In H.P. Lovecraft's Beyond the Wall of Sleep (Lovecraft, 1919), the boundaries between reality and the dream world blur as the narrator, a psychiatrist, embarks on an unorthodox experiment with his patient, Joe Slater, which turned out to be a wrestling match in earnest. This unconventional critique of mine takes an imaginative approach, presenting a conversation where the psychiatrist reflects on his decision to use the dream machine—a device he developed during his college years—and its profound impact on his understanding of consciousness and existence. Through this invented dialogue, I intend to explore the ethical dilemmas, the consequences of transcending human limitations, and the narrator’s transformation after encountering the unknown.

The actual conversation

Interlocutor: "You mentioned that you created this machine during your college years. What drove you to develop such a device? What were you hoping to achieve and harness with it?"

Psychiatrist: "Steadfast curiosity, more than anything else. I was fascinated by the idea that our dreams might be more than just a random collection of images, that they could be windows into another realm of existence. The machine was my attempt to bridge the gap between our physical world and the dream world—to access that hidden reality, the secrets of life beyond the constraints of our human existence. I believed that by connecting with another person’s consciousness, I could unlock secrets that had eluded us for centuries."

Interlocutor: "And when Joe Slater arrived at the asylum, you saw an opportunity to test your theory, right?"

Psychiatrist: "Precisely. Slater was different from any patient I had encountered at the asylum. His vivid descriptions of a life beyond this one, his insistence that he was meant for something greater—it all aligned with my own theories. I saw in him a chance to prove that our consciousness could exist outside of our physical bodies. I wanted to find evidence that the bedrock of our own existence lies beyond this material world. So, I made the decision to use the machine on him, despite the risks and what the asylum director would say when he realized what I was doing."

Interlocutor: "What did you experience when you used the machine? Did it match your expectations? Were you sorely disappointed with the results?"

Psychiatrist: "In some ways, it exceeded them, so I must confess that I am not disappointed. The moment the connection was made, I was no longer just an observer—I became a part of Slater’s world. At that point, there was a high level of reciprocity betwixt the two of us. I was then a bodiless being that didn’t even have to wear a loincloth, floating through a vast, luminous plane where time and space had no meaning or end in itself. It was an exhilarating experience unlike anything I had ever imagined or ever experienced beyond anything that people have referred to as netherworld. But it was also terrifying. I felt as though I had lost all sense of myself, as though I was dissolving into that infinite realm and my sojourning was not a speedy journey anymore."

Interlocutor: "Did that experience change how you viewed reality? Did it alter your perception of who you are?"

Psychiatrist: "It did, profoundly so. After that experience, the mundane reality of our world seemed almost trivial and loathly. It is like I had found a wondrous hoard that needed to be forfeited to attain a higher perception of what human beings are. I became consumed with the idea that there is so much more to existence than we can perceive with our limited, human five senses. But this knowledge came with a cost. I began to struggle with the boundaries between dreams and reality. I started to feel I had stayed stuck in a mundane cocoon for life making me feel in sore dismay. My dreams became more vivid, more intense, as if a part of me was still connected to that other realm I had entered with Slater. I started to question my own identity—was I still the same person, or had I been fundamentally altered by the experience?”

Interlocutor: "It sounds like you were deeply affected by the experiment. Did you ever regret using the machine on Slater?"

Psychiatrist: "Regret is a complicated thing; I wanted to dispel the darkness of chaos that seemed to be around Slater’s vivid dreams. On one hand, I do regret exposing Slater—and myself—to forces that we couldn’t fully understand. He was a tortured soul, and perhaps I should have focused more on alleviating his suffering than on satisfying my own curiosity. But on the other hand, how could I pass up the chance to explore such profound mysteries? Moving beyond a feeling of insusceptibility to remorse, Slater’s death freed him from his physical prison, allowing him to return to that realm of light he so desperately sought and craved for him. But I was left behind, burdened with the knowledge that we are more than just our bodies—that our souls are capable of existing beyond this physical plane. That understanding, while enlightening, is also a heavy burden to carry. That new knowledge has been hovering around one and many of my thoughts ever since."

