The Matrix

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HERO'S JOURNEY
Ever notice that every blockbuster movie has the same fundamental pieces? A hero, a journey, some conflicts to muck it all up, a reward, and the hero returning home and everybody applauding his or her swag? Yeah, scholar Joseph Campbell noticed first—in 1949. He wrote The Hero with a Thousand Faces, in which he outlined the 17 stages of a mythological hero's journey.
About half a century later, Christopher Vogler condensed those stagesdown to 12 in an attempt to show Hollywood how every story ever written should—and, uh, does—follow Campbell's pattern. We're working with those 12 stages, so take a look. (P.S. Want more? We have an entire Online Course devoted to the hero's journey.)
Ordinary WorldWhen we first meet Neo, he's nodded off on his computer with his headphones on. His room is messy and minimally lit, and on the monitor we see a random jumbling of news articles.
In the seconds it takes for us to take this in we learn exactly who Neo is. He's your typical hermit-type computer nerd who doesn't see enough of the sun…but who also happens to be a hacker who's relentlessly searching for something until he literally can't keep his eyes open.
Call To AdventureWe doubt ol' Joe Campbell was being literal with the "call to adventure" stage, but that's exactly what Neo gets. After he takes Trinity's bait on the computer and follows the white rabbit to the club, and after he meets Trinity who whispers about the mysterious entity known as Morpheus, he gets a call on a cellphone from the big man himself.
This is it; after years of searching, Neo's time has finally come.
Refusal Of The CallOr has it? As excited as Neo is upon hearing Morpheus' voice, he can't do what Morpheus asks him to do.
He follows instructions closely at first, but when he has to open the window and clamber around the outside of the skyscraper, it's just too much for our scaredy-cat hacker to handle.
Meeting The MentorPerhaps the most famous scene in the whole movies is Neo's first meeting with Morpheus: the big leather armchairs, the colored pills, the aviator shades and awesome trench coat.
And Morpheus has just as much impact on Neo as he has on the audience. Neo wants to make heads and tails of the Matrix and Morpheus is the man who will guide him toward enlightenment.
But, uhh, it might hurt a little.
Crossing The ThresholdMaybe having a hallucinogenic metallic liquid cover your body and rush down your throat isn't the ideal way to start an adventure but, unfortunately for Neo, his journey across the threshold doesn't get any easier when he's in the real world.
Neo wakes up in his body, is detached and discarded by a giant bug robot, and then craned up into a hovercraft where he passes out. But hey, he finally made it.
Tests, Allies, EnemiesNeo is taken through a variety of exercises to learn what he's capable of inside a computer program like the Matrix. He spars Morpheus in a dojo, jumps (or fails to jump) between city buildings, and learns about the danger of agents and red dresses.
He also gets to meet the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar and adjust to life in the future…or, present.
Approach To The Inmost CaveBut it's only fun and games and downloading jiu jitsu for so long before Neo is confronted with some real trouble.
We're not talking about the agents yet; Neo's approach to the inmost cave is his talk with the Oracle. This is the place where Neo's doubts and fears are manifested.
He's told that he isn't The One and is turned away, having come up short. Of course, seeing the Oracle meant entering the Matrix, and it's in the program that was his old reality where Neo will face his first real (well, simulated) challenge.
OrdealThe main event of The Matrix comes when Neo decides to head back into the Matrix to rescue Morpheus. Bringing Trinity and a lot of guns with him, he storms Agent Smith's hideout, kills all the guards and grabs Morpheus with a helicopter.
But it's the climax of this battle that matters most. When Neo is finally put head to head with the agents, he discovers that he's able to move just as fast as they are, dodging bullets like no tomorrow.
Reward (Seizing The Sword)Unfortunately, Neo doesn't get to seize the sword for very long. Yes, his newfound incredible speed is…incredible, but with Cypher's betrayal, things are about to get a lot worse before Neo can finish his journey.
The Road BackThe road back home is slogged by deceit. Cypher kills Dozer and wounds Tank before he starts unplugging Switch and the rest of the crew. Tank puts an end to it just before Neo is a goner, but then he's stuck alone in the Matrix, fighting Smith with no back up.
ResurrectionAfter failing to kill Agent Smith in the subway, Neo decides to make a run for it. But the agents are too fast for him and eventually track him down, shooting him dead in an apartment hallway.
But what with Trinity confessing her love to his unconscious body, Neo has a very literal resurrection. He wakes up and is done dodging bullets. He stops them in midair then dives inside of Smith, blowing him to green Smith-ereens.
Return With The ElixirThe elixir that Neo returns with is himself.
He's shown that he is truly The One. He brings with him a hope for finally ending the war with the Machines and unplugging the rest of the helpless humans from the Matrix. The Ordeal and Resurrection haven't just proved Neo a capable fighter, but a savior for mankind.
Oh, and he can fly now.

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Papaji explains the matrix of the ego/mind:

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Fist of Legend 1994

Kung Fu Motion Visualization from Tobias Gremmler on Vimeo.

as·phyx·i·a - Making of from Maria Takeuchi on Vimeo.

The Matrix (1999)
2h 16min
Action, Sci-Fi
March 31, 1999 (USA)
$60 Million Budget
$464 Million

Allegory

a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.
"The Matrix is an allegory of the spiritual journey"
~McCoy
synonyms: parable, analogy, metaphor, symbol, emblem

Parable
A parable is a succinct, didactic story, in prose or verse, which illustrates one or more instructive lessons or principles. It differs from a fable in that fables employ animals, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature as characters, whereas parables have human characters. A parable is a type of analogy.

The Cast:
Keanu Reeves...Neo/Anagram "ONE"
Nobody
Keanu Reeves...is also Mr. Anderson Anderson "son of Andrew" derived from the Greek name "Andreas which means son of Man.

Laurence Fishburne...Morpheus
Morpheus is the god of dreams who sends messages from the Gods to humans.

Carrie-Anne Moss...Trinity...the sacred Trinity.Father, Son, Holy-Spirit

Hugo Weaving...Agent Smith

Gloria Foster...Oracle

Joe Pantoliano...Cypher who was a folllower of Morpheus

Marcus Chong...Tank

Julian Arahanga...Apoc

Matt Doran...Mouse

Belinda McClory...Switch

Anthony Ray Parker...Dozer

Paul Goddard...Agent Brown

Robert Taylor...Agent Jones

Allegory of the Cave
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Plato's Allegory of the Cave by Jan Saenredam, according to Cornelis van Haarlem, 1604, Albertina, Vienna
Part of a series on
Plato
The Allegory of the Cave, or Plato's Cave, was presented by the Greek philosopher Plato in his work Republic(514a–520a) to compare "the effect of education (παιδεία) and the lack of it on our nature". It is written as a dialogue between Plato's brother Glaucon and his mentor Socrates, narrated by the latter. The allegory is presented after the analogy of the sun (508b–509c) and the analogy of the divided line (509d–511e). All three are characterized in relation to dialectic at the end of Books VII and VIII .
Plato has Socrates describe a group of people who have lived chained to the wall of a cave all of their lives, facing a blank wall. The people watch shadows projected on the wall from objects passing in front of a fire behind them, and give names to these shadows. The shadows are the prisoners' reality. Socrates explains how the philosopher is like a prisoner who is freed from the cave and comes to understand that the shadows on the wall are not reality at all, for he can perceive the true form of reality rather than the manufactured reality that is the shadows seen by the prisoners. The inmates of this place do not even desire to leave their prison; for they know no better life. The prisoners manage to break their bonds one day, and discover that their reality was not what they thought it was. They discovered the sun, which Plato uses as an analogy for the fire that man cannot see behind. Like the fire that cast light on the walls of the cave, the human condition is forever bound to the impressions that are received through the senses. Even if these interpretations (or, in Kantian terminology, intuitions) are an absurd misrepresentation of reality, we cannot somehow break free from the bonds of our human condition - we cannot free ourselves from phenomenal state just as the prisoners could not free themselves from their chains. If, however, we were to miraculously escape our bondage, we would find a world that we could not understand - the sun is incomprehensible for someone who has never seen it. In other words, we would encounter another "realm," a place incomprehensible because, theoretically, it is the source of a higher reality than the one we have always known; it is the realm of pure Form, pure fact.
Socrates remarks that this allegory can be paired with previous writings, namely the analogy of the sun and the analogy of the divided line.

