The short path or the long path?

Me and a friend of mine were at a place called the “bowl”, we didn’t have anything to do so we decided to make our way to the dream factory. I pointed to a poster of six characters that had the tangeline “your mind is the scene of the crime”. However, he told me he had already seen it and exclaimed “it’s a really cool movie”. We didn’t see it at that moment but I asked if it was esoteric he replied “there’s certainly a deeper meaning there” – well along those lines. He however still likes Lennon even though I try to explain the socialist nonsense he sings. The poster read Inception and he was right about it being esoteric.

So what’s this movie about and what kind of message is it teaching? Well at the start of the movie you see a temple for a multitude of the symbolism is given at the beginning. According to Eliade this represents the center where the a break of space occurs and the revelation of the sacred for temples are replicas of cosmic mountains and hence constitute the pre-eminent “link” between earth and heaven. However for the alchemist, freemason, and such this represents and most know they believe as an office that exists within – the “Christ” within – on the path to zombiehood (delusional state of godhood). The water symbolizes Dom (Dominicus derived from dominus “lord”) being reborn, but this isn’t Christian since they don’t believe in Christ incarnate as God. The checkered floor is self-explanatory.

During the scene with tree paintings when Cobb is trying to extract the secret (elixir) from Saito (the waterstone of the wise) but he fails because hasn’t been illumined yet and is probably what Fulcanelli mentioned about “the work of the poor” in his tome. Saito offers to perfect Cobb’s soul (cover up and erase crimes) if he can achieve inception which is later repeated upon the wallet (bailout). Possibly an allusion to the “occupy” movement.

Movie Quote:

“The seed that we plant in this man’s mind will grow in to an idea. This idea will define him”

There is this resounding theme of the movie the premise of planting ideas a la brainwashing and indoctrination or planting of memes (contagious ideas). The alchemists talk of “an idea resilient highly contagious. Once an idea is taken hold of in the brain it is almost impossible to eradicate.” These memes can also masquerade as counterculture alternatives that emanate from the establishment itself (exp. Anti-Socialim posters symbolized as the The Dark Knight’s Joker and free your mind from the Matrix or imbibing the sense that “resistance is futile”). In truth their power is only an illusion.

Let us refer to “A Monument to the end of Time” for further insight of the nature of the meme, the subject of human alchemy and the concoction of the human zombie of both profane and initiated.

So how can one incubate and gestate such an experience? (gnosis) The answer may lie in the word “transmitted.” Modern sociologists have begun to discuss the concept of “memes” or complex idea groups — such as Monotheism or democracy –  that appear to have the ability to replicate themselves.

It helps to think of the secret at the core of alchemy as a very special and sophisticated variety of meme. Like a spore or a seed, the meme has a protective shell that is also attractive to appropriate hosts. In the case of the alchemy meme, that shell is seductive allure of transmutation the transformation of base metal into gold. However, even if one absorbs the outer shell of the alchemy meme, there is no guarantee that the inner will blossom and the meme to become active. For that to happen, a series of shocks or initiations are required.

The source for this secret would seem to be the Rosicrucian movements that swirled around Europe since the early 17th century. The Rosicrucians had become, by the late 19th century, the prototypical secret society for incubation the alchemical meme.

Near the opening scenes the audience is presented with a rioting subconscious (the unruly mob) that is the alchemists say  “the subconscious is motivated by emotion, right? Not reason.” When Satio realizes he’s been deceived he says “I’ve always hated this carpet. It’s stained and frayed in such distinctive ways.  But very definitely made of wool” a reference to those who are ruled by passion. This maniacal symbolism is continued throughout the film and specifically when Ariadne asks Cobb as he snipes them off one by one a sort of sinister enjoyment “Are you destroying parts of his mind?” In reply he says “No. They’re just projections.” which is sort of true. This though appears to a  sort of hate speech teaching the subconscious to hate the subconscious for the one hand they propagate these ideas yet they are ones dumbing them down via the education system sort of hypocritical. The obvious reason for that is the group mind will more susceptible to the ritual. You see the magic is in the art appears that the art itself is the ritual (the fundamental procedure of brainwashing).

