Until recently, I've been clinging strongly to my theory that Lanfear was burnt out when Mo pushed her through the 'Finn doorway, and that, after she freed herself from being held by the 'Finn (or was rescued), she returned to SG where the DO transmigrated her into a new body (even though she was still alive) in order to restore her abililty to channel (because I don't think being burnt out can be Healed).

However, there are some recent BS Q&As that pretty much disprove this theory.

Q: So, considering Jordan's statement about stilling and burning out not affecting the channeling ability of the new life of a soul, is it the same for the new life of a soul transmigrated?

A: I’m going to say that transmigrated...if you were burned out and transmigrated you would still be burned out, is my guess.

Q: Is that a MAFO [ask Maria and Find Out] question? Or...

A: That is my guess, and you can MAFO it if you want to send it to me, but that is a “I’m pretty sure” answer.

In the same sequence of Q&A above, BS also said:

Q: So, we will understand then in the next book why [re Cyndane] there is a decrease in Power but not a significant decrease?

A: Yes.

So, from this last quote, we can see that BS knows exactly why Cyndane is weaker in the OP than when she was Lanfear. And if he knows that, he knows exactly how/why Lanfear got the Cyndane body in the first place (BS didn't actually state outright that Cyndane=Lanfear, but as far as I'm concerned that's not an arguable point).

Yet, from the first quote, he's mostly sure that if you are burned out and then transmigrated, you will still be burned out in the new body. Even if he's wrong, it's clear that my burned out / transmigration theory re Lanfear/Cyndane is wrong - otherwise, BS would be 100% sure (one way or the other) on the issue.

Anyway ... if he's right on the burned out / transmigration issue, that surprises me. Because, when Aginor died, he drew on enough OP (from the Eye) to kill himself. And, you'd think he'd have been burned out simultaneously - it's hard to imagine that he could draw enough OP to kill himself without also burning out. Yet, when he was transmigrated, he wasn't burned out. *shrugs*

Also ... in the same set of Q&A, BS said that he originally thought that Cyndane was very weak (because he thought she should be), but that Maria showed him some RJ notes that explained otherwise. He also said that Cyndane's current strength in the OP is her actual strength - i.e that her strength is not being manipulated by outside forces. So, that disproves the theory that Cyndane is weaker than Lanfear because the DO is shielding part of her strength (which I'm glad to see disproven - I've always thought that was highly unlikely).

What's interesting here is the BS originally thought Cyndane should be very weak. The only thing I can think of that would make him think that is because her ability to channel has been Healed (by a woman), and he was likening her reduction in strength to what happened to Siuan and Leane. What other reason would BS have for thinking Cyndane should be very weak?

If my reasoning above is correct, then we can use that as evidence that Cyndane has had her ability to channel Healed by a woman (meaning she was either Stilled, or perhaps burned out, at some point), and that BS was simply wrong (originally) about what her resulting strength should be (until Maria clarified the issue for him). Yet, BS wasn't 100% sure about the burned out / transmigration issue. It's very puzzling.

If I'm right that BS's answers to these questions mean that Cyndane's ability to channel has been Healed, then the only scenario I can think of that allows for that AND explains why she has a new body is the following:

1. Lanfear was Stilled, not Burned Out, when Mo tackled her through the doorway.

2. She later died, after being held by the 'Finn for awhile.

3. The DO transmigrated her into the Cyndane body, but she remained Stilled.

4. She was then Healed by a woman, to her current strength (i.e. less than Lanfear, but greater than Graendal).

So, BS was only mostly certain, but not 100% certain, about the Burned Out / Transmigration issue because Lanfear was Stilled, not Burned Out, and he wasn't 100% sure that the two situations were identical in terms of the Transmigration issue.

Thoughts?