Vestigial Organs and the Astral
How Vestigial Organs Are Helping Redefine
an Understanding of Magic in the Sixth World
Authors
Dr. John Jacob Holmes
Dr. Li Xiu Wang
Dr. Jorge Villanueva
Dr. Shimon Ben Gezerah
Introduction and Conclusion
by Professor Herbert Cale
AN INTRODUCTION
Over the past century, the return of magic to the planet has left hundreds of questions unanswered. For several years, as the world underwent changes that seemed to defy explanation, our understanding of science and laws that govern the universe flexed under the weight of these new revelations. Today, however, science and magic have found a balance many thought impossible. Instead of an uneasy balance, science and magic have found a symbiotic relationship through a virtual cross pollination of ideas. The use of science with astral manifestations has helped create and flavor the hermetic tradition, the most common tradition among mages today.[1] At the same time, the use of magic to better understand the geological make-up of the earth and the magical implications of the atmosphere and space at large has helped scientists learn to predict and read seismic patterns and ecological balance.[2]
Though some scientists are still skeptical of magic and many mages are unwilling to allow magic to be analyzed in a scientific manner, there’s no denying the usefulness of such a partnership. Prior to the awakening, alchemy was considered a myth and those chasing its secrets were thought of as madmen and fools. Today, we know via geomancy that utilizing mana and channeling through an object can help transition that object not only from one state to another (i.e. – liquid to solid to gas) but from one form to another (i.e. – dirt to gravel to cement). Utilizing basic magical techniques, walls and buildings can be formed directly from the earth with little to no scientific knowledge. Combining basic geomancy with a basic understanding of chemistry, however, can allow the wielder to transform coal to diamond without the industrial presses popularized in the late 20th century; wood can be changed from its splintery structure into a truly solid form that rivals steel in its density and resilience; essentially almost any substance can be shifted from one molecular structure to another without requiring the use of small scale fission and fusion.[3] It’s true that the transformation of lead into gold is still elusive even with the proper tools, but we are closer to understanding the origins and functions of alchemical processes than ever before.
As much as magic has changed the face of the planet, opening possibilities and allowing the supernatural to be proven natural, it has also helped science reach even greater heights. Studies on paranormal animals have revealed many sources of adept like powers that manifested even before the awakening.[4] Tales of mothers able to lift a three ton car off their child as if it were nothing speak to a greater power at work. The religious will often claim it was a manifestation of a deity or spirit, but studies here at MIT&T have begun pointing to vestigial structures—or vestigial organs as they’re more commonly known—as the true root of man’s connection to mana and the astral.
What once were thought of as merely remnants of now defunct body parts are now thought to be responsible for myriad astral effects. Though few doctors admit it, it’s already proven that a simple appendectomy, a routine procedure for more than two centuries, actually affects the human essence. In some magically active metahumans, patients report that its removal has resulted in a ghost limb like effect when utilizing magic or appearing astrally.[5]
The purpose of this paper is to document and collect four studies performed at MIT&T and Hong Kong University that explore the function of vestigial organs with regards to magic and the astral realm. Though findings at this point are merely preliminary, several corporate grants have guaranteed this field will grow exponentially over the coming years. As men of science or of magic, it’s in our best interest to begin to explore the relationship between the two and come to terms with the idea that these fields can no longer be seen as separate, regardless of our own personal bias. Though many magicians fear the application of science into astral and magical studies will result in a horrific mitochlorian destruction of magical theory[6], it’s important that we push forward and ignore the fictional fear popular culture has foisted on the academic realm. As you read through the remainder of these papers, I only hope that you will treat the subject as both serious science and serious magic and realize the importance of such a new outlook on magic and science.
1.1
ORIGINS OF VESTIGIAL ORGANS, REMOVAL, AND ESSENCE LOSS
The word “vestigial� is derived from the term “vestige,� which is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “a mark, trace, or visible sign of something.�[7] For years, the medical and scientific community was mystified by the existence of parts of the body which seemingly performed no function. From the wings on an ostrich to the tailbone in Gorillas and more evolved primates to the eyes on a blind cavefish, many parts of the body cease to function as organisms evolve and move into new lifestyles.
