The Chapel Perilous
There are several ideas on the meaning of the Chapel Perilous, in literature, and in psychology. This idea will serve as a catalyst in my upcoming story, series, actually, for the protagonist’s ghost from his childhood coming to the surface in his life again. By ghost, I don’t mean a literal ghost, but a story device, created by a devastating emotional or psychological wound (event) in a character’s past. I plan to use the idea of the Chapel Perilous in a similar way, in spirit, to how it was used in the Le Morte d’ Artur by Sir Thomas Mallory. In the Arthurian tales, it was used as the setting for a knightly adventure for Sir Lancelot in which he encounters the sorceress Hellewees who tries to seduce him. A test, if you will , of his virtue and moral strength. In some ways, it reminds me of the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
It is an important literary device and a dangerous point in the story used in or known in quest romances according to author Jessie L. Weston. I plan to buy and read her book on this as well for further knowledge on the subject. I’ve already partially read Le Morte d’Artur.
In terms of psychology it is a state in which an individual is uncertain whether a course of events was affected by a supernatural force, or whether it was a product of their own imagination. Robert Anton Wilson said in his book Cosmic Trigger: The Final Secret of the Illuminati that when a subject experiences this state he either becomes paranoid or becomes agnostic. He says there is no third way with this issue.
I beg to differ. In my upcoming series, there is a third way, though, just barely. Jonas goes through such a crisis after going to a small chapel owned by the Mazzaroth Society (a powerful, secretive, iconoclastic religious society akin to the Templar Knights) after a critical point in his life, a crisis point. I suppose he goes from one crisis to the next, which leads him to this state. He goes there in a desperate attempt to look for answers and what he finds there, because he isn’t ready to actually take on and process this complex meditative experience. This perilous mental and spiritual journey that he rushes to go on to find answers to the first crisis he experiences nearly causes him to go mad and he has to immediately pull back lest, he lose his mind completely.
I want to add an important point about this new story I’m getting ready to write - only those of the knightly order, called the Knights of the Order of the Northern Star, only the elect, the highest of the order can truly comprehend and withstand such an experience, and for very specific reasons, which I won’t go into in this post. Jonas, the protagonist, has not attained nearly enough wisdom and experience to withstand it. One can gain the ultimate in wisdom and discernment having come through it and retain one’s knightly virtues and honor, having added to it, so to speak, or one can descend into despair and madness. Is it a question of readiness, to go into such a battle, encountering earth-shattering concepts that challenge your beliefs or virtues, or is it a choice? I suppose it can depend on how rooted your beliefs are and what foundation they are rooted in already when you enter the chapel, so to speak.
I’ve done some research on transcendental meditation and this type of meditation can be very dangerous, especially when done unguided or when around people who do not have positive intentions. It can open one up to unseen, dark energies. When the mind is swept clean of any and all things in meditation an entity can see this as an open invitation, or an open, uninhabited house to take up residence. That is my own belief, anyway. Others may disagree. You see, in this next story series I plan to write one must be spiritually prepared and mentally prepared to take this “journey”. It is a symbolic and a psychological one that may appear to be only a physical journey I plan to include transcendental mediation with this idea. Many see TM as harmless. Many who understand what it actually is know its perils. For information on TM, you can watch this video here with Dr. Willoughby Britton. It was eye-opening, to say the least. Spirituality can bring joy but it is not without its perils, as is true of many things in this world.
I’ve spoken on Cosmic Horror before and I believe there is some overlap between the ideas of the Chapel Perilous and Cosmic Horror. I also believe there is overlap between Chapel Perilous and Cosmic Bliss or Awe as well. This blog post, Initiation By Nightmare by Matt Cardin goes very deeply into the connections between the concepts of the Chapel Perilous and Cosmic Horror, far more than I ever could. It’s an excellent read and I encourage you to read it.
There is much I plan to research and draw from such an old and fascinating literary device. I love books and stories so much. One story begets another, one idea in a story begets other stories. Anyway, these are musings. There will be more musings on this subject in the future. In any case, it’s a good excuse to go to the bookstore! Always a very good thing! Happy reading!
