Who created the Otherworld in Silent Hill 2?

Post by **Kenji** » 23 Jul 2007

To ask who created the other world is like asking who created the real world... millions have their own explanations, but nobody really knows. The Order, for instance, believes that God created it during Her first advent, but that's a religious doctrine. I'd be more inclined to believe that, until more (reliable) information is presented (and I rather hope it isn't), that the power that resides in Toluca Lake has always been there.

I feel that the other world, as represented in SH2, is the power's original form, sans the interference of attempts to bring God into the real world. It simply digs out the strong emotions and memories, usually those that are buried as they are the strongest, and manifests them in ways most wonderously strange. Because the buried emotions and memories are buried for a reason, this usually results in the discomfort and horror of the one experiencing it, though - as in the case of Joseph Barkin - this isn't always the case (his love for his daughter could be the most powerful emotion, overriding even the guilt he's wracked with in his belief that he had killed her... which, you could say, is more powerful than James' love for Mary? But, then, shouldn't one's love for his child be intrinsically stronger than his love for a spouse?). Therefore, as has been stated many times before, ultimate subconscious control lies with the experiencer.

P.S. More on Joseph Barkin: the doctor only mentioned that he was "happy" in this other world... that doesn't necessarily mean that it's pleasant for him. Perhaps, if his feelings of guilt are the strongest, he's obtaining satisfaction in his judgment/punishment in the other world? I don't think we'll ever really know...

Post by **AuraTwilight** » 23 Jul 2007

P.S. More on Joseph Barkin: the doctor only mentioned that he was "happy" in this other world... that doesn't necessarily mean that it's pleasant for him. Perhaps, if his feelings of guilt are the strongest, he's obtaining satisfaction in his judgment/punishment in the other world? I don't think we'll ever really know...

That's a good point, actually, I always figured that, as Laura demonstrated, the Otherworld probably manifested non-dark emotions just as well for people like Joseph.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » 25 Jul 2007

Silent Hill is built on and old sacred place that has become distorted and twisted over time due to all the nasty things that have happened there: the war, disease epidemics, the jail, fires, executions and more recently The Order.
It's just a good old fashioned messed up place.

Post by **game_over** » 25 Jul 2007

I thought that Silent Hill was naturally like this. Like calling out for people with sinns and mental problems and either kill them or cure them.

Post by **AuraTwilight** » 25 Jul 2007

No. All it did was call people and then bring the contents of their mind to life, but over the years it's developed a bias to negative emotions.

Post by **ForteChef** » 27 Jul 2007

yeah, plus it helped them discover their problems before they died. Like a final confrontation