Many experts posited theories of what each of these structures might have performed previously, often comparing them to ancestral species or other evolutionary predecessors. Charles Darwin even believed the vermiform appendix to be an organ originally designed for digesting leaves and branches as primates, growing smaller and less useful as our diet became more domesticated and carnivorous.[8] The science seems to support this as the appendix is attached to the caecum, an organ which grows in size in herbivorous animals. Yet despite this theory being pushed forward, science could not seem to prove it true or false.
In 1997, Josh McCabe published The Story of Evolution, stating:
Full Version: Vestigial Structures and the Astral
| QUOTE ("Josh McCabe - The Story of Evolution") |
| The vermiform appendage—in which some recent medical writers have vainly endeavoured to find a utility—is the shrunken remainder of a large and normal intestine of a remote ancestor. This interpretation of it would stand even if it were found to have a certain use in the human body. Vestigial organs are sometimes pressed into a secondary use when their original function has been lost.[9] |
Despite nearly a century of study since Darwin’s theories had first entered the public consciousness, vestigial organs were still a veritable mystery, and only in rare cases were the secondary functions to which McCabe referred found to apply.
In 1999, Professor Loren G. Martin of Oklahoma State University in the former USA claimed that the vermiform appendix functioned within the endocrine system.[10] Though this is often considered the root of the theory, a 1994 study by Williams and Myers posited that the function could be endocrine, exocrine or neuromuscular.[11] Other studies have posited that the appendix is used to train the immune system[12] or to allow bacteria and virii to hide when the immune system is at its peak, so as not to lose immunity.[13]
Despite these theories, it’s only in the last fifty years that Dr. Li Xiu Wang, Professor or Thaumaturgic Medicine at Hong Kong University, discovered the relationship of human essence to magical ability and the ghost limb phenomenon.[14] Her 2044 study showed that the ghost limb phenomenon was connected to the auratic nature of the astral realm. When subjects who were magically active in Astral space projected, they often had their limbs back. Attempts to duplicate this function by trying to “awaken� paraplegics so they could experience walking has failed,[15] though similar experiments in Virtual Reality have shown that using a full VR system can be therapeutic and assist with natural coping mechanisms.[16] Further studies have shown that removal of human tissue can directly affect the magically active. Awakened metahumans who experience limb loss or cybernetic replacement often find their magical ability reduced.[17] In addition, arcane studies have proven that electronic and man-made items, as well as most unnatural and inanimate constructs lack an astral form.[18]
During a 2063 study, Dr. Wang began removing body parts in an attempt to better understand their affect on magical ability. Due to the nature of her study, she’s currently in hiding and on Hong Kong’s most wanted list. Still, despite the comparisons to 20th century Nazi experimentation, her study broke new ground, showing that the removal of even vestigial structures such as the appendix affects magical ability in subjects.[19] For the past six years, Dr. Wang’s work has been studied, but due to ethical concerns, not duplicated in an academic environment.[20]
1.2
THE PLICA SEMILUNARIS AND ASTRAL PERCEPTION
One of the more apparent vestigial structures on the average metahuman is the plica semilunaris, the small bulb of bulbar conjectiva that sits at the inner corner of the eye. Traditionally, the only functions the plica served was to excrete a rheum, or the hard crusty substance metahumans sometimes found upon waking. Evolutionarily, the plica seems to be the last remnant of the nictitating membrane, or the third eyelid seen in animals such as cats. The eyelid, which functions similarly to a contact lens in animals, allows creatures to moisten and protect their eyes while still being able to see through the thin membrane. [21]
