Ascended Beings

The terrible destructive power of the Ascended Beings

Summary

Ascended Beings exist as a form of energy in a higher plane than the one in which corporeal beings exist.

Stargate References

Many Planes of Existence

Daniel in his "stop along the way" to ascension

Anubis "stuck somewhere between human existence and ascension"

Oma Desala in bright energy form

According to what Daniel was told by Anubis/Jim, "There are many planes of existence between human existence and ascension." When one exists in any of these planes beyond the corporeal, he is referred to as an Ascended Being because he has "ascended" to a higher plane as a form of intelligent energy. (8.18 "Threads")

It appears that the various planes of existence not only dictate the powers an Ascended Being has, but also his level of understanding the universe, or his degree of "enlightenment". The higher level of ascension at which a being exists, the more power, knowledge, and understanding of the universe he possesses. When Daniel Jackson was helped to ascend by Oma Desala, he was only exposed to certain knowledge and understanding that Oma gave him. He told Jack that all he knew was what Oma told him. She educated him at the "beginning of the journey" until he had managed to acquire all of the knowledge and power that an Ascended Being at Oma's level could have. Oma had the power to take that knowledge away, but chose instead to bury it along with his memories into his subconscious mind upon returning him to human form. Daniel, during the early days of his ascension, told Jack, "I see things, I understand things, in a way I never could have before." Near the end of Daniel's year of ascension, he still did not know everything because he constantly insisted, "All I know is what Oma has taught me. Ascension doesn't make you all knowing or all powerful. It is just the beginning of the journey." This journey was Daniel's Path to Enlightenment, the one on the road to the Great Path, which is most likely the ultimate level of ascension a being can reach. This ultimate level, however, Daniel has implied can never get a being to the level of being omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient, but is something that Ascended Beings still endeavor to achieve. Col. Mitchell stated it this way, "Look, just because we know there is some beings on a higher plane of existence than ourselves does not mean there's not an order of being higher than them." (6.06 "Abyss", 6.22 "Full Circle", 9.03 "Origin Part 3", 9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1")

How far up the planes of existence Daniel reached during his first ascension remains unanswered, but since his mind contained the "infinite" knowledge of the Ancients and the "universe is infinite", he most likely reached one of the highest forms. During his second ascension, however, he was brought into one of the lowest planes of existence where he was self-aware, but did not possess any extraordinary powers or become any further enlightened. Oma described this low level as a "stop along the way" to ascension where Daniel could make the choice as to whether or not he'd like to give ascension another chance but be forbidden from interacting in the corporeal plane or end his life because his body was already dead. Daniel rephrased this choice as to "contemplate my own enlightenment." (8.18 "Threads")

Anubis reached a high plane of existence when he tricked Oma into helping him to ascend. Although Anubis held a high degree of enlightenment as to what ascension was, his soul was not pure. The fact that Oma could be deceived proves that ascension doesn't make one all-knowing, just as Daniel said. The Others sent Anubis down a few planes of existence, what Daniel described as "stuck somewhere between human existence and ascension." Anubis was still left as a being of energy, but his powers were limited. The Others instructed him that he could only use the knowledge and power he would normally gain as a regular Goa'uld, and Anubis amazingly followed that rule without waver. He gained eternal life through ascension, but now this eternal life is being spent in a never-ending fight with Oma. Oma engaged him in this fight in order to prevent him from destroying all life in the Milky Way Galaxy and to take responsibility for breaking the rule, "No lone ascended being shall help a lower ascend." (3.20 "Maternal Instinct", 5.21 "Meridian", 6.06 "Abyss", 8.18 "Threads")

When the original Ancients, the Altera, were forced to flee their home galaxy for fear of their lives because of philosophical differences between them and the others of their society known as the Ori, they were on the evolutionary path toward ascension. The Ori, like the Altera, eventually ascended after this separation. The Ori's galaxy is home to a second evolution of humanity, just as the Milky Way Galaxy is. When Daniel met the Ori through a psychic link with one of these humans, he found out that the Ori claimed that they were humanity's creators. It is possible that the Ori did in fact create humanity in their home galaxy through the use of technology similar to what the Ancients used in the Milky Way Galaxy after life was nearly wiped out by the plague which occurred five to ten million years ago. Anubis/Jim told Daniel that the Ancients used the advanced device on the planet Dakara to reseed life in the galaxy after the plague "some million odd years" ago. The circumstances of the Ori's re-creation of humanity in their home galaxy is not known, but Daniel assumed that this occurred after all of the Ori had ascended. The Ori manifest themselves in a wall of fire near the temple in the City of the Gods on the Plains of Celestis. (8.18 "Threads", 9.02 "Avalon Part 2", 9.03 "Origin Part 3", 9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1")

