Spark: Somatic Shielding — The Political Value of Relief

The true source of Rasputin's power was not his political ideas, but his Somatic Shielding.

• The Hemophilia Variable: Every time the Tsarevich bled, the Empress entered a state of terminal somatic panic. Rasputin's ability to "stop the bleeding" (likely through hypnosis and calming the mother) was a biological service that the state could not provide.
• The Shield: Because he provided this relief, the Empress viewed any attack on Rasputin as an attack on her son's life.
• Insight: In systems governed by individuals (monarchy), a single biological trauma (hemophilia) can override all rational political imperatives.

Handshake: Hemophilia as Political Infrastructure