The Forerunner, the Great Journey, and Heaven Theory [b]*Disclaimer*[/b] [i]I will state right off the bat that I am almost one hundred percent sure that this is NOT the story/explanation Bungie/343 Studies will use when explaining the Forerunner. This is intended to be a creative way of thinking about the halo universe and although I state in the title that it is a theory it does contain some of my own (read: unsubstantiated) writing. Said writing is intended to be a helpful guide in explaining what I am talking about. [u]It is not intended to be a proof for any of my conjectures[/u]. This also discusses some religious elements, so those of you that are conservative in your religious teachings I ask only that you consider this possible within a video game. In addition, this is a substantial piece of writing. For those of you who don't like reading or who will not read the whole thing, leave now. As for the rest of you, come with an open mind and consider how this could be possible and I promise you will not be disappointed.[/i] Version - 1.1 - Added "The Forerunner knew how to clone bodies from DNA samples" to the list of proofs under [b]The Duality of the Halo Array and its Secondary Purpose[/b]. Added a quote from the terminals which suggests the existence of souls to the two conditions I ask the readers to accept at the end of the philosophical piece. This idea began with exploring the Covenants' explanation of the Great Journey which stated that the Forerunner were able to transcend the physical world and become divine beings by activating the Halo array. While no theory can be one hundred percent correct, I believe also that no theory can be one hundred percent wrong. But if the Halo arrays were meant to destroy life, how could the Covenant possibly be correct? [quote][/quote] [b]What We Are[/b] In order for this theory to work we must first come to an understanding of what exactly we are. Well, that's easy right? We're humans. But I'm trying to dig a little deeper than that. What is the thing that makes us, us? It isn't our bodies. Perhaps, as some scientists and philosophers suggest it is our individual minds, our brain so to speak. The mind-body distinction has been around since the days of Socrates and many find it reasonable to stop there. I however consider there to be a triad as opposed to a duality. Many religions have come to the conclusion that what we are, our very essence and being, is our soul. While the idea of the soul fits into this theory, the mysticism and theology that surround that idea have made it unfavorable to the scientific community. The following is a theory I wrote for a philosophy class (I know what you're thinking, but it is relevant, trust me). It draws HEAVILY on the ideas of Descartes such as [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind-body_dichotomy]Mind-Body Dichotomy[/url] and those of David Hume on [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hume#The_self]the self[/url], particularly [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundle_theory]Bundle Theory[/url]. However, these are my ideas and they remain unsubstantiated. [b]Although this piece of writing is lengthy, I do not ask that you accept all of it as true[/b] It is here only to help you have a better understanding of what I am talking about. The only two things I ask you to accept are outlined after this piece. [Edited on 08.06.2010 3:07 PM PDT]