The Ori created a religion with which to interact and manipulate the second evolution of man in their home galaxy. This religion, called Origin, forces a human to relinquish his free will to the Ori with the promise of ascension. The Ori are manipulating humanity because they actually gain power through man's worship, but are not intending to share that power with their worshippers, so the promise of ascension is a lie. It is hardly a simple thing, but the interrelationships of all living things in the universe is illustrated in this dependence amongst the planes of existence. The Ascended Altera kept the existence of humanity in the Milky Way Galaxy a secret from the Ori because they feared that the Ori would become too powerful and disturb the balance in their planes of existence. Additionally, they feared that they themselves could become corrupted by the temptation of this power in order to achieve higher levels of enlightenment. Because of this fear, the Ascended Altera have established their non-interference policy. They are not certain what the outcome would be if they were to directly confront the Ori, so they have decided that the best way to achieve the balance is through the actions of those opposing the Ori in the lowest plane of existence, the corporeal plane. For their part, this work includes permitting one of their own to sacrifice his ascension and the chance at further enlightenment to retake human form to help humanity any way he can. Daniel had decided this was the course of action he was willing to take by retaking human form from both his times as an Ascended Being, but his advanced knowledge is not accessible to him. Orlin was given the opportunity to keep some of his advanced knowledge as a human, but that knowledge is not permanent and is life-threatening because the human brain is not physically designed to harbor or use such knowledge. Any of the Ascended Beings who have selected to return to human form are aware that their trip is most likely one-way and that they will not be able to ascend again. (8.18 "Threads", 9.02 "Avalon Part 2", 9.03 "Origin Part 3", 9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1")

How to Ascend

The Alterans and Ori naturally ascended

Khalek's DNA was manipulated toward ascension

Daniel was helped to ascend by an Ascended Being

The evolution of a human towards ascension includes both physical and mental states. When SG-1 discovered an underground lab used by Anubis on the planet P3X-584, they learned that a human needed to be evolved to using somewhere between 80 and 90 percent of his mental capacity in order to wilfully ascend. Along that evolutionary path, a human also has great psychic, healing, and telekinetic powers. The extent of such powers depended upon how far advanced the human's body had evolved. (9.09 "Prototype")

Natural Evolution

Within the Stargate Universe, the majority of the Ascended Beings met thus far were originally humans. (It should be noted that Anubis, a Goa'uld, ascended, but he did this by trickery while in the body of a human host.) Whether or not humans are the only ones who can evolve to naturally ascend remains to be seen. There are two groups of humans who evolved physically in order to ascend naturally: the Altera (known as the Ancients in the Milk Way Galaxy) and the Ori. (9.02 "Avalon Part 2")

Artificial Evolution through Technology

The Atlantis Expedition Team in the Pegasus Galaxy came across some research that the Ancients left behind 10,000 years ago which supported the idea that not all advanced humans are able to ascend naturally, and they performed research to genetically alter themselves to advance their evolution in order to ascend. They had even entrapped an energy being to study its level of existence in support of this genetic research. The Ancients that left the Pegasus Galaxy 10,000 years ago were humans who had not reached the point where they could ascend, and they, most likely, continued their research into ascension after they returned to the Milky Way Galaxy. Daniel Jackson theorized that one of those Ancients who returned to Earth 10,000 years ago, Myrddin (aka Merlin), was advanced enough to aid mere mortals, such as the legendary King Arthur, to ascend, but he was not ascended himself. Most likely, if Myrddin did help Arthur to ascend, it was through technological means. The thousands of years that Myrddin and the other Ancients who returned to Earth lived could have been a natural lifespan for these advanced humans or could have been supported through the use of advanced Ancient technology rather than by ascending and "descending" (retaking a corporeal form) at will. Based on the evidence of the influences left behind by the Ancients on Earth's cultures throughout the time between 10,000 years ago and the present, it is possible that some of these Ancients died on Earth while others left the planet or eventually ascended. (8.18 "Threads", 9.02 "Avalon Part 2";Stargate Atlantis: 1.03 "Hide And Seek", 1.15 "Before I Sleep")

The Goa'uld Nirrti's experimentation in producing an advanced human host through the use of an Ancient DNA manipulation device and the existence of the same technology in Anubis' underground lab on the planet P3X-584 also supports the conclusion that the Ancients researched artificial means to achieve ascension. Nirrti came close to creating advanced humans with great powers by manipulating the DNA of human subjects, but they were grotesquely mutated and structurally unstable. Anubis came much closer with the creation of Khalek, a human-Goa'uld hybrid whom he "grew" in the lab and then advanced in stages toward ascension. While Nirrti's experimentation was hit-and-miss, Anubis' was extraordinarily methodical and appeared to be based on the Ancients' research that it was believed he had discovered. Khalek possessed Anubis' Goa'uld genetic memories which made him evil to the core and he was bent on the same destructive goals as his "father". Khalek died after coming very close to the ability to ascend on his own, but he had only received five of the eight treatments Anubis had planned for him. (6.16 "Metamorphosis", 8.18 "Threads", 9.09 "Prototype")