The 2067 study by MIT&T ocular specialists Dr. Jorge Villanueva and Dr. John Jacob Holmes showed that during astral projection, the plica emits electrical impulses to the brain.[22] At first, the two doctors were at odds on the implication. Dr. Villanueva argued that the study proved that the body was key in astral projection and that the plica itself was the portion of the eye responsible for astral perception. He postulated that if the plica could perceive astrally, metahumans whose plica was functional and connected properly would be able to utilize it to view spirits and power lines.[23] Further expansion on his theories have posited that mediums, psychics, and supporters of the supernatural prior to the awakening utilized this “third eyelid� to view auras, spirits, and other paranormal manifestations.[24]
Dr. Holmes on the other hand, a firm believer that magic was somehow still a myth, argued that the plica was used to send false signals to brain, proving once and for all that astral perception and projection was merely a trick of the mind.[25] Dr. Holmes pushed heavily for further study on the effects of the plica, including removal tests on awakened and perceiving beings reminiscent of Dr. Li Xiu Wang’s experiments on limbs and organs. Due to the highly politicized nature of these desired experiments, factions in Boston protested both for and again, resulting in violent clashes not seen since the last American pro-life group folded a decade after the awakening. On June 22, 2068, Kierkegaard Fiske, a militant magician, assassinated Dr. Holmes for his views, though anti-magic groups still cling to his claims as fact.[26]
In the six months prior to the publication of this short paper, rumors floated of various experiments involving the removal of plica in areas of Southern Africa, but confirmation remains elusive. There continue to be rumors of private sector companies attempting to find what might link the human perception to the astral realm, yet the plica remains a controversial topic in thaumaturgic medicine.
1.3
TAILED AVATARS AND THE COCCYX
In one of the stranger coincidences involving vestigial structures, a 2068 study showed that the coccyx or tailbone experienced unnatural growths when a metahuman’s avatar appeared as an animal or with a tail.[27] Dr. Shimon Ben Gezerah, a visiting professor of virtual kinesiology from the University of Tel Aviv, found that in 62% of cases involving both technomancers and astrally projecting magicians in which their persona or avatar in the matrix or astral realm appeared with a tail or as an animal with a tail, the tailbone literally experienced growth over time.[28]
The coccyx, which normally sits between three and five vertebrae attacked beneath the sacrum, has been found to have increased bone mass and muscle density in the cases studied.[29] This added strength and fortitude increase the size of the coccyx up to 15 centimeters longer than average. In several cases, subjects reported experiencing pain actively when outside the astral plane or when sitting on a hard surface, though direct study has been inconclusive.[29] Dr. Gezerah posited that when projecting into astral space, the body is not quite as stationary as many believe. In addition to occasional muscle twitches and REM eye movement as well as intense brain activity, Dr. Gezerah claimed that extended exercise of vestigial regions can actually cause the increased growth.[30] Still, the findings are inconclusive at best.
CONCLUSION
MOVING ONWARDS FROM VESTIGIAL STRUCTURES TO TOTAL ENLIGHTENMENT
For hundreds of years, monks and holy men have been obsessed with finding higher consciousness and total enlightenment. While many religious texts have pushed these goals within the confines of the spiritual, it’s important to remember that the scientific nature of the renaissance played a key role in the evolution of theories of enlightenment. As we enter a world in which children have grown up with magic infecting every aspect of their lives, and those with magical power rarely seem content to let natural law examine the root and effects of arcane existence, it’s important to understand that it is through science and the scientific method that we can truly understand the powers that we’re dealing with.
While all of the preceding studies have postulated connections between physical forms, specifically vestigial structures, and astral activity, due to the magical nature, none have found a truly strong foothold in the scientific community. While I urge you to take into consideration the findings here, I also remind you that science is now, and forever will be, a mutable source of information. If the findings of these studies are proven false or discredited, it’s up to upstanding members of the community to regroup and once again push towards a total understanding of the changes that have shaped the world we know today.
