12 May

The Hypernatural and Supernatural in Madlax -- Episode 20

Episode 20: Internal conviction and battle

True War ~wish~: 真争 (Shinso)

note: "真争"
This is a coined set of words string. “真”=true, and “争”=battle. But the reading “Sinso” naturally reminds of another homonym words string “真相”=truth.

In the avant, Laetitia is muttering, “What opens when the three books are brought together is a door. What is on the other side of it is the human Essence.”

Vanessa says to Quanzitta, “This country’s war started because the books were brought together.” Quanzitta answers, “Yes. The door was opened once, twelve years ago. Someone obtained the three books and opened the door. That person was Enfant’s leader, Friday Monday.” Margaret is saying elsewhere, “The books will be brought together soon. …I can tell. It’s almost here.” Madlax hears Limelda’s voice in her mind muttering, “Great instincts, Madlax. That’s what makes you you. And that’s why I’ll…”

Vanessa mutters, “The human essence… The true self.” Elenore asks her, “What do you suppose that means, exactly?” Vanessa answers, “To be honest, I have no idea. But I’m sure Enfant knows. They know what’s on the other side of this ‘door.’ And they are trying to get the books, by any means necessary.” Elenore replies, “We need to know the truth in order to get back Miss Margaret’s memories as well. …For Miss Margaret’s sake, I could even become invincible.” Each one of the characters are joining in the story line following after their own particular motive. They are each representing original fictional reality in their own ways quite different from ones played by stereotype puppets applied into the patterns of usual fictional work like a cogwheel.

Limelda is muttering bathing in a lake, “When this moon disappears… Yes. By my hand…” Madlax is lost in doubt. “I want to know about myself. But…” Madlax says to Margaret who just came to join her, “… I took people’s lives to save Vanessa. …But if I don’t shoot, I’ll die. So I shoot.” Margaret is shedding tears in her right eye. “I feel sorry for you.” Madlax answers, “I’m used to it at this point. …Don’t try to get inside my head.” But Margaret talks to her, “I like you. Because You’re a kind person.” Madlax answers saying, “Kind people don’t kill other people.” Margaret says answering her words, “A kind person… You’re a kind killer.” The real aspect of Madlax’s kindness Margaret sensed here by her intuition is not revealed yet. It will be around the end of this show that the audience is furnished with full understanding of its implication.

Madlax visits Quanzitta, who has Thirstari at her place. Nakhl gives warning to her, “What are you doing?” Madlax answers, “I have business with Quanzitta Marison. The scary person is coming. So before that, I want to see her book.” Nakhl answers, “Only those with the gift can obtain Thirstari.” Madlax asks, “I’m not qualified? Am I different?” There, Quanzitta appears. “I’ve wanted to have a leisurely conversation with you too. …Madlax, you do not have the Gift. …But you’ve been caught up in the incident that occurred twelve years ago. I believe you have seen that place.” Madlax answers, “Elda Taluta. I was in a war zone I’d never seen before….” Madlax recalls the occasion when she saw Laetitia, and the conversation between them comes back. “Where are we?” “This is a very normal place.” “Normal? This place is?” “The truth is here. Things that aren’t false are here.” Madlax asks Quanzitta shedding tears in her right eye, “That girl said, ‘The truth is here.’ She said, ‘Things that aren’t false are here.’ Is it okay for me to know the truth? …Tell me.” Quanzitta hands over her Thirstari to Madlax, saying, “If that is what you desire.”

Carrossea has also come to the vicinity of the village Dwaiho. “This is a glimpse of the world Friday Monday desires. Yes, my own existence too, is…” Margaret mutters, “A red moon…” Madlax looks up in the sky with Thirstari in her hand, saying, “A blue moon.” Margaret mutters, “My past is inside this book.” Madlax mutters at the same time elsewhere, “My truth is inside this book.”