Help from an Ascended Being

The Ori artificially advance their missionaries, called Priors, through the power they have as Ascended Beings. The Priors have the same advanced powers as the evolutionally advanced Altera and Ori had while they themselves were still in human form. The Priors, however, have not been given enough advancement to allow them to ascend on their own. The Ori are using them as pawns, promising them ascension, but never intending to help them ascend because they would then have to share the power obtained through the worshippers the Priors convert on their behalf. (9.03 "Origin Part 3", 9.06 "Beachhead", 9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1")

Anubis found Ancient research into ascension and knew that he could find help in reaching ascension by going to the planet Kheb, where Oma Desala had built a temple and placed writings on the walls to instruct one on how to reach the higher planes of existence. When Daniel visited Kheb during his search for Sha're's son, the Harsesis Shifu, he read the writings and also talked with a monk who appeared there. Oma, who was considered an outcast by the Ascended Ancients (aka The Others), felt that it was her duty to help people ascend, even if their physical bodies had not yet evolved to the level the Ascended Ancients had reached. She felt that a person should be allowed to ascend based on the goodness of his soul and the degree of enlightenment of his mind and not be hindered by the evolutionary state of his physical body. She saw "humanity's potential" in Daniel when he first came to Kheb and offered him ascension when his body died from radiation poisoning. Her philosophy was, "When the mind is enlightened, the spirit is free and the body matters not." Anubis had tricked Oma into not seeing the evil that he was and after she realized what she had done, she tried to undo it, but The Others stepped in. Although Anubis held a high degree of enlightenment as to what ascension was, his soul was not pure. The fact that Anubis and the Ori exist as Ascended Beings and that Khalek nearly achieved ascension through artificial means proves that one does not have to be good to the very core to ascend, but that this requirement was placed on ascension by Oma herself to determine who was worthy to have her help to ascend. (3.20 "Maternal Instinct", 5.21 "Meridian", 6.06 "Abyss", 8.18 "Threads", 9.03 "Origin Part 3", 9.09 "Prototype")

Powers of the Ascended

Ascended Daniel prepares to kill Anubis

Ori takes Doci as a temporary host

Orlin shares his essence with Carter

Ascended Beings possess a great many powers which one might associate with all-powerful beings. They can:

• shape their form to appear human and communicate in that manner, but their manifestation remains unsolid. Because of this, they can pass through solid objects and solid objects can pass through them. Energy weapon blasts also pass through them when they are in this state. (Oma Desala, 3.20 "Maternal Instinct"; Orlin, 5.03 "Ascension"; Daniel Jackson, 6.06 "Abyss" and 6.22 "Full Circle")
• retake human form at their own choosing. (Shifu, 4.17 "Absolute Power"; Orlin, 5.03 "Ascension"; Daniel Jackson, 7.01 "Fallen Part 1" and 8.18 "Threads")
• remain invisible and influence thoughts of those in the corporeal plane. (Orlin, 5.03 "Ascension"; Oma Desala, 7.01 "Fallen Part 1"; Daniel Jackson, 6.06 "Abyss" and 6.22 "Full Circle")
• retake human form and ascend again at will. It is not necessary for the body to die to ascend. (Shifu, 4.17 "Absolute Power"; Orlin [with stipulation], 5.03 "Ascension")
• control nature, such as light fires, levitate objects, make the wind blow, toss lightning, control electrical devices, and harness devastating energy. (Oma Desala, 3.20 "Maternal Instinct"; Orlin, 5.03 "Ascension"; Daniel Jackson, 6.22 "Full Circle")
• travel through space without the use of a Stargate. (Oma Desala, 5.21 "Meridian"; Daniel Jackson, 6.06 "Abyss", 6.19 "Changeling", and 6.22 "Full Circle")
• share their essence with humans. This sharing is physically pleasant to the human. (Orlin, 5.03 "Ascension")
• advance humans in their evolution and give them powers of the ascended. (Ori, 9.03 "Origin Part 3")
• manifest themselves in a bright, shape-changing, form of energy. (Oma Desala, 3.20 "Maternal Instinct"; Shifu, 4.17 "Absolute Power"; Orlin, 5.03 "Ascension"; Daniel Jackson, 5.21 "Meridian" and 6.22 "Full Circle"; Skaara, 6.22 "Full Circle")
• appear solid and create solid objects, such as balls, tents, a temple, a pyramid, and a Stargate. (Oma Desala and Skaara, 6.33 "Full Circle")
• select who hears them and sees them in their manifestations. (Daniel Jackson, 6.22 "Full Circle" and 7.04 "Orpheus")
• have power over other beings like themselves. The Others placed Anubis in a lower plane of existence after Oma ascended him. The Others stipulated that Daniel's memories be erased when he decided to return to human form. Oma, however, buried his memories instead and sent him to Vis Uban where he was discovered by his friends, taken home, and regained his memories. Oma buried the infinite knowledge of the Ancients in his subconscious mind instead of erasing that as well. This knowledge was discovered by Replicator Carter and Daniel used it in his fight against her and her brethren. Anubis clearly believed that Daniel could destroy him as Daniel was about to use energy orbs against him. Oma pulled Daniel out of his confrontation with Anubis before The Others got a hold of him and did something more drastic to him. Oma has engaged Anubis in an eternal struggle to prevent him from taking further action against the corporeal plane. The Others hid the existence of humanity in the Milky Way Galaxy from the Ori. (6.22 "Full Circle", 8.17 "Reckoning Part 2", 8.18 "Threads", 9.03 "Origin Part 3")
• manifest themselves in a group. The Others have done this in a storm cloud. The Ori do this as a wall of fire. (The Others, 5.03 "Ascension"; Ori, 9.03 "Origin Part 3")
• take a human as a host with or without that human's awareness. (Anubis, 8.03 "Lockdown" and 8.16 "Reckoning Part 1"; Ori, 9.03 "Origin Part 3")
• read the minds of humans. (9.03 "Origin Part 3")
• resurrect or kill a human. (9.03 "Origin Part 3")