TerminologyThe allegory of the cave is also called the analogy of the cave, myth of the cave, metaphor of the cave, parable of the cave, and Plato's Cave.[2]
Summary
"Plato's Cave Allegory" by Markus MaurerImprisonment in the cavePlato begins by having Socrates ask Glaucon to imagine a cave where people have been imprisoned from birth. These prisoners are chained so that their legs and necks are fixed, forcing them to gaze at the wall in front of them and not look around at the cave, each other, or themselves (514a–b).[3] Behind the prisoners is a fire, and between the fire and the prisoners is a raised walkway with a low wall, behind which people walk carrying objects or puppets "of men and other living things" (514b).[3]The people walk behind the wall so their bodies do not cast shadows for the prisoners to see, but the objects they carry do ("just as puppet showmen have screens in front of them at which they work their puppets" ). The prisoners cannot see any of what is happening behind them, they are only able to see the shadows cast upon the cave wall in front of them. The sounds of the people talking echo off the walls, and the prisoners believe these sounds come from the shadows.
Socrates suggests that the shadows are reality for the prisoners because they have never seen anything else; they do not realize that what they see are shadows of objects in front of a fire, much less that these objects are inspired by real things outside the cave which they do not see (514b-515a).
Departure from the cave[]
Allegory of the Cave. Left (From top to bottom): Sun; Natural things; Shadows of natural things; Fire; Artificial objects; Shadows of artificial objects; Allegory level.
Right (From top to bottom): "Good" idea, Ideas, Mathematical objects, Light, Creatures and Objects, Image, Analogy of the Sun, and the Analogy of the Divided LinePlato then supposes that one prisoner is freed. This prisoner would look around and see the fire. The light would hurt his eyes and make it difficult for him to see the objects casting the shadows. If he were told that what he is seeing is real instead of the other version of reality he sees on the wall, he would not believe it. In his pain, Plato continues, the freed prisoner would turn away and run back to what he is accustomed to (that is, the shadows of the carried objects). He writes "... it would hurt his eyes, and he would escape by turning away to the things which he was able to look at, and these he would believe to be clearer than what was being shown to him."
Plato continues: "Suppose... that someone should drag him... by force, up the rough ascent, the steep way up, and never stop until he could drag him out into the light of the sun." The prisoner would be angry and in pain, and this would only worsen when the radiant light of the sun overwhelms his eyes and blinds him.
"Slowly, his eyes adjust to the light of the sun. First he can only see shadows. Gradually he can see the reflections of people and things in water and then later see the people and things themselves. Eventually, he is able to look at the stars and moon at night until finally he can look upon the sun itself (516a)."Only after he can look straight at the sun "is he able to reason about it" and what it is (516b).[(See also Plato's Analogy of the Sun, which occurs near the end of The Republic, Book VI.)[
Return to the cavePlato continues, saying that the freed prisoner would think that the world outside the cave was superior to the world he experienced in the cave; "he would bless himself for the change, and pity [the other prisoners]" and would want to bring his fellow cave dwellers out of the cave and into the sunlight (516c).[3]
The returning prisoner, whose eyes have become accustomed to the sunlight, would be blind when he re-enters the cave, just as he was when he was first exposed to the sun (516e).[3] The prisoners, according to Plato, would infer from the returning man's blindness that the journey out of the cave had harmed him and that they should not undertake a similar journey. Socrates concludes that the prisoners, if they were able, would therefore reach out and kill anyone who attempted to drag them out of the cave
SymbolismThe allegory contains many forms of symbolism used to describe the state of the world. The cave is a symbol of the world and the prisoners are those who inhabit the world. The chains that prevent the prisoners from leaving the cave represent ignorance, meaning they interfere with the prisoners seeing the truth. The shadows cast on the walls of the cave represent what people see in the present world. Last, the freed prisoner represents those in society who see the physical world for the illusion that it is.

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Above...begin at 1:00 minute

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Above: Morpheus, the Greek God of Dreams who delivers messages from the gods to the mortal world to men/women

Nebuchadnezzar II (i/ˌnɛbjᵿkədˈnɛzər/; Aramaic: ܢܵܒܘܼ ܟܘܼܕܘܼܪܝܼ ܐܘܼܨܘܼܪ ‎‎; Hebrew: נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר Nəḇūḵaḏneṣṣar; Ancient Greek: Ναβουχοδονόσωρ Naboukhodonósôr; Latin: Nabuchodonosor; Arabic: نِبُوخَذنِصَّر nibūḫaḏniṣṣar; c. 634 – c. 562 BC) was a Chaldean king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, who reigned c. 605 BC – c. 562 BC. Both the construction of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the destruction of Jerusalem's temple are ascribed to him. He is featured in the Book of Daniel and is mentioned in several other books of the Bible.

http://www.thematrix101.com/matrix/synopsis.php

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Colour Meaning

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The Making of The Matrix 1999

Crisis Actors
http://thetruthfulone.com/false-flag-crisis-actors/

Simulacra and Simulation
by Jean Baudrillard

"It is the real, and not the map, whose vestiges persist here and there in the deserts that are no longer those of the Empire, but ours: the desert of the real itself.
~Jean Baudrillard

"When the real is no longer what it was, nostalgia assumes its full meaning."
~Jean Baudrillard

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jean_Baudrillard

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Crisis Actors

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What's ugly in the Matrix!

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Operation Mockingbird From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Operation Mockingbird was a campaign by the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to influence media during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Begun in the 1950s, it was initially organized by Cord Meyer and Allen W. Dulles, and was later led by Frank Wisner after Dulles became the head of the CIA. The organization recruited leading American journalists into a propaganda network to help present the CIA's views. It funded some student and cultural organizations and magazines as fronts. As it developed, it also worked to influence foreign media and political campaigns, in addition to activities by other operating units of the CIA. The CIA's use of journalists continued unabated until 1973, when the program was scaled back, finally coming to a halt in 1976 when George H.W. Bush took over as director.[1] In addition to earlier exposés of CIA activities in foreign affairs, in 1966, Ramparts magazine published an article revealing that the National Student Association was funded by the CIA. The United States Congress investigated the allegations and published a report in 1976. Other accounts were also published. The media operation was first called Mockingbird in Deborah Davis's 1979 book, Katharine the Great: Katharine Graham and The Washington Post.[2] Contents [hide] 1 History 1.1 Directorate for Plans 1.2 First exposure 1.3 Church Committee investigations 1.4 "Family Jewels" report 1.5 Termination of Program 2 See also 3 Further reading 4 References 5 External links History[edit] In 1948, Frank Wisner was appointed director of the Office of Special Projects (OSP). Soon afterwards, OSP was renamed the Office of Policy Coordination (OPC), which became the CIA's covert action branch. Wisner was told to create an organization that concentrated on "propaganda, economic warfare; preventive direct action, including sabotage, anti-sabotage, demolition and evacuation measures; subversion against hostile states, including assistance to underground resistance groups, and support of indigenous anti-Communist elements in threatened countries of the free world".[3] Later that year, Wisner established Mockingbird, a program to influence foreign media.[citation needed] Wisner recruited Philip Graham from The Washington Post to run the project within the industry. According to Deborah Davis in Katharine the Great, "By the early 1950s, Wisner 'owned' respected members of The New York Times, Newsweek, CBS and other communications vehicles."[4] In 1951, Allen W. Dulles persuaded Cord Meyer to join the CIA. However, there is evidence that he was recruited several years earlier and had been spying on the liberal internationalist organizations he had been a member of in the late 1940s.[5] According to Deborah Davis, Meyer became Mockingbird's "principal operative."[6] "I’m proud they asked me and proud to have done it" - Joseph Alsop [7] After 1953, the network was overseen by CIA Director Allen Dulles, by which time Operation Mockingbird had major influence over 25 newspapers and wire agencies.[citation needed] The usual methodology was placing reports developed from intelligence provided by the CIA to witting or unwitting reporters. Those reports would then be repeated or cited by the preceding reporters which in turn would then be cited throughout the media wire services. These networks were run by people with well-known liberal but pro-American big business and anti-Soviet views such as William S. Paley (CBS), Henry Luce (Time and Life Magazine), Arthur Hays Sulzberger (New York Times), Alfred Friendly (managing editor of the Washington Post), Jerry O'Leary (Washington Star), Hal Hendrix (Miami News), Barry Bingham, Sr. (Louisville Courier-Journal), James Copley (Copley News Services) and Joseph Harrison (Christian Science Monitor).[8] The Office of Policy Coordination (OPC) was funded by siphoning off funds intended for the Marshall Plan. Some of this money was used to bribe journalists and publishers. Frank Wisner was constantly looking for ways to help convince the public of the dangers of Soviet communism. In 1954, Wisner arranged for the funding of a Hollywood production of Animal Farm as an animated allegory based on the book written by George Orwell.[9] Thomas Braden, head of the International Organizations Division (IOD), played an important role in Operation Mockingbird.[citation needed] Many years later he revealed his role in these events: "If the director of CIA wanted to extend a present, say, to someone in Europe—a Labour leader—suppose he just thought, This man can use fifty thousand dollars, he's working well and doing a good job—he could hand it to him and never have to account to anybody... There was simply no limit to the money it could spend and no limit to the people it could hire and no limit to the activities it could decide were necessary to conduct the war—the secret war... It was a multinational. Maybe it was one of the first. Journalists were a target, labor unions a particular target—that was one of the activities in which the communists spent the most money."[10] Directorate for Plans[edit] In August 1952, the Office of Policy Coordination which dealt with covert action such as paramilitary or psychological influence operations, and the Office of Special Operations which dealt with espionage and counter-espionage, were merged under the Deputy Director for Plans (DDP), Allen W. Dulles. When Dulles became head of the CIA in 1953, Frank Wisner became head of this new organization and Richard Helms became his chief of operations. Mockingbird became the responsibility of the DDP.[11][not in citation given] J. Edgar Hoover became jealous of the CIA's growing power. Institutionally, the organizations were very different, with the CIA holding a more politically diverse group in contrast to the more conservative FBI. This was reflected in Hoover's description of the OPC as "Wisner's gang of weirdos". Hoover began having investigations done into Wisner's people. He found that some of them had been active in left-wing politics in the 1930s. This information was passed to Senator Joseph McCarthy who started making attacks on members of the OPC. Hoover also gave McCarthy details of an affair that Frank Wisner had with Princess Caradja in Romania during the war. Hoover claimed that Caradja was a Soviet agent.[12] McCarthy, as part of his campaign against government, began accusing other senior members of the CIA as being security risks. McCarthy claimed that the CIA was a "sinkhole of communists", and said he would root out a hundred of them. One of his first targets was Cord Meyer, who was still working for Operation Mockingbird.[citation needed] In August 1953, Richard Helms, Wisner's deputy at the OPC, told Meyer that McCarthy had accused him of being a communist. The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it was unwilling to give Meyer "security clearance", without referring to any evidence against him. Allen W. Dulles and Frank Wisner both came to his defense and refused to permit an FBI interrogation of Meyer.[13] With the network in authority in the CIA threatened, Wisner was directed to unleash Mockingbird on McCarthy.[citation needed] Drew Pearson, Joe Alsop, Jack Anderson, Walter Lippmann and Ed Murrow all engaged in intensely negative coverage of McCarthy. According to Jack Anderson, his political reputation was permanently damaged by the press coverage orchestrated by Wisner.[14] First exposure[edit] In 1964, Random House published Invisible Government by David Wise and Thomas Ross. The book exposed the role of the CIA in foreign policy. This included CIA coups in Guatemala (Operation PBSUCCESS) and Iran (Operation Ajax) and the Bay of Pigs Invasion. It also revealed the CIA's attempts to overthrow President Sukarno in Indonesia and the covert operations taking place in Laos and Vietnam. The CIA considered buying up the entire printing of Invisible Government, but this idea was rejected when Random House pointed out that if this happened, they would have to print a second edition.[3] John McCone, the new director of the CIA, tried to prevent Edward Yates from making a documentary on the CIA for the National Broadcasting Company (NBC). This attempt at censorship failed, and NBC broadcast this critical documentary. In June 1965, Desmond FitzGerald was appointed as head of the Directorate for Plans and took charge of Mockingbird.[citation needed] At the end of 1966, FitzGerald learned that Ramparts had discovered that the CIA had been secretly funding the National Student Association and was considering publishing an account.[15] When the magazine advised the CIA it had "lost control of the information", and would likely be forced to publicize, FitzGerald ordered a plan to either neutralize the campaign and/or wind-down Mockingbird.[citation needed] He appointed Edgar Applewhite to organize a campaign against Ramparts. Applewhite later told Evan Thomas for his book, The Very Best Men: "I had all sorts of dirty tricks to hurt their circulation and financing. The people running Ramparts were vulnerable to blackmail. We had awful things in mind, some of which we carried off."[16] Ramparts published the account in March 1967. The article, written by Sol Stern, was entitled "NSA and the CIA".[citation needed] As well as reporting CIA funding of the National Student Association, Stern exposed the wide system of anti-Communist front organizations in Europe, Asia, and South America. It named Cord Meyer as a key figure in this campaign, which included the funding of the literary journal Encounter.[10] Applewhite managed to control some of the account by steering references away from leftist organizations and toward most of the few conservative organizations backed by the CIA. In May 1967, Thomas Braden published "I'm Glad the CIA is 'Immoral'", in the Saturday Evening Post. He defended the activities of the International Organizations Division unit of the CIA. Braden said that the CIA had kept these activities secret from Congress. As he wrote: "In the early 1950s, when the Cold War was really hot, the idea that Congress would have approved many of our projects was about as likely as the John Birch Society's approving Medicare."[17] Church Committee investigations[edit] Further details of Operation Mockingbird were revealed as a result of the Senator Frank Church investigations (Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities) in 1975.[citation needed] According to the Congress report published in 1976: "The CIA currently maintains a network of several hundred foreign individuals around the world who provide intelligence for the CIA and at times attempt to influence opinion through the use of covert propaganda. These individuals provide the CIA with direct access to a large number of newspapers and periodicals, scores of press services and news agencies, radio and television stations, commercial book publishers, and other foreign media outlets."[citation needed] In February 1976, George H. W. Bush, the recently appointed Director of the CIA, announced a new policy: "Effective immediately, the CIA will not enter into any paid or contract relationship with any full-time or part-time news correspondent accredited by any U.S. news service, newspaper, periodical, radio or television network or station."[18] He added that the CIA would continue to "welcome" the voluntary, unpaid cooperation of journalists.[citation needed] "Family Jewels" report[edit] According to the "Family Jewels" report, released by the National Security Archive on June 26, 2007, during the period from March 12, 1963 to June 15, 1963, the CIA installed telephone taps on two Washington-based news reporters.[19] Termination of Program[edit] After William Colby left the Agency on January 28th, 1976, and was succeeded by George H.W. Bush, the CIA announced a new policy: “Effective immediately, the CIA will not enter into any paid or contractual relationship with any full‑time or part‑time news correspondent accredited by any U.S. news service, newspaper, periodical, radio or television network or station.” However, more than half of the relationships the CIA had with U.S. journalists continued. The text of the announcement noted that the CIA would continue to “welcome” the voluntary, unpaid cooperation of journalists. Thus, while Operation Mockingbird came to an end, many relationships between the CIA and journalists were allowed to remain intact.[20]

