The Bene Gesserit in public opinion

[SandChigger]

Eeew...when you Share with one person...you Share with everyone that person has ever Shared with!

[Omphalos]

Eeew...when you Share with one person...you Share with everyone that person has ever Shared with!

Groupsharing? Sounds like something they do in one of these SF "clubs" on O'Farrell Street.

[orald]

Not exactly insane, just possesed by their most evil and powerful ancestor.
OK, that ancestor would probably be a bit insane.

Since those OM personas(that's the plural?) seem to be more active than just a readable memory bank, as shown repeatedly throughout the series, I don't think two copies of the same person at different stages would really collide, as the earlier one would just learn the new stuff that's happened to "it" and come to the same line of thought as the more recent memory.

It's not like they wouldn't be the same person- kids, who might be looked upon as a different person, just don't make it through such ordeals as the spice agony, except pre-borns, but they just get possesed and devoured or end up like God Leto or Ghani.
In the former's case, they'll probably die either immidietly after birth by people killing the "abomination", or later like Alia, in either case I don't think there's much chance for anyone to share their mind(as only the BG seem to do anyway, and they'd kill an abomination outright), and in the later two's case we know they didn't share their minds with anyone.

[Freakzilla]

Not exactly insane, just possesed by their most evil and powerful ancestor.

this isn't always true either. it's by the most dominant ancestral persona inside of them. didn't Leto II allowed himself possession by a persona as well, but it was a benevolent dictator from the past and not an evil presence?

True, but that's easier for a male since males are "takers".

[orald]

Yea, but crazy, power-hungry evil ones are the most perssistant.
Take the Baron for example- he's one nagging ass in Alia's mind, precisely because he was a power-hungry and evil man.

There's less chance of Leto I trying to take over his own daughter for instance, since we see Leto II and Ghanima's exercise with their parents personas, and Channi gives up on taking hold of Ghani(well, thanks to Leto II in part), even after Ghani gave her that control.

[loremaster]

Actually, neither of the twins were possessed, at least in the classical sense.

Ghanima was protected from the clamour of the ancestors by her mother, who after having nearly possessed her, realises her mistake and stands guard at the gate (as she put it).

Leto forged a partnership with Harum, the most persistant of the ancestors in him. The way i always saw it, Harum sort of became the speaker for the ancestor committee, and kept them all in check.

However, it was a partnership because leto COULD have chosen not to listen to harum and the committee (I always think of the inner voices as a committee, it started after reading the lucilla sections in CH:D :s). He berates them all (the whole IRON HAMMER thing in the visions in the desert). He tells them he does not judge, but their purpose is to show him 10,000,000 ways NOT to rule. And in the process infer how he should. (depth of understanding and all that).

The point is, the way i saw it Leto gave the committee an earful and put them in their place, after that, the only really had the choice of working with him. Even with Harum as speaker, it wasnt possession, because it wasn't malignant.

Oh, and hi, sorry its been a while, but the school im working at now has chat sites blocked, including forums. Bastards. But lucky me found a way around it .

[nampigai]

Sorry to bring up this thread – but I saw nothing about posting in old threads in the rules, and it would most likely be better for me to post here rather than to start a new post… I guess

Anyways – I have always loved the Bene Gesserit, I’ve always been in to the occult and read several books on the subject. The Bene Gesserit are in my eyes the guardian of mankind and the human species. I truly believe they act out of a greater good, at least in their eyes – then again so does the Tleilaxu, I’m sure. I just find the Bene Gesserit easier to sympathize with – and there’s a certain sexual under current about them as well, which – of course – doesn’t make them less interesting!

It was the Bene Gesserit that – indirectly – created Leto II through their incredible breeding program. Through Leto came the Golden Path – and the survival and evolution of mankind. Even though I don’t think he was what they had hoped for.

Again it’s a long time since I’ve read the books, I’m re-reading them again now, but at least, the above was my impression of them the last time I read the books.

[Freakzilla]

Sorry to bring up this thread – but I saw nothing about posting in old threads in the rules, and it would most likely be better for me to post here rather than to start a new post… I guess

I'd rather you used an existing topic than start a new one. Thank you.

Again it’s a long time since I’ve read the books, I’m re-reading them again now, but at least, the above was my impression of them the last time I read the books.

Check out the Reading Group while you're at it. I've summarized each chapter, please comment if you have anything to add or feel there is something important I left out or you dissagree with.

[nampigai]

Yea I've seen it and I will definately throw in something from time to time, it's a great idea to be honest, I don't have many irl friends that are in to Dune, I've tried with my brother in law, but well you can't win them all over I guess.

I'm at GEoD at the moment, and I'm a slow reader - I only read just before I go to sleep, and only about 30-45 minutes at a time.

[Freakzilla]

Yea I've seen it and I will definately throw in something from time to time, it's a great idea to be honest,

Thank you, I spent a lot of time on in. I did it while reading all six books simultaneously.

I don't have many irl friends that are in to Dune, I've tried with my brother in law, but well you can't win them all over I guess.

You'd be very lucky if you did.

I'm at GEoD at the moment, and I'm a slow reader - I only read just before I go to sleep, and only about 30-45 minutes at a time.

Don't feel bad, I'm a slow reader too.