Diverse Philosophies of the Ascended

The Others manifested in a storm cloud

Daniel while he was an Ascended Being

The Ori manifested in a wall of fire

The Ascended Beings that are known to-date all came to be ascended after shedding their physical bodies. The majority of them physically and mentally evolved into the ascended state. Because they were human to start, they are as diverse as any human individuals would be. Not all Ascended Beings agree as to their role in interacting with the corporeal plane. There are different philosophies of thought among them.

The two largest groups of Ascended Beings are The Others and the Ori. The Ancients joined the collective known as The Others, but not all members of The Others are Ancients. (6.22 "Full Circle", 8.18 "Threads", 9.03 "Origin Part 3")

While they were advanced on their evolutionary path toward ascension but were still corporeal, the Altera and the Ori belonged to one society. A philosophical difference came between the two groups which eventually resulted in the Ori's attempt to wipe out the Altera. Instead of engaging in a war, the Altera fled and after traveling for thousands of years, settled in the Milky Way Galaxy, where eventually they became known as the Ancients. (9.02 "Avalon Part 2", 9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1")

The philosophical difference between the two groups deals mostly with the Path to Enlightenment (ascension), the responsibilities of the ascended, and the extent of interaction with the lower planes of existence. The Others have established rules which appear to purposefully counter the very actions the Ori have taken when dealing with the corporeal plane. Whereas The Others have kept their existence a secret from humanity for the most part, the Ori demand that humanity worship them as their creators and gods. While the Ori have been corrupted by the power they sap from their human worshippers, The Others have decided that they will avoid the temptation to achieve further enlightenment through destructive means by enforcing a strict non-inteference policy. (5.03 "Ascension", 9.03 "Origin Part 3", 9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1")

There are some of The Others, however, who have strayed from the rules because they see something of value in humanity which they feel must be preserved rather than leaving it to fate and the exercise of free will.

Man's Free Will

The Others believe that man should exercise his own free will to determine his own destiny, even if that destiny is utter destruction. Oma Desala, although an outcast for breaking some of the rules of The Others, endeavored to teach this to her followers. Her teachings included: "Ultimately, a man must travel his chosen path alone." (5.03 "Ascension", 4.17 "Absolute Power", 8.18 "Threads", 9.02 "Avalon Part 2")

Oma also taught Daniel that the decision to pursue the Path to Enlightenment (ascension) is also man's. She told him when she offered him ascension that his fate was in his hands, that he was the only one who could decide if ascension was what he truly wanted or even deserved. Daniel rephrased this philosophy when he discussed man's free will with one of the Priors: "It is we who must seek the truth of the universe in order to achieve Enlightenment." (5.21 "Meridian", 8.18 "Threads", 9.03 "Origin Part 3")

Daniel continued to support his argument for man's right to choose his own path during his encounter with the Doci of the Ori: "Don't get me wrong, I mean, we should all be trying to better ourselves. I mean if ascension is the ultimate end we're trying to achieve, then so be it, but we should all be allowed to get there or not of our own free will." Daniel had always believed in man's right to choose his own path, but Oma's teachings added new meaning to it by specifically addressing ascension, something he hadn't realized as ever being available to him. He is so adamant about man's right to choose his own path that he concluded with, "You can kill me for saying that, but that is what I believe and nothing you say or do will EVER change my mind." (9.03 "Origin Part 3")

