Through the glass, I saw myself vanish
"As Narcissus had scorned her, so he had scorned the other nymphs of the rivers and mountains, so he had scorned the companies of young men. Then one of those who had been mocked, lifting hands to the skies, said ‘So may he himself love, and so may he fail to command what he loves!’ Rhamnusia, who is the goddess Nemesis, heard this just request.
There was an unclouded fountain, with silver-bright water, which neither shepherds nor goats grazing the hills, nor other flocks, touched, that no animal or bird disturbed not even a branch falling from a tree. Grass was around it, fed by the moisture nearby, and a grove of trees that prevented the sun from warming the place. Here, the boy, tired by the heat and his enthusiasm for the chase, lies down, drawn to it by its look and by the fountain. While he desires to quench his thirst, a different thirst is created. While he drinks he is seized by the vision of his reflected form. He loves a bodiless dream. He thinks that a body, which is only a shadow. He is astonished by himself, and hangs there motionless, with a fixed expression, like a statue carved from Parian marble.
Flat on the ground, he contemplates two stars, his eyes, and his hair, fit for Bacchus, fit for Apollo, his youthful cheeks and ivory neck, the beauty of his face, the rose-flush mingled in the whiteness of snow, admiring everything for which he is himself admired. Unknowingly he desires himself, and the one who praises is himself praised, and, while he courts, is courted, so that, equally, he inflames and burns. How often he gave his lips in vain to the deceptive pool, how often, trying to embrace the neck he could see, he plunged his arms into the water, but could not catch himself within them! What he has seen he does not understand, but what he sees he is on fire for, and the same error both seduces and deceives his eyes.
Fool, why try to catch a fleeting image, in vain? What you search for is nowhere: turning away, what you love is lost! What you perceive is the shadow of reflected form: nothing of you is in it. It comes and stays with you, and leaves with you, if you can leave!"
Since the invention of time we humans have sought to discover all secrets of the universe. We learned how to control fire, through fire came knowledge, power, but also destruction. Fire became essential in more or less all organized religions.
Fire represents the Holy Spirit, divine presence, and purification. Fire in Islam is mostly a symbol of divine punishment (e.g., Hellfire), though light (nūr) is used for divine guidance. The eternal fire (ner tamid) burned in the Temple and now in synagogues, recalling God’s constant presence; also, the burning bush and fire atop Mount Sinai. Tibetan Buddhism uses fire rituals to purify karma and release spirits; cremation is common to signify liberation. In Zoroastrianism fire is the purest symbol of truth and the presence of Ahura Mazda. In ancient Greece sacred hearth fires burned in temples and homes. For Romans fire represented eternal Roman spirit and divine order.
From fire we forged metals, from metals came swords, cogwheels and machines. From machines came guns and bombs. From bombs came silence, a stillness carved by heat and ash. Yet fire remained. The mechanical world was birthed through flames. We illuminated the world with a human made light so we wouldn’t see the night. The morning star shone bright, we blocked out the stars, because our light gave us a sense of safety. In our shielded existence we became dependent on our own light.
It isn’t surprising that TVs, screens and monitors would become such an instant addiction to many of us. The higher the resolution, frame rate and color rendition the more captivated we became. We follow the same patterns of the humans before us. Instead of gathering around a warm, dancing bonfire to tell each other stories and myths, we let the TVs tell the stories for us.
The name Lucifer in Latin translates to the light bringer or the morning star. As a young man I had a hard time understanding what the old folk said, that Lucifer never forced you to sin, you will always sin of your own free will.
They tell you to be skeptical of new shiny technology, while accepting technology from their own youth. The rejection and suspicion of new gadgets is a well known phenomenon. We were skeptical of printed books, photography, the radio, TVs, having more than one TV-channel etc. But for each generation we grow up with these new innovations and the old skeptical people die of old age.
