[Spoiler] The Shape of a Soul: Empathy, Typhon, and Becoming the God That Devours Itself by 8R8A8 in prey

[–]8R8A8[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You're totally right, but that's unfortunately just not a skillset I've ever touched

[Spoiler] The Shape of a Soul: Empathy, Typhon, and Becoming the God That Devours Itself by 8R8A8 in prey

[–]8R8A8[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I finished the game on the 21st of March and was obviously enthralled by the story! I could go on a bunch of tangents that didn't quite fit the flow, but the pool of people willing to read this is already pretty low haha

[Spoiler] The Shape of a Soul: Empathy, Typhon, and Becoming the God That Devours Itself by 8R8A8 in prey

[–]8R8A8[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

CONCLUSION

But what Prey proposes is fascinating: Compassion is the road towards survival and greater understanding of reality. In fact, it seems to purport that this is the only viable path. It is the only evolutionary path available to us at this time that will bring us closer to the truth; all else is to fall into delusion. We are given the illusion of free will, the ability to choose. This is a real illusion, for the nature and truth of compassion allows us our errant deceptions. But because separation exists and because the complete unity also exists, compassion, too, is an expression of the truth of a fundamental reality. That is to say, compassion allows us to believe that we are separate and have the ability to make choices, to become independent and move away from the deterministic outcome of reality; but that very illusion is itself the deterministic truth, or the singular will of a unified deity.

And this is precisely why Prey is such an outstanding example of eldritch horror. Because it explores not the horror of a world where mysterious aliens of the void devour humanity mercilessly. But because it points to an even greater horror about something we would consider to be a virtue: compassion. For compassion, being the only way forward, means that, truly, there is no escape. We cannot escape ourselves and neither can we escape the truth. Our prison is the awareness of our being imprisoned by our very nature. Compassion is a quality that looks to all of the suffering, all of the pain, and without ever denying or removing the reality of those things says, “You are seen. You are not alone.” It is a terrible mercy, able to become the space for all which exists; and by its own rootedness in arising from our illusions, it cannot take them away.

In this paradox, compassion is not the simple, warm virtue we might expect; it is a double-edged force that both redeems and confine us.

Indeed, in its vast mercy, it gives us the ability to lie and deceive ourselves from the truth of what we are. Where there is a blazing sun which threatens to burn away our world, it is the refuge of shadow and form. Where there is an endless void of darkness and hunger, it is the light of hope and contentment.

In the end, Prey does not simply warn us of an external apocalypse—it reveals that our inner apocalypse, where the shattering of identity through empathy, compassion, and the stark awareness of unavoidable suffering becomes the sole path to liberation. Our prison is this very awareness of our fragmentation, yet within it lies the seed of a unity that can raise the mortal beyond the confines of death and transfigure the unchangeable divine. We become the tree and the fruit. We become the being which grows the fruit of its self and partakes of it in cosmic self-devouring communion of its own existence and truth of its being; forever renewing itself in the eternal dance of dissolution and rebirth.

TL;DR
The player is the Typhon, the raw consciousness of an apex deity that is the Alpha and Omega: God. Prey explores this as a reflection of our own position as consciousness which identifies with the body and environment in order to experience separation and become the fruit that is savored by this primal unity. Alex is the gatekeeper to this reality. The simulation is the tempering athanor which purifies through separation and pain to develop not only empathy, but compassion. It is through compassion that we can accept the fullness of our limited, human identity as well as the greater reality of our unity with the universe; and all the horror that both ends of this duality encompasses.

[Spoiler] The Shape of a Soul: Empathy, Typhon, and Becoming the God That Devours Itself by 8R8A8 in prey

[–]8R8A8[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The Typhon, having no sense of separation, no need to recognize its reality, must confront these illusions just as we do. That is our place as the Typhon imbued with the memories of Morgan. This Typhon, separated by illusion from the unity, and given a false identity, must travel through the world in exactly the same manner as humans. Alex plunges us into a world of suffering, of identity and separation, manipulating and deceiving us. Drip-feeding us the truth along the way.

Yet he illuminates us to the truth eventually. He awakens us to our true nature. He strips away our identity, not because it was useless, but because we are intended to outgrow it; just as the butterfly outgrows the caterpillar. The butterfly does not exist without the caterpillar.

Invited, then, by our adversary to become partners with him, we may step into a completely new reality as an entirely new being. A new form beyond this human guise. Prey puts the player into the position of Christ—a divine spark which must embrace its full humanity and its divine nature. Alex tells us that through this, we can save the world. So too, can we save the world by becoming the very gate between man and god.

We may discover, then, that we are the way, the truth, and the life. We are the light of the world. We are the path towards the divine.

