Babylon 5's WEIRD Relationship with the Afterlife

For all topics regarding speculative fiction of every stripe. Otherwise known as the Geek Cave.
User avatar
Winter
Captain
Posts: 2323
Joined: Wed Jun 07, 2017 6:01 pm

Babylon 5's WEIRD Relationship with the Afterlife

Post by Winter »

NOT B5's relationship with Religioun because that's actually handled very well but the nature of life after death in B5 is WEIRD! Just as an example, Souls are REAL in B5. Like actually SOULS and there are people who've come back from the dead and not in the Lazarus of the Week kinda way but in the Ghosts in everything but name kinda of way. And said ghosts... say there is no afterlife... The dead people, say there is nothing after death... when they themselves are clear proof of the opposite and, again, WE'VE SEEN THERE ARE LITERAL SOULS THAT ARE REAL!!!

It's like having God be a reoccurring character in your series and have actual magic right alongside OTHER Gods and so we have proof that there are Gods that created the universe only for one of the characters to say that there is no such thing as a soul when we witness Jehovah has a ongoing supporting character.

And on top of that we know for a fact that there is resurrection because of the whole Soul thing because that's a MAJOR plot point in not only the show but at least 2 of the movies. Hell, (no pun intended) the Voices in the Dark Miniseries has a demon as a major character. Not an alien posing as a demon but an actual F#ck1ng Demon.

And yet, despite ALL of this show insists that life after Death is not a thing in the B5 Universe. Because having souls, ghosts and demons the idea that there is something after death would be one step to far. Like I said, it's weird.
User avatar
CharlesPhipps
Captain
Posts: 4960
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2017 8:06 pm

Re: Babylon 5's WEIRD Relationship with the Afterlife

Post by CharlesPhipps »

Souls are apparently things that are a part of the body, consciousness, and then they vanish after death.

Which oddly enough makes the Soulhunters the most reasonable people.

They just don't have a proper virtual reality interface so the people don't go insane from the isolation.
User avatar
hammerofglass
Captain
Posts: 2631
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2021 3:17 pm
Location: Corning, NY

Re: Babylon 5's WEIRD Relationship with the Afterlife

Post by hammerofglass »

CharlesPhipps wrote: Fri Oct 29, 2021 3:50 am Souls are apparently things that are a part of the body, consciousness, and then they vanish after death.

Which oddly enough makes the Soulhunters the most reasonable people.

They just don't have a proper virtual reality interface so the people don't go insane from the isolation.
As I recall the only ones who say souls vanish after death were the Soul Hunters themselves. Brakiri day of the dead has them come back to visit and it works, and Minbari believe in reincarnation.
When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty.
User avatar
McAvoy
Captain
Posts: 3926
Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2019 3:55 am
Location: East Windsor, NJ

Re: Babylon 5's WEIRD Relationship with the Afterlife

Post by McAvoy »

CharlesPhipps wrote: Fri Oct 29, 2021 3:50 am Souls are apparently things that are a part of the body, consciousness, and then they vanish after death.

Which oddly enough makes the Soulhunters the most reasonable people.

They just don't have a proper virtual reality interface so the people don't go insane from the isolation.
Pretty much. And they are feared by most races except humans due to no experience with them. Minbari hate them due to their belief in reincarnation.

I suppose you can think if it's not thd soul they are taking but the brain patterns as some energy form. Doesn't really fit though.

The whole series implies that after a certain point in a race's development and evolution that they they shed their mortal flesh and blood form to be pure energy like Vorlons. Maybe even needing containment suits like them too.

Then there is that whole thing going 'past the Rim'.

JMS has said that humans and Minbari were able to do this but the Centauri and Narn didn't.
I got nothing to say here.
User avatar
CharlesPhipps
Captain
Posts: 4960
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2017 8:06 pm

Re: Babylon 5's WEIRD Relationship with the Afterlife

Post by CharlesPhipps »

Yeah, the Narn don't have any psychics so they're kind of shit out of luck.

The Centauri are a millennia-long clusterfuck so no problem believing they never evolved.
User avatar
McAvoy
Captain
Posts: 3926
Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2019 3:55 am
Location: East Windsor, NJ

Re: Babylon 5's WEIRD Relationship with the Afterlife

Post by McAvoy »

CharlesPhipps wrote: Fri Oct 29, 2021 1:24 pm Yeah, the Narn don't have any psychics so they're kind of shit out of luck.

