Why Do The Bene Gesserit Fear Immortality?

Human beings, like all other life on this planet, are mortal. And ever since the ancient world we have attempted to find ways to extend our lives. Alchemy is a branch of philosophy created in the ancient world. Those who called themselves alchemists attempted to perfect and purify certain elements, many believed that through perfection of the human soul and body one could create the ultimate work of alchemy, the idea is often thought of today as the creation of the Philosopher's stone. The philosopher's stone would be able heal any illness, turn any metal into gold, and most importantly grant immortality. Though people have been trying to figure out how to create the philosopher's stone since 300 CE, no one has ever accomplished this.

In the third book in the Dune series, Children of Dune the Lady Jessica Atreides returns to the planet Arrakis after being gone for two decades. In the time since she was last on Arrakis much had changed. The former Emperor of the Imperium Shaddam the IV is dead and house Atreides rules on the human universe from the planet Arrakis. Jessica’s daughter, Alia, now sits the throne as regent until Paul's pre-Born twins Leto and Ghanima come of age, the Princess Irulan Paul’s wife acts as protector to his children.

When Jessica arrives on Arrakis she immediately notices that both the Princess Irulan and her Daughter, Alia are both using forbidden Bene Gesserit techniques in order to slow their aging.

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[bobina]

Slowing aging almost to the point of stopping that aging would signify the importance of the individual over the group. No one Bene Gesserit is more important than the ultimate goal.

[sillypuppy]

The other problem is that an immortal Bene Gesserit leader would be difficult to depose. We see how they viewed Leto II with horror, not because he's a big ugly worm thing, but because he's in charge for centuries, crushing change and adaption to it. This is antithetical to the Bene Gesserit plans, or even the state of having plans, for plans rely on there being the possibility of events, of change. And without plans, what are the Bene Gesserit? I'd be tempted to say powerful but ultimately helpless.

[duncanthetall]

i just finished chapter house again. i really wish frank had finished. so many interesting bene gesserit happenings!

[TheEuDragon]

I dont know why i feel i should write this, but man i appreciate you alot. you make some of my favorite content on the site, keep rocking quinn!

[Psiberzerker]

They don't fear Immortality. Everyone else fears them. With the spice, the houses of the Landstraad have people living long enough to notice if the BG used their gifts to All become Immortal. If they caught on to that, then everyone would come after them for Immortality, so in fairness. The Mother Superior isn't Immortal, because that wouldn't allow other Reverend Mother to progress, They know what lies down that path: Stagnation, overpopulation, and decline. So, they don't fear Immortality, they withhold it. Just because we can do something doesn't make it a good idea. Also, they have the Other Memory, so it isn't as if they actually need Physical Immortality.

[zac-]

I really want to see how they'll handle Alia in the new movies

[KaoticVibes]

The show about these incredible characters could be so good. Gotta make it to see the film first, but I can see the value of a well written and well produced show blowing up.

[vikifrohlich]

1:45 Okay I WANT Charles Dance to play Shaddam 😍

[nikoa-sh]

It amazed me every time how much detail Frank puts on the characters and their abilities.
And his unique way to represent them throughout the story.
He is an absolute genius!!

[apparaoapparao]

Reproduction leads to adaptation, improvement, and evolution. Prolonging life would weaken the primary drive for reproduction and impair the gene pool.

[davidboivin]

A rich and extremely fascinating Universe Dune is. I love all the facets of the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood. Like others I wish there had been more from Frank himself.

[MisterTutor]

It's not about living forever, it's about being hot forever :)

[fuchilapoint]

Asked and answered! Thank you! Listen Quinn. Your entertainment is one of the few reasons why I don't watch Disney plus, Netflix, Hulu, and a slew of other services. It's just because my time is valuable and you are worth it. Thanks again. I think I am ready to plunk down bread for your graphic novels now. Well deserved and I have 10 people going with me to the USA premier of Dune in Imax. My garb will be a wetsuit slightly modified and that is my Stillsuit. It worked for shut up and sit down and works for me! :)

[krakendragonslayer]

Gene Besserit (Germano-Latin mixed word for "making genes the best") fears immortality becaue then genes will stop to evolve and their very purpouse of existing would vanish

[BHGiant]

I was literally just thinking about this question. Thank you!

[thearmchairjournalist]

You got me ready to read them all again Quinn, been a follower since you were doing GOT videos, glad to see your still going strong and diversified 👌

[DistantEarlyWarning]

Quinn, when is Ultimate Guide to "Chapterhouse: Dune" coming out?

[Kneedragon]

You're skipping forward from The Lady Jessica, to Murbella. That's an interval of thousands of years. Murbella is an Honered Mater, and she will go on to be both Mother Superior, and Supreme Honoured Mater. Murbella is in some ways, the most dangerous human being who ever lived. Perhaps that's exactly the person you most want defending and protecting human survival...

[plznobauss]

Thanks Quinn I really enjoy your content and you're the reason I'll be reading the Dune series next, thank you!.

[daniels]

Herbert was really bad at math. Consider that when Jessica was irked by Alia's apparent youthfulness, Alia was still *under 30* and had been living on Arrakis, which was absolutely *saturated* in the Spice! Even discounting the supernatural associations that people made regarding Alia as Paul's sister and Irulan as his wife, significant aging should not really have been expected over such a short span of time in such an environment. But then, Herbert himself tended to forget the anagathic properties of the Spice even as he wrote about them. Most characters in the early novels were very much following expectations of real life human lifespans. It was also weird how it seemed like no noble house had more than two living generations at any one time. That would suggest that they were all living *shorter* lives than we do, not longer ones! This is ambiguously hand waved as due to assassination. Which kind of made concerns about having means of slowing down aging come across as pointless. If you're more likely to be murdered than to die of old age, you're probably going to spend more time worrying about that than you are about whether some priestesses know how to live for centuries.