Here Ariadne is walking the path a passage from the profane to the sacred. Eliade says the narrow gate suggests the idea of a dangerous passage and which, for this reason, frequently occur in initiatory and funerary rituals and mythologies.

They meet yusuf (phonetically joseph) a chemist (another reference to alchemy) who drugs the patients with his powerful compound and probably an allusion to the multi-billion drug ring by the CIA to fund the Great Work.

During the group therapy session on the group mind  they scheme on how to break up the Fischer Morrow energy conglomerate (the State, the Constitution – the milieu America is portrayed as) they are talking about what Fischer should do “I will split up my father’s empire” which likely means the Forefather’s Republic. Eames (the forger who infiltrates Fischer Morrow) says “We need to shift his animosity from his father to his godfather.” Where the godfather (God) is exposed and positive relationship is shifted to the father (intellect). Here the alchemists are performing religious conversion and are attacking the source for they are “Creator endowed rights”. A regular form of alchemy employed in Hollywood is to turn Jesus into a swear word.

If you notice and it’s not too hard when they mention three layers the notion of three scenes should pop to mind which is especially emphasized when Satio steps in and says “six”. For the 666 or three scenes (layers)  in six acts (actors) is the number of the initiated man, the man of delusional reason, who can be construed as the devil for the devil as Cooper mentioned likely lies in the minds of man for without man there would just be the laws of nature. Also referencing what Nolan has to say about the levels “It’s raining in level one, it’s a night-interior in level two, and it’s an exterior with snow in level three.” Hence the environments are changing and the audience is being initiated (immersion, death, rebirth).

When the architects are ambushed they refer to how the subconscious (common man) is militarized. If Fischer represents the State then these represent the Militia or the last line of defense against most abject and degrading serfdom. This is taught to millions of movie-goers a character assassination, character molding chiseled onto their minds and a cheering for the priests their worst betrayers.

Fischer’s had an extractor teach his subconscious to defend itself, so his subconscious is militarized.

Now going to master alchemist Fulcanelli let us see what he has to say about these mazes and the process it alludes to in his “The dwellings of the philosophers”:

The geometric figure which we encounter here frequently ornamented the frontispieces of medieval alchemical manuscripts. It was commonly called Solomon’s Labyrinth, and we mentioned elsewhere that it was reproduced on the stone floors of our great Gothic cathedrals. This figure bears as a motto: .FATA.VIAM.INVENIENT.
The fates will well find their way.

Thus it appears the maze is a journey of fate?

Whatever their shape, whatever the complexity of their layout, the labyrinths are eloquent symbols of the Great Work, considered with regard to its material realization.

If you notice when Cobb inquiries on the status of the maze (the Great Work) like how in the Dark Night the Joker says “it’s all part of the plan”. When Ariadne (the dreamer) and she possibly symbolizes those who practice true freemasonry or who really understand the nature of their institution not those who promote the eye and think they will somehow get famous or rich for they are promoting their own enslavement (communism) where a cosy labor camp is waiting.  As Ariadne asks Cobb to the specifics he states:

“No, no, no. Don’t show me specifics. Only the dreamer should know the layout.”
“Why is that so important?”
“In case one of us brings in our projections.”

Here projections appears to symbolize passions and to say to the other masons it’s okay to keep us in the dark. Well that’s just stupid. This also appears to be the meaning of the phrase “A leap of faith”. Mal in French is Illness, affliction and thus what trials and tribulations Christ had to go through but for them it is an office that can be obtained. A further exposition is given in the last paragraphs. But back to Fulcanelli he states further.

Therefore we understand them as being in charge of expressing the two great difficulties which the Work contains: (1) having access to the inner chamber; (2) having the possibility of getting out of it. Of these two points, the first concerns the knowledge of matter — which ensures entry — and that of its preparation — which the artist accomplishes in the center of the maze. The second concerns the mutation of the prepared matter with the aid of the fire.

Fulcanelli talks about the Phonetic cabala or phonetic etymology. Fulcanelli also talks of mutation of the prepared matter with the aid of the fire (inception? there’s also the lightning bolt at the end).

This is what the fable of Theseus and Ariadne teaches us. In this case, Theseus is (the organized, manifested light, which is separated from Ariadne, the spider in the middle of its web—the empty shell, the cocoon, the sheath of the butterfly (Psyche).