The Centauri are a millennia-long clusterfuck so no problem believing they never evolved.
I don't think telepathy has anything to do with that. From what I understand, Vorlons are the ones that introduced telepaths to various races as weapons against the Shadows.

If I remember JMS said something about to gain that non corporeal body, you gotta find inner peace or something. Something the Narn and Centauri never could do. As in he implies they both continue to fighter each other. I really have to find that quote.

JMS was really active in the early days of the internet.
I got nothing to say here.
User avatar
CharlesPhipps
Captain
Posts: 4960
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2017 8:06 pm

Re: Babylon 5's WEIRD Relationship with the Afterlife

Post by CharlesPhipps »

McAvoy wrote: Sun Oct 31, 2021 3:18 am
CharlesPhipps wrote: Fri Oct 29, 2021 1:24 pm Yeah, the Narn don't have any psychics so they're kind of shit out of luck.

The Centauri are a millennia-long clusterfuck so no problem believing they never evolved.
I don't think telepathy has anything to do with that. From what I understand, Vorlons are the ones that introduced telepaths to various races as weapons against the Shadows.

If I remember JMS said something about to gain that non corporeal body, you gotta find inner peace or something. Something the Narn and Centauri never could do. As in he implies they both continue to fighter each other. I really have to find that quote.

JMS was really active in the early days of the internet.
Eh, my take was that psychics are an evolutionary trait to ascending because we saw that happen with that guy who was modified by Psi-Corp who used to be Talia's boyfriend.
User avatar
Nealithi
Captain
Posts: 1444
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2018 11:41 pm
Location: New Jersey

Re: Babylon 5's WEIRD Relationship with the Afterlife

Post by Nealithi »

CharlesPhipps wrote: Sun Oct 31, 2021 11:00 pm
McAvoy wrote: Sun Oct 31, 2021 3:18 am
CharlesPhipps wrote: Fri Oct 29, 2021 1:24 pm Yeah, the Narn don't have any psychics so they're kind of shit out of luck.

The Centauri are a millennia-long clusterfuck so no problem believing they never evolved.
I don't think telepathy has anything to do with that. From what I understand, Vorlons are the ones that introduced telepaths to various races as weapons against the Shadows.

If I remember JMS said something about to gain that non corporeal body, you gotta find inner peace or something. Something the Narn and Centauri never could do. As in he implies they both continue to fighter each other. I really have to find that quote.

JMS was really active in the early days of the internet.
Eh, my take was that psychics are an evolutionary trait to ascending because we saw that happen with that guy who was modified by Psi-Corp who used to be Talia's boyfriend.
But Centauri have psychics? They can view their own future death. Oracles can see for others. And they have a few telepaths. The Narn psychics were wiped out and why they want to borrow others to reinvigorate that line in their species again.
User avatar
McAvoy
Captain
Posts: 3926
Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2019 3:55 am
Location: East Windsor, NJ

Re: Babylon 5's WEIRD Relationship with the Afterlife

Post by McAvoy »

CharlesPhipps wrote: Sun Oct 31, 2021 11:00 pm
McAvoy wrote: Sun Oct 31, 2021 3:18 am
CharlesPhipps wrote: Fri Oct 29, 2021 1:24 pm Yeah, the Narn don't have any psychics so they're kind of shit out of luck.

The Centauri are a millennia-long clusterfuck so no problem believing they never evolved.
I don't think telepathy has anything to do with that. From what I understand, Vorlons are the ones that introduced telepaths to various races as weapons against the Shadows.

If I remember JMS said something about to gain that non corporeal body, you gotta find inner peace or something. Something the Narn and Centauri never could do. As in he implies they both continue to fighter each other. I really have to find that quote.

JMS was really active in the early days of the internet.
Eh, my take was that psychics are an evolutionary trait to ascending because we saw that happen with that guy who was modified by Psi-Corp who used to be Talia's boyfriend.
Actually that is a good point. I think it was called Iron heart or something.
I got nothing to say here.
User avatar
CharlesPhipps
Captain
Posts: 4960
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2017 8:06 pm

Re: Babylon 5's WEIRD Relationship with the Afterlife

Post by CharlesPhipps »

Nealithi wrote: Sun Oct 31, 2021 11:40 pm But Centauri have psychics? They can view their own future death. Oracles can see for others. And they have a few telepaths. The Narn psychics were wiped out and why they want to borrow others to reinvigorate that line in their species again.
Yes, what I said was the Narn won't ascend because they don't have psychics and the Centauri won't ascend because their society is an eternal clusterfuck.
Post Reply