Both Madlax and Margaret open their books at the same time in different places. Memories of ruins, a man in military uniform, red shoes and a pistol come back. Recollection of a gun shoot and the vision of identification card with a hole in it follows. A girl is standing with a pistol in her hand, there is also another girl opposite to her. Margaret mutters, “Madlax, Madlax!” Madlax also cries, “Margaret Burton!” Laetitia mutters somewhere, “I am a moment. A thought left behind. That’s the truth.” Quanzitta asks to Madlax, “Were you able to see the truth?” Madlax asks to her, “Who will prove to me that what I saw is the truth?! Nakhl speaks to Madlax, “That’s a given. You yourself. Your internal convictions decide what is or isn’t truth. I want you to tell us. Who are you?” Madlax answers to her, “I’m the one who wants to know that most. Because…”

The words Nakhl said to Madlax are supposed to suggest the principal doctrine of their faith. The details of the creed they follow are not told except that it has been inherited in a quite different culture area other than any of the four ancient civilizations. We have to guess what the belief and worldview Nakhl and Quanzitta harbor are, applying both our scientific and religious understandings. Though this anime doesn’t try to make any reference to particular philosophical theory or religious doctrine, nearest answer gained from the extent of our knowledge will be discovered in the ideas presented by Jungian depth psychology and post quantum mechanics. It is developed on the basis of the overlaying field of quantum physics’ scientific information and traditional knowledge of magic practice, inherited from ancient thoughts represented in alchemy; in the form of attempts for reevaluation of the implications of consciousness and intuition, in relation to the mechanism of event generation in the holarchical structure of the universe. According to the opinion, individual consciousness’ conviction generates meaning and also determines psychical implication of any existence, phenomenon and persona assumed whether in the form of matter, man or god. Thus, the universe goes constructing its overall structure in order to be meaningful for the subject of consciousness. The mechanism may reversely suggest the teleological description of the universe in its evolutional development.

note: holarchy
This term is adopted by Neil Theise in his study of consciousness in view of the wholeness of the universe. An instance of his argument is to be afforded later.

For instance, Marsilio Ficino, Neo-Platonism philosopher of Renaissance period, attempted to understand the evolution of universe as a process of autonomous contemplation on itself undertaken by primordial intelligence. This interpretation interestingly applies to many physical and metaphysical subjects relating to the big bang theory, now accepted as the main explanatory theory of modern cosmology. While James Beichler tried to grasp the mechanism of cosmic development through the idea of autonomous evolution undertaken by universal consciousness in terms of physics, Renaissance philosopher Francesco Patrizi speculated the metaphysical principle of the universe as self-division process of intelligence attempting its own dissimilation and assimilation in order for contemplation on itself from religious perspective. As for the surprising relationship between the shared idea of contemporary Japanese subculture and Patrizi’s concept on the mechanism of division and reintegration undertaken by intelligence in the process of its own autonomous evolution, I have applied the subject on the argument of the psychical mechanism ruling the phase shift between god and man, depicted in the anime Ergo Proxy, in my study "Science, Science Fiction and Speculation: God, Man and self".

note:
This anime study forms the last chapter of my study of fictional existence and meta-identity of individuality, arguing the relationship of the concepts between existence, phenomenon and identity, published under the title of Existence, Phenomenon and Personality: Individuality in Figurines, Anime and Game, Bokka-sha (2014).

This cosmological vision is supposed to have started from the pre-Socratic Eleatic philosopher Parmenides’ idea of “emanationism” developed in his speculation on the mechanism of world creation, long preceding Platonic idealism. Nineteenth century American heretical thinker Edgar Allan Poe attempted to gain integral cosmological view in his speculative poem Eureka, comprising extensions both out of space-time and mind-matter limits, focusing on the powers of attraction and repulsion in the phases of diffusion and conglomeration encompassing all conceivable expanses. His speculative view interestingly foretold the ideas of both big bang and big crunch suggested in modern cosmology. As Poe asserts for himself, intuition gave him this conviction in the deepest part of his mind, without depending on the result of integration out of discreet information accumulated from experiments and observations, or the conclusion of deduction processed from axioms. It is the concluding assertion of the theories such as “Fundamental Awareness” and “panpsychism” Post Quantum Mechanics proposes, represented in this typical instance of big bang cosmology; that the mysterious coincidence ancient philosophers seem to have gained in their essential comprehension of the deepest aspects of the universe long before the time of Poe or contemporary physics study, without resorting to the knowledge quantum physics has attained based on the achievements modern science has elucidated through many experiments and observations, can be understood as the result of interactive working between mind and all-pervading space-time continuum field, through the spiritual faculty of intuition.

note: "Panpsyche"
Several researchers have adopted this term in order to depict the consciousness’ function of the universe, some of them have even introduced the term “microvita” representing the unit of consciousness that is supposed to be the basic grain of the universe. Richard Gautier is one of the researchers who sets special importance on this idea.
Ref. https://www.academia.edu/84200970/Will_Microvita_Science_Overthrow_Materialism


Following these thinkers’ visions presupposing the existence of universal awareness as the first cause of creation, many clues are to be proposed to solve the hard problems of philosophy concerning qualia generation and free-will’s ability of constructing speculation, on the extension of perspectives conforming to physics methodology.

