusing or bothersome.

    In my mind, the presence of a powerful being such as Sazed, mixed with some direct reaching from beyond the grave by a certain crew leader, indicated that there WAS an afterlife. However, test readers didn't get it, so I tweaked the story to make it more obvious. Perhaps I should have left it as is, but I liked both ways, and decided upon the one I liked the most in the context of reader responses.

    I do plan to always tell the stories from my heart, and not change them because of how I think the reactions will be. But I do think it's important to know what those reactions are ahead of time and decide if they are what I want or not.

    3. We are on the same page on this one. You can read other posts on the thread to see what kind of thoughts I might have for more Mistborn books, but I don't know if/when I will write them. It depends on the story and how excited I am to tell it.

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  • 4

    Interview: Feb 16th, 2013

    Viper

    Ok. The gemhearts/stormgems/whatever that are grown inside the beasts in Way of Kings ... is that the same as the way Atium is grown inside geodes in the Pits of Hathsin?

    Brandon Sanderson

    It's similar. The pits are an area where there's like a leak from the spiritual realm into the physical. That's what happens there.

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  • 5

    Interview: Sep 4th, 2012

    NALESEAN ()

    Hi --

    Long time lurker, first time poster.

    While at Dragon*Con, during Magic:tG with Brandon, I was able to get an answer to one of the question on the big list of questions.

    Here is the question:

    Why are invested objects like metalminds and Hemalurgic spikes able to be Pushed and Pulled on, but Shardblades and Shardplate, which are also invested, are not susceptible to Pushing and Pulling?

    His answer was complex, I took notes, but didn't get recorded audio. I am going to try to explain as best as my notes and memory support.

    BRANDON SANDERSON (paraphrased)

    There were a few concepts that he outlined in answering this question.

    1.) The ability to push/pull an invested object is predicated to the amount/power of the investiture

    2.) Further, invested objects also gain resistance to pulling/pushing based on proximity to soul possibly via the soul. An example given is that A hemalurgic spike touches the blood of the person, and from there is now part of both the Spiritual Realm and the Physical Realm. This provides what Brandon termed a kind of "soul interference," based on its proximity to the soul.

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  • 6

    Interview: Sep 4th, 2012

    BRANDON SANDERSON (paraphrased)

    This further explains why Vin required more than normal power to push/pull the metalminds from the Lord Ruler, because of their proximity to his soul, via the Spiritual Realm.

    3.) The amount of investiture is relatively low on Scadrial, whereas worlds like Sel and Roshar are pushing around "high power" according to Brandon. I interpreted this to mean that hemalurgic spikes and metalminds have low amounts of investiture compared to Shardplate and Shardblades.

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  • 7

    Interview: Sep, 2012

    Kurkistan

    Would it be fair to describe the three realms as the Spiritual realm providing motivation/general directives (gravity, desires, energy, etc.), the Cognitive realm interpreting and applying those directives, and the Physical realm as where these directives--as interpreted by the Cognitive realm--are actually implemented? All of this with interactions/change flowing back and forth between the realms as well (Physical phenomena affecting thought affecting the spirit, for example).

    Brandon Sanderson

    Ha! That's a very interesting way to look at it. The theory isn't all there, but it's thinking along the right lines.

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  • 8

    Interview: Sep, 2012

    FireArcadia

    When Dalinar and Honour are having a "chat" at the end, Honour says "I don't know who you are, or how you found your way here." Does Dalinar visit the Spiritual realm in his dreams then?

    Brandon Sanderson

    RAFO. (Sorry.)

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  • 9

    Interview: Sep, 2012

    Odium's_Shard

    Is the Cognitive realm the only way to access the Spiritual Realm from the Physical Realm, and vice versa?

    Brandon Sanderson

    No.

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  • 10

    Interview: Sep, 2012

    Master_Moridin

    1. What is the relationship between blood and the Spiritual Realm? (Since Hemalurgy needs blood to graft the sDNA in a spike into someone else's sDNA)

    Brandon Sanderson

    The blood being in motion is part of it.

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  • 11

    Interview: Oct 30th, 2012

    Lance Alvein

    Is a person's Breath the entirety of that person's Spiritual Aspect?

    BRANDON SANDERSON (paraphrased)

    No

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  • 12

    Interview: Apr 15th, 2013

    Reddit AMA 2013 (Verbatim)

    NewbSombrero ()

    Are Splinters primarily Spiritual?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Less physical. More a blend of the other two.

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  • 13

    Interview: Oct 5th, 2013

    Question

    Do the Spiritual and Physical Realms have names, like Shadesmar is the Cognitive Realm?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Kind of, but not really. Shadesmar is just a rough translation of "Cognitive Realm" in the language of whoever first found out about it. Other people, planets, and worlds wouldn't call it Shadesmar, they would call it whatever their words for "Cognitive Realm" are. This applies to the Physical and Spiritual as well.