Hence the name Cobb. Next Fulcanelli tells us that of philosophic sublimation. (Separation?)

The alchemist thus retraces, in the opposite direction, though with prudence, slowness and perseverance, the course he quickly followed at the beginning of his labor.
So as not to get lost, the philosophers advise him to mark his path from his starting point — for the operations, which we could call analytical — with the help of this Thread of Ariadne, without which he would be at great risk as he would not be able to make it back — that is to say, he would become lost in the work of synthetic unification. It is to the second stage or period of the Work which the maze’s Latin inscription applies. As a matter of fact, from the moment when the compost, formed of the vitalized bodies, begins its evolution, the most impenetrable mystery covers with its veil the order, the measure, the rhythm, the harmony and the progress of this admirable metamorphosis, that man has the ability neither to comprehend not to explain. Resigned to its own fate, submitted to the torture of the fire in the darkness of its narrow prison, the regenerated mater follows the secret path mapped out by destiny.

There’s this concept of time moving slower as one progresses the maze and according to Eliade specifically the section on temporality and the alchemist’s obsession with time “In taking upon himself the responsibility of changing Nature, man put himself in the place of Time; to take the place of time. that which would have required millennia or aeons to ‘ripen’ in the depths of the earth, the metallurgist and alchemist claim to be able to achieve in a few weeks” “Every initiation was a victory over death; i.e. temporality; the initiate proclaimed himself ‘immortal’; he had forged for himself a post-mortem existence which he claimed to be indestructible.”
Thus the more initiations that are performed or going deeper which makes the alchemist immortal by the re-enactment of the cosmos the experience of initiatory death (as they go to sleep) and resurrection (the kick or waking up in the next layer). These initiations (or re-enactments) is the abolishment of profane time and is projected into mythical time, in illo tempore. This expressed mathematically by recursion process of or taking the limit time would cease. The initiate changed his mode of being (he became ‘immortal’) in a sense and according to their religion that would make them god which is rather delusional.

At the end of the movie you notice the as the temple is being blow up and Eliade has mentioned the symbology of such an act when in the cases of prolonged death agony, one or more boards are removed from the roof, or the roof is broke. The meaning of this custom is patent: The soul will more easily quit its body if the other image of the body-cosmos, the house, is broken open above and by transposition of the symbolism this is also the passing beyond the human condition figurally expressed in the destruction of the “house”, “the temple”, “the church” “the hospital” for there use to be the notion of monastic hospitals. And so Cobb brought back Saito (Philosopher’s Stone), perfected the soul, gained redemption, defeated time, transposed to mythical time, achieve immortality and became god where Cobb wakes up on a plane (upper plane or heavens), lands in Los Angeles, makes it to the Garden (Eden) and ignores the totem (faith – where it resides) for reason.

From the Encyclopedia Britannica:

As early as 4000 BC religions identified certain of their deities with healing. The temples of Saturn, and later of Asclepius in Asia Minor, were recognized as healing centres. Brahmanic hospitals were established in Sri Lanka as early as 431 BC, and King Asoka established a chain of hospitals in Hindustan about 230 BC. Around 100 BC the Romans established hospitals (valetudinaria) for the treatment of their sick and injured soldiers; their care was important because it was upon the integrity of the legions that the power of Rome was based.

It can be said, however, that the modern concept of a hospital dates from AD 331 when Constantine , having been converted to Christianity , abolished all pagan hospitals and thus created the opportunity for a new start. Until that time disease had isolated the sufferer from the community. The Christian tradition emphasized the close relationship of the sufferer to his fellow man, upon whom rested the obligation for care. Illness thus became a matter for the Christian church.

