Beyond the Wall of Sleep

I have frequently wondered if the majority of mankind ever pause to reflect upon the occasionally titanic significance of dreams, and of the obscure world to.
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Reporting on the New York state police, the article cited a family named Slater or Slahter as representative of the backwards Catskills population. The nova mentioned at the end of Lovecraft's story is a real star, known as GK Persei; the quotation is from Garrett P. Serviss' Astronomy with the Naked Eye The title of the story may have been influenced by Ambrose Bierce's "Beyond the Wall"; Lovecraft was known to be reading Bierce in Jack London's novel Before Adam, which concerns the concept of hereditary memory, contains the passage, "Nor Published first published The Complete Works of H.

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Beyond the Wall of Sleep , please sign up. Be the first to ask a question about Beyond the Wall of Sleep. Lists with This Book. A quote from the opening paragraph: Sometimes I believe that this less material life is our truer life, and that our vain presence on the terraqueous globe is itself the secondary or merely virtual phenomenon. Then, once at the hospital, Joe has his first episode of supercharged frenzy requiring four orderlies and a straitjacket.

But most of all did he dwell upon some mysterious blazing entity that shook and laughed and mocked him. Jung concluded such a strikingly similar vision reported by his patient and incorporated into the ancient religion of Mithras arise from a common deep-seated psychic source we all share as humans, a source Jung termed the collective unconscious. Within the collective unconscious there are certain primal images or motifs, for example, the image of the dangling phallus, and such primal images Jung termed archetypes.

And each of these archetypal primal images have their shadow side, a shadow side that can be negative, destructive, and very, very threatening. Thus, employing this Jungian interpretation, the mysterious blazing entity that shook, laughed, and mocked Joe Slater, could be viewed as the shadow of a primal archetype from the collective unconscious. Returning to the tale, the narrator goes on to relate how Joe Slater is not only a passive recipient of dream images, including the recurring image of some hideous, tormenting being, but when entering the dream world Joe becomes an active participant with an altered identity, that is, amazing as it might seem, Joe becomes himself a being of light.

From the manner in which Slater alluded to their dealings, I judged that he and the luminous thing had met on equal terms; that in his dream existence the man was himself a luminous thing of the same race as his enemy.

Beyond the Wall of Sleep

This impression was sustained by his frequent references to flying through space and burning all that impeded his progress. But his curiosity is simply too strong for him to resist. One wonders if H. Lovecraft was making a statement about the moral and ethical integrity of people working with patients in mental hospitals, since, after all, when the author was three years old his own father entered a mental institution where he remained until his death five years later. Anyway, the experiments are carried out. I can personally relate to this Lovecraft tale since years ago I myself had a powerful dream were I encountered a luminous being.

Fortunately, unlike Joe Slater, my luminous being was blazing with the energy of enlightenment and compassion. This tale is available on-line: View all 7 comments. This story was written in , when Lovecraft was only 29, but it is one of the most concentrated and effective tales of his early maturity. It begins with this description of Slater: The sum of all my investigation was, that in a kind of semi-uncorporeal dream life Slater wandered or floated through resplendent and prodigious valleys, meadows, gardens, cities, and palaces of light; in a region unbounded and unknown to man. That there he was no peasant or degenerate, but a creature of importance and vivid life; moving proudly and dominantly, and checked only by a certain deadly enemy, who seemed to be a being of visible yet ethereal structure, and who did not appear to be of human shape, since Slater never referred to it as a man, or as aught save a thing.

This thing had done Slater some hideous but unnamed wrong, which the maniac if maniac he were yearned to avenge. His account of what he meets in that dreamworld comprises the rest of the story. All in all, a good tale, worth a try. This one doesn't belong to Cthulhu mythos. It is about the importance of dreaming and an opinion on what exactly the dreams mean.

The narrator labels Freud's dream analysis as silly puerile is the word used. He allows that some dreams are not that important, but there are others that have deeper meaning, the ones that show us something that most ordinary people wouldn't underst 'How little does the earth-self know of life and its extent!

He allows that some dreams are not that important, but there are others that have deeper meaning, the ones that show us something that most ordinary people wouldn't understand. Joe Slater is committed to the asylum where our narrator works. He seemed to have two separate lives: He is uneducated, dull, violent and an alcoholic. Oh, and a murderer. He gets worse as the time goes by and the narrator decides to get to the bottom of his bizarre behaviour. And he has just the right instruments to do it 'Now, in my intense desire to probe into the dream life of Joe Slater, I sought these instruments again.