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  • 14

    Interview: Mar 21st, 2014

    Kurkistan

    Are flamespren, are they all doing their own thing, or is there some Ideal of "Fire" sitting in the Spiritual Realm that they're all based on?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Each spren is based on the Ideal of Fire.

    Kurkistan

    And is that sitting in the Spiritual Realm?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, we're using sort of a Platonic Ideal, and that concept is in force, so < sounds hesitant > "yes", but [spren] are manifestations of it.

    Kurkistan

    So these Ideals in the Spiritual Realm: Divine Breath, does that heal by accessing some Ideal of Human Health: so a guy who had never had a tongue and doesn't know how to speak all the sudden has a tongue and can speak? [Note: Talking of Susebron here]

    Brandon Sanderson

    You are... < LONG pause > You are, um, on the right track.

    Kurkistan

    Okay...

    Brandon Sanderson

    Because the Breath is... eh. How can I explain this? You are, yeah... So... So each Breath is a shade of deity, right?

    Kurkistan

    Yeah.

    Brandon Sanderson

    And each Breath incorporates into it this sort of idea of being endowed by the deity Endowment, correct?

    Kurkistan

    Yes.

    Brandon Sanderson

    And so each Breath you hold brings you one step closer to becoming like that, and so what you're saying is... is "yes", kind of true, yes.

    Kurkistan

    But it's like within the Breath, not sitting off by itself—

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, yes yes exactly.

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  • 15

    Interview: Sep 4th, 2014

    Question

    The magic in The Emperor's Soul, is that the only magic you've written that there is a Spiritual part to it in your magic trio?

    Brandon

    Umm... All of them have some little dabbling in it, it is the most related to the Spiritual Realm-- Of the ones I have shown, certainly it is the most related.

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  • 16

    Interview: Mar 20th, 2014

    Outis

    Are there factions in the Spiritual Realm? Like there are different stories about the Tranquiline Halls and the Iridescent Tomes.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes...there are actual factions but they're not what you're thinking of.

    Outis

    Are there lifeforms that are native to the Spiritual Realm like the spren are native to the Cognitive Realm?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, but they're not what you're thinking.

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  • 17

    Interview: Oct 12th, 2015

    Argent

    Can somebody travel to the Spiritual Realm, the same as the Cognitive?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, but it's a very different experience. It is possible… You may have seen people do it...

    Argent

    As in you're not sure, or you're being obnoxiously vague?

    Brandon Sanderson

    No...

    Question

    As in, you probably have but he's having trouble remembering it.

    Brandon Sanderson

    No no no... For instance, Elend burning atium and duralumin pulled most of him into the Spiritual Realm.

    Argent

    Oh, that's what happens there.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah. He kind of got yanked into- You also have seen people ascend with the powers and dip into the Spiritual Realm for a little bit.

    Argent

    So, Vin?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah. But they could be on both, or either, or both at the same time. But you have seen Vin stick into the Spiritual Realm. And it happened to Sazed/Harmony...

    Question

    Oh! So is that where the gods live? Kinda?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Most of the bulk of the Shard's energy of being is contained in the Spiritual Realm, yes. [edited for clarity- Original was: Most of the bulk of what the Shard's energy of being is contained on the Spiritual Realm] Except for one notable exception!

    Question

    The mistwraith? [I would guess she meant the mist spirit]

    Brandon Sanderson

    No.

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  • 18

    Interview: Oct 12th, 2015

    Alterodent

    With Stormlight, the better the gem is cut, the less Stormlight it leaks, and the longer it holds its charge. If a gem was perfectly cut, on a molecular scale, would it leak Stormlight at all?

    Brandon Sanderson

    In a theoretical flawless gem, then no it would not.

    Alterodent

    Would it actually give off light?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Ooh... Theoretically no it would not, but it's not what you're thinking...

    Alterodent

    No no no, that’s not what I’m thinking, I figured that’s something totally different.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Well, actually, it probably would still give off light, because it's drawing out of the Spiritual Realm. So I’d say it still lights, but it doesn't leak. The leaking is not where the illumination is coming from. The illumination is coming from a direct... It's basically a lightbulb screwed into the Spiritual Realm.

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  • 19

    Interview: Oct 7th, 2015

    relient23

    Are the lines that an Allomancer sees when burning iron or steel are in the physical realm, the spiritual realm, or the cognitive realm?

    Brandon Sanderson

    "It is more spiritual realm than anything."

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  • 20

    Interview: Feb 17th, 2016

    Question

    Well you answered my question about Allomancers being able to burn metals in other realms--

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes.