-Professor Herbert Cale
In 1999, Professor Loren G. Martin of Oklahoma State University in the former USA claimed that the vermiform appendix functioned within the endocrine system.[10] Though this is often considered the root of the theory, a 1994 study by Williams and Myers posited that the function could be endocrine, exocrine or neuromuscular.[11] Other studies have posited that the appendix is used to train the immune system[12] or to allow bacteria and virii to hide when the immune system is at its peak, so as not to lose immunity.[13]
Despite these theories, it’s only in the last fifty years that Dr. Li Xiu Wang, Professor or Thaumaturgic Medicine at Hong Kong University, discovered the relationship of human essence to magical ability and the ghost limb phenomenon.[14] Her 2044 study showed that the ghost limb phenomenon was connected to the auratic nature of the astral realm. When subjects who were magically active in Astral space projected, they often had their limbs back. Attempts to duplicate this function by trying to “awaken� paraplegics so they could experience walking has failed,[15] though similar experiments in Virtual Reality have shown that using a full VR system can be therapeutic and assist with natural coping mechanisms.[16] Further studies have shown that removal of human tissue can directly affect the magically active. Awakened metahumans who experience limb loss or cybernetic replacement often find their magical ability reduced.[17] In addition, arcane studies have proven that electronic and man-made items, as well as most unnatural and inanimate constructs lack an astral form.[18]
During a 2063 study, Dr. Wang began removing body parts in an attempt to better understand their affect on magical ability. Due to the nature of her study, she’s currently in hiding and on Hong Kong’s most wanted list. Still, despite the comparisons to 20th century Nazi experimentation, her study broke new ground, showing that the removal of even vestigial structures such as the appendix affects magical ability in subjects.[19] For the past six years, Dr. Wang’s work has been studied, but due to ethical concerns, not duplicated in an academic environment.[20]
1.2
THE PLICA SEMILUNARIS AND ASTRAL PERCEPTION
One of the more apparent vestigial structures on the average metahuman is the plica semilunaris, the small bulb of bulbar conjectiva that sits at the inner corner of the eye. Traditionally, the only functions the plica served was to excrete a rheum, or the hard crusty substance metahumans sometimes found upon waking. Evolutionarily, the plica seems to be the last remnant of the nictitating membrane, or the third eyelid seen in animals such as cats. The eyelid, which functions similarly to a contact lens in animals, allows creatures to moisten and protect their eyes while still being able to see through the thin membrane. [21]
The 2067 study by MIT&T ocular specialists Dr. Jorge Villanueva and Dr. John Jacob Holmes showed that during astral projection, the plica emits electrical impulses to the brain.[22] At first, the two doctors were at odds on the implication. Dr. Villanueva argued that the study proved that the body was key in astral projection and that the plica itself was the portion of the eye responsible for astral perception. He postulated that if the plica could perceive astrally, metahumans whose plica was functional and connected properly would be able to utilize it to view spirits and power lines.[23] Further expansion on his theories have posited that mediums, psychics, and supporters of the supernatural prior to the awakening utilized this “third eyelid� to view auras, spirits, and other paranormal manifestations.[24]
Dr. Holmes on the other hand, a firm believer that magic was somehow still a myth, argued that the plica was used to send false signals to brain, proving once and for all that astral perception and projection was merely a trick of the mind.[25] Dr. Holmes pushed heavily for further study on the effects of the plica, including removal tests on awakened and perceiving beings reminiscent of Dr. Li Xiu Wang’s experiments on limbs and organs. Due to the highly politicized nature of these desired experiments, factions in Boston protested both for and again, resulting in violent clashes not seen since the last American pro-life group folded a decade after the awakening. On June 22, 2068, Kierkegaard Fiske, a militant magician, assassinated Dr. Holmes for his views, though anti-magic groups still cling to his claims as fact.[26]
In the six months prior to the publication of this short paper, rumors floated of various experiments involving the removal of plica in areas of Southern Africa, but confirmation remains elusive. There continue to be rumors of private sector companies attempting to find what might link the human perception to the astral realm, yet the plica remains a controversial topic in thaumaturgic medicine.
