Everyone is Aes Sedai!

[Maverick3n1]

I have another theory.  When Nynaeve discovered a "broken link" in Logain and "healed" it, restoring his power, it made me ponder another concept.  What if EVERYONE has the ability to channel locked within themselves and merely needs that "broken link" mended.  In Logain, he was born with that link already made, but what's to say Nynaeve couldn't find a normal every day person and delve that person and find the same link that merely needs to be connected?  After all, Saidin and Saidar are both a form of living energy that is in everything.  Could it truly be in everyone in the form of a channeler when "healed" properly?

[Svevin]

Nynaeve has Delved all kinds of non-Channelers and never sensed anything.  Channeling is linked to Souls: you either have it or you don't.  RJ has been asked whether someone could attain the One Power through meditation and enlightenment, and the answer was "no".  Someone else may have that quote, I don't have it on hand.  So, unless Nynaeve could channel someone up a new soul (ick), then no, I don't think that's a possibility.

[mb]

Channeling seems to also have a genetic factor.

At least some channelers in this series had a biological relative that could channel.

-Elayne & Morgase

-Elayne & Moiraine

-Asmodean and his mother

[Gambler Wolfbrother]

Yeah, not everyone is an Aes Sedai. We know this because Moraine's blue focus stone doesn't work for everyone. Also, remember, if you can channel but you don't train, you get really sick and eventually die from some bloody channeler stuff. (Reread Eye of the World, it's in there.)

[Blasph]

There is also a mention in one of the books that dwindling numbers of female channelers found for the White Tower might be a result of 3000 years of hunting down and gentling men that could channel.

It is an argument between Red Ajah and some other Ajah.

Since those men usually discover they can channel at an early age and don't last long after being gentled losing the will to live, it's fair to assume they don't pass their genetic material on.

This would explain why the White Tower was more than half empty at the time of EotW.

Male channelers are still out there though not as many as before and this shows in overall smaller number of channelers for both genders at the time of the books.

[udbabor520]

There is also a mention in one of the books that dwindling numbers of female channelers found for the White Tower might be a result of 3000 years of hunting down and gentling men that could channel. It is an argument between Red Ajah and some other Ajah.

 

No, they are just getting lazy.

[mb]

The Red Ajah (and other Aes Sedia) were hunting only sparkers.

The chances for passing the gene when mating I guess would be equal for both learners and sparkers; and probably also for both genders.

 

roughly mid-series (do not remember which book), a lot of channelers were found by the rebel Aes Sedia.  They were in Murandy at that time.