Although the Ori teach that they have given man free will in their religion, called Origin, they have denied man's exercise of it by giving him a limited choice — either he is a follower of the Ori or he is not, and if he is not, he is doomed. The Ori themselves have grown corrupt because of the power gained through the sapping of the life force of their worshippers. They have spoon-fed Origin to the humans of their galaxy to obtain this power and have denied man the exercise of his own free will in pursuing the Path to Enlightenment or not, thus making his death of the "most meaningless kind" because he never had the choice of pursuing other ways to his own salvation. (9.03 "Origin Part 3", 9.05 "The Powers That Be", 9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1")

The Doci of the Ori said that The Book of Origin specifically stated that those on the Path to Enlightenment should not be led astray. Their scriptures give many encouraging stories of redemption of those who had strayed but then eventually realized their need to return to the Path. However, if the Ori determine that a person is completely lost to them, that there is no chance that he will repent, then that person should die. Turning a brother in for punishment was a measure of devotion as well as considered the right thing to do because the worshippers believed that the Ori were the only ones who could see whether or not a person's heart was pure: "Fear not, for the Ori see all, outside and within. If your heart is pure and your devotion unwavering, they will protect you. They will cleanse your being, and you'll be taken to be with them forever. If not, may the fire burn you down to the ground and lay you in the dust." This harsh judgment was most likely considered by the worshippers as just and true if a man failed to accept the gifts the Ori promised, the most valued of which was ascension itself. (9.02 "Avalon Part 2", 9.03 "Origin Part 3", 9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1")

Absolute Power and Playing God

The reason that The Others have their strict non-interference policy is because they fear that they will give into the temptation of manipulating man in their own thirst for power. This corruption is what they have seen in the Ori and they wish not to go down that same path. They have decided that there must be other ways to achieve further enlightenment and gain more power than to deny man the right to exercise his own free will. (9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1")

The possibility of growing corrupt with extraordinary power exists on the corporeal plane also. The strict non-interference policy of The Others' is designed to not only protect themselves, but man as well. Several technologically advanced civilizations have learned what happens to less advanced civilizations when they are given knowledge or power before they have matured enough to handle it. The Tollan, Nox, and Asgard were all alien societies which limited the amount of advanced knowledge or technology they shared with those of Earth because they recognized that man was "primitive", "very young", or "less sophisticated". No matter which definition was used, these advanced societies had learned that the risk of the misuse of the advantage was too great to ever consider sharing the knowledge or technology without proof of the ability to handle the power that comes with it. For the Asgard, Earth has proved itself capable of handling the technology they have offered, most of which are devices used for peaceful exploration and self-defense. (1.08 "The Nox", 1.17 "Enigma", 4.01 "Small Victories Part 2", 6.11 "Prometheus", 8.12 "Prometheus Unbound")

To emphasize the importance of the non-interference policy, The Others have established the rule, "Do not accelerate the natural ascension process of those beneath." This acceleration can be both physical manipulation of DNA as well as increased knowledge. One example of the enforcement of this rule has to do with Orlin, one of The Others who didn't wish to see the Velonans be wiped out by the Goa'uld, so he communicated the knowledge of how to build a powerful weapon and they defeated the Goa'uld. But then, the Velonans decided to use the weapon on other worlds for conquest. The Velonans had not developed far enough to know how to handle such power. The Others destroyed the Velonans because Orlin had prevented their destruction by the Goa'uld and banished Orlin to the desolate planet as punishment for disobeying the rule. They accepted him back into the collective when he sacrificed his newly-taken human form to prevent the weapon from falling into the SGC's hands. (5.03 "Ascension")

Oma attempted to teach Daniel on various occasions concerning the possibility of corruption on the ascended planes. Her first lesson was taught through Shifu, her "stepson" whom Daniel have given into her care and protection. Oma buried Shifu's Goa'uld genetic memories into his subconscious because the evil within them was too strong to resist. The best way for him to ever avoid the abusive power was to never attempt to access the knowledge — to deny the battle. This philosophy is closely related to The Others' reasons for their non-interference policy — in order to avoid the corruption brought forth by the power gained through humans' worship, it is best to cut one's self off from humans entirely. With this policy in mind, The Others have denied the battle, or risk, of ever advancing themselves in the planes of existence by such means. (4.17 "Absolute Power", 9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1")

Daniel applied this lesson when working with less advanced civilizations. Right before the accident that led to his ascension, he told Jonas Quinn of the planet Kelowna when Jonas asked for Earth's help in advancing their development of a weapon of mass destruction, "Some very wise people have shown me first hand how a sudden leap in weapons technology by a civilization that's not ready for it can lead to its destruction." Daniel learned this lesson "first hand" when he was given the dream by Shifu (and most probably Oma, too) which showed him how he might be corrupted by the extraordinary knowledge within the Goa'uld genetic memories. In this dream, Daniel used advanced weapons meant to protect Earth to destroy Moscow instead because the world was not yet to a point where the destructive power of the weapons could be used only for defense. (4.17 "Absolute Power", 5.21 "Meridian")