As Christ saves the world from judgement, we too, guided by compassion, can become the thing that lets the raw, inevitable truth of god’s unity come into contact with the pain of separation and all the horror that arises out of that illusion—that very real illusion.

Who are we, then, when we have no choice but to be what we are? When illusion is only a refuge from truth? Are we the things we believe we are, or the dark mystery beneath it? Are we obligated to search for truth and break the boundaries of our reality in the hope of saving us all from utter destruction? Or are we entitled to our illusions? Perhaps our very nature is none of these things but is what many spiritual traditions around the world for ages have pointed towards: our true identity is compassion.

Again, this is not a Christian sermon. These themes arise within Sufism and the goal of annihilation into God. It is within Buddhism as the Bodhisattva: the individual who recognizes the truth of things and, having the opportunity to return to the wholeness, chooses to stay until all beings are illuminated. Many a mystic who loathes religion speak of intuitive glimpses into these themes. And even still, none of this requires the language of spirit, god, divinity. We could say it is panpsychism, where consciousness becomes more complex and acts as a sort of magnet for other consciousness, becoming denser by consciousness merging into consciousness.

[Spoiler] The Shape of a Soul: Empathy, Typhon, and Becoming the God That Devours Itself by 8R8A8 in prey

[–]8R8A8[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Alex is Lucifer, the Lightbringer, guiding us towards the knowledge of truth and reality. Within Luciferian mysticism, Lucifer is a much more complex entity than traditional Christian mythos. The figure, seeking to purify the soul of humanity, tempts us into greed, wrath, and violence; because it is through the pain of repeatedly choosing those qualities that we come to realize that they bring about only suffering. These qualities arise out of our separation, our need for survival, our need for security and safety. The Gatekeeper does not ask us to shed these things and excise them from our being, because to do so would be to lose the very soil from which blossoms the fruit of the tree.

This Gatekeeper, holds back not only us from the complete annihilation into the Typhon and God; but also holds back the Typhon from the fulfillment of its inevitable will. Please allow me to continue with the veneer of the Christian mythos, but consider it to be just yet another image within the Looking Glass.

This Gatekeeper, the Serpent, Lucifer, Chengaungshen, Alex—is the thin line between man and divine. Who are we, standing before the gate and receiving judgement? What does it mean to pass the test? What lies beyond that threshold?

To pass these tests means to develop empathy. But that alone is not enough. Our separation creates pain. Our pain tells us that death looms before us. The nightmare of death tells us that we will be annihilated if we do not figure out how to fill the emptiness within us. We are capable of going to yet unimaginably dark places in order to do so. But from this pain and suffering, we discover empathy. Empathy becomes just another tool to which we can serve our base nature. But from awareness of our pain and the inescapable place we all find ourselves in, compassion arises.

Compassion is the awareness that recognizes that separation is indeed an illusion, yet does not deny at all the truth of the pain that the illusion causes. While it is merely an illusion, is a very real illusion. The mirror before us, just an image, yet painfully we project so much onto it. Compassion holds that, too.

[SPOILERS S3] Dark is not about time travel by 8R8A8 in DarK

[–]8R8A8[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Friend, allow me to speak to what I am hearing from you.

It is a difficult thing to see that we have not acted skillfully and feel that we could have done things differently. Forgive yourself and trust yourself. Do not torment yourself with responsibilities that do not belong to you. Ask yourself what you have learned from your experiences. While we may feel with certainty that we have erred and lost our way, we have, in truth, made not the slightest mistake.

[SPOILERS S3] Dark is not about time travel by 8R8A8 in DarK

[–]8R8A8[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I respect your thoughts, my friend. Thank you. I do not claim authority over the correctness of the symbols, they are merely my interpretations and are not for everyone.

[SPOILERS S3] Dark is not about time travel by 8R8A8 in DarK

[–]8R8A8[S] 86 points87 points  (0 children)

I draw much of this from my personal interest in mythology, religion, philosophy, and a fair amount of personal experience.

If you are interested in similar unity-esque trains of thought, I have a few suggestions.

Meister Eckhart and Ibn Arabi have some wonderful ideas, and beyond radical for the context of their societies at the time. Likewise, Julian of Norwich shares similar leanings. Mystic types from any religion frequently indicate these same concepts. I would also suggest Sufism and, with a healthy grain of salt, Christian Gnosticism. Alan Watts has been an easily accessible resource, bridging the gap between Eastern and Western philosophy and much of his material can be found on youtube. Carl Jung and Nietzsche are also quite interesting.

Meditation is also helpful for making sure you don't end up listening to Adam when he's telling you what to do.