Silent Hill!

[Rustig]

Magus Young

*Shudders*I'm sorry, but I'm very confused why any of you would actually want to base your craft after something so scary! That just seems like asking for trouble.

Different strokes for different folks. I find it difficult to understand why some folks are content with worshipping an indifferent force (i.e., nature) as though it's a caring mother figure. Fear is a terrifically entertaining emotion, and I can honestly say that the Silent Hill mythos is one of the most idea-inspiring fictional works I've come across, and as such, I'd be comfortable with such a worldview in RL.

Viscerim

I've been playing Persona 3: FES and a certain part in it got me real into the whole Tarot story. Then come to discover, it is suggested that each individual makes their own story for the journey of the fool to better relate.

Onto the Silent Hill part! I've been brainstorming using characters from SH1-4 to assign Major Arcana to, and I'm having a little difficulty. If anyone is super bored, it could be a fun Silent Hill thing to do. Even symbols could be used since there aren't many significant characters. By the way: Silent Hill 4 has 21 victims lines up for the 21 sacriments right? 0-21? Just sayin' biggrin

Persona 3 is an amazing game. I can't wait for P3P being released next year (if my signature wasn't enough to declare such wanton fanboyism).

RE: Silent Hill, I know for sure that the guide to Silent Hill, Something-Memories, uses Tarot to analyse different parts of the game, but I think it was SH3 they did it for. I didn't realise there were 21 Sacraments, though (or, to be more exact, I probably knew this, then forgot). Is Joseph Scrieber/The Previous Occupant one of the sacrements? He'd be a prime candidate for The Hanged Man, I feel.  

[Magus Initi]

Thats one of the many problems with today's society, we're taught that being afraid/getting a thrill is supposed to be fun. Fear is an instinctive response to negative stimuli, stimuli that causes our body to feel unsafe. When we're afraid, our bodies release adrenaline, because our "flight or fight" instinct is kicking in. But because of things like movies, video games, books, theme parks, etc. where we know that we are safe, despite our instinct telling us that we're not, people have learned to enjoy the "thrill" or rather, adrenaline rush, of being scared.

Fear is SO much more than simply an "entertaining emotion" it is our body's way of telling us that something is UNSAFE and BAD and that we need to either GET AWAY from it, or FIGHT it.

As for nature worship, I wouldn't know why they do it either, as I am not a nature worshiper, though I respect it.  

[Rustig]

Magus Young

Thats one of the many problems with today's society, we're taught that being afraid/getting a thrill is supposed to be fun. Fear is an instinctive response to negative stimuli, stimuli that causes our body to feel unsafe. When we're afraid, our bodies release adrenaline, because our "flight or fight" instinct is kicking in. But because of things like movies, video games, books, theme parks, etc. where we know that we are safe, despite our instinct telling us that we're not, people have learned to enjoy the "thrill" or rather, adrenaline rush, of being scared.

Fear is SO much more than simply an "entertaining emotion" it is our body's way of telling us that something is UNSAFE and BAD and that we need to either GET AWAY from it, or FIGHT it.

As for nature worship, I wouldn't know why they do it either, as I am not a nature worshiper, though I respect it.

Where is the problem in this? You've stipulated that seeking an adrenaline rush is a negative thing, but outline no negative consequences in any of the examples you gave.

Moreover, yes, biologically speaking, fear is what stopped our ancestors from being devoured. But being that we have no natural predators in our society other than each other - and being that we can still experience fear after indulging in it through videogames, movies and so on - I see no reason why we shouldn't enjoy scary things. Besides, since when has this been behaviour exclusive to modern society? Ghost stories and tales of horror for amusement have been around for centuries, and we're certainly not the first to eschew fear (for example, norse berserkers) - if our ancestors hadn't fought through their fear, taken risks, and overcome things that scared other people, we would be significantly more rustic than we are now.  

[Viscerim]

Magus Young

*Shudders*I'm sorry, but I'm very confused why any of you would actually want to base your craft after something so scary! That just seems like asking for trouble.

I depends on how you look at it entirely. For example, while the images are admittedly scarey, a lot of the fans claim the game resonnates with something within that is difficult to explain. It's not terrifying so much as it is captivating. I agree when you say fear is a signal for the body, but in my path, each emotion is also a force to be utilized. When fearful, you become much more aware of everything around you, and I find projecting my thoughts to be much easier than other emotions. (Granted, this too could be plenty of trouble if not identified and controlled.)

Do you avoid the things that scare you? If everyone does, how can growth ever take place? Maybe you should try some frightening imagery and find out first hand what the appeal is. twisted  

[Magus Initi]

Mitsh

Magus Young

Thats one of the many problems with today's society, we're taught that being afraid/getting a thrill is supposed to be fun. Fear is an instinctive response to negative stimuli, stimuli that causes our body to feel unsafe. When we're afraid, our bodies release adrenaline, because our "flight or fight" instinct is kicking in. But because of things like movies, video games, books, theme parks, etc. where we know that we are safe, despite our instinct telling us that we're not, people have learned to enjoy the "thrill" or rather, adrenaline rush, of being scared.