Lucifer is the bringer of light, fire burns you, so you take control over it. We worship the sun, but dare to stare at it, and he will punish you with blindness. In our arrogance we gladly accept the faustian bargain of submitting to the fire. Endlessly becoming enslaved and equally fascinated with its power.
The screen is a synthetic cold fireplace, we gaze into the flickering blue light. In our hypnosis we see no gods inside these blue flickering flames, so we construct a world inside this light gate with a human world. A world where humans have full control, where we made everything from nothing. As we filled the world with millions of small false stars to brighten the night sky, we filled our rooms with a cold flickering light.
The screen is yet another faustian bargain, Lucifer lures you past the light gate with the promise of endless knowledge. But what is the point of knowledge if you lose the ability to process information because you've wrecked your ability to concentrate and comprehend? He promises us friendships, meaningful connections and adventures, but we met with hate, so we are filled with hate. We see lust, so we become lustful.
Our addiction to the world beyond the light gate is endless. The flickering blue star keeps us sedated and unwilling to move. We shut out the sun so we won’t see our reflection in our screens to not be reminded of our dark reflection. In these dark spaces, where the only shining thing is our false light we let demons in. Mental illness, detachment and decay is the norm. Our bodies are only machines after all, so why not become one with one? You try to turn away, but in this dark room there is no joy.
LCD screens use polarized light so that liquid crystals can control how much light passes through by twisting the light's polarization. This lets the screen turn pixels on or off by blocking or allowing light between two crossed polarizing filters. When you look at an LCD screen through a photographic polarizing filter and rotate it, the screen can turn black because the filter blocks the polarized light coming from the screen. LCDs emit light that's already polarized, so if your external filter is turned 90 degrees to that polarization, it cancels the light, no light gets through, and the screen appears black.
While there is no direct scientific proof as of today, it’s important to understand there hasn’t been any actual research if humans in any capacity can sense the black mirror beyond the polarized light. We can all see the light emitting from the screen, but there is reason to believe we can actually sense the black mirror behind the light. Meaning when there is no reflection on the screen, no outside light, your body or your subconsciousness can still sense the void and your own reflection. Your face.
If this turns out to be correct, we essentially are spellbound at nothing but a false, highly polarized light. But behind this false light we are also hypnotized by the black mirror and our reflection staring back at you. If you ever wonder what you stare into every day of your waking life, buy a cheap polarizing filter for photography, look around you. All it does is block out the false light.
What does this act do to an unknowing population? To stare at your own reflection all day, without realizing what you’re doing? You’re too focused on the light to notice. When the screen turns black for a moment, and you catch a glimpse of your own face, what do you feel? Does it make you feel uncomfortable? Sad?
Scrying mirrors were historically used for divination and spirit communication. Practitioners gazed into the dark surface to enter a trance and receive visions, messages, or symbols from spirits or the subconscious. The only difference between using a scrying mirror and what most humans of the civilized world do today is that we are not aware of the black pool behind the light. We are crippled in this state, while doing involuntary scrying. People who used the ancient practice of scrying were always fully aware of their action, there was reason and purpose. And they didn’t stare into the void for hours each day. We have no idea what this does to our mental health, our society and our collective spirit.
We do know that excessive screen use is undoubtedly making us worse. Excessive screen use has been linked to a range of negative effects on both mental and physical health. It can disrupt sleep by interfering with melatonin production, cause eye strain and dryness, and reduce attention spans, especially in children. Overexposure to screens is also associated with increased anxiety, depression, and addictive behavior, particularly on social media platforms. Physically, it contributes to poor posture, inactivity, and related issues like obesity and back pain. In children, too much screen time can delay language development and impair social skills, while constant exposure to violent content may lead to emotional desensitization.
Research suggests that active screen use, especially fast-paced, attention-grabbing content, can negatively impact comprehension skills and impulse control. As attention spans and language development decline, it logically follows that the brain’s ability to process, retain, and reflect on information may be weakened, making it harder to focus deeply or regulate immediate reactions.