In SM Stirling's Emberverse, Father Ignatius meets the Virgin Mary. See Apparitions.
A meeting with Mary would be out of place in the hard sf scenario of the Technic History.
However, in that History, the Catholic Djana, reconditioned by a Merseian hypnotist, imagines a Merseian Christ.
Having been imagined, that Christ could then be projected as a vision.
Thus, visionary experience, however interpreted, can occur in any timeline.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Commenting on your third paragraph. Why should a vision of the BVM or any others of the saints, be out of place in the hard SF scenario of the Technic Civilization series? If the timeline of Technic Civilization is the same as ours, then that future history includes accounts in its past of apparition of the BVM recorded at Lourdes, Fatima, Zeitun, etc. Given that, there could well have been future apparitions both on and off Terra. And I think Kossara Vymezal would agree with me!
Commenting on your fourth paragraph. Yes I recall Djana's speculations about a Merseian Christ, which has to be one of the most unusual ideas to be found in the Technic stories. It might even be said to be consistent with Fr. Axor's hopes, later on, of finding evidence for the Incarnation of Christ on other worlds. However, we are then told that there was no evidence of the Merseians having any such ideas or beliefs.
Yet more unexpected depths to be found in the Technic History!
Sean
Sean,
Visions, yes. A literal meeting, no. My conluding point is that visions can occur.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Then we seem to understand "visions" differently. My belief is that genuine visions can include meetings of the BVM or one of the other saints with the person or persons granted the visions. That is, the persons involved actually meet and converse, etc.
Sean
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