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Not Exactly Freudian Dream Interpretation: “Beyond the Wall of Sleep” | leondumoulin.nl

Read Here hattip to Glenn Opening: I have frequently wondered if the majority of mankind ever pause to reflect upon the occasionally titanic significance of dreams, and of the obscure world to which they belong. Whilst the greater number of our nocturnal visions are perhaps no more than faint and fantastic reflections of our waking experiences—Freud to the contrary with his puerile symbolism—there are still a certain remainder whose immundane and ethereal character permits of no ordinary interp Read Here hattip to Glenn Opening: Whilst the greater number of our nocturnal visions are perhaps no more than faint and fantastic reflections of our waking experiences—Freud to the contrary with his puerile symbolism—there are still a certain remainder whose immundane and ethereal character permits of no ordinary interpretation, and whose vaguely exciting and disquieting effect suggests possible minute glimpses into a sphere of mental existence no less important than physical life, yet separated from that life by an all but impassable barrier.

Joe Slaader is white trash from the isolated region of the Catskills Mountains Lovecraft's stories are seriously unsettling yet this one held a wonderment. A month of Halloween reads: WL Seven Gothic Tales CR Tales of Men and Ghosts: CR Death At Intervals: CR The Shunned House: CR The Thing on the Doorstep: Nov 05, Ariel rated it it was ok Shelves: That being said, I thought this was the perfect time for one of my biggest 'I've been meaning tos: So I cracked open a notebook, preparing to record the random bits of genius I was sure to encounter, and set to reading. I definitely haven't been disappointed in Lovecraft's writing up to this point.

I've dipped a toe into the depths of Cthulhu with The Tomb , sworn off any future explorations of slimy isles with a preponderance of dead fish whilst reading Dagon , and enjoyably questioned in which reality I was reading Lovecraft's Polaris because, let's face it, reading is probably what consumes any sleep-worlds I might encounter just as it does this waking one. I've become fond of his prose and I can see the ripples towards current sci-fi and fantasy in each storyline. Among these odd folk, who correspond exactly to the decadent element of 'white trash' in the South, law and morals are non-existent; and their general mental status is probably below that of any other section of the native American people.

Now, I'm not going to plead ignorance but rather admit to it. Lovecraft has been back-burnered for me for years so I've not delved much further into Lovecraftian history and lore than being able to recognize a Cthulhu plushie if one should cross my path. Classism, sexism, racism, the list goes on and on and on. There's little more to do than to scratch your head in wonder unless you feel lead to seek out their resting place for a bit of a tantrum or requisition a Ouija board for the scholarly pursuit of a conversation that might explain some of their more glaring deficiencies.

Beyond The Wall Of Sleep

Still, I didn't actually know whether to take the above quote as racism from Lovecraft or part of his characterization of an unreliable narrator. As I was reading, I took the quote in stride with the rest of the narrator's remarks about Slater. His denigration of Slater seems to be part and parcel of his clinical nature. He philosophizes while being the unenlightened one; his interest is piqued by Slater because he realizes that Slater is more than what he sees him as.

True, the 'more' is the culmination of the fantastical element but a reader could see this as part of the dereliction of an unreliable narrator. The character's racism being part of that which eclipses his view of the totality of Slater— his "brother of light. To be honest, had Lovecraft been working on that level, Beyond would probably merit a five-star rating from me. I guess it says something of how much I've loved the handful of short stories I've read so far that I thought that, despite his era, he might have the propensity to layer this particular story in such a way.

So, to that question of whether Lovecraft and his ilk retain their quality when they prove to be flawed humans The question of subjective versus objective interpretation, the fact that we need to know the history of the historian in order to understand the version that is being put in front of us. In all fairness, my rating might well be influenced by my research but I tried to focus on rating in comparison to the other short stories read.

Without that layer that I initially heard entwined throughout this character, the previous stories have been more enjoyable. I do think I'll recall this short story if I ever find myself glaring a little too harshly at any future idols, however. It's the first instance where I've had that experience of initial interpretation vs. View all 3 comments. Apr 18, Joey Dhaumya rated it really liked it. Apr 07, Rhapsody rated it really liked it Shelves: I'm a big fan of Lovecraft. I give this four stars because I do think some of his other work is better, but the ideas and language were nevertheless quite fun here.

I had to read it twice to really have a sense of the story, and should probably read it a few more times to really appreciate all the details. The story is too short for me to say much without giving it away.

Beyond the Wall of Sleep

It mostly takes place in an insane asylum, and involves a doctor and a very curious patient from a rural, uneducated community I'm a big fan of Lovecraft. It mostly takes place in an insane asylum, and involves a doctor and a very curious patient from a rural, uneducated community. The patient, despite his background, has absolutely fabulous dreams that are giving him worse and worse fits, and that seem impossible for someone of his upbringing.