According to Patrizi’s intuitional assertion, each phenomenon generated in the universe as well as each qualia a subject of consciousness constructs out of its gained bunch of perception is a precious process of self-contemplation “universal consciousness” attains as its ultimate goal, in which personal delusions and wanton emotions are also deemed to be furnished with positive importance.

note:
Ancient Chinese philosopher Mencius (孟子)proposed the philosophical concept of immanent spirit (浩然の気), that established the basis of animism spirituality of Eastern thought and also well applies to Neil Theise’s idea of holarchical structure in universal consciousness.


Fictional creation which highly evolved consciousness may construct as quasi experience or derivative world view also may be evaluated no less than these spiritual activities as noble process of self-contemplation. Furthermore, fictionality exerts its ability to intensify its function consolidating the density of the experience, through interaction with various phenomena supplied in actual world. The primary modality state lying behind either temporal or spatial phase is usually discussed with the appellation “Fundamental Awareness.”

note:
As for the metaphysical function of consciousness that enables the synthesis of fiction and reality, the author’s discussion of the metaphysical significance of magic in his study of The Last Unicorn is described as follows, pointing out the metaphysical connection between "synesthesia" and Poe's rhetoric, taking the instance of Kenji Miyazawa’s philosophy and practice as an artist.

Thus, for an aspiring spirit which contemplates the search for eternal truth, it is not satisfiable to live in a restricted cosmos like a besieged citadel, that is confined within a small region inside of chaos and barely maintained by the power of faith as a realm of divine dominion. Instead, a new world-building principle must be adopted on a base which does not have any barriers, and could be developed in all directions. The foundation must be oscillating chaos, where future prospects will be sighted in twisted perspectives, universal in the original sense, as it must include everything possible and imaginable. As a result, for example, by converting historical philosophy into existential philosophy, or by translating musical pieces into paintings, the anaphora of all things must be detected by irradiating latent similarities, commonalities, or contrasts at the interface of diverging dimensions, and it will become possible for the first time to overcome the breach of contradicting meanings in the phenomenal world. It is like desperately holding up in a castle, to try to extract mathematical formulae as dynamics or wave functions, focusing only on numerical values quantified as mass points or waves, ignoring semantic relationships. We must focus on qualia, the correlated subjective semantic units created by each consciousness, and attempt to describe the exhaustive relationships of meaning, especially on their modes of interconversion.
So, the interchangeability of qualia must be urgently explored, for example, in the trial of describing sight replaced by hearing or other senses, such as touch, smell and taste. The intertwined description between visual and auditory senses, which the avant-garde Romantic poet Edgar Allan Poe impressively perpetrated in his poetry making, is not just a rhetorical technique introduced as literary expression but a manifestation of the pivotal principle of cosmology, relating to the fundamental totality of the universe and the function of consciousness in grasping its implication, and even revelation of the meaning. By applying an algorithm that can thus reconcile all discords, contradictions and differences through, as it were, a functionalization of meaning, not only to the mathematical operations but to the formulae themselves, a means can be discovered that embody not only the miraculous transformation (metamorphosis) of actual existences (materia), but also the metamorphosis of the pleroma meaning field itself.


According to Neil D. Theise, adopting the notion of Fundamental Awareness, in order to describe the original cause that started the creation of the universe, one is able to gain full grasp of the relationship of the three intellectual means called science, philosophy and metaphysics. Similar attempts for integration of divided intellectual fields are found in the Romanticism Philosopher Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s design for the integration of science and philosophy, and also in Kenji Miyazawa, the modern Japanese successor of Romantic philosophy who attempted for his goal of unifying poetry, science and religion, through his spiritual activities of integrating fictionality and reality. According to Theise, “Fundamental Awareness, or primordial existence, is something that is neither constructed with other elements nor is to be divided into others, lies at the base of all phenomenal existences. As such, the universe is non-material, self-organizing throughout, a holarchy of complementary, process driven, recursive interactions. The universe is both its own first observer and subject. Considering the world to be non-material and comprised, a priori, of ‘Awareness’ is to privilege information over materiality, action over agency and to understand that qualia are not a ‘hard problem,’ but the foundational elements of all existence.

note:
Ref. Neil D. Theise; “Fundamental Awareness: A framework for integrating science, philosophy and metaphysics”.

