Turning to the Shadow

A person who is able to Channel can be forcibly turned to the Shadow against his or her will. It is a complex weave, requiring thirteen Aes Sedai to weave the flows through thirteen Myrddraal and to the Aes Sedai's knowledge has not been done since the Trolloc Wars (TDR, Ch. 22. After they are captured, Liandrin tells Nynaeve, Elayne and Egwene that Be'lal is sending for thirteen Myrddraal (TDR, Ch. 51). A person who is turned this way does not act as though they are under a state of compulsion. Instead, their darker elements are elevated and their more positive altruistic elements suppressed. It is unlikely that any such person could find a way back to the Light, partially because with their new personality, they would have no desire to do so (Robert Jordan Question of the Week, Week 15