Fear is SO much more than simply an "entertaining emotion" it is our body's way of telling us that something is UNSAFE and BAD and that we need to either GET AWAY from it, or FIGHT it.

As for nature worship, I wouldn't know why they do it either, as I am not a nature worshiper, though I respect it.

Where is the problem in this? You've stipulated that seeking an adrenaline rush is a negative thing, but outline no negative consequences in any of the examples you gave.

Moreover, yes, biologically speaking, fear is what stopped our ancestors from being devoured. But being that we have no natural predators in our society other than each other - and being that we can still experience fear after indulging in it through videogames, movies and so on - I see no reason why we shouldn't enjoy scary things. Besides, since when has this been behaviour exclusive to modern society? Ghost stories and tales of horror for amusement have been around for centuries, and we're certainly not the first to eschew fear (for example, norse berserkers) - if our ancestors hadn't fought through their fear, taken risks, and overcome things that scared other people, we would be significantly more rustic than we are now.

Seeking the rush or indulging in it isn't the problem as much as the acceptance of fear as nothing more than entertainment, and not accepting the real danger of bringing fear into a part of your reality.

You enjoy the scary/creepy visuals and environment of Silent Hill, but would you actually want to run into one of those creatures in the real world? I highly doubt it. When people frequently think about something, or allow certain visuals to enter their mind, it has a certain way of impacting the person's outlook, personality, or the way they process things.

It is impossible to live our lives without a little fear or darkness, but there needs to be a balance in order to live normally. The thing is, darkness and fear weigh much heavier on our hearts than the "positive" emotions. When you take something heavy and apply it to such a large portion of your life, you throw yourself out of balance.

The same is true of people that try to live purely light and positive lives. Attempting to live a life of nothing but gooey goodness is also a recipe for disaster.

For example, Rose O'Neil, creator of the Kewpies -



worked with these sickeningly sweet and hugely popular babies so much, that when she would do private artwork it would always be what she called her "dark drawings" which were often highly disturbing and creepy. Unfortunately, as these were her private works, I can't find them online anywhere, and have only seen them because of my college's extensive collection of rare slides. Anyway, she was incredibly wealthy, partied hard, lost everything in the 40s, and died shortly after.

Basically, what I'm saying is, having a little fun with fear is all well and good, but making that a large portion of your life can often cause very negative effects on your mental state, and the difference between our modern society and the ghost stories of the past, is that we are so intimately involved in the media that expresses those fears - watching images on a screen affects our psyche so much more than listening to someone tell a tale, and video games themselves are interactive- you're actually participating.  

[Rustig]

Pertinently, Venezula recently banned violent and pseudo-violent video games.

I accept fear as something more than entertainment. I find it easy to be scared in dangerous or threatening environments regardless of the extent to which I enjoy the horror medium.

Regarding the idea of balance, I think it's fallacious to assume that a magickal system based on Silent Hill (or equally frightening content) necessarily means you're "out of balance" - in fact, I'd willing to bet that movie directors, authors and videogame designers spend a lot more time, money and effort conceptualising and realising their scary creations, and - by your logic - are more inclined to be mentally disturbed than I would be. This doesn't even include people who pursue other mediums that result in the same adrenaline rush - skydivers, rollercoaster riders, people into BDSM, boxers, and so on. While I agree with you that there may be a correlation between the proposed Silent Hill paradigm and folk who are mentally disturbed (or close to), I would stress that correlation does not imply causation.

These are my reasons for enjoying and pursuing such an idea, which I hope clarifies why some people would want to do such a thing.  

[Magus Initi]

Mitsh

Pertinently, Venezula recently banned violent and pseudo-violent video games.

I accept fear as something more than entertainment. I find it easy to be scared in dangerous or threatening environments regardless of the extent to which I enjoy the horror medium.

Regarding the idea of balance, I think it's fallacious to assume that a magickal system based on Silent Hill (or equally frightening content) necessarily means you're "out of balance" - in fact, I'd willing to bet that movie directors, authors and videogame designers spend a lot more time, money and effort conceptualising and realising their scary creations, and - by your logic - are more inclined to be mentally disturbed than I would be. This doesn't even include people who pursue other mediums that result in the same adrenaline rush - skydivers, rollercoaster riders, people into BDSM, boxers, and so on. While I agree with you that there may be a correlation between the proposed Silent Hill paradigm and folk who are mentally disturbed (or close to), I would stress that correlation does not imply causation.

These are my reasons for enjoying and pursuing such an idea, which I hope clarifies why some people would want to do such a thing.

(Sorry for not responding for a while, I've been rather busy.)

Well, I just happen to think that our personal magical systems are a very important part of our lives, but I get your point about the movie directors, etc. The thing about projects like video games and movies is that the work is spread out through the staff, and I know that when you are working on something like that, you do not get the sort of "vibes" that you do from the actual completed project.

