5 minutes ago, Asha'man Shar'aman said:

Hmm. Well, someone named @Saidins_taint just joined, so maybe they will see the BT Discord, and get interested?

 

I am glad you are having a great time! 

 

I knew it! Experiments with saidin rock!

Haha, thanks! I might be interested,  I'm always down for a good time. 

It is said that Ishmael was closer to the surface than any other Forsaken multiple times in the first 5 Books, and that is how he was able to reach out and influence the world, and even appear to some extent, especially as the seals began to weaken/break thus freeing him before any of the others and Aginor and Be'lal were free at the end of EoTW, so it has nothing to do with Brandan, though the dreamshard thing may be his idea or not, but the fact that Ishy was free-Ish is pure RJ, right in the books themselves. 

On your next read through pay attention to the parts from the other Forsakens' perspective, and what Moraine says about him. 

The Forsaken specifically talk about it in one of the meetings they have, and I think Mesaana thinks about it and I believe they talk about it one of the times that Perrin is spying on them with (not certain of that last one).