Substantiation

To take on physical substance, respectively, substantial existence—the Numen’s term for what humans call “incarnation.” The Sky Lord rejects “incarnation” as too limiting, given that the corporality or embodiment of a Self is not restricted to biological organisms. A Self can substantiate in a non-biological entity—including an “artificial” or “synthetic” construct—provided the prerequisites for a Self’s “unfolding” (manifestation) are met.

In the OC, a Self’s “substantiation” can refer not only to a former embodiment but also to a future one, since the “descent” into a body remains independent of the arrow of time. Accordingly, concepts like “past lives” and “karma” have no meaning in the OC. A Self can be “inserted” at any given historical juncture. The only criterion is the peculiarity of the Self’s mission which regulates the “configuration” of the emerging individual’s memories, a.k.a., the Second Self, ranging from a passive observer role to an active function as Aoun, to Chronologer, Nistar, and even Redeemer.