Matt Cardin has an essay up, "Initiation by Nightmare," which discusses the nature of Chapel Perilous, and how his thoughts on the matter were influenced by Robert Anton Wilson and other writers. Here's a bit:
"We’re all playing with fire, those of us who actively perturb consciousness, and also those of us who have such perturbations forced upon us by powers outside our ken or control. In the words of the weekly closing narration from a classic horror television series that I enjoyed in my youth, 'The dark side is always there, waiting for us to enter, waiting to enter us.' What I didn’t understand as an adolescent was that this is not mere poetic speech, nor is it mere aesthetic or intellectual entertainment for those drawn to the dark side of fiction, film, philosophy, and spirituality. This is deadly truth."
It's a really interesting essay. It's a reprint from his 2022 book, What the Daemon Said: Essays on Horror Fiction, Film, and Philosophy, with "a few multimedia enhancements" for the online version in his Substack newsletter.
Cardin's brief bio says he is a "cosmic horror author, former English professor, pianist, and college VP."
Hat tip, Tracy Harms.
UPDATED: Note Matt Cardin pointing to another essay in the comment below.
1 comment:
Thank you for the shout-out. Your readers might also be interested in my essay "In Search of Higher Intelligence: The Daemonic Muse(s) of Aleister Crowley, Timothy Leary, and Robert Anton Wilson," which traces and reflects on the three men's felt experiences of preternatural or paranormal guidance and communication. It's collected in WHAT THE DAEMON SAID along with the Chapel Perilous piece.
Post a Comment