Daniel's next lesson concerning the possibility of corruption on the ascended planes came at the point that he was offered ascension. Oma told him, "Walking the Path brings great responsibilty. You cannot fear or hesitate in your resolve." Up to that point, Daniel knew very little about the motivations of The Others and nothing about the Ori, but only of what Oma had shown him concerning ascension. Since she was not a typical Ascended Being, Daniel had many false impressions on what ascension truly meant, but he believed that he understood that there was additional power that he had to keep under control or he'd be corrupted. He also believed that he'd be permitted to use that power for the good of humanity because some of his last words to Jack were, "I think I can do more this way." After becoming an Ascended Being himself, he told Jack, "The hardest part of being who or what I am is having the power to change the things I want to change and knowing that I can't — even when I'm certain, even when it's absolutely clear to me, even when it affects the people I care about, because for all I can do, I'm no more qualified to play God than the Goa'uld are." After obtaining the power and knowledge as an Ascended Being and discovering the true nature and limitations of his own ascension, Daniel decided to return to human form because he felt his path was not to pursue his own Enlightenment, but to fight for humanity any way he could. (5.21 "Meridian", 6.06 "Abyss", 6.22 "Full Circle", 7.01 "Fallen Part 1", 8.18 "Threads")

Playing God is one thing that the Ori have done openly as a result of their corruption. They have built a religion around worshipping them as gods and humanity's creators. They perform impressive feats, calling them miracles, using their advanced knowledge and power to convince humans of their godhood. Their position as gods is based on what they wish humans to perceive them to be, not on what they truly are: "What is a god, but a being that is worshipped by those beneath? Is great knowledge, power, understanding not enough for you to revere the Ori?" (9.03 "Origin Part 3")

The Ancients have become gods themselves, even if they did not actively seek the worship of humans. The Sodan Jaffa, in the process of looking for Kheb, found a planet formerly of the Ancients where they could find freedom from their enslavement to a Goa'uld. Over the 5,000 years that they have been a free society, they have centered their religious teachings around the Ancients and their writings. When the Prior of the Ori offered Origin, they were open to accept it because their gods, the Ancients, had not made their presence known, but the Ori had. The Ori don't require "blind faith", but only ask that a person "believe what you see and know to be true." (9.03 "Origin Part 3", 9.06 "Babylon")

The meaning of Oma Desala's name is "Mother Nature", and Daniel speculated that it was African tribal in origin. It is possible that she might have actually been worshipped through religions focused on the worship of nature. The monk at Kheb also encouraged a trust and belief in Oma when he began teaching Daniel about ascension and Oma's powers to better keep the Harsesis Shifu safe and protected. Oma demonstrated some of her powers by controlling the weather and manipulating fire, and actually used lightning as a lethal weapon. (3.20 "Maternal Instinct")

And surprisingly enough, Daniel himself was thought to be a god by the Abydonians, even though Teal'c tried to pursuade them otherwise. While preparing to defend their position at the pyramid against Anubis' forces, one of the Abydonians, Tobay, said that Skaara had told him that Daniel was a god, that he was powerful, and that he would protect their families. Tobay was prepared to fight in Daniel's name and die for his cause. (6.22 "Full Circle")

Sharing the Path to Enlightenment

Part of The Others' enforcement of their non-interference policy includes keeping the knowledge of the higher planes of existence a secret so that humanity is not tempted to worship Ascended Beings as gods. This position seems to fall in direct opposition to the Ori's establishment of Origin and their interference on a daily basis with their own galaxy's humanity. The Ori have declared that the Altera are evil for raising their humanity in darkness by not showing them the Path to Enlightenment (the "truth of the universe"), as well as "selfish in their powerful advantage." (9.03 "Origin Part 3")

But, somewhere along the way during humanity's history since their creation by the Ancients some "million odd years" ago, Earth's cultures have developed religions similar to the one which Oma Desala taught. Daniel saw similarities between Oma's philosophy and Zen Buddhism of Earth. He also appeared to see some of this philosophy in The Book of Origin which led him to ask the Doci of the Ori, "I guess what I'm trying to understand is whether the Ori have spoken to you directly and told you to worship them, or whether you've misinterpreted some evidence you've found along the way and developed this religion on your own." Daniel might have been wondering if perhaps all of these religions had a common root in the Alteran's and Ori's original human society before the rift occurred. Additionally, he believed that the Ancients might have influenced the association of fire with demons as a warning about the Ori, since the Ori manifest themselves in a wall of fire and fire is the central icon of their religion. This influence, however, was mostly likely done by outcasts such as Oma or by human Ancients (those who returned from the Pegasus Galaxy 10,000 years ago are thought to have influenced the Greek, Roman, and Celtic histories, among many others), since it is assumed that The Others have had their non-interference policy in place for millions of years (at least since their first wave of ascensions). (3.20 "Maternal Instinct", 2.16 "The Fifth Race", 9.01 "Avalon Part 1", 9.03 "Origin Part 3"; Stargate Atlantis: 1.01 "Rising Part 1")