These views fully reflect mainstream Western philosophical traditions, insights from culturally diverse contemplative and mystical traditions, and are in keeping with current scientific thinking, expressible mathematically. This is an impressive instance of monistic cosmology providing persuasive solution on the mysterious relationship between consciousness and the universe.

It is a very significant fact that Peter S. Beagle’s fantasy novel The Last Unicorn introduced the motif of magic as the universe’s implicate operating factor that causes actual phenomena. Magic that comes to and goes away from men’s domain, ruling men’s activities unrestricted by the mechanistic rule of cause-and-effect law, was a latent power sometimes revealed the occasions of synchronicity and sometimes gave men internal conviction as daimonion had afforded to the mind of Socrates. This mental function may be understood as a core subject of cosmology suggesting some kind of hidden variable that prompts the overall evolution of the universe that may include such notions as David Bohm’s “implicate order” and Bergson’s “elan vital”.

note:
In my study of fictionality focused on a derivative work produced as animated film, Unacknowledged Virtue of “The Last Unicorn”, I have considered the function of consciousness that intuits the fictional archetype and contemplates the primordial modality of the universe pervading many possible worlds, through inspection of various production data of the animated film The Last Unicorn, such as scenario and storyboards etc… In the course of argument, I have introduced several Post Quantum Mechanics researcher’s theories and pointed out the relationship with the significant subject of magic of fantasy literature. The magic principle depicted in Peter S. Beagle’s masterpiece fantasy proved to be a metaphysically converted formula of implicate order.
Ref. https://www.academia.edu/95494303/Cosmological_Implication_of_Fictionality_and_Consciousness

A bullet is shot into the room, then. Madlax mutters, “She came to kill me. Me, whose sins are so great.” Limelda has caught sight of Madlax in her gun scope, saying, “Notice me.” Madlax is shedding tears in her right eye. Limelda says, “Tears? I… That’s right… I love you, Madlax.” Words that suggest the element of “Yuri” (girls love) is now spoken by Limelda. Limelda’s actions always suggest independent autonomy that seem to lead the storyline of the fictional work selecting peculiar perspectives, utterly different from those habitual ones conforming to stereotype examples. Limelda sets her finger on the trigger. But Nakhl jumps in, and rescues Madlax from Limelda’s gun shoot. Nakhl is asking to herself in wonder, “Why? Why did I save this woman? It’s not as if she has the gift. I wasn’t under orders from Lady Quanzitta to do it, either. And yet…” Madlax’s expression on her face, lying on the ground, is the testimony of a deliberately wrought achievement of visual expression which is difficult to describe in words.

Margaret is recalling of her past memory, “I thought it. Back then, I thought it. ‘Die,’ I thought. Why did I…” There, Carrossea appears saying to her, “This place is dangerous. You should get away from here.”

Madlax asks Nakhl, “Why did you save me?” Nakhl answers, “I don’t know.” “That’s a lie.” “You’re right, it’s a lie.” Nakhl applies the implication of her own words she had told to Madlax, to herself this time. She answers, “You’re right, it’s a lie. I acted according to my internal conviction.” “Tell me.” Nakhl put her hand on Madlax’s face, saying, “You already know yourself. So there’s a reason for you to exist here. I was convinced of that.” Nakhl is acting following after the internal conviction that is neither reason nor instinctive urge. Madlax now understands the implicate order of the universe hidden in herself.

note: "implicate order"
This concept was first raised by David Bohm introducing the term “Pilot wave”, in order to solve the logically ununderstandable result of “double slit experiment” reasonably, making it conform to existing terms of physics, but later, several researchers of consciousness have discovered the function called “retro causality” in the argument of this element, developing the idea Bohm had started. One of the leading scientists who advocate this theory is Bohm’s disciple Jack Sarffatti, who tries to explain Bohm’s “destiny wave” as the effect caused from the future, extending the idea of “oneness” to the temporal dimension of the universe.

“A reason to exist. A reason for me to exist… That’s right. I can’t die. Because I made a promise. Right now, just because of that promise…” The conversation between Nakhl and Madlax seems to suggest the principle of establishing self-identity this anime asserts through its background proposition. It may be considered as some kind of destiny wave affecting both the function of consciousness and the spatio-temporal structure of the universe, as well as guaranteeing the existential ability of fictionality that is a purely idealistic method of description of possible worlds, and also is the result of the ability of free will that is the source of its generation. Federico Faggin, presenting the idea of “Fundamental Awareness”, states concerning the essence of “awareness” as below.

