In this article we describe how the “Resonator” operates in Stuart Gordon’s movie From Beyond and compare it to the Tillinghast machine in HPL’s story From Beyond. The first thing to note is that in HPL’s story the machine did not have a formal name, while in Stuart Gordon’s movie it was called the Resonator.
The Resonator is turned on in Stuart Gordon’s movie From Beyond. Note the large tuning forks on the top of the device
A Resonator is simply defined as an apparatus or device that increases the resonance of sound. Thus, calling it a Resonator means that Gordon’s machine was functioning primarily through sound and not through the electro-magnetic (EM) spectrum. The large tuning forks (see above) support this idea.
Upon re-watching the movie, it is stated that the Resonator operates by generating a powerful magnetic field that vibrates the forks at a precise frequency, which in turn stimulates the pineal gland. With this description in mind, it appears that the Resonator generates an electric current, which causes the tuning forks to vibrate. Thus, this also provides more evidence that the Resonator is generating unique and sustained sound waves that then stimulates or “awakens” the pineal gland.
Crawford Tillinghast about to turn on the Resonator in Stuart Gordon’s movie From Beyond
Another interesting point the movie made was that schizophrenia, which is a recognized and documented mental disorder, may be the result of individuals being able to naturally (or possibly with the use of drugs) perceive the “unknown” parts of our reality, without the need of the Resonator. Schizophrenia is essentially a breakdown in rational thinking and the development of poor or confused emotional responses.
Some of symptoms of schizophrenia include delusions, paranoia and hearing voices / noises. While not as common as hearing voices or sounds that no one else can hear, a person suffering from schizophrenia could also experience sights, smells, tastes or feelings that other do not. Could it be that schizophrenia is the symptom of a naturally or drug-stimulated, reawakening of the pineal gland? If this is the case, then schizophrenia is not necessarily a mental disorder but a person trying to process perceiving all known and unknown parts of the Universe into one, jumbled frame of mind. If this is the case, does this mean that prolonged exposure to the Resonator would result in schizophrenia?
Is Detective Rustin Spencer’s “hallucination” in HBO’s show True Detective the result of a reawakening of the pineal gland, stimulated through a means other than being exposed to the Resonator?
The key to how the Resonator operates (as well as the Tillinghast device in the original HPL short story), is that it generates a field that no only opens up our senses, but also opens the senses of other entities in other “overlapping” realities or Universes. Thus, while we get to peer into the unknown – the unknown can peer back at us.
Bubba and one of the unknown entities making “contact” in Stuart Gordon’s movie From Beyond
Next time the discussion will focus on the entities that are seen and “experienced” once the Tillinghast device or Resonator is turned on. Thank you – Fred
Lovecraftian Science 