The grotesque contradicts what is natural and “correct” with unnaturalness and blends elements that do not fit together (Perttula 2011, 35). This makes such occurrences distasteful to the reader. In the Warhammer 40,000 universe, we are dealing with issues of technological advancement and bioethics, which cause wariness, disgust, revulsion and a fear of maltreatment of others. This presentation will explore the concept of the monsters of the mind in Horus Rising: The seeds of heresy are sown. The text contains numerous, challenging moral dilemmas that challenge our own perception of what is right and wrong, by disrupting our logical thinking and forcing us to accept viewpoints and concepts that clash with our own rationality. It is imperative that we evaluate our own perception of technology, ethics and morality, as these are becoming evermore intertwined. We must ask ourselves to what extent are we willing to encroach on our humanity in favour of technological advancement? Is it acceptable to impose technology and empirical doctrine on those not willing to accept them? If we do not come up with definitive answers to these questions, our humanity may succumb to the monsters of our minds.

1. The Monsters of The Mind in Horus
Rising:
The seeds of heresy are sown
Pinni B4113
Wednesday, 4th of May 2016

2. Presentation structure
1. The Grotesque
2. Grotesque Incongruence and Disharmony
3. Cognitive Dissonance
4. References
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3. The Grotesque
In Horus Rising, there are passages which fit Bakhtin’s concept of the
“carnivalistic grotesque”.
The twisted old equerry [similar to an aide-de-camp], Maloghurst, has
a distinctive, grotesque physical appearance. “[h]is back bulged with a
kyphotic misalignment” and “waddings of synthetic skin-gel covered
gashes upon his throat and the left side of his head” (Abnett 2006,
122).
“Maloghurst’s talents for intrigue and intelligence ideally served him in
that role, and had long since earned him the title ‘twisted’” (Abnett
2006, 121).
“My body is broken, but my mind is not. I would take offence if the
name was to be dropped out of politeness” (Abnett 2006, 125).
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4. Grotesque Incongruence and
Disharmony
In general, people fear advanced technology, such as
cyborgs and robots. The notion of genetic enhancement is
a sensitive topic in current politics and such a concept
does not appeal to most people. The basis of this fear lies
in the concept of grotesque incongruence.
Grotesque incongruence entails the blending of elements
that do not normally belong together, the dismantling of
elements that are supposed to be inseparable from each
other or even just excess of any sort.
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5. Grotesque Incongruence and
Disharmony
“The man, if it were a man, lurked at the rail of
the strategium deck, gazing out across the
chasm of the bridge. He was a machine, it
seemed, much more a machine than a man.
Vague relics of flesh and muscle remained in the
skeletal fabric of his mechanical body, a
fabulously wrought armature of gold and steel”
(Abnett 2006, 114).
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6. Grotesque Incongruence and
Disharmony
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7. Grotesque Incongruence and
Disharmony
"There is no truth in flesh, only betrayal.“
"There is no strength in flesh, only weakness.“
"There is no constancy in flesh, only decay.“
"There is no certainty in flesh but death.“
— Credo Omnissiah
Do you think that technology will eventually be
valued more than humanity?
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8. Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive dissonance is the mental stress or discomfort experienced by
an individual who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or
values at the same time, or is confronted by new information that
conflicts with existing beliefs, ideas, or values.
(http://www.exrx.net/Psychology/Dissonance.html)
“Superstition. We know this world has temples and fanes. They [the
enemy] are dark-age in their beliefs. Bringing light to that ignorance is
part of why we’re here” (Abnett 2006, 155).
“An Astartes draws his weapon and kills his own, whilst claiming to be
a daemon from hell? Rationalise that, sir” (Abnett 2006, 187).
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9. Cognitive Dissonance
People engage in a process called dissonance reduction to bring their cognitions and actions in line with
one another. Dissonance reduction can be achieved in four ways. In an example case could be a
situation where someone has decided that he will avoid eating sweets, but has found himself eating a
dessert. The four methods of reduction would be:
1. Change behaviour or cognition
− "I will not eat any more of this dessert"
2. Justify behaviour or cognition by changing the conflicting cognition
− "I'm allowed to cheat every once in a while"
3. Justify behaviour or cognition by adding new cognitions
− "I'll spend 30 extra minutes at the gym to work this off"
4. Ignore or deny any information that conflicts with existing beliefs
− "This dessert does not contain that much sugar"
How should Loken minimise his cognitive dissonance?
In this particular example, Loken changes his cognition by asking his mentor the following question. “I’m
going to ask you this once. Are spirits real?” (Abnett 2006, 187).
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10. Cognitive Dissonance
Despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Loken's mentor is not convinced of the existence of
daemons and refutes the information that conflicts with his beliefs.
“’These marks,’ said Sindermann. ‘These vile signs of wasting. Could they be the traces of disease or
infection?’” (Abnett 2006, 187).
Loken’s mentor, Sindermann, does not attempt to reduce dissonance and instead attempts to restore
consonance. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Misperception
2. Rejection or refutation of the information
3. Seeking support from others who share the beliefs
4. Attempting to persuade others
In what ways does Sindermann attempt to restore consonance?
Sindermann refuses to accept the existence of daemons, point 2 on the slide and instead attempts to persuade
Loken that there is a rational explanation for the deaths, point 4.
This technique of coming to conclusions that are consistent to one’s belief system is an example of
Confirmation Bias. This type of cognitive bias is stronger for deeply rooted or emotionally charged issues.
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11. References
Abnett, Dan. 2006 Horus Rising: the seeds of Heresy are sown. Nottingham: Black Library.
“ExRx.net”. http://www.exrx.net/Psychology/Dissonance.html [Accessed 3 May 2016]
Haraway, Donna. 1991. “A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth
Century,” in Simians, Cyborgs and Women: The Reinvention of Nature. [Internet] New York: Routledge, pp.149–
181. Available from http://www.egs.edu/faculty/donna-haraway/articles/donna-haraway-a-cyborg-manifesto/
[Accessed 28 September 2015]
McNally, David. 2014. DARPA's Warrior Web project may provide super-human enhancements. [Internet]
RDECOM Public Affairs. Available from
http://www.army.mil/article/125315/DARPA_s_Warrior_Web_project_may_provide_super_human_enhancem
ents [Accessed 28 September 2015]
Perttula, Irma. 2011. “The Grotesque: Concept and Characteristics”. In The Grotesque and the Unnatural. Eds.
Markku Salmela and Jarkko Toikkanen. Amherst, New York: Cambria Press.
“Simply Psychology”. http://www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive-dissonance.html [Accessed 3 May 2016]
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