There a development of the theory, which is that it's circular: as civilisations develop even further, they return to the "Come" mode.
This is normally when they've gotten to the mystic robes-and-no-apparent-technology stage of development, at which the cutting-edge transpondulator will be examined in an amused way, with maybe a comment on how quaint it is to see mere matter and non-psychic energy being used. So it may just be a manifestation of that.
On the other hand it tends to be said in a more condescending way, as parent to idiot child, so perhaps the development is that - as with the wafty robes - what *appears* to be primitive and unsophisticated is in fact developed way beyond our comprehension.
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This is normally when they've gotten to the mystic robes-and-no-apparent-technology stage of development, at which the cutting-edge transpondulator will be examined in an amused way, with maybe a comment on how quaint it is to see mere matter and non-psychic energy being used. So it may just be a manifestation of that.
On the other hand it tends to be said in a more condescending way, as parent to idiot child, so perhaps the development is that - as with the wafty robes - what *appears* to be primitive and unsophisticated is in fact developed way beyond our comprehension.