Vortigaunts, no long term memory

[ríomhaire]

This idea popped into my head while reading about deja vu. Some say it may be caused by the brain commiting something to long-term memory while it is still in your short term memory. Your long term memory is what your brain says happened in the past and your short term memory is what your brain says is happening now.

This made me think of the Vortigaunts and how they speak of past events "We see you still in Black Mesa". Perhaps their memories are sent into their group mind (vortessence) instead of commited to their own minds (or both) meaning and if the group mind only sees things as current events and not past then they would too.

 

[Mesz]

Thats pretty damn interesting....nice thoughts

 

[Tollbooth Willie]

Woah, hadn't thought about that.

 

[Jintor]

I wonder if they can artificially or otherwise limit this view so they can operate with the resistance of the (human) present?

 

[586FAC75]

I don't think that it is evidence of a lack of long term memory. The fact that Vortigaunts refer to past events involving themselves in a collective noun is more evidence of a hive mind than anything else.

Unless your refering to the notion that because Vortigaunts rely on a hive mind they have lost the ability to access their long term memory...

 

[MorganFreeman911]

That is some interesting shit right there.

 

[ríomhaire]

I don't think that it is evidence of a lack of long term memory. The fact that Vortigaunts refer to past events involving themselves in a collective noun is more evidence of a hive mind than anything else.

Unless your refering to the notion that because Vortigaunts rely on a hive mind they have lost the ability to access their long term memory...

I just mean that their memory operates different to ours. While we have a long and short-term memory the Vortigaunts only have 1, which operates similarly to our short-term memory.

 

[Hectic Glenn]

I think that is a great theory, I like it a lot. It would explain how each one is almost the same, and how they all know you so well. I'd expect telling every single Vortigaunt about Freeman may be difficult. One huge conscience would be a great theory.

 

[Gordon-Shepherd]

That is some interesting shit right there.

damn straight.

 

[99.vikram]

Their long term memory would have become redundant after they learned to store thoughts in the vortessence, methinks.

 

[586FAC75]

I always put down the vortessence as a group mind or "hive mind". Saying that, while reading comments in this thread I looked over some of the quotes made by the sore throat vortigaunt in order to disprove this theory by trying to a locate a quote that referred to an individual account, rather than a collective one.

I didn't find one, however, I did find the quote in reference to "our greatest poet" (I believe there is a similar one referring to a songwriter somewhere in HL2). In my mind, a hive mind does not support the individualism required to generate creativity. Therefore, if vortigaunts are capable of artistic thought, there cannot be a hive mind.

What is this vortessence then? As 99.vikram theorises, long term memory in vortigaunts becomes redundant once the vortessence is used for long term memory storage and recall. I understand the vortigaunts refer to the vortessence as "vortal cords" through which everything is woven, i.e. memories, knowledge, culture, etc. Does this refer to the vortessence as some kind of dimensional trait or if I can be so crude, the HL equivalent of "the force"?

Time for a cup of tea, methinks.

 

[Mesz]

"hive mind"

Just like teh tyranids =D

I think the Votessence is like a internetworked database of memories from all the other Vortigaunts everywhere. And when they need to remember something they can just pull it out of the Vortessence as simple as that instead of trying really hard to remember something

 

[ríomhaire]

The Vortigaunts most certainly aren't hive-minded, they metion both a greatest poet and philosipher IIRC. But they can defenatly share information telepathicaly and possible have a group mind. Also, they don't see the vortessence as purly a Vortigaunt thing
"We are a tapestry woven vortessense, it is the same for you, if only you would see it"
Perhaps it is (or rather they see it as) the minds (or, the much more clichéed "life force") of everything connected somehow (but not all can access it).

 

[99.vikram]

My belief is that the Vortessence is a kind of Internet - they can communicate through it, store and retrieve thoughts, and of course
watch hawt vortigaunt pron. :naughty:

They may not have individual memories, but each vortigaunt can think for him/herself. That's why they can have poets.

 

[hari66]

watch hawt vortigaunt pron.

there are female vortigaunts?

 

[Atomic_Piggy]

female vortigaunts?

Euuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaa!:x :x :x :x :x

 

[586FAC75]

My belief is that the Vortessence is a kind of Internet

That's probably the simple metaphor I can agree with. I dare say that it's beyond human comprehension what exactly the vortessence is or where it exists.