Oma influenced the Jaffa belief system as well. Kheb became a sacred place spoken of for over 5,000 years: "An old tale about a place discovered long ago by a few Jaffa and kept secret from the Goa'uld: When they could no longer carry a primta (larval symbiote), they would make their journey to Kheb. There their calak (soul) would learn the path through the darkness into the next life." This "path through the darkness into the next life" was called the Path to Enlightenment by the Jaffa all those thousands of years, but after Teal'c and Master Bra'tac learned the truth about Oma and ascension through Daniel's experiences, they have realized that they have taken away the hope of this Path to ascension and that the Jaffa could easily turn toward Origin because the Ori offer this Path openly. (3.20 "Maternal Instinct", 5.18 "The Warrior", 9.03 "Origin Part 3", 9.08 "Babylon", 9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1")

Part of Oma's Path to Enlightenment included actually ascending a person once he proved to her that he was worthy. Her helping a person to ascend was a direct violation of the rule: "No lone ascended being shall help a lower ascend." With all of the care she took to ensure that the person was good to the core, she still made mistakes in judgment, proving that an Ascended Being is not perfect. Her biggest mistake was helping Anubis to ascend and she was punished for this, but still continued to help "lowers" to ascend. Why The Others permitted her to begin her work all of those thousands of years ago remains a mystery, unless she actually strengthened them in some way. The Others have a say as to whom they accept into their collective, so it is possible that they actually accepted many of the people Oma helped to ascend during all that time: "If you deserve to be here you should be able to get here on your own. If there's an exception, for whatever reason, a majority vote by the collective can get you in." (3.8.18 "Threads")

The Ori have promised ascension to their followers, but this promise is a lie because they do not intend to share their power. They have advanced their human representatives, the Priors, in their evolution to demonstrate the powers of the ascended and to reward their devotion. The Priors also lean on the promise of ascension at death for themselves. They are devoted to their work in converting human populations to Origin, believing that the deaths of a few are worth the salvation of the many. (9.02 "Avalon Part 2", 9.06 "Beachhead", 9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1")

Intervening on the Corporeal Plane

Eventually, Oma took responsibility for breaking the rules and helping Anubis to ascend by engaging Anubis in an eternal struggle to prevent him from destroying all life in the Milky Way Galaxy. If Oma had not taken action, it is possible The Others might have let Anubis continue with his plan, but it is just as possible that they would have intervened because of the next rule: "Basically, the Others use their collective powers to keep him [Anubis] from affecting anything on a grand, cosmic level." The destruction of an entire galaxy might have been enough cause for The Others to use their collective power to prevent, since it is very likely that such destruction would have had a grand, cosmic impact. There is some foundation to this assumption given that it was most likely The Others who stepped in and confused Anubis' Kull Warriors during a battle with the Free Jaffa on Dakara and stopped the countdown on the self-destruct which the SGC started in reponse to the possibility that their Stargate had been opened by Anubis in order for him to send the destructive energy wave to end life. (8.18 "Threads")

When Daniel realized that the Ori were sending Priors to the Milky Way Galaxy through the Stargate and that The Others didn't stop them, he concluded that The Others would not prevent the Priors' attempts to convert humanity to Origin because they recognize man's right to exercise his own free will. He did believe, however, that The Others would intervene if the Ori themselves approached humanity directly because there was evidence of their taking action against other Ascended Beings in the past. Not knowing what the outcome would be if they confronted the Ori directly, The Others have chosen to fight this battle on the corporeal plane first by selecting an indirect means of intervention: permitting one of their own to retake human form with some of their advanced knowledge intact in order to help humanity stop the Ori's growth in power because if they are not stopped it would be "bad for everyone" (i.e., everyone on all planes of existence). This member of the collective goes with the understanding that he is no longer a member of the collective, that he is sacrificing his own ascension and the possibility of further enlightenment, and that he will not be accepted back into the collective or permitted to ascend again. Ironically, by taking this approach, The Others are now depending on outcasts, such as Orlin, to preserve the balance in the ascended planes. (9.03 "Origin Part 3", 9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1")