Lastly back to this phrase “A leap of faith” and one need only refer to Manly P. Hall, William Cooper and Ed Decker for further insight. Here Cooper reading from “The Dark Side of Freemasonry” Ancient Initiations: ([] = Cooper additions)

[Just] what did it mean to belong to these Mystery Religions of ancient pagan nations that Clausen, [Albert] Pike, [Manly Palmer] Hall, Mackey and numerous other Masonic authorities say are the precursors for modern day [Freemasonry]? Let’s see if we can get a feel for what went on in those pagan Initiation Rites. Please change gears for a moment [if you can], and let your imagination run free [now to do that you have to remember the time that this took place]; imagine the following scene, [around] 1350 B.C. [if you can and remember that if lived at that time you would not know most of what goes through your mind at this present day nor would you see most of the site that you are use to seeing]:

[Picture this you're in a dark cavern] Flickering light [from torches] glances off the walls and vaulted ceiling of the [of this great] cave. Erie– and yet somehow sensuous– the torch light casts [sort of] a [hypnotic] spell on those assembled [around you] for [your] initiation. Their attention is riveted [upon you] the candidate standing on the lip of a chasm spanned by a swinging rope bridge. But [you stand] several yards from the bridge, not at its entrance.

[Your] face is face is in shadow, but the rigid posture of [your] body [all present that you are engaging in] intense concentration. [Your] chest heaves as [you breath] in and out rhythmically. Suddenly [you straighten], and with fists clenched, raises [your]arms across [your] chest. [You take] one final deep breath, [and then step] off the edge into the darkness. Those assembled are silent, watching intently as the [you] levitates across the chasm and [step] off on the other side. [You see because, ladies and gentlemen, the swinging rope bridge in the darkness is invisible and was invisible to you until you took that leap of faith and found yourself supported rather than fallen]

[Now] perhaps you may think this is more of an exercise in science fiction rather than a glimpse of what it meant to be an initiate of the Mystery Religions of ancient days. But listen to [as I read to you what the] “illustrious” Manley P. Hall [wrote] as he describes for us the neophyte of these ages. He says that the Initiate of the ancient Mysteries was a man of great learning and character, for whom initiation into the Mysteries meant great physical trials and required great feats of occult capabilities: [And again writing in an esoteric way he fooling for that is not exactly the way it happened. Remember magic is nothing more than the art of illusion.]

[He said quote] “Not one Freemason out of a thousand could have survived the initiations of the pagan rites, for the tests were given in those strenuous days when men were men and death the reward for failure. The neophyte of the Druid Mysteries was set adrift in a small boat to battle with the stormy sea, and unless his knowledge of natural law enabled him to quell the storm as did Jesus upon the Sea of Galilee, he returned no more. In the Egyptian rites of Serapis, it was required of the neophyte that he cross an unbridged chasm in the temple floor. In other words, if unable by magic to sustain himself in the air without visible support, he fell headlong into a volcanic crevice, there to die of heat and suffocation. In one part of the Mithraic rites, the candidate seeking admission to the inner sanctuary was required to pass through a closed door by dematerialization…” [Manly P. Hall in his great tome, pp. 414-15].

[Now ladies and gentlemen the truth is none one dematerialized and went through solid doors or walls or levitated across chasms, but what they did have to have was the tremendous faith that they could do it and then through the art of illusion and sometimes terrible deprivation and even the brink of torture they were to accomplish these feats. A sort of like trying out for some modern super-man group such as the Navy Seals or the United Army Special Forces. You see as long as you never quit trying you cannot wash out that's the great secret. As long as you never say "I quit"or "I can't" and as long as you never stop trying to do what ever feat it is they have demanded of you that you are unable to accomplish you will not be washed out and eventually you'll build up your strength and your stamina to the point where you can accomplish to what to the normal man might appear to be miracious.]

Hall then quotes Pike from the “Legenda for the Twenty-eighth Degree” as stating that “the science of the Hierophants of the mysteries produced effects that to the Initiated seemed Mysterious and supernatural.” [Hall, p. 415]. [And that ladies and gentlemen is the truth of th matter]

—–

“Look what I’ve been building!”
“What are you building?”
“We’re building a house on the cliff!”

Sources:
Le mystere des cathedrales
The Dwellings of the Philosophers, Fulcanelli
Secret societies and the alchemical meme, William Cooper
The Hierarchy, William Cooper
The Forge and the Crucible, Eliade
The Sacred and the Profane, Eliade
The Myth of the Eternal Return, Eliade
A Monument to the End of Time
Lectures on Ancient Philosophy, Hall
Francis Bacon (atheist), Francis Bacon: Anatomy of an Enigma, Peppiatt
Roger Penrose (atheist)

Draft updated November 2011 (it’ll be finished when I figure what the heck fulcanelli is saying in his more recondite passages)