So, as far as i know, using Heart of Lorkhan will result in seeing some kind of ultimate truth: it may result in CHIM, like it did with Vivec, but perhaps it may also result in Zero Sum? That way it would only be logical for Dwemer to dissapear. :shrug:

Tapping the Heart in the manner of the Tribunal has nothing to do with CHIM, Zero Sum or any ultimate truth, they just harnessed a bunch of power from it to make themselves 'gods'. Just using the Heart in and of itself does not result in anything but power, however, the Dwemer where trying to achieve something with the same ends as CHIM and achieved it somewhat; also, tapping the Heart isn't what got Vivec CHIM, he did that on his own...

yes, during the battle of the Red Mountain, when Kagrenak used the tools. I don't really think it is a coincidence. There are no coincidences in Mundus.

But it's not CHIM, exactly. Check out Vehk's Teachings to learn what CHIM is.

i'm not saying that Dwemer achieved CHIM or that Lorkhan's heart gives its user CHIM exclusively. What i mean is perhaps the Heart gives its user some understanding of the world, knowledge. And in TES knowledge is literally power. The way a person interprets this knowledge defines what he/she will achieve - CHIM, Zero Sum, simple Godhood, or whatever. Dwemer were sceptics, they did not believe that the world was real, so they achieved Zero Sum and dissapeared.

I'm not too sure they achieve Zero SUM, necessarily; they moreso...DIVIDED by 0, which is a statement I get and don't get at the same time. Their souls "became" the Numidium and their bodies got flayed into Oblivion. Of course you're correct about them believing existence is illusion, but they just didn't achieve conventional Zero Sum.