Light Bathing

"One thing I should warn you of in the City of Lights, other than the gibberish of course, is that Minorans have some uncouth and morally dubious habits. Just don't wander too close to the southern edge of the Old Quarter at the end of the month. It's a mistake I made once and the images are burned onto my brain."

— Extract from Travels Through My System: An Exploration of P'Ache Solar System
by Peacekeeper V'Kly

Background

The lights of the Minoran Nights are one of the biggest attractions on P'Ache Micro and have been the centre of Minoran culture for a long time.
In their ancient history, they believed that higher powers spoke to them through the lights and the colours, and as a result, they built most of their settlements where the lights were strongest.
The idea that the lights connected them to some kind of higher power was prevalent throughout Minoran history.

Minoran Nights

The chemicals in the atmosphere around P'Ache Minor, which make the planet look red from a distance, have an interesting effect on solar light when it passes through. While the effect can only be seen at night, it can light up the dark sky, causing a distorted rainbow of light, which makes the world around seem transformed.
It has been suggested that the mystery of these beautiful night skies is part of what gives the Minoran people their pensive and philosophical nature.

The Tradition

Purpose

Originally, light bathing was thought to be a way of asking questions of the higher powers. In Ancient P'Ache Minor, it was only a select few who were allowed to participate in light bathing, for fear a normal person's mind would be filled with information they could not control.
However, later it was opened up to everyone, with anyone who wanted to be able to step forward and ask questions of the higher powers. This varied from philosophers asking about the meaning of life, to asking about big life choices, to simply opening themselves up to the universe.
Now, it is used more as an opportunity for introspection, with the few people who still do it, seeing it as a way of asking themselves questions and giving space for the answers to flow through them. Few will openly admit to believing in the high powers.

Execution

Light bathing is practised at night under the beauty of the MInoran Nights. A person finds a place where the lights are likely to be at their brightest and removes all of their clothing. Once they are naked, they might stand or lay down and adopt a position where their arms are open wide, their eyes closed and their chest thrust forward so that they are able to receive whatever the higher powers are willing to share.
They focus on their breathing and the colours of the lights playing beyond their eyelids. Once they feel calm and centred, they send their question out into the universe from their chest. This can be done verbally or mentally and is often accompanied by physical movement too. They focus on their question, sending it as far as they are able to, and then wait for the response.
This may take minutes or hours, and once they receive their response, they open their eyes and dance under the lights to give thanks for the resolution they have received.

Social Perception

The practice was once held in extremely high regard, but this changed when the Primians arrived on P'Ache Micro. They saw light bathing as a devolved way of behaving, believing that it was part of the moral decay, prevalent across the planet, which had prevented the Minorans from being as technologically advanced as they felt they should be.
Now, it is considered by many as slightly depraved, and there are many examples in Peacekeeper storylines of those who light bathe being presented as creeps, perverts and murderers. Despite this, there are still those who hold true to light bathing and find comfort in it.

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Related Articles

Culture	Minoran, Pachian
Locations	P'Ache Minor, P'Ache Solar System, Peacekeeper Territories

Primary Related Location

P'Ache Minor

Important Locations

• City of Lights

Related Ethnicities

• Minoran

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