Post by jameson on Nov 5, 2006 6:59:45 GMT -6
I wonder what your reaction was to this story.I read that not many of the Lovecraft fans liked it.
Despite the fact that it was not directly connected to the Cthulhu mythos I find it was one of the greatest works of the Dreamland series and a fine apex.It follows a man named Randolph Carter who uses the silver key that he may enter his world of dreams.
The high poin is when he goes into the first gate and encounters Umr-At Tawil and then Yog-Sothoth.What ensues during this part of the story is the climax which I find potrays a fine blend of Eastern philosophies with some degree of modern occultism.This point also reminds me of what occurs when one reaches a very very deep altered state and undergoes dissociation from one's ego except slowed down considerably.
It was around this area of the story I too hit an altered state and recieved many interesting ideas to adopt for myself and personal paradigm.Of all the cosmic horrors I related most to the descriptions of the transition Carter undergoes.Loss of self is a frightening things,moreso than anything else that may occur to the self.I also found some of his views on reality at this point dead on.
He presents a view of reality which is an illusion an further views each dimension as a reflection of a higher one.The idea of multiplicity was well present here as we find Randolph in a dissociated state observing many multiple selves at once and suffering under the strain.Change was the result of shifting perspective bringing fourth the illusion of time.And the Randolph that was was not a Randolph from a specific point in time but a collective of all which defied time.The nature of Yog Sothoth is also presented in this story.The idea of The irony at the end is also quite enjoyable.
Nonetheless I believe this silver key of the story to be a metaphor to perhaps something much more deeper.I found this writing awakened a burst of inspiration within me and echoed quite well some of the extremely rare experiences some of us undergo sometimes at random intervals between the world of sleep and waking.When it did happen personally I found no way to explain it which is why I felt an instantaneous connection to the story.It gave me one possible viewpoint in which to analyze my strange experiences throughout life,however most of Lovecraft's stories do.
It reminds me alot of the idea of awakening except at a faster interval.Much like the idea of awakening it brings to light knowledge of the true self and potrays to some degree a character in a dissociated view of himself.I can now to some degree understand Venger Satanis' reason for utilizing a fusion of the fourth way with the Cthulhu mythos.
Despite the fact that it was not directly connected to the Cthulhu mythos I find it was one of the greatest works of the Dreamland series and a fine apex.It follows a man named Randolph Carter who uses the silver key that he may enter his world of dreams.
The high poin is when he goes into the first gate and encounters Umr-At Tawil and then Yog-Sothoth.What ensues during this part of the story is the climax which I find potrays a fine blend of Eastern philosophies with some degree of modern occultism.This point also reminds me of what occurs when one reaches a very very deep altered state and undergoes dissociation from one's ego except slowed down considerably.
It was around this area of the story I too hit an altered state and recieved many interesting ideas to adopt for myself and personal paradigm.Of all the cosmic horrors I related most to the descriptions of the transition Carter undergoes.Loss of self is a frightening things,moreso than anything else that may occur to the self.I also found some of his views on reality at this point dead on.
He presents a view of reality which is an illusion an further views each dimension as a reflection of a higher one.The idea of multiplicity was well present here as we find Randolph in a dissociated state observing many multiple selves at once and suffering under the strain.Change was the result of shifting perspective bringing fourth the illusion of time.And the Randolph that was was not a Randolph from a specific point in time but a collective of all which defied time.The nature of Yog Sothoth is also presented in this story.The idea of The irony at the end is also quite enjoyable.
Nonetheless I believe this silver key of the story to be a metaphor to perhaps something much more deeper.I found this writing awakened a burst of inspiration within me and echoed quite well some of the extremely rare experiences some of us undergo sometimes at random intervals between the world of sleep and waking.When it did happen personally I found no way to explain it which is why I felt an instantaneous connection to the story.It gave me one possible viewpoint in which to analyze my strange experiences throughout life,however most of Lovecraft's stories do.
It reminds me alot of the idea of awakening except at a faster interval.Much like the idea of awakening it brings to light knowledge of the true self and potrays to some degree a character in a dissociated view of himself.I can now to some degree understand Venger Satanis' reason for utilizing a fusion of the fourth way with the Cthulhu mythos.