preMEDitated

The word was on the tip of my tongue, but it was stuck there –for almost a week!
My quest started last Saturday night when during a community bible study group, I joined in a conversation regarding the concept of “messiah” in books.
Our neighbor said that the Wheel of Time concept of “messiah” was different from that of the Bible. Rand al’ Thor was just the same as his opponent, the Dark Lord. Rand did not embody the virtues of Christ.
In an effort to defend the series, I presented Egwene*. She literally became a Servant of All, even to her enemies. She kept getting punished even though she broke no law. In effect, she embodied the virtues of Christ.
Someone else mentioned the Dune concept of messiah. Our neighbor said it was just the same as that of the Wheel of Time.

That effectively concluded the conversation, but it was not the end for me. I could not remember the Bene Gessrit word for their “messiah”. I knew the word meant, “One who could be many places”, but for the life of me I could not make out its translation. It felt shameful. I have read Dune countless of times, but that one word evaded me.
The word Muad’dib kept creeping to my mind. I had to tell myself over and over that it’s not the one. Muad’dib meant desert mouse.
Then I challenged myself to remember that word without searching the Internet or scanning the glossary of terms in Dune. The hint of the word kept creeping up for the next few days but I still could not recall it in full. A few days later, while staring at the cover of Dune a thought began to take shape in my mind. A few seconds later, I remembered the term Lisan al’gaib.
It sounded right, but it felt a bit wrong. I quickly looked at the book glossary and realized my mistake. Lisan al’gaib meant “The Voice from Another World”. It was a Dune term for their messiah, but it was not the Bene Gessrit term. It was a Fremen term.
I kept staring at my Dune collection. I felt the inner workings of my mind reorient itself. It was as if a fog was about to be lifted to reveal a secret. I could make out some details of the word but it was not yet enough. Then I voiced out words that sounded like the Dune messiah.
Hararazak?
Kwaszarark?
Then something clicked in my mind. It felt as if the clouds were finally lifted. The term was finally revealed. It was as clear to me as if I had always known it.
Kwisatz Haderach.
Those were two words. No wonder I had a hard time trying to recall it. I was stuck with trying to find one word, when what I was actually looking for was two words.
Nevertheless, the experience made me realize something. It was not that I finally remembered Kwisatz Haderach. It was the strange but welcome feeling in my mind when it seemed that puzzle pieces seeming to reorient themselves to form one giant picture.
Has my mentat potential finally awakened?!

*Yeah. I’m one big fan of hers.