Notable Characters

• Oma Desala - Oma Desala was banished by The Others because she felt it was her duty to help people ascend, thus breaking one of the most sacred rules of the ascended. The Others watched and waited for Oma to take responsibility for helping the evil Goa'uld Anubis to ascend. Because she was prevented from destroying Anubis, Oma felt that she could make up for his evil actions with helping good people to ascend. Finally, after Daniel made a heart-felt plea on her behalf to end her punishment regarding Anubis, Oma decided to take action herself. She engaged Anubis in an eternal struggle which would prevent both of them from ever interacting with the corporeal plane again.
• Shifu - Because he was the offspring of two Goa'uld hosts, he inherited the genetic memory of the Goa'uld. This knowledge is evil and corrupts the person who holds it. Oma Desala buried these memories into Shifu's subconscious mind in order to protect him. Oma also helped Shifu to ascend.
• Orlin - At one time, Orlin was an outcast, but he was accepted back into The Others. After the Ori discovered humanity in the Milky Way Galaxy, The Others permitted Orlin to return to human form with some of his ascended knowledge to help the SGC in the fight against the Priors, the Ori's corporeal representatives.
• The Others - They are a collective of Ascended Ancients (also known as Altera) who have established rules for their involvement with matters of the corporeal plane. They kept the existence of humanity in the Milky Way Galaxy a secret from the Ori in order to protect them.
• Daniel Jackson - Mentored by Oma Desala, Daniel ascended after his death from radiation poisoning. He remained with her for a year, but then his attempt to help SG-1 and the Abydonians resulted in his choice to return to human form ("descend"). Oma offered him ascension a second time after he was killed by Replicator Carter, but he returned to human form a second time.
• Skaara - He was one of the Abydonian people ascended en masse by Oma when Abydos was destroyed by Anubis.
• Ori - They are a collective who manifest themselves in a wall of fire in a far galaxy thought to be the home of the original Ancients (called the Altera). Their philosophy is almost in direct opposition to that of The Others. They believe that as creators of humanity, they should be worshipped as gods. They also believe they have the right to accelerate the ascension process of the humans in their galaxy and to destroy those who reject them.

Alliances

Alliances within the Ascended themselves:

• Ori, Doci, and Priors of the Ori - The Ori have created a religion called Origin and those humans who follow are rewarded with advancement in their evolution toward ascension. The Doci is an advanced human who permits his body to be taken as a temporary host to an Ori being in order to "speak the word of the Ori". The Priors of the Ori are advanced humans who have been given special powers to preach Origin. They carry staffs with blue orbs which glow when the Prior uses his advanced powers. The Priors are not aware that the Ori do not plan to follow through on their promise of ascension, but instead are pawns used by the Ori to gain more power through the worship of humans.
• The Others - These are the Ascended Ancients who have protected humanity in the Milky Way Galaxy from the Ori, but the Ori have now discovered their existence and plan to interfere in man's development.
• Oma Desala's group of followers are those who were helped to ascend by Oma and were never accepted by The Others. They might still exist as a group even though Oma is occupied forever with battling Anubis. Daniel was a follower of Oma while he was ascended, but he never mentioned any others by name. It is possible that Shifu, the monk from Kheb, and the Abydonians are currently members of this group.

Enemies

• As a whole group, Ascended Beings have no known enemies, however, the Ori and The Others appear to be opposed to each other.
• In the corporeal plane, Members of the SGC are against the Ori and their representatives for the sake of all humanity in the galaxy.

Episodes

• 1.08 "The Nox"
• 1.17 "Enigma"
• 2.16 "The Fifth Race"
• 3.20 "Maternal Instinct"
• 4.01 "Small Victories Part 2"
• 4.17 "Absolute Power"
• 5.03 "Ascension"
• 5.21 "Meridian"
• 6.06 "Abyss"
• 6.11 "Prometheus"
• 6.16 "Metamorphosis"
• 6.19 "Changeling"
• 6.22 "Full Circle"
• 7.01 "Fallen Part 1"
• 7.04 "Orpheus"
• 8.03 "Lockdown"
• 8.12 "Prometheus Unbound"
• 8.16 "Reckoning Part 1"
• 8.17 "Reckoning Part 2"
• 8.18 "Threads"
• 9.02 "Avalon Part 2"
• 9.03 "Origin Part 3"
• 9.06 "Beachhead"
• 9.08 "Babylon"
• 9.09 "Prototype"
• 9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1"

Gallery

• Ascended Beings Screencapture Gallery Contains images of Oma Desala, Shifu, Orlin, The Others, the ascended Daniel Jackson and the partially ascended Anubis. Clicking on each thumbnail will lead you to a larger image which you are welcome to download. At any time, you can return to this page by clicking on the home button.

Related Articles

Other Characters

• Col. Jack O'Neill
• Maj. Samantha Carter
• Jonas Quinn
• Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell
• Gen. Hank Landry
• Merlin
• Monk
• Nirrti
• Priors of the Ori
• Replicator Samantha Carter

Keywords

• Abydos and the Abydonian People
• Altera
• Ancients
• Asgard
• Atlantis
• Celestis
• Dakara
• DNA Manipulation Device
• Free Jaffa Nation
• Goa'uld
• Kelowna
• Kheb
• Kull Warrior
• Nox
• P3X-584
• Stargate Command (SGC)
• Tollan
• Velona
• Vis Uban
• Weapon on Dakara

Other

• Stargate Atlantis

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--DeeKayP 05:34, 26 Jun 2004 (PDT) --Updated by Alison 27 Jun 2004