As for the pillar, according to Surgeon's notes the first time someone was taken by it was 650 years after the first people arrived here below the surface. It was referred to as- [Pauses to try and remember the exact wording.] -"the imbalance of the cycle of reuse of energy and 'plugging' of the souls of the planet." It seems to happen most frequently to individuals who are idle or despondent.
The process, as Surgeon described it, is met at first with violent opposition. The further the victim is drawn in, the less they fight, until they surrender entirely. After, the body remains below the surface, but the soul is pulled further downward into the earth, where it remains in a state of pseudo-death.