Loosely speaking, awareness is the inherent capacity of the primordial energy to observe and know itself and to direct its evolution as it transforms into space, time, matter and consciousness of ever-increasing complexity to know itself. Awareness is then an irreducible, self-reflecting property of the primordial energy, where self- reflection contains the germs of observation, identity, perception, feelings, memory, experience, knowing, learning, understanding, imagining, deciding, acting, willing, intending, creating, and many other higher aspects, all co-evolving together with the material forms.

Though Faggin is a scientist who designed the IBM computer and triggered the enthusiasm in young Steve Jobs and Bill Gates for their innovative accomplishments, his conceptual basis interestingly seems to conform to the Eastern philosophy’s idea of “天”(Providence). Remarkable difference is that the principle of “co-evolution” has substituted the existing principle of all-ruling destiny. Many researchers of Post Quantum Mechanics share the idea that what triggers this co-evolution is understood as the incentive exerted from the future to the past, going backward the course of time arrow.

Margaret asks Carrossea, “How did you know I was here?” Carrossea answers, “Because I’m a member of Enfant. …However, I had a different goal than Enfant’s. Yes… I want to get them back. The memories and truths that I lost twelve years ago.” “What’s that?” “The first book, ‘Firstari’. The one you have is the second book, ‘Secondari’. Now that we have these, the door will open. We can go to that place. Margaret, I’ll entrust this book to you. And then I’d like you to guide me. To the one and only truth.” One of the servants of Quanzitta is hearing their conversation. Quanzitta tells Nakhl, “It seems the time has come.”

Now Madlax is facing Limelda in a short distance. Madlax asks Limelda, saying, “Did you look at the data?” Limelda answers, “Yes, I did. My life up until now has been false. I was living inside a fabrication created by Enfant.” “Now that you know that, why are you hunting me?” “Because I have a reason to. What about you? Why do you fight, here in this false world?” “For a promise I made. And for my own existence…” “We’re the same then. I want to give the existence to the person called ‘me’. I’ll forgive my own existence by killing you.” It was the battle fought against Madlax that Limelda chose as her own raison d’etre, who had abandoned not only her commanded mission but also the organization she had belonged. Limelda is now willingly making a choice to afford peculiar meaning unto both the world and her own existence. But she is depending on Madlax for constructing the meaning of her existence. But Madlax’s answer was an unexpected one. “We might have been able to become friends. We might have been able to embrace each other.” Limelda answers Madlax, “If that’s so, then kill me.” Exceedingly hypernatural line was told by Madlax, as had been told by Limelda. And Limelda’s answer also reflects the existence of a particular motive that affects the destiny in the development of the phenomenal world. There seems to be some kind of deep psychical relationship that is difficult to understand by ordinary judgement beyond the reach of reasoning. The conversation of these two girls may be constructing a new phase of myth that does not belong to any existing mythological scenes.

Vanessa appears there. Limelda runs away shooting Madlax. Vanessa notices Madlax is injured. “Madlax, are you okay?” Madlax answers, saying, “I’m fine. This pain tells me that I’m myself.” Madlax, who had been always invulnerable to any attack in fierce battles, was injured by Limelda in the episode 12, whom Madlax called “scary person”. And now Madlax is again wounded by Limelda. It seems to be a heavy damage this time. Limelda is muttering, running away, “Vanessa Rene… What a nuisance that woman is! If only that woman hadn’t been there, I could’ve kept dancing with her!” Limelda’s line makes a singular instance of hypernatural peculiarity that goes beyond the limits of stereotype description, and it seems to suggest some unknown psychical connection that can be entertained only between them.

Quanzitta tells Margaret, “Firstari and Secondari. I’ve checked both of them, Margaret Burton. Now I will give you the Thirstari I possess. …Margaret Burton, will you journey to the door immediately?” Urged by Carrossea, Margaret decides to go to the door. But Nakhl mutters after they have gone out, “I have a strange feel of unease. But there’s no way that Lady Quanzitta wouldn’t notice that. Something is up. There is still something…” Laetitia is muttering somewhere, “They are getting closer to the truth… But they can’t get to it yet. They can’t find it yet. Hurry here, to this place.”

Madlax comes back to the Quanzitta’s mansion aided by Vanessa. Just then, Friday Monday, who had been killed by Carrossea rises up again, muttering, “Ah, I can hear a beautiful melody!” The reason for his recovery from death is not given to the audience by logical explanation as before. It seems the show demands the audience to multiply more observations reexamining similar instances, in order to fix the mode of psychical principle that is supposed to construct the fictional perspective of this anime.