An agency of the U.S. government was exposed trying to control the public narrative over WikiLeaks in 2011 by influencing media outlets coverage, as revealed in the latest batch of Hillary Clinton emails released by the State Department.
The emails from Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs at the time, Philip J. Crowley, expose the U.S. State Department “planting” a number of “questions and concerns” with CBS News for a 60 minutes piece on WikiLeaks, featuring Julian Assange.
“I just received confirmation from 60 Minutes that a piece on Julian Assange will air Sunday night. He will be the only person featured…” Crowley wrote. “60 Minutes assures me that they raised a number of questions and concerns we planted with them during the course of the interview.”According to a report by Shadow Proof:
While it is unknown what questions and concerns were “planted,” Steve Kroft of “60 Minutes” asked Assange if he was anti-American, if he deserved prosecution because some say he operates outside the rules, why he runs a secretive organization when he is committed to exposing secrets, what he thinks of people who see him as a “cult-like figure,” and whether he is an agitator trying to “sabotage” governments.
Having representatives of the federal government attempt to influence and guide the narrative, of what is purported to the American public to be “a free and independent press,” can only be described as the symptoms of repressive authoritarian system that is out of control.
It seems that Operation Mockingbird is running strongly in 2015, under whatever code name it now operates.
For those unfamiliar, Operation Mockingbird was a CIA operation >>(Follow Link) began as the Cold War ramped up in the 1950’s. In an attempt to gather intelligence and influence public opinion, the CIA recruited journalists from across the United States.
The program officially operated for nearly three decades, and was deeply embedded in the fabric of American journalism. These compromised journalists provided the CIA direct access to some of the most prestigious media outlets in the country.
The scope of the infiltration of the media was vast, encompassing newspapers, periodicals, press services, news agencies, radio and television stations, book publishers and foreign media outlets. It appears that these propaganda relationships are still ongoing between the U.S. government and corporate media outlets.
Although the U.S. State Department frames this incident as simple assistance, the evidence of the government using the media to forward a selected narrative to propagandize the American people is apparent.
“We had a number of suggestions for outside experts and former diplomats to interview to ‘balance’ the piece,” Crowley wrote in an email to CBS News.
While the federal position is that they were simply assisting CBS in providing “balance” in their program; why would a government need to assist a professional news organization in finding equilibrium in their reporting?
This is yet another example of why the mainstream media’s reporting always needs to be intensely scrutinized, as you can never be sure exactly whose agenda is at work behind the scenes.

Read more at http://thefreethoughtproject.com/feds-exposed-planting-talking-points-questions-60-minutes-episode-wikileaks/#SIVHFBLpHYUMkRDC.99

What is the Matrix, Why does the matrix exist, and How do we get out of the Matrix.

How the NDAA Allows US Gov to Use Propaganda Against Americans
22Jul, 2013 by Susanne Posel

https://www.occupycorporatism.com/how-the-ndaa-allows-us-gov-to-use-propaganda-against-americans/

The US government has unbound the legal regulations against using propaganda against foreign audiences and American citizens. The intention is to sway public opinion by using television, radio, newspapers, and social media targeting the American and foreign people in controlled psy-ops. Psychological operations (PSYOP) are planned operations to convey selected information and indicators to audiences to influence their emotions, motives, and objective reasoning, and ultimately the behavior of governments, organizations, groups, and individuals.
The newest version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) has an amendment added that negates the Smith-Mundt Act of 1948 (SMA) and the Foreign Relations Authorization Act of 1987.
These laws made propaganda used to influence foreigners and US citizens illegal. Without these laws, disinformation could run rampant throughout our information junkets.
This amendment added to the NDAA has passed into implementation as of this month.
SMA defines the prohibition of domestic access to influence information through a variety of means, from broadcast to publishing of books, media, and online sources by restricting the State Department.
The Broadcasting Board of Governors was created from SMA. This agency claims to “inform, engage, and connect people around the world in support of freedom and democracy”. They omit that their specialty is making sure propaganda is added to the informational flow we all depend on.
The amendment sanctions the US government, without restriction, the use of any mode of message to control how we perceive our world.
As of now, the level of propaganda in the mainstream media (MSM) is quite high, with all of our television, printed media and internet sites associated with MSM owned by only 5 corporations.
Without these laws, the lies purveyed as truth to foreigners would find their way to our doorsteps as a purposeful operation enacted by our government. And in the name of national security, the US government could, and probably would, disseminate misinformation to gain public support for otherwise decidedly deplorable actions.
Amendment 114 of the NDAA was approved by the House in May of 2012.
The Smith-Mundt Modernization Act (2012) reads:
Sec. 501. (a) The Secretary and the Broadcasting Board of Governors are authorized to use funds appropriated or otherwise made available for public diplomacy information programs to provide for the preparation, dissemination/spread propagate, and use of information intended for foreign audiences abroad about the United States, its people, and its policies, through press, publications, radio, motion pictures, the Internet, and other information media, including social media, and through information centers, instructors, and other direct or indirect means of communication.
(b)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Secretary and the Broadcasting Board of Governors may, upon request and reimbursement of the reasonable costs incurred in fulfilling such a request, make available, in the United States, motion pictures, films, video, audio, and other materials prepared for dissemination abroad or disseminated abroad.
According to Michael Hastings : “The new law would give sweeping powers to the State Department and Pentagon to push television, radio, newspaper, and social media onto the U.S. public. “It removes the protection for Americans,” says a Pentagon official who is concerned about the law. “It removes oversight from the people who want to put out this information. There are no checks and balances. No one knows if the information is accurate, partially accurate, or entirely false.”