1.3
TAILED AVATARS AND THE COCCYX
In one of the stranger coincidences involving vestigial structures, a 2068 study showed that the coccyx or tailbone experienced unnatural growths when a metahuman’s avatar appeared as an animal or with a tail.[27] Dr. Shimon Ben Gezerah, a visiting professor of virtual kinesiology from the University of Tel Aviv, found that in 62% of cases involving both technomancers and astrally projecting magicians in which their persona or avatar in the matrix or astral realm appeared with a tail or as an animal with a tail, the tailbone literally experienced growth over time.[28]
The coccyx, which normally sits between three and five vertebrae attacked beneath the sacrum, has been found to have increased bone mass and muscle density in the cases studied.[29] This added strength and fortitude increase the size of the coccyx up to 15 centimeters longer than average. In several cases, subjects reported experiencing pain actively when outside the astral plane or when sitting on a hard surface, though direct study has been inconclusive.[29] Dr. Gezerah posited that when projecting into astral space, the body is not quite as stationary as many believe. In addition to occasional muscle twitches and REM eye movement as well as intense brain activity, Dr. Gezerah claimed that extended exercise of vestigial regions can actually cause the increased growth.[30] Still, the findings are inconclusive at best.
CONCLUSION
MOVING ONWARDS FROM VESTIGIAL STRUCTURES TO TOTAL ENLIGHTENMENT
For hundreds of years, monks and holy men have been obsessed with finding higher consciousness and total enlightenment. While many religious texts have pushed these goals within the confines of the spiritual, it’s important to remember that the scientific nature of the renaissance played a key role in the evolution of theories of enlightenment. As we enter a world in which children have grown up with magic infecting every aspect of their lives, and those with magical power rarely seem content to let natural law examine the root and effects of arcane existence, it’s important to understand that it is through science and the scientific method that we can truly understand the powers that we’re dealing with.
While all of the preceding studies have postulated connections between physical forms, specifically vestigial structures, and astral activity, due to the magical nature, none have found a truly strong foothold in the scientific community. While I urge you to take into consideration the findings here, I also remind you that science is now, and forever will be, a mutable source of information. If the findings of these studies are proven false or discredited, it’s up to upstanding members of the community to regroup and once again push towards a total understanding of the changes that have shaped the world we know today.
-Professor Herbert Cale
I enjoyed this. Will make for good run fodder.
Since when does mere maiming (i.e. removal of limbs or organs) without (non-clonal) bio- or cyber-replacement reduce essence? Assuming a non-botched surgery, and short of death by organ loss, of course.
This... was rad.
- der menkey
"Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else thereafter."
~ Ernest Hemingway
- der menkey
"Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else thereafter."
~ Ernest Hemingway
| QUOTE |
| Though few doctors admit it, it’s already proven that a simple appendectomy, a routine procedure for more than two centuries, actually affects the human essence. |
I almost got upset by this part, since we know that even the removal of an entire limb does not cause essence loss, but then I read more carefully and saw that you didn't actually claim essence loss, merely that it "affects" the essence, so I can live with it.
Nice stuff.
It's fluff. Everyone stop looking for how it doesn't fit the rules 
| QUOTE (DrZaius) |
| It's fluff. Everyone stop looking for how it doesn't fit the rules |
Fat chance.
But that was the only conflict I saw, and the use of "affect" instead of "decrease" is ambiguous enough to not cause any problems. I thought it was quite good.
Ah..OK, if he just wants some color/fluff, no problem.
First read through, though, and it sounded like he was trying to come up with a metagame reason to pull essence and magic from mages for the hell of it.
First read through, though, and it sounded like he was trying to come up with a metagame reason to pull essence and magic from mages for the hell of it.
Heh. While I'd love to nerf mages, what interests me in the effect of the awakening on science and vice versa. Canon always seems to treat them as separate but equal (except where unequal). Still, I suspect that there are plenty of answers to long lived questions (such as vestigiality) that arise thanks to the awakening.
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