Interlocutor: "So, in the end, would you say that the experiment was worth it? Did it achieve what you set out to discover?"

Psychiatrist: "In some ways, yes. It confirmed that there is indeed a reality beyond our own, a place where consciousness can exist without the constraints of the physical body, where there was no need to cast out demons or even raise the dead to life again because we are free. But it also taught me that some truths are too profound for the human mind to fully comprehend. I feel like a fisher who has ceased plying his net because there is no point in catching fish every day. The experiment opened a door to a realm that I can never fully understand or control because it is not a belt of prowess that can be used whenever you feel like using it. And in opening this door, it left me with more questions than answers, and a lingering sense of unease that torments me all the time because I can’t gather my thoughts and find coherence in them anymore; it’s a pesky sensation I can’t fully describe with words. Perhaps some mysteries are better left unexplored and undefined. Don’t you agree with me? For me, the sphere of ethical concerns has expanded beyond Slater’s death or my mental stability."

End of the conversation

This reimagined conversation delves into the ethical dilemmas and psychological consequences faced by the psychiatrist in Lovecraft’s Beyond the Wall of Sleep. Through this expanded dialogue, my critique intends to explore the tensions between the pursuit of knowledge and the risks of transcending human limitations. In my opinion, Lovecraft’s story is presented as a cautionary tale, warning of the dangers of delving too deeply into the unknown and the irreversible impact such exploration can have on the human psyche.

References

Acuña, J. (2024, August 7). Literature Reflective Journaling: "Beyond the Walls of Dreams". Reflective Journaling - August 2024. San José, Costa Rica.

Lovecraft, H. (1919, October). Beyond the Wall of Sleep. (E. Baird, Ed.) Weird Tales, 31(3). Retrieved from https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Weird_Tales/Volume_31/Issue_3/Beyond_the_Wall_of_Sleep

 

Critique reading comprehension exercise.

Instructions. Here are 10 reflective questions for readers based on my critique of H.P. Lovecraft's Beyond the Wall of Sleep. After having read the story and my critique, feel free to explore your own ideas by using these questions. Better yet, if you can have this reflection with somebody else that has already read the story.

Note: These questions are only designed to provoke thoughtful reflection on the complex themes and ethical considerations explored in my critique and somehow laid out by H.P. Lovecraft in his short story.

a.    How does the psychiatrist's curiosity and desire to explore beyond human limitations shape his actions in the story? Do you think his motivations were justified?

b.    In what ways does the conversation between the psychiatrist and the interlocutor highlight the ethical dilemmas involved in using the dream machine?

c.     The psychiatrist experiences both exhilaration and terror when he enters Joe Slater's world. How does this duality reflect the broader themes of Lovecraft's story?

d.    How does the psychiatrist's perception of reality change after his experiment? Do you think his newfound understanding was worth the personal cost?

e.    The psychiatrist expresses regret but also a sense of inevitability about his actions. Do you believe his regrets are genuine, or is he merely rationalizing his decisions?

f.      What do you think the psychiatrist means when he says that some mysteries are better left unexplored? Do you agree with this sentiment?

g.    How does the critique's use of an imaginative conversation help to explore the deeper psychological and philosophical aspects of the story?

h.    In what ways does Lovecraft's story serve as a cautionary tale about the pursuit of forbidden knowledge? How does the psychiatrist's experience illustrate this?

i.       How does the concept of consciousness existing beyond the physical body challenge or reinforce your own beliefs about human existence?

j.       Reflecting on the psychiatrist's final thoughts, do you think his journey into the unknown was ultimately a success or a failure? Why?

Critique of H.P. Lovecraft&... by Jonathan Acuña

Critique of H.P. Lovecraft&... by Jonathan Acuña