The doctor is very curious and tries to understand the patient's dreams. I've always been a bit fascinated by dreams, and I like stories that explore the whole dream-world idea. So it's a great short read for people who enjoy that theme, but the language is quite dense, so it's not an effortless read. Apr 19, Brian rated it it was amazing Shelves: I've read a few Lovecraft stories. This unique story stands out to me with a positive insinuation rather than a manipulation of horror. Lovecraft explains, in fantastic terms as an atheist , another world exists, and our souls have always been and will always be.

You see the physical manifestation in the stars. An evil star oppresses life, and many war against It. When people speak and write of Lovecraftian mythos, I realize, they refer to this kind of fictional world-building, set Impressive! When people speak and write of Lovecraftian mythos, I realize, they refer to this kind of fictional world-building, set behind stage of our world.

Lovecraft could have started his own religion if he'd lived long, long ago in a country far, far away. Feb 04, Angie rated it it was amazing Shelves: Lovecraft is not the best writer, but his ideas and imaginations are brilliant. Especially if you consider the time in which they were written.

I loved this story. I loved the imagery, and the idea that we are more than just mortal bodies of flesh and bone. However, I must note that I greatly dislike Lovecraft's seeming obsession with "degenerate hill dwellers,""Esquimau diabolists,""white trash,""mongrel Louisianans," etc. Aug 16, Jakk Makk rated it did not like it. Memo to self on the story, "Beyond the wall of Sleep.


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Apr 10, Gary rated it really liked it. Reading Lovecraft is teaching me how to write fantasy and horror. I enjoy my lessons. Jun 22, Hedi Rebellion rated it really liked it. Such a brilliant galactic journey was this short story.

Interrogators note more incidents of waking rage, during which Slater vows he must kill his mocking dream-enemy by soaring through emptiness, burning all in his path. Doctors wonder at the gorgeous images this illiterate and untraveled man conjures in his fits. Fortunately, his earlier speculations about the energetic nature of human thought have already led him to devise an apparatus for thought reception, similar to the wireless telegraph.

Alas, time for his experiments grows short—deprived of his mountain freedom or worn by the turmoil in his brain, Joe Slater is dying. On the last night, the narrator sits with Slater, apparatus attached. The dying man falls asleep.


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    5. The narrator jolts awake to find Slater waking too. Yet through Slater, brother has met brother once more. Of his oppressor, the brother can only say that humans have felt its distant malevolence and so named its blinking beacon Algol, the Daemon-Star! Tonight the brother will avenge himself upon it, as narrator will see if he looks to the sky near Algol. He gives him an extended leave to recruit his strained nerves.

    Nor was he the only one who saw it. In the words of eminent astronomer Garrett P. No star had been visible at that point before. Within 24 hours the stranger had become so bright it outshone Capella. In a week or two it had visibly faded, and in the course of a few months it was hardly discernible with the naked eye.

    The strange, repellent poor of the Catskills are! The cruel empire of Tsan-Chan is a popular destination for time-traveling superior life forms. The degenerate mountain folk have never even heard legends or fairy tales.

    Beyond the Wall of Sleep (short story)

    Madness Takes Its Toll: Slater is one more person whose encounters with the cosmos land him in an asylum, and in the dubiously competent hands of early 20 th century alienists. Did I mention degenerate? They have no imagination! No legends or stories! Having spent a fair amount of time embedded in the exotic culture of upper class WASPs, I can report that some traces of this superstitious dread remain even in the modern specimen. They do provide a useful plot point or two: But coming awake to the body of a neighbor murdered by your own hand is a terrifying image, made far less terrifying since it happens to someone already dehumanized.

    I have a distinct lack of patience with this aspect of the story, which seems to have inspired the whole business in the first place.

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    Not only because the blatant prejudice is dull and irritating, but because of the embarrassingly bad if typical of the time psychological analysis, and the fact that I know a great many rural Catskills residents who are even now side-eyeing this story so hard. While light-beings may find Slater more troublesome than an asylum intern, both are ultimately mere impediments to getting on with their bloodily vengeful work. The Yith find human bodies more convenient and jump into them deliberately, but demand that same world-shaking change in perspective.

    From where both entities sit metaphorically, since neither cone-shaped beings nor creatures of transcendent light have chairs , all humans are basically jumped-up apes. Scary stuff, if your worldview depends on being at the top of the heap. On the one hand, if all humans are merely beings of light temporarily weighed down with primate flesh, then we are all equals. On the other, the nature of those primate lives seems to make a real difference, and the story dwells far more on those differences than on the glories and terrors of the cosmos. That is some careful planning.

    Is the to-the-minute timing a requirement to preserve causality, or is it all to make sure the beings still trapped in get their drama fix? Neat dovetailing of facts from which to spin a fiction. Interesting to turn from the fantastic treatment of dreams in our late Quest to this more science fictional treatment. Or pseudo-science fictional, I should say? We also get the kind of gadget that usually ends its user in a lot more trouble than the long vacation this narrator earns.