    Question

    --is that because the Shards are sort of… My impression from the book was that the Shards were--in the Mistborn books--specifically in that area but is it because the universe is formed across all of them that that is why the metals--

    Brandon Sanderson

    So, most of the magics are not region-dependent, because the Spiritual Realm-- in the Spiritual Realm space doesn’t exist. All things are the same distance from one another.

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  • 21

    Interview: Feb 22nd, 2016

    Question

    Is the death process, like dying from the physical to the cognitive staging area and moving to the beyond the same across the cosmere?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes. it is a universal process. People don’t always hang out as long, depending on their investiture.

    Question

    Is the God Beyond related to “the Beyond” spoken about?

    Brandon Sanderson

    RAFO.

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  • 22

    Interview: Feb 22nd, 2016

    Question

    Harmony says the Beyond is a place he can’t reach, is that true for all shards or?...

    Brandon Sanderson

    RAFO.

    Tags

  • 23

    Interview: Feb 27th, 2016

    Paladin Brewer

    How far can a shardholder see beyond his own world?

    Brandon Sanderson

    In the spirit realm they can see infinitely.

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  • 24

    Interview: Apr 8th, 2016

    Would a savant look different in the spiritual realm than a regular human?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, yes.

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  • 25

    Interview: Apr 8th, 2016

    Blightsong

    So Kelsier, he stayed around longer, not because he was invested, but because he had the ability to become invested?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Over time using the magic will invest you, on Scadrial. Most of the power is not coming from, on Roshar the power isn't coming from the person either (He cut himself off, so I assume this is how it works on Scadrial even though he didn't finish his thought) so I'm going to have to back up on that one and say, yes, the mistborn are as invested as a Knight Radiant, because in both cases the majority of the power is coming from somewhere else, but there is the spirit web. Investing the wrong term, but you have all these connections in the spiritual realm, so yanking you away from them, or rewriting them (like soulcasting or forgery) is harder.

    Blightsong

    Would they be harder (kek) with more Stormlight or Metals burning?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, yes. That would increase the difficulty ratio. For instance, wearing shard plate is gonna be a great barrier, right, and things like that so yea. The problem is like, invested is the wrong term for that, their spirit web is connected in different ways. (I deem this "Spirit Web Magical Connectivity Diversity, or SWMCD".

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  • 26

    Interview: Apr 8th, 2016

    Blightsong

    Why is going into the Spiritual realm like Kelsier did damaging, as Leras seemed to suggest?

    Brandon Sanderson

    The thing is, Leras didn't know that Kelsier had a broken brain, that is how Kelsier wasn't damaged by doing what he did. You can break your brain by doing that though, worse than how broken Kelsier is.

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  • 27

    Interview: Feb 20th, 2016

    Question

    Can Seons communicate across planets?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Cognitive realm are bounded by distance, spiritual realm is not. If you learn how Seons communicate, you’ll know.

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  • 28

    Interview: Nov 22nd, 2016

    BYU Bookstore (Paraphrased)

    Question

    When Harmony ascended, I think he said he had trouble seeing what was going on in the Spiritual realm. Does he get better at this?

    Brandon Sanderson

    He does. Also it's important to note that the Spiritual Realm is not the Beyond.

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  • 29

    Interview: Oct 22nd, 2016

    Question

    Question about the stormlight itself : a highstorm, full of stormlight, fills the spheres. Then, the KR use the stormlight or the stormlight evaporates with time. Question : where does the stormlight in highstorms come from ? Is there like a "rain cycle", but for the stormlight ?

    Brandon Sanderson

    the stormlight in the highstorm is transferred from the Spiritual realm through the Stormfather into the highstorm.

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  • 30

    Interview: Dec 6th, 2016

    Argent

    I want to take us back to some Shards before we skip me for the fourth time. So there were a few of the Shards that Rayse Splintered, included Ambition, Dominion, and Devotion.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes.

    Argent

    And those were all way back in history. So, we know that the Shard’s personality overrides the Vessel’s personality over time?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Strongly influence, and depending on the Vessel, override.

    Argent

    So, did Rayse choose those Shards because--

    Brandon Sanderson

    He went after Ambition first, but didn’t find Ambition until after going after Devotion and Dominion. But Ambition was number one on his hit list.

    Argent

    Was it because of the Shard or because of the Vessel, or the person.

    Brandon Sanderson

    In this case it was the Shard primarily. He was afraid that this was a Shard that would rival him. But, he then got trapped in the Rosharan system.

    Argent

    Which is segue to Shards Investing in Shardworlds. So is it kind of a...passive...the more a Shard stays on a world, the Investiture kind of seeps…

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, it does. Once you’ve got a Perpendicularity, you are starting...That’s trouble for going other places. But you’ve gotta remember, going other places means multiple things to someone actually holding a Shard. They can exist in the Spiritual Realm, where all things are one. And they can even kind of comprehend it.

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