Imaginary Space

Imaginary Space as depicted in Xeno Card.

Imaginary Space, also referred to as the Imaginary Number Domain or the Imaginary Realm, is the "spiritual" or "metaphysical" half of the Lower Domain where the Xenosaga series takes place. It is the temporal axis where the Gnosis exist.

Description

Imaginary Space is a layer of reality that exists in tandem with the physical world, Real Space. Any object or life form that exists in Real Space has an equivalent existence in Imaginary Space. For example, a person's living body that exists in Real Space gives individuality to their consciousness existing in Imaginary Space. When that person's body dies, their consciousness is no longer tethered to Real Space, so it returns to the ever present Collective Unconscious.

While Imaginary Space cannot be ordinarily perceived by a Real Space existence, it is often visualized in the event of a person's physical death when their consciousness is pulled towards the Collective Unconscious. For example, Shion Uzuki's visualization of the Beach of Nothingness is her perception of Imaginary Space. This image varies depending on the personal background and experiences of the person who perceives it.

Gnosis

Main article: Gnosis

The word "Gnosis" refers to all forms of existence in Imaginary Space. When a person attempts to escape or reject the fear instilled on them by Imaginary Space, they become Gnosis. Certain anti-Gnosis technologies like D.S.S.S. and the Hilbert Effect take advantage of the boundary between Real Space and Imaginary Space as ways to harm the Gnosis.

Testament

Main article: Testament

Testaments are purely Imaginary Space existences, i.e., consciousnesses who have had their individuality retained by Wilhelm. As such, they can manipulate Real Space at will through their control of Imaginary Space. The very appearance of their physical bodies in real space is but an illusion they instilled onto the consciousnesses of those they wish to perceive them.

Lore

• Abel's Ark is U-DO's observation terminal for Imaginary Space.
• Due to a rare, congenital condition, Shion Uzuki is able to visually perceive Imaginary Space. Because of this, she is seen wearing special holo-glasses in Episode I, given to her by her late boyfriend, Kevin Winnicot. These special glasses make it easier for Shion to see by sending geographical information of Real Space from the U.M.N. to her visual cortex.

Database

Episode III

Imaginary Space

The temporal axis where the Gnosis exist.

There is a theory that the space we live in is composed of two realities (and nothingness): normal space, which we are actually able to perceive, and imaginary space, which proceeds along an imaginary temporal axis we cannot perceive.

The concept of imaginary time itself is a theory devised by Hawking to explain the birth of the universe without the use of singularities--without relying on the existence of God. With it, one can picture a universe without any "beginning" (the Big Bang singularity) or "end" (the Big Crunch singularity), but instead simply composed of a multi-dimensional hyperspherical surface.

In this story, the Gnosis exist along this imaginary temporal axis and intervene in normal space.

Xenosaga I & II

虚数領域

我々の宇宙は、実際に知覚出来る実数宇宙と、知覚することの出来ない虚数の時間軸を流れる虚数宇宙の、二つの実相（及びゼロ）によって構成されているという論がある。
虚時間の概念そのものは、ホーキングが特異点──つまりは神の存在──を使用することなく、宇宙を誕生させる為に考案した理論であり、これを使えば、宇宙には『始まり（ビックバン特異点）』も『終わり（ビッククランチ特異点）』もなく、ただ多次元的超球面によって構成されているとすることが出来る。

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Gallery

This page or section could use some images. The editor who added this tag elaborates: Needs original Japanese scans of charts from the XS3 Perfect Guide