Summary

• The Water of Life is deadly to men and some women, requiring Bene Gesserit training to survive its effects.
• Only through extensive training in prana and Bindu can an individual neutralize the lethal effects of The Water of Life.
• Paul's Bene Gesserit training allowed him to become the first male to survive The Water of Life, completing his transformation into the Kwisatz Haderach.

This article contains spoilers for Dune: Part Two.In ending of Dune: Part One, and shows Paul and his mother, Lady Jessica, traveling with the Fremen people. Stilgar, the leader of the Fremen community, Sietch Tabr, believes that Paul and Jessica are the prophesied "Outer World" mother and son destined to bring prosperity to Arrakis. Stilgar urges Jessica to assume the role of the new Reverend Mother in their community, as their current one is dying.

Jessica taking on this role also helps to solidify the prophecy of the Fremen messiah being born of a Bene Gesserit. The process of becoming a Reverend Mother involves a ritual known as spice agony, where a Bene Gesserit drinks the bile of a young sandworm. This blue bile is known as The Water of Life. Ordinarily, men who ingest The Water of Life die from its lethal effects, but in Dune: Part Two, Paul manages to survive the poison.

At the time of writing this article, Dune: Part One is available to watch on Hulu and Max.

The Water Of Life Is Deadly To Men (& Even Some Women)

Bene Gesserit's Can Survive The Poison

The Water of Life is deadly to men and some women because the drinker must be trained in the Bene Gesserit ways to survive. Bene Gesserits must overcome the effects of the poison during the spice agony ceremony to unlock her genetic memory. This allows them to see the memories of their ancestors that are hidden in their genetic code. The bile is only ingested by a Sister with many years of experience with prana (nerve) and Bindu (muscle) body control. These skills enable them to neutralize the lethal effects of the poison by altering their metabolism and slowing their heart rate.

Dune's Bene Gesserits have powers that allow them to control every cell in their body, which gives them the ability to determine the sex of their offspring. They chose to produce only females to maintain control of the Bene Gesserit order and continue on their mission of producing the Kwisatz Haderach. Since Bene Gesserits only produces females, males cannot overcome the toxins from The Water of Life. Additionally, whether male or female, without control over one's prana and Bindu, The Water of Life is completely fatal.

Paul's Bene Gesserit Training Allowed Him To Survive The Water Of Life

He Then Becomes The Kwisatz Haderach

Jessica trained Paul in the Bene Gesserit way, which is the reason he can overcome the effects of The Water of Life. Paul is a product of the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood's Breading Program, where the Sisterhood manipulated bloodlines for over 10,000 years to produce the prophesied Kwisatz Haderach in Dune. The Kwisatz Haderach would be the first male Bene Gesserit, who would possess ancestral memories of both males and females, as well as have the power to see into the future.

Jessica was meant to have an Atreides daughter, who would be trained in the Bene Gesserit ways. Her daughter would breed with a Harkonnen heir to bring about the Kwisatz Haderach. However, in defying them, she brought Paul into the world and trained him in the Bene Gesserit ways, including prana and Bindu control. Despite his extensive training, a single drop of bile causes him to fall into a three-week coma. Nonetheless, his Bene Gesserit training allowed him to become the first male to survive The Water of Life. This completes Paul's transformation into the Kwisatz Haderach in Dune: Part Two.