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 Laran
Introduction
Laran is one of the fundamental themes of the Darkover series. Without it, many
events in Darkover's history would never have taken place.
Laran is the term given to the collection of psychic abilities which certain
Darkovans possess. Generally speaking, laran is a combination of two abilities:
telepathy, the ability to read the thoughts of others; and telekinesis, the
ability to move objects with the power of thought.
The manifestations of laran
Laran first manifests itself in a person as a diffuse telepathic sense which
allow those who possess it to pick up one another's emotions. Once a telepath
has been trained, laran may allow him or her to manipulate objects without
physically touching them (telekinesis). There may also be the development of a
special mental visualization which allows the telepath to control energy flows
or to see over a distance, to name just two examples.
Telepathy
This type of laran manifests itself primarily as a form of empathy, the
ability to sense the emotions of others. It is not especially clear from the
books, but it seems that telepathic contact between a telepath and a
non-telepath is not really possible. The telepath perceives only vaguely the
feelings and strong emotions of a non-telepath. The exception to this is the
Alton gift.
A trained telepath can block his mind so that another telepath cannot read his
thoughts. Among Darkovans it is considered a crime to try to read the thoughts
of others without their consent. On the other hand, the ethical code among
telepaths requires that they keep their mental barriers properly raised so as
not to inflict their private thoughts upon others. Such barriers can also be
raised unconsciously by a young telepath whose talent is emerging, as the
onset of laran can often be a painful and traumatic experience. Once in place,
these unconscious barriers are difficult to lower and they can be an obstacle
to the development of the individual's gifts. It is possible for such a
telepathic barrier to be forced down, but in general this is unthinkable as
well as extremely dangerous (see The Heritage of Hastur, p. 35).
By utilizing a matrix to amplify his ability, one telepath can communicate
with another across vast distances. A telepath can send and receive precise
thoughts and precise messages. This is one of the functions of the relays in
the Towers.
Telekinesis
The most impressive aspect of laran is telekinesis, which allows the telepath
to move almost anything without actually touching it. Except in the case of the
Hastur gift, telekinesis seems impossible without resorting to a
matrix to amplify mental powers. It should be noted here that some people who
possess only limited telepathic gifts (a mild empathy, for example) can learn
to use a matrix for telekinetic manipulations (op. cit., p. 204-205 and 240).
One of the simplest feats learned by beginners is the control of fire. It is
possible to increase or diminish flames, to make a spark when a fire is almost
out, etc. Fire is one of the easiest elements to invoke, but full control
requires a refined touch (op. cit.,
pages 203 and following). It is also possible to create light in
the form of a glowing ball: the telepath excites a region of air molecules so
that they produce light (personal guess).
Such control may be exercised over larger objects (inverting the flow of a
waterfall, for example, op. cit., p. 207) as well as very small
things such as the petals of a flower. One can make a rosebud open by
carefully pulling its petals apart (op. cit., p. 207). In fact,
control can be taken down to the molecular level, as was readily done during
the Ages of Chaos (most
notably for genetic manipulations, op. cit., p. 33). At the
opposite end of the scale, rainfall can be induced by gathering clouds
together (op. cit., p. 204).
It is important to note that the power of a trained telepath is enormous. For
instance, given just one matrix a telepath can turn the blades of a helicopter
fast enough for it to take off (as seen in op. cit., p. 246).
With a larger matrix and a circle of telepaths, it is literally possible to
move mountains.
Telepaths are also capable of levitation and teleportation (op. cit.,
p. 364).
Special perceptions
At the most basic level, laran seems to be accompanied by an extension of
perceptions. For instance, a telepath is able to follow "energy currents" in
the human body. These currents are in fact the well-known meridians described
in theories of Yogi. They convey "life-force" energy and energons (see Matrix Mechanics, below).
This type of extended perception also allows a telepath to see over great
distances, although this point remains somewhat obscure in the novels. On the
other hand, it is quite clear that telepathy includes the ability to transmit
pictures (as well as memories and past images) to another telepath in a very
precise manner.
Another important point is that this perception is always involved with the
exercise of laran. So, when a telepath heals someone, his extended perception
allows him to see within the body in a highly augmented fashion (even down to
the molecular level). Likewise, if a circle of telepaths is working to extract
minerals from ore, for example, they have such a clear vision of what they are
doing that they can see under the earth (see The Bloody Sun).
Finally, it is possible to see into the future, although these visions are
generally troubling as the future can only be perceived in terms of what is
possible.
Matrix mechanics is a theory based on the empirical knowledge of Darkovans
concerning the use of laran and matrices. In short it is a collection of
techniques which allows a person who possesses laran to make use of his psychic
energy for telepathic and telekinetic purposes.
The main point of the theory is the concept of energons. It
is assumed that the part of the brain which controls psychic ability emits
special waves: energons. These are amplified by a matrix and the resulting
flow can be used to manipulate reality. In a circle of telepaths, each member
amplifies his individual flow with his own matrix, then directs the resulting
flow to the Keeper. The Keeper combines and channels the energy so received
before passing it through a larger matrix at the center of the circle. After
amplification by this matrix, the energy flow is enormous and may be used for
diverse purposes (and even as a weapon, as during the Ages of Chaos). All of
this is explained by Lew Alton
in The Heritage of Hastur (pages 238
and following).
Other points of interest
Laran did not appear on Darkover randomly, without reason: the Darkover
Encyclopedia presents a history of its
development.
Laran is linked the following topics discussed in the Encyclopedia:
source file (Last modification: Wed Apr 21 17:21:45 1999)
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