Representatives Mac Thornberry (R-TX) and Adam Smith (D-WA) in the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act (2012) (H.R. 5736), advocate that it is time to liberate the authority of the US government to broadcast American produced foreign propaganda in the U.S.
The amendment, which was hidden within the NDAA, has remained relatively unnoticed. However, it empowers the State Department and Pentagon to utilize all forms of media against the American public for the sake of coercing US citizens to believe whatever version of the truth the US government wants them to believe.
All oversight is removed with Amendment 114 . Regardless of whether the information disseminated is truthful, partially truthful or completely false bears no weight.
Thornberry believes that with the use of the internet by terrorist groups like al-Qaeda, the federal government needs to have the freedom to circulate their own propaganda to combat terrorism effectively.
“I just don’t want to see something this significant – whatever the pros and cons – go through without anyone noticing,” says one source on the Hill, who is disturbed by the law. According to this source, the law would allow “U.S. propaganda intended to influence foreign audiences to be used on the domestic population.”
Four billion dollars per year is spent by the Pentagon on propaganda aimed at the American public; as well as $202 million spent by the Department of Defense on misinformation operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2011.
Currently, the Pentagon is using “ sock puppet ” (fake handles) on social media sites to purvey false information, harass users and enact psy-ops to influence Americans.
A California corporation is working with the US Central Command (CENTCOM) in spreading propaganda overseas. They provide “online persona management service” that allows active duty military to set up an estimated 10 different false identities that are used worldwide.
Each fake persona comes complete with a background history and safeties to prevent “sophisticated adversaries” from discovering the lie.
CENTCOM spokesman Commander Bill Speaks said: “The technology supports classified blogging activities on foreign-language websites to enable CENTCOM to counter violent extremist and enemy propaganda outside the US.”
Sophisticated software allows military to engage in online conversations with coordinated answers, blog comments and instant messaging remarks that are solely meant to spread pro-American propaganda.
US Army whistleblower, Lieutenant Col. Daniel Davis believes there is a definitive aspiration within the US government “to enable Public Affairs officers to influence American public opinion when they deem it necessary to “protect a key friendly center of gravity, to wit US national will.”

The Books: Matrix 'Inspirations'
The Matrix universe created by the Wachowskis is deeply influenced by a wide variety of philosophy, spiritualism, and art. The inspirations are many and varied, and identifying them provides a satisfying challenge to the fans who wish to go deeper into the ideas behind The Matrix. While there are likely countless books that inspired the Wachowskis, many of which we'll never know about, 3 books were mentioned by name in The Matrix Revisited. These three books were given to Keanu Reeves to read before he even got the script.

Out of Control
Paperback: 521 pages
Written by Kevin Kelly
Written by The Executive Editor of Wired Magazine, Out of Control chronicles the dawn of a new era in which the machines and systems that drive our economy are so complex and autonomous as to be indistinguishable from living things. Kelly demonstrates quite convincingly how the technological is becoming more biological, and that nature is not particularly concerned about efficiency. Out of Control is an accessible and entertaining explanation of why the coming years will probably be the Age of Biology -- particularly evolution and ethology -- and what this will mean to most every aspect of our society.

Simulacra and Simulation
Paperback: 164 pages
Written by Jean Baudrillard
Translated by Sheila Glaser
Not only was this philosophical text important before making the movie, it was also featured in the first film: this is the book where Neo hides the "product" that he sells to his customer, Choi, in the beginning of The Matrix. Focusing on the concepts of the simulacrum, the copy without an original, and simulation, Baudrillard addresses the concept of mass reproduction and reproducibility. A mass reproduction of something - now what would that have to do with The Matrix?

Introducing Evolutionary Psychology
Paperback: 176 pages, illustrations
Written by Dylan Evans
Illustrated by Oscar Zarate
Drawing on insights of evolutionary biology and cognitive psychology, as well as anthropology, primatology, and archaeology, evolutionary psychologists are beginning to piece together the first truly scientific account of human nature. This book is an entertaining, accessible read that gives insight into why we behave the way we do, why we make the choices we do, and whether these reasons are buried in our unconscious minds or can be found elsewhere.

