The Labyrinth

"All men search for a way out of the Labyrinth, and yet there is none to be found, even by those who have wandered for an eternity."

— Polymanis

A metaphysical concept which deems the human mind to be a Labyrinth. It was first developed by Polymanis as a way to explain the effects of ichor. It also served to illustrate more complex concepts such as insanity, ideas, thought, consciousness and destiny. Labyrinthians are those who study its function.

Concept

Polymanis' writings illustrate the human mind as a labyrinth made up of many long passages, turns, corners and unexpected dead ends. Every corner rounded is the investment in a new idea. This new idea can be something as simple as deciding what to do in any given situation to more complex choices such as long-term commitments, motivations and life ambitions. The latter are believed to be created when an individual enters a never-before-seen section of the Labyrinth. Walking down a passage way is equated to the thought process of an idea, which can be anything, and developing it until leads to yet another new corner and thus a new decision. Sometimes, men will turn back, unsure of whether they are going the right way, and so they abandon an idea or forget it. Other times, they will run into a dead end, and thus learn that their idea is, perhaps, futile.
As a further extension of this, those who become overwhelmed by the extensiveness of the Labyrinth, and thus begin to wander aimlessly without any sense, are those who have become mad or insane. When men get older, their Labyrinths slowly become dilapidated, thus making it easier to forget where they are or what they are doing.
The metaphor of the restrictive Labyrinth, a winding maze without escape, is deliberate. Whether there is any way out of the Labyrinth is widely contested. Many explain mankind's longing to understand impossible concepts, such as the afterlife and the nature of reality, as our attempts to escape the Labyrinth. Others equate the escape from the Labyrinth as, rather than a specific predetermined goal, a general 'direction' in which all men head; a sense of ambition which permeates every choice an individual makes. Some, however, do not search at all. It is these individuals who are often equated to wanderers or pilgrims who traverse the Labyrinth doing whatever their minds lead them to. Ichor is believed to be a means of better understanding the Labyrinth. It acts as a key which allows individuals to open the doors of the Labyrinth and see beyond, thereby witnessing what the mind is otherwise incapable of comprehending; the future.

Destiny

Finally, and potentially most importantly, the Labyrinth is connected to Thripian ideas about destiny. It is believed that the gods, particularly Sargos who is thought to rule destiny, design each individuals' Labyrinth. Thus they are thought to choose exactly how people think and, therefore, what decisions they make. This idea was first suggested by the philosopher Polymanis in his initial writings on the idea of the Labyrinth. It is rejected by many, especially a large group of Labyrinthians, who prefer to believe that the individual has control over their own lives.

Type

Metaphysical, Divine