Oh well, do what you want, your life doesn't really effect mine much, so I guess I have no business telling you what you should or shouldn't do. I guess that's just the bit of the "mother hen" mentality coming out in me, lol.  

[neko-mata-01]

Rustig

I'm a huge fan of the Silent Hill series (yet I've only completed Silent Hills Two and Three so far. >_>), and I practise very eclectic magick, so it seems only natural that I should make a small system incorporating Silent Hill into my practises.

I'm still brainstorming for ideas on precisely /what/ I could do, though. Pyramid Head servitor? Hexing someone's dreams into behaving like the Silent Hill Otherworld? Ideas are appreciated. :3

lol sry for replying now since this thread seems quite old but i want to post as much in this guild as possible biggrin
anyway first of all silent hill is awesome :3
incorporating that into magic seems interesting  

[Vanilla eXee]

As far as the debate about fear goes, in this day and age, there is little to be afraid of. Sure, you could lose your job (like I just did), you could be a victim to a crime or an accident, but other than that, there is nothing. Whereas when we developed our sense of fear, there was a lot to be a afraid of. We lived out in the wild, just like the animals and we needed to stay safe. Why not, then, exercise our "fight or flight" response to keep it fine tuned just like any other muscle or skill?

Besides that, partaking in a violent/scary video game/movie/book/show, or making one ourselves helps feed the violent monster that lives within us all so that it doesn't need to feed by force. Let it all out in a safe environment rather than hurting someone else. I write horror stories and some of the things I write about help take it from inside of me and put it to constructive use.  

[addicted to sin]

Magus Initi

Mitsh

Magus Young

Thats one of the many problems with today's society, we're taught that being afraid/getting a thrill is supposed to be fun. Fear is an instinctive response to negative stimuli, stimuli that causes our body to feel unsafe. When we're afraid, our bodies release adrenaline, because our "flight or fight" instinct is kicking in. But because of things like movies, video games, books, theme parks, etc. where we know that we are safe, despite our instinct telling us that we're not, people have learned to enjoy the "thrill" or rather, adrenaline rush, of being scared.

Fear is SO much more than simply an "entertaining emotion" it is our body's way of telling us that something is UNSAFE and BAD and that we need to either GET AWAY from it, or FIGHT it.

As for nature worship, I wouldn't know why they do it either, as I am not a nature worshiper, though I respect it.

Where is the problem in this? You've stipulated that seeking an adrenaline rush is a negative thing, but outline no negative consequences in any of the examples you gave.

Moreover, yes, biologically speaking, fear is what stopped our ancestors from being devoured. But being that we have no natural predators in our society other than each other - and being that we can still experience fear after indulging in it through videogames, movies and so on - I see no reason why we shouldn't enjoy scary things. Besides, since when has this been behaviour exclusive to modern society? Ghost stories and tales of horror for amusement have been around for centuries, and we're certainly not the first to eschew fear (for example, norse berserkers) - if our ancestors hadn't fought through their fear, taken risks, and overcome things that scared other people, we would be significantly more rustic than we are now.

Seeking the rush or indulging in it isn't the problem as much as the acceptance of fear as nothing more than entertainment, and not accepting the real danger of bringing fear into a part of your reality.

You enjoy the scary/creepy visuals and environment of Silent Hill, but would you actually want to run into one of those creatures in the real world? I highly doubt it. When people frequently think about something, or allow certain visuals to enter their mind, it has a certain way of impacting the person's outlook, personality, or the way they process things.

It is impossible to live our lives without a little fear or darkness, but there needs to be a balance in order to live normally. The thing is, darkness and fear weigh much heavier on our hearts than the "positive" emotions. When you take something heavy and apply it to such a large portion of your life, you throw yourself out of balance.

The same is true of people that try to live purely light and positive lives. Attempting to live a life of nothing but gooey goodness is also a recipe for disaster.

For example, Rose O'Neil, creator of the Kewpies -



worked with these sickeningly sweet and hugely popular babies so much, that when she would do private artwork it would always be what she called her "dark drawings" which were often highly disturbing and creepy. Unfortunately, as these were her private works, I can't find them online anywhere, and have only seen them because of my college's extensive collection of rare slides. Anyway, she was incredibly wealthy, partied hard, lost everything in the 40s, and died shortly after.

Basically, what I'm saying is, having a little fun with fear is all well and good, but making that a large portion of your life can often cause very negative effects on your mental state, and the difference between our modern society and the ghost stories of the past, is that we are so intimately involved in the media that expresses those fears - watching images on a screen affects our psyche so much more than listening to someone tell a tale, and video games themselves are interactive- you're actually participating.

People will want things, even if they're bad for them. They may like the idea, but when the face the reality of bring monsters and taint into their reality and magick, they'll wish they hadn't but some lessons most be learned alone. I for one should know.

'So long as it harms none do what ye will'

Yourself is included in the harm none. People tend to over look that.

(sorry for the 'necromancy')