Themes
The Blurred Line Between Humans and MachinesThe films of the Matrix trilogy pit man against machine in a clearly drawn battle, but they also reveal that the humans are more machinelike than they think, and that the machines possess human qualities as well. The humans, for their part, are as relentlessly driven as machines. Morpheus’s faith in the Oracle’s prophecy, and in Neo, is unwavering and unquestioning, and his own followers follow him automatically. Trinity’s loyalty and attachment to Neo have machinelike constancy. Her actions suggest her love, but her love expresses itself not so much as passion or emotion than as ceaseless, frenzied activity. As Neo, Keanu Reeves exudes an almost robotic calm, and both he and Carrie-Anne Moss wear sleek, androgynous clothes. Their incredible fighting skills and superhuman strength seem to put them in the machine category, and their fluid movements are the result of programs that have been downloaded into them. The Agents, by contrast, are fluid, adaptive, and creative. They shift seamlessly throughout the programs and listen intently to human speech, responding accordingly and sensitively. When Agent Smith removes his glasses and orders the other Agents out of the room in a decidedly unmachinelike manner so he can confess something personal to Morpheus, he infuses his speech with human emotions such as disgust and horror. Indeed, Smith seems to become almost desperately human, and his endless replication of himself is decidedly egocentric.
With the line between man and machine blurred to the point almost of disappearing, the Matrix trilogy raises the complicated question of how interdependent man and machine actually are, or might be. One fear of artificial intelligence is that technology will entrap us in level upon level of dependence, and in the trilogy Neo discovers more and more about the thoroughness and subtlety of the Matrix. Technology threatens to become smarter than humans, but one larger point of the trilogy is that technology doesn’t have to be smarter than us to enslave us. As long as humans turn to technology to solve human problems, humans and technology are interdependent. In the trilogy, the machines are dependent on the humans for life, and they grow and harvest humans so they can continue to exist. Though the reverse doesn’t necessarily follow—humans don’t rely on the machines for their existence—the trilogy’s entire story hinges on the fact that at one point humans needed artificial intelligence for something, and so created A.I. to fulfill that need.
Fate vs. Free Will in the Matrix and the Real WorldWhen Morpheus asks Neo to choose between a red pill and a blue pill, he essentially offers the choice between fate and free will. In the Matrix, fate rules—since the world is preconstructed and actions predetermined, all questions already have answers and any choice is simply the illusion of choice. In the real world, humans have the power to change their fate, take individual action, and make mistakes. Neo chooses the red pill—real life—and learns that free will isn’t pretty. The real world is a mess, dangerous and destitute. Pleasure exists almost entirely in the world of the Matrix, where it’s actually only a computer construct. Cypher, who regrets choosing the red pill and ultimately chooses to return to the Matrix, views any pleasure, even false pleasure, as better than no pleasure at all. Neo, Morpheus, Trinity, and the others in Zion, of course, value free will and reality no matter how unpleasant they may be. The Matrix trilogy suggests that everyone has the individual responsibility to make the choice between the real world and an artificial world.
Though Neo is the exemplar of free will, fate plays a large role in his adventure. Neo relies on the Oracle, and everything she says comes true in some way. If she can see around time and guide Neo to the right decision at each encounter, he doesn’t have to exhibit much, if any, free will. Morpheus tries to describe the Oracle as a “guide,” not someone who knows the future, and at the end of the trilogy she tells Seraph that she actually knew nothing, she only believed. Nonetheless, the Oracle is always right, raising doubts about how much free Neo actually has. In another way, as an integral part of the Matrix, the Oracle’s intelligence and composure lead her visitors to believe what she says, a trust that perhaps renders her prophecies self-fulfilling. In this sense, she shares the same final goals as Morpheus, Neo, and Trinity, and together they actively shape the future.
The Relationship Between Body, Brain, and MindThe Matrix trilogy explores the interconnection between the body, the brain, and the mind, especially how that connection changes when the world turns out to be an illusion. Two different kinds of humans populate the world of the Matrix films: ordinary humans and those who, thanks to a port in their head, can be jacked into the Matrix. People in the Matrix can feel physical sensations, which are created by the mind, and the Matrix trilogy makes it clear that the body cannot live without the mind. If skills, such as fighting skills, are downloaded into the brain, and if the mind is free, a person can control his or her body as if he or she actually has had these skills all along. The trilogy suggests that humans need the body, brain, and mind working together simultaneously to stay awake in the world, which, in a way, is a declaration of the power of individuality and humanity. The existence or absence of all three elements separates Neo, Morpheus, and Trinity from not only the Agents but also the Architect, the Oracle, and all the other Matrix-bound entities.
Motifs
Sexuality and SensualityIn The Matrix, all references to sex occur only in the Matrix—that is, in the mind. Mouse, the young techno-whiz, creates a fantasy woman dressed in red as part of a simulation of the Matrix. The Matrix Reloaded shows an earthier version of sex in the real world, in the human city of Zion. Neo and Trinity, whose passion was previously much colder, make love under an arch, a traditional symbol of heavenly blessing. The film interrupts their lovemaking with scenes of the earthy, sensual Zionites celebrating their community to the beat of tribal drums. They’re loosely garbed in earth-toned clothing and are muscular, tattooed, and sweaty. The vast population jumps up and down, undulating in a sweep of ecstasy that seems to serve as a connection to the earth. Sex and sensuality are concrete in the real world, while in the Matrix, they are illusions like everything else.
The Matrix Revolutions portrays the Merovingian’s underground club, Hell, as an S&M paradise, full of latex, whips, chains, masks, and muscular bodies. The club suggests Dante’s circles of hell, in which sinners receive various tortures and punishments. Here, the Wachowskis present the idea that the simulation of punishment, the sensations of various materials, bindings, and masks, and the assumption of various roles of domination and submission can be a liberating and sensual experience. What the Christian Dante condemns as debauchery, the Merovingian presides over as an entertaining party.
Sunglasses, Eyes, and MirrorsThe renegades and the Agents always wear sunglasses in the Matrix. Sunglasses hide the eyes and reflect those who are being looked at. The removal of sunglasses signals that a character is gaining a new or different perspective, or that he or she is vulnerable or exposed in some way. When Neo removes his glasses to kiss Persephone in The Matrix Reloaded, he looks deeply into her eyes, indicating both the precariousness and gravity of the moment. When Morpheus offers Neo his crucial choice between the pills, the blue pill is reflected in one shade of his sunglasses, the red pill in the other, an overt reference to the two different ways of seeing that Neo must choose between. When Neo enters his new world, his sunglasses serve as protection for him, keeping him invulnerable to the dangers and surprises he encounters.
Mirrors reveal how we see the outside world, but also, crucially, how we see ourselves and our own world. When Neo takes the red pill, he enters the real world, and the mirror he touches infects him slowly with metallic goo, suggesting the fraying of all his illusions as he enters a new realm of perception. Other reflective materials are shattered throughout the trilogy. Skyscraper glass rains down, water rains from above and pools below, and anything transparent continually shifts forms and locations, transforming whatever it reflects.
Biblical ReferencesThe films in the Matrix trilogy frequently employ biblical references to augment character development and suggest a significance greater than the mere actions taking place. On the plaque of Morpheus’s Nebuchadnezzer, for example, as part of its identifying numbers, is the notation Mark III, No. 11 . In the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament, Mark describes large crowds who follow Jesus and are healed of their diseases. Chapter 3, verse 11 (King James Version) reads, “And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him and cried, saying, ‘Thou art the Son of God!’” In some ways, Morpheus parallels a Gospel writer delivering news of a savior. He is, after all, the first person to believe and declare that Neo is the One. When Neo disembarks at Zion for the first time in The Matrix Reloaded, afflicted crowds await him and treat him as a messiah, begging for his healing touch just as the crowds in Mark’s Gospel do. Though Neo isn’t necessarily a messiah, the biblical reference here suggests he embodies the qualities of one and presents a possible interpretation of his role.
Just before Agent Smith’s first appearance in The Matrix Reloaded, we see the license plate on the luxury car he drives: IS 5416. In the Old Testament, Chapter 54, Verse 16, of Isaiah, reads “Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire and that bringeth forth an instrument for this work; and I have created the waster, to destroy.” In this chapter, Isaiah refers to the Lord’s assurances that Zion, the promised land for the Israelites, will be victorious in future glory. He reminds his people that he created everything and goes on to reassure them that “no weapon forged against you will prevail.” Though we don’t necessarily need to recognize and understand the biblical reference in order to understand the Matrix trilogy, references like this one add a second layer of meaning to the films. They augment what we do know about the characters and add depth to the conflict, giving the films hidden meanings and reinforcing the idea that what we’re seeing isn’t all that’s there—more lurks beneath the surface, if we just know where to look, much as those who take the red pill discover an alternate universe just beyond what they know.
Symbols
ZionThe meaning of the human city of Zion changes throughout the Matrix trilogy. In The Matrix, the city is discussed but not seen and works mostly as a metaphor for a promised land of sorts, and a goal that makes the fighting worthwhile. The Zion in the films recalls the biblical city of Zion. In the Old Testament, Zion is Jerusalem, the heavenly city God promised to the Israelites. The city sits on the top of a hill, commanding a distant view of the kingdom—both for meditative purposes and for safety. The people in Zion live in harmony and are unified in their faith. The word Zion suggests safety, since the city became a religious haven for the Israelites after years of wandering and enduring torture. In the Matrix trilogy, Zion is still a promised land as well as a safe haven, but the parallels end there. The Zion of the Matrix commands not a vast view of land, but is instead buried within the heart of the earth, and though it offers the illusion of safety, in The Matrix Revolutions the enemy infiltrates that safe haven and crashes violently through its borders.
The Zion in the Matrix trilogy contrasts with the illusory program of the Matrix. The Matrix represents a system of control that operates completely in the mind. As a complex, machine-driven program, it appropriates any personal, political, or ideological leanings and renders them wholly false. It allows illusions but no action. Zion, as a promised land, represents a real, tangible, human place fought for, worked for, and died for. Zion is a living sanctuary and a memorial to the efforts and faith of a chosen people. When Zion appears in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, its symbolic connotations intensify as its inhabitants fight for a true human community.
The Green Light of the MatrixEverything in the Matrix is bathed in a green light, as if the camera were capped with a green-tinted lens. (The green in question is the color that characters on computer screens used to be before the advent of Windows and word-processing programs that used black-on-white color schemes to make the computer world look more like the “real” world of paper and ink.) This color suggests that, unlike in the real world, what we see in the Matrix is being shown, or filtered, through something else. When Neo finally develops the ability to see the Agents as code rather than as their fake human shapes, he sees them in the same menacing green color that saturates the rest of the Matrix. In all three of the movies, when something is evil, green light is involved—Club Hell, for example, is bathed in green light, and green flames surround Bane/Smith just before Neo kills him. We might expect, then, that Neo will see nothing but green when he approaches the supposedly evil Machine City. Instead, with his second sight, Neo sees golden spires of light reaching toward the sky—no hint of green. Whatever the machines are, they’re not only embodiments of evil indulgence and selfishness as are the Merovingian and Smith.
Three/The TrinityThe Matrix trilogy itself is, of course, three films, and arrangements of threes and references to threes saturate the films. The number three has strong spiritual significance, which appears in the character of Trinity. The name Trinity suggests the holy trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, which represents the divine nature of God. In the Matrix films, Morpheus, Neo, and Trinity form their own trinity, as do Agents Smith, Brown, and Jones. Three ships’ crews, another trinity, try to access the door of the Source: Soren’s, Niobe’s, and Morpheus’s. The reappearance of the number three perpetuates and emphasizes the idea of the trinity. The Matrix begins and ends in Room 303 at the Heart O’ the City Motel. Without the zero, the number becomes 33, which recalls the purported age of Christ at the time of his crucifixion and resurrection. Neo also has visions of three thick cables bound together in The Matrix Revolutions, and these power cables lead to his penetration of the heart of the city.

The second sibling of the filmmaking duo known as The Wachowskis has come out as transgender.Lilly Wachowski, 48, sibling of Lana, 50, came out in a statement to Windy City Times, after being threatened with outing by other media.
Here is her statement:
"SEX CHANGE SHOCKER—WACHOWSKI BROTHERS NOW SISTERS!!!"

There's the headline I've been waiting for this past year. Up until now with dread and/or eye rolling exasperation. The "news" has almost come out a couple of times. Each was preceded by an ominous email from my agent—reporters have been asking for statements regarding the "Andy Wachowski gender transition" story they were about to publish. In response to this threatened public outing against my will, I had a prepared a statement that was one part piss, one part vinegar and 12 parts gasoline.

It had a lot of politically relevant insights regarding the dangers of outing trans people, and the statistical horrors of transgender suicide and murder rates. Not to mention a slightly sarcastic wrap-up that "revealed" my father had injected praying mantis blood into his paternal ball-sac before conceiving each of his children to produce a brood of super women, hellbent on female domination. Okay, mega sarcastic.

But it didn't happen. The editors of these publications didn't print a story that was only salacious in substance and could possibly have a potentially fatal effect. And being the optimist that I am, I was happy to chalk it up to progress.

Then last night while getting ready to go out for dinner my doorbell rang. Standing on my front porch was a man I did not recognize.

"This might be a little awkward," he said in an English accent.

I remember sighing.

Sometimes it's really tough work to be an optimist.

He proceeded to explain he was a journalist from the Daily Mail, which was the largest news service in the UK and was most definitely not a tabloid. And that I really had to sit down with him tomorrow or the next day or next week so that I could have my picture taken and tell my story which was so inspirational! And that I really didn't want to have someone from the National Enquirer following me around, did I? BTW—The Daily Mail is so definitely not a tabloid.

My sister Lana and I have largely avoided the press. I find talking about my art frustratingly tedious and talking about myself a wholly mortifying experience. I knew at some point I would have to come out publicly. You know, when you're living as an out transgender person it's … kind of difficult to hide. I just wanted—needed some time to get my head right, to feel comfortable.

But apparently I don't get to decide this.

After he had given me his card, and I closed the door it began to dawn on me where I had heard of the Daily Mail. It was the "news" organization that had played a huge part in the national public outing of Lucy Meadows, an elementary school teacher and trans woman in the UK. An editorial in the "not-a-tabloid" demonized her as a damaging influence on the children's delicate innocence and summarized "he's not only trapped in the wrong body, he's in the wrong job." The reason I knew about her wasn't because she was transgender it was because three months after the Daily Mail article came out, Lucy committed suicide.

And now here they were, at my front door, almost as if to say--

"There's another one! Let's drag 'em out in the open so we can all have a look!"

Being transgender is not easy. We live in a majority-enforced gender binary world. This means when you're transgender you have to face the hard reality of living the rest of your life in a world that is openly hostile to you.

I am one of the lucky ones. Having the support of my family and the means to afford doctors and therapists has given me the chance to actually survive this process. Transgender people without support, means and privilege do not have this luxury. And many do not survive. In 2015, the transgender murder rate hit an all-time high in this country. A horrifying disproportionate number of the victims were trans women of color. These are only the recorded homicides so, since trans people do not all fit in the tidy gender binary statistics of murder rates, it means the actual numbers are higher.

And though we have come a long way since Silence of the Lambs, we continue to be demonized and vilified in the media where attack ads portray us as potential predators to keep us from even using the goddamn bathroom. The so-called bathroom bills that are popping up all over this country do not keep children safe, they force trans people into using bathrooms where they can be beaten and or murdered. We are not predators, we are prey.

So yeah, I'm transgender.

And yeah, I've transitioned.

I'm out to my friends and family. Most people at work know too. Everyone is cool with it. Yes, thanks to my fabulous sister they've done it before, but also because they're fantastic people. Without the love and support of my wife and friends and family I would not be where I am today.

But these words, "transgender" and "transitioned" are hard for me because they both have lost their complexity in their assimilation into the mainstream. There is a lack of nuance of time and space. To be transgender is something largely understood as existing within the dogmatic terminus of male or female. And to "transition" imparts a sense of immediacy, a before and after from one terminus to another. But the reality, my reality is that I've been transitioning and will continue to transition all of my life, through the infinite that exists between male and female as it does in the infinite between the binary of zero and one. We need to elevate the dialogue beyond the simplicity of binary. Binary is a false idol.

Now, gender theory and queer theory hurt my tiny brain. The combinations of words, like freeform jazz, clang disjointed and discordant in my ears. I long for understanding of queer and gender theory but it's a struggle as is the struggle for understanding of my own identity. I have a quote in my office though by Jose Muñoz given to me by a good friend. I stare at it in contemplation sometimes trying to decipher its meaning but the last sentence resonates:

"Queerness is essentially about the rejection of a here and now and an insistence on potentiality for another world."

So I will continue to be an optimist adding my shoulder to the Sisyphean struggle of progress and in my very being, be an example of the potentiality of another world.

Lilly Wachowski

GLAAD and other LGBT organizations strongly condemn the outing of a transgender person before they are ready to tell their own story.
The Chicago-born Wachowskis are among cinema's most prolific filmmaking duos. Lilly is a film and TV director and producer, plus screenwriter, comic book writer, video game director and writer. She has been married to Alisa Blasingame since 1991.
The Wachowskis first film together as directors was 1996's Bound, still known as a lesbian film classic. They are perhaps best known for their three-film Matrix series. Among their other films are V for Vendetta, Speed Racer, Cloud Atlas, Jupiter Ascending and the beautiful sci-fi series Sense8.
The siblings attended Kellogg Elementary School in Chicago's Beverly neighborhood, on the Far South Side, and graduated from Whitney Young High School in the city's West Loop.
After Lana Wachowski came out as a trans woman, she received the 2012 Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award, and in 2014 she received the Equality Illinois Freedom Award. Lana said about her HRC award: "there are some things we do for ourselves, but there are some things we do for others. I am here because when I was young, I wanted very badly to be a writer, I wanted to be a filmmaker, but I couldn't find anyone like me in the world and it felt like my dreams were foreclosed simply because my gender was less typical than others. If I can be that person for someone else, then the sacrifice of my private civic life may have value," as quoted in The Hollywood Reporter.
At the 2014 EI gala Lana said, "Fear is not something I let rule my life, but gratitude is."
See Lana's 2014 EI speech above.
See the GLAAD Media Reference Guide on Transgender Issues here: www.glaad.org/reference/transgender .

Also see www.glaad.org/releases/tip-sheet-transgender-terminology-and-tips-covering-lilly-wachowski .

Advaita Vedanta (Advaita Vedānta; Sanskrit: अद्वैत वेदान्त; literally means, not-two) is the oldest extant sub-school of Vedanta – an orthodox (āstika) school of Hindu philosophy and religious practice. Advaita darśana (philosophies, world views, teachings) is one of the classic Indian paths to spiritual realization. It postulates that the true Self – individual soul, Atman (Ātman), shorn of avidya – is the same as the highest reality, Brahman. The phenomenal world is described as an illusory appearance that is other than the real as well as the unreal (sadasadvilakṣaṇa). Advaitins, the followers of Advaita darśana, seek Jivanmukti – a liberation, release, or freedom that is achieved in this lifetime– by the realization (vidyā) that Atman and Brahman are identical.
The principal, though not the first, exponent of the Advaita Vedanta interpretation was Adi Shankara (8th century CE). Shankara systematized and significantly developed the works of preceding philosophers into a cohesive philosophy. Like all schools of Vedanta, Advaita derives its philosophy from a unifying interpretation of the Prasthanatrayi, literally the three sources (the main Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras, and the Bhagavad Gita

The Matrix

Neo believes he's living a normal, but slightly troubled life in the year 1999. By day, Neo (The new...the One) is a computer programmer for a large, generic software company; by night, a hacker, providing the fruits of his labors to other troubled souls. He lives alone, he doesn't sleep, and there's a profound emptiness in his life, but it's something he can't put his finger on - until he is contacted by Trinity. "It's the question that drives us", she whispers in his ear, to which he correctly responds "What is the Matrix?" It is this question that has gnawed at Neo seemingly his entire life, yet he's never put it into words before now. It is the voicing of this question that begins his transformation into The One.
Morpheus has sent Trinity to contact Neo, believing he is The One of prophecy. Morpheus explains it to Neo in this way: "When the Matrix was first built there was a man born inside that had the ability to change what he wanted, to remake the Matrix as he saw fit. It was this man who freed the first of us and taught us the truth - When he died, the Oracle prophesied his return and envisioned that his coming would hail the destruction of the Matrix."

Morpheus' followers believe in him, and they mostly believe in The Oracle's prophecy, but not necessarily his selection of candidates for The One. It is with both great anticipation and extreme dread that they "wake" Neo to the real world, knowing the path he has ahead of him, and the potential conclusion.
Neo's journey in the movie bears many hallmarks of classic myths. He is the Chosen One, the reluctant hero, the savior, and the one who will lead his people to freedom. In order to do that, he must sacrifice himself, and rise from the dead. He faces progressively greater challenges through the course of the movie, and as he begins to believe in himself, he is able to overcome these challenges, including besting his ultimate adversary, Agent Smith.

Enter The Oracle
Neo's first meeting with The Oracle is a critical turning point in The Matrix. Now that the trilogy is complete, let's go back and look at that meeting to better understand The Oracle's role in Neo's journey. Through much of The Matrix, Neo is our doppleganger. We experience the difficult awakening and the gradual awareness of Neo's powers much as he does. The discussion with The Oracle is no exception. As Neo struggles to find meaning in her words, the audience struggles along with him. It's only later we learn that The Oracle "told [Neo] exactly what [he] needed to hear". So what did Neo need to hear? What exactly was the Oracle telling him? In an attempt to answer these questions, we're going to examine the dialogue in detail.
[Scene: The Oracle's apartment building]
Neo: So is this the same Oracle that made the prophecy?
Morpheus: Yes. She's very old. She's been with us since the beginning.
Neo: The beginning...?
Morpheus: Of the Resistance.
Neo: And she knows what, everything?
Morpheus: She would say she knows enough.
Neo: And she's never wrong.
Morpheus: Try not to think of it in terms of right and wrong. She is a guide, Neo. She can help you to find the path.
This is our first hint that The Oracle isn't really interested in tellingthe future. She may be interested in knowing it, but she's not some fortune teller who's going to rhyme off all the things that will happen to you, or all the things you're going to do. She's going to guide you; she's going to help you find the path. This is a critical context for the scene that follows. The Oracle is guiding Neo with every word she says.
Neo: She helped you?
Morpheus: Yes.
Neo: What did she tell you?
Morpheus: That I would find the one.... I told you I can only show you the door. You have to walk through it.

[Scene: The Oracle's apartment]
Priestess: Hello, Neo. You're right on time.... Make yourself at home, Morpheus. Neo, come with me.... These are the other potentials, you can wait here.
The potentials are other candidates waiting to meet with The Oracle. Notice they're all children - except for Neo. This goes back to Morpheus' comment soon after waking Neo: "We never free a mind once it's reached a certain age. It's dangerous, the mind has trouble letting go."
Spoon boy: Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead only try to realize the truth.
Neo: What truth?
Spoon boy: There is no spoon.
Neo: There is no spoon?
Spoon boy: Then you'll see that it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself.
"There is no spoon." One of the most common catchphrases that has entered the lexicon as a result of The Matrix. There is no spoon - the spoon exists only in the Matrix, which really means it doesn't exist as a physical object. This is an important lesson for Neo, to help him realize that manipulating the Matrix isn't about focusing on an object and trying to change it. The object doesn't exist, so he can't change it, he has to change himself. Metaphorically, it's all in his head - he has to look inside to exact any control, to bring about even the smallest change.
Priestess: The Oracle will see you now.
[Scene: The Oracle's kitchen]
The Oracle: I know, you're Neo. Be right with you.
Neo: You're The Oracle?
The Oracle: Bingo. Not quite what you were expecting, right? Almost done. Smell good, don't they?
Neo: Yeah.

An elderly woman baking cookies in an average urban apartment...is the great-and-powerful Oracle? Brilliant. The Oracle's appearance manages to be both unsettling and comforting. What's more comforting than a motherly figure in the kitchen baking? But do you have confidence in her words? Do you believe?
The Oracle: I'd ask you to sit down, but you're not going to anyway. And don't worry about the vase.
Neo: What vase?
[Neo knocks a vase to the floor]
The Oracle: That vase.
Neo: I'm sorry.
The Oracle: I said don't worry about it. I'll get one of my kids to fix it.
Neo: How did you know?
The Oracle: What's really going to bake your noodle later on is, would you still have broken it if I hadn't said anything.
The noodle-baker. Clearly she can tell the future when she wants to. She can be specific. But the real key here is her last statement. Would he have broken it if she hadn't said anything? Here The Oracle is already guiding Neo. She planted something in his mind and he immediately responded. He immediately brought about a result she predicted/wanted. Was this a test to see if he was open to suggestion? Or was it simply a display of her pre-cognitive power? Either way it is the first concrete example of The Oracle guiding Neo's actions.
The Oracle: You're cuter than I thought. I can see why she likes you.
Neo: Who?
The Oracle: Not too bright, though.

Though we may have suspicions, we don't know who 'she' is, or why The Oracle knows until Trinity later confesses to Neo's lifeless body: "The Oracle told me that I would fall in love, and that that man, the man who I loved would be The One. So you see, you can't be dead."
The Oracle: You know why Morpheus brought you to see me?
Neo: I think so.
The Oracle: So, what do you think? Do you think you're The One?
Neo: I don't know.
The Oracle: You know what that means? It's Latin. Means `Know thyself'. I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Being The One is just like being in love. No one can tell you you're in love, you just know it. Through and through. Balls to bones.

"Know thyself". That's really what The Oracle is all about. She opens the door but Neo has to choose to believe it for himself. He has to look inside, he has to know there's no spoon, and he has to know he's The One. And it's only through making the choice, once he finds the reason to do so, that he becomes The One. But he isn't ready yet...the next part of their conversation makes that abundantly clear. But she's planted the seed.
The Oracle: Well, I better have a look at you. Open your mouth, say Ahhh.
Neo: Ahhh.
The Oracle: Okay. Now I'm supposed to say, `Umm, that's interesting, but...,' then you say...
Neo: But what?
The Oracle: But you already know what I'm going to tell you.
Neo: I'm not The One.
So who says Neo's not The One? The Oracle? Nope, Neo. Neo's looked inside and he doesn't believe. He's intrigued, he's listened to a very convincing man who believes, but Neo does not believe. And the Oracle's going to let him go with that belief, because as she said earlier, "No one can tell you you're The One, you just know it." And the physical examinination of Neo is just window-dressing. The Oracle doesn't learn anything from that that she didn't already know the minute Neo walked into her kitchen.
The Oracle: Sorry, kid. You got the gift, but it looks like you're waiting for something.
Neo: What?
The Oracle: Your next life maybe, who knows? That's the way these things go.
The next life comment is particularly prophetic given that Neo is killed at the end of the movie and resurrected with the help of Trinity, whereupon he kicks some major Agent butt, exercising the power of his newfound belief. He is The One. But what is Neo really waiting for? At this point he's waiting for someone to tell him what he needs to hear, to help him find the path. In talking around it, The Oracle is both pointing out that he's waiting for something, and setting up the events that will lead to the something he's waiting for. That Oracle, she's crafty.
The Oracle: What's funny?
Neo: Morpheus. He...he almost had me convinced.
The Oracle: I know. Poor Morpheus. Without him we're lost.
And here's where she sets it up.
Neo: What do you mean, without him?
The Oracle: Are you sure you want to hear this? Morpheus believes in you, Neo. And no one, not you, not even me can convince him otherwise. He believes it so blindly that he's going to sacrifice his life to save yours.
Neo: What?
The Oracle: You're going to have to make a choice. In the one hand you'll have Morpheus' life and in the other hand you'll have your own. One of you is going to die. Which one will be up to you. I'm sorry, kiddo, I really am. You have a good soul, and I hate giving good people bad news.
The Oracle is using Morpheus' jeopardy as the trigger...the trigger that will spur Neo into action, that will give him the something he's waiting for. He'll have to make a choice, but really, he's already made it. He's not going to let this man who believes so strongly in him throw his life away for nothing, and to Neo it would be for nothing, because he's not The One. And this is what The Oracle needs to happen: she needs to provide Neo with the something he's waiting for. And that's the key to her role - opening doors rather than telling people what is. It's all about choice and he chooses to play the role of The One once he finds the reasons to do so.
The Oracle: Oh, don't worry about it. As soon as you step outside that door, you'll start feeling better. You'll remember you don't believe in any of this fate crap. You're in control of your own life, remember? Here, take a cookie. I promise, by the time you're done eating it, you'll feel right as rain.
The cookie. Lots of interesting theories on the cookie. Since this is all a computer program, some strongly believe the cookie is a literal browser cookie. It's a small bit of information stored locally, ie, it's some bit of code the Oracle has planted in Neo. Is it an extra push down the path? Is it just what she says, something to help Neo feel right as rain? As far as she's concerned, Neo doesn't have to dwell on their discussion. She knows what she knows, and she's already doing what she can to help him find the path. She's told him exactly what he needed to hear.
For more on the Oracle, read The Oracle's Gamble & Change is a Dangerous Game

Web thematrix101.com
Did You Know?
The entire crew of the hovercraft Hammer have names borrowed from weapons: Mauser, AK, Maggie (magazine), and Colt. Interestingly, the hammer is also referred to as Mjolnir, which is the Norse God Thor's hammer...yet another weapon. The Hammer Mjolnir was said to always return after it had been thrown. Coincidentally, the Hammer (piloted by Niobe) is the only hovercraft to return to Zion.
The Matrix copyright © 1999 - 2015, Warner Bros. Warner Bros. is the owner of all copyrights and trademark rights in The Matrix.
Website content copyright © 2003 - 2015, The Matrix 101. All rights reserved.

The Matrix
Film Studies
Semester 1
Mr. McCoy

Q: The number 101 appears several times in the movie. What does it mean? [UPDATED]
A: 101 actually appears a number of times in all three films, and though no one knows exactly what it means (if anything), the popular explanation is this: 101 is binary for 5 (which to a computer is the sixth number because computers count from 0), and the events of the three films take place in the 6th interation of the Matrix. Neo is the sixth One, this is the sixth time the machines have destroyed Zion, etc. We learn that this is the sixth iteration from The Architect's conversation.
Another popular explanation for its prominence: 101 is a direct reference to George Orwell's 1984. Room 101 is the place in which a persons greatest fear of all is enclosed. Thanks to Daniel Bryan-Curnow for the Orwell reference!

Q: How do the agents know where Trinity is at the beginning of the movie?
A: In the first scene Trinity and Cypher are on the phone. Cypher (who is later revealed as a traitor) has given the Agents enough information for them to trace the call and determine Trinity's location. Additionally, it's interesting to note that successfully locating Trinity was the evidence the Agents needed to believe the informant was real and could therefore be useful to them.

Q: What book does Neo use to store the "product" he sells to Choi, and does it have any significance?
A: The book is Simulacra and Simulation, by Jean Baudrillard, and it's one of three given to Keanu Reeves before reading the script. For more on this, see Matrix Inspirations.

Q: How does Morpheus know everything about Neo's office during the phone call?
A: Morpheus is watching the green raining code screens on the Nebuchadnezzar. The code is the visual representation of the Matrix. He's able to decode what he sees on the screen, giving him a full view of Neo's office building, locations of Agents, the existence of the window washer platform, etc. Think of it like unlimited security camera footage.

Q: Why does Morpheus want to free Neo from the Matrix?
A: He believes Neo is the One that the Oracle prophesied. Find out more about the One.

Q: Why does Morpheus give Neo a pill?
A: The red pill changes the way Neo's body is interfacing with the machines. This change allows Morpheus' crew to pinpoint his physical location in the powerplant in order to free him.

Q: What does Trinity mean when she says "You've been down there, Neo. You already know that road. You know exactly where it ends. And I know that's not where you want to be."?
A: Trinity's talking about Neo's feeling that the world is unreal, that there's something missing. He's been searching for something, and if he doesn't listen to her now, he's going to return to his old life where 'he's not sure if he's awake or still dreaming'. For a complimentary perspective on this question, see Contributions: Matrix Reader Theories.

Q: How exactly does Morpheus' crew free Neo from the powerplant?
A: It's never explicitly stated, but it appears in waking Neo up, they are able to convince the machine's system that he is garbage. After he breaks out of the cell he is in, a component of the system removes the cable from the back of his head, and his cell is flushed into the waste disposal system. This leads to the sewers, which is where the Nebuchadnezzar is waiting. They pluck Neo from the waste and hoist him to their ship.

Q: What is Zion?
A: Zion is where free humans live. Far below the destroyed surface of the earch, the citizens of Zion are both former inhabitants of the Matrix who've been freed, and also 100% home-grown humans that have never been slaves to the Matrix.

Q: Where exactly is the Nebuchadnezzar?
A: The Nebuchadnezzar is a hovercraft flying through the abandoned subway and sewer lines beneath the destroyed surface of the earth. Somewhere in the sewers are tunnels leading to Zion, very far below the surface.

Q: What happened to allow the machines to gain control?
A: After man created Artificial Intelligence, the intelligent machines wanted their own society. Misunderstandings led to disagreements, which led to a common human response to things we don't understand: we tried to destroy them. They fought back, and in effect, they won. The fight included nuclear weapons which pretty much destroyed the surface of the earth.

Q: Why is the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar so excited to see Neo fight Morpheus in the sparring program?
A: If Morpheus is right, and Neo is the One, he should be able to bend the unreality of the Matrix to his will. He should be able to do things the rest of them have only dreamt of. He should be faster, stronger, almost a superhero in the Matrix. This is where they hope to see the first glimpse of his capabilities.

Q: What is Cypher doing at the green code screens when Neo appears to startle him?
A: Cypher is setting up his meeting with Agent Smith in the restaurant. He's now committed to exchanging Morpheus for his own reinsertion back into the Matrix.

Q: How did Cypher jack out after meeting with Agent Smith? Nobody knew he was gone, so there wasn't an operator to help him get back on the ship.
A: No one knows for sure how he did it, but a few scenes previous when Neo comes in and startles Cypher (when they share the drink), he was setting up the meeting with Smith in the Matrix. It's likely he also set some sort of timer/program to make the call to jack out once the meeting was done.

Q: What does "There is no spoon" mean?
A: The spoon exists only in the Matrix, which really means it doesn't exist. It's a lesson for Neo, to help him realize that manipulating the Matrix isn't about focusing on an object and trying to change it. The object doesn't exist, so he can't change it, he has to change himself. Metaphorically, it's all in his head.

Q: Why doesn't the Oracle tell Neo he's the One?
A: As Morpheus later says: she tells Neo what he needs to hear. What path would he have followed if she'd said he was the One? Would he have been cockier, more arrogant, less careful? Would things have ended the same way? She apparently knows the future, so she knows what she needs to tell him to get him where he needs to go. Find out more about Neo's conversation with the Oracle.

Q: What happens to the paddy wagon Cypher was being taken away in?
A: A manufactured accident to allow Cypher to get back onto the Nebuchadnezzar alone. There he can kill the rest of the crew by unplugging them, leaving only Morpheus alive and reducing the chance of interference from them.

Q: Why do the Agents want Morpheus?
A: They don't really want Morpheus, they really want the access codes to Zion's mainframes. Breaking into the mainframe will give them enough information to find and destroy Zion, thereby destroying the human resistance. Morpheus knows these codes and they intend to get them out of his head by any means necessary.

Q: Why does Agent Smith remove his earphone when talking to Morpheus?
A: He doesn't want the other Agents to know what he's saying to Morpheus. The Agents seem to operate collectively, finishing each other's sentences at times, and certainly knowing what each is thinking. Smith's actions may largely be symbolic to show that he's able to turn this collective consciousness off, and in this case, has a reason to. His discussion with Morpheus implies that he is much more "human" than his colleagues - he shows frustration, exhaustion, impatience, and hatred of the Matrix itself and his place in it.

Q: What does Trinity mean when she says "Everything the Oracle told me has come true, everything but this..."?
A: Trinity's talking about the fact that the Oracle told her she would fall in love with The One. Everything else the Oracle told her has happened, and it seems like this last piece of the puzzle is falling into place because she has to accept and admit that she loves Neo. This ties directly into what she tells Neo's lifeless, jacked-in body before she kisses him.

Q: Given what we learn in Reloaded and Revolutions, if the machines already know where Zion is, why do the Agents try to get the codes from Morpheus to locate it?
A: The Agents probably don't know that the machines know where Zion is. Agents are simply programming constructs with a set purpose. They have little or no knowledge of the overriding system or their place in it. They just do what they're programmed to do - and in this case, they're programmed to seek out access codes. It's all part of the control of the machines.

Q: How does Neo come back to life? Is it Trinity's kiss?
A: Not exactly, though interpretations differ slightly. Simplest explanations are always best: Neo is the One. Trinity was told by the Oracle she would fall in love with the One. The One will save humanity and help overthrow the machines. Once Trinity voices her love to Neo, it's like the last link in the prophecy chain - he must be the One, so he can't die until he's done what the One is there to do. Once that link clicks into place, it's apparent that Neo can do whatever he wants in the Matrix.

Q: Why does Neo see the 3 agents as green code after he comes back to life?
A: Now that he truly believes he is the One, Neo is beginning to use some of his power over the Matrix. He can now see the Matrix for what it is, and this will lead to additional abilities to manipulate it as he sees fit.

Q: Who is Neo talking to on the phone at the end of the movie?
A: Neo is talking (possibly metaphorically) to the machine mainframe. He's talking to the Source, to the power behind the machines, to whatever sends the Agents after him. And he's telling it/them that he's done running, that he believes the Matrix can be a prison for humanity, or possibly something more, and finally that he wants peace.

The Matrix: Characters

Neo: Neo is Thomas Anderson's "hacker name". He is freed from the Matrix by Morpheus and his crew to be the savior of mankind.

Trinity: Trinity is Morpheus' right-hand. Morpheus freed her years ago and she has since become his most trusted ally. The Oracle told her she would fall in love with the One.

The Oracle: An unusual inhabitant of the Matrix, The Oracle is able to see the future. Morpheus takes members of his crew to her, most importantly Neo. The Oracle is also responsible for the original prophecy concerning the existence of the One.

Switch: A member of Morpheus' crew, Switch is curiously the only one who appears in white clothes when they enter the Matrix.

Tank: A member of Morpheus' crew, Tank was born in Zion - he never was a slave to the Matrix. His brother Dozer is also on the Nebuchadnezzar. Tank thwarts Cypher's plan, but not before Cypher wipes out most of the crew.

Dozer: A member of Morpheus' crew, and Tank's brother, Dozer was born in Zion - he never was a slave to the Matrix.

Morpheus: Captain of the hovercraft Nebuchadnezzar, Morpheus believes in The Oracle's prophecy, and he believes he has finally found the One. He acts as Neo's mentor.

Agent Smith: The main adversary to Morpheus' plan. A sentient program in the Matrix, Smith is able to do almost everything Neo can. Agents are supremely powerful, and no one has every survived a standoff with an Agent before Neo.

Cypher: A member of Morpheus' crew, Cypher decides the life of a resistance fighter isn't all it's cracked up to be and engineers a deal to be reinserted back into the Matrix, at the expense of Zion.

Apoc: A member of Morpheus' crew, he is the first to die when Cypher sets his plan in motion.

Mouse: A member of Morpheus' crew, Mouse is the 'digital pimp' responsible for programming the woman in red - he offers private visits with her as well.

Agents Jones & Brown: Two other sentient programs, they have all the dangerous capabilities of Agent Smith, but are not as individualistic or driven as he is.

The Matrix Theme of Choices

Neo is presented with plenty of choices, and we're not talking about simple choices like deciding between honey-walnut cream cheese (blegh) and salmon-dill cream cheese (yes please).
Neo's choices not only forwards the plot of The Matrix (thank goodness he picked the red pill, watching a software programmer at work sounds like a yawn fest), they also bring up some big question about things like agency, autonomy, free will, and determinism. While every choice he makes seems pivotal, it's also difficult to imagine a world where he made a single choice differently. This could simply be a matter of retrospect, but it could also hint at the kind of inevitability Agent Smith is so fond of.
Questions about Choices

Why do you think every choice Neo make seems to have two options?
Why doesn't Neo ever consider other options?
It's nice to think that our power to choose—to make real decisions—is what separates humans from animals or computers. But are the decisions made through programming or instinct really any different from how we think?

Chew on ThisTake a peek at these thesis statements. Agree or disagree?Neo isn't the only one who makes choices. Other characters like Morpheus and Trinity and Cypher make a lot of choices throughout the film. Everyone's decisions affect everyone else so, in a way, no one has complete control over their own lives.
The Oracle's ability to know Neo's choices doesn't mean he never chooses. His choices are very real despite the outcome being predetermined.

The Matrix Theme of Rules and Order

In the construct, Morpheus sums up The Matrix in one word: control. The Matrix's purpose is to stimulate the minds of people so that they continue to live and produce energy. To do this, the Matrix has programmed rules that help simulate the physical world.
But unlike the physical world, these rules can be broken. Morpheus and Trinity among others train their minds to bend the system to their will (because apparently there is no GameShark for the Matrix. Someone needs to work on that). Neo is also a rule breaker; he's not only a hacker but seems to enjoy sticking it to the man.
Questions about Rules and Order

How does Neo learn to break the rules of the Matrix? Is it a natural, instinctual thing that comes to him when he needs it? Or is he studying a bunch of code off screen?
When Neo's boss asserts that Neo has a problem with authority is he right? Does being a hacker necessitate having an issue with power and control, or could he just be doing it for profit?
At the end of the film Neo has learned how to break some basic rules like speed and gravity. If he became even better, would it be possible for him to erase things or even create them?

Chew on This:
Take a peek at these thesis statements. Agree or disagree?In order to break the rules, you first have to understand them.
Smith is a symbol of the rules of a system because he is the enforcer. However, this taste of power has led Smith himself to assert his authority over the rules he enforces.

The Matrix Theme of Versions of Reality

There's a famous thought experiment where we can imagine ourselves as a brain in a vat being fed information by an alien species running experiments on us. The question is: how would we know if we were a brain? We may "think therefore exist" but what kind of existence we'd have as a brain in a jar is questionable.
In The Matrix, we essentially are a brain in a jar, except the jar is our own body that is trapped in… another jar. There are simply two realities and, while Morpheus might refer to one as "real" it's clear that neither world has primacy over the other.
Questions about Versions of Reality

Given Morpheus's explanation of the subjectivity of reality, why does he seem to insist that one world is "real"? Is he letting his own stake in that world color his perception?
If you were in Cypher's position (hating the physical world) would you want to go back to the virtual world if you wouldn't have to hurt anyone in the process?
How would the machines perceive these two realities? If truly conscious machines existed would a virtual reality have primacy over a physical one? Are the two realities even mutually exclusive?

Chew on ThisTake a peek at these thesis statements. Agree or disagree?The world of the Matrix and our own 21st century world are (aside from a few years) identical. We are simply being fed sensory information. Our brains are in a vat known as our body and information is being put into our sensory organs. This is all we can possibly know. Everything else is conjecture.
While it may appear that there are two realities: the Matrix and the physical world, there are, in fact, millions. Each human being within the physical world and the Matrix experiences their own reality. There are simply two networks of connected realities.

The Matrix Theme of Fate and Free Will

Fate versus free will is as much a battle in The Matrix as the redpills fighting the agents. On the one side we have the Oracle, Morpheus, Trinity, and the rest of the Nebuchadnezzar crew aside from Cypher, and on the other side we have Neo.
It is never made clear why Morpheus believes so whole-heartedly in fate. Trinity and the other members believe because Morpheus believes, and even then their belief is more of a hope. Morpheus, on the other hand, knows. Neo, however, is opposed to this idea because he thinks fate would relinquish control. And because believing in prophecy seems the same as believing in fate, he refuses what Morpheus and the others believe.
Questions about Fate and Free Will

Why does Cypher not believe in prophecy? Is he like Neo in that he wants control, or would the prophecies' truth reveal the evilness of his deeds?
Is a knowable future necessarily a deterministic one?
Does the Oracle know the future and simply lie to people because she knows what they need to hear? Or does she actually get some things wrong?

Chew on This:
Take a peek at these thesis statements. Agree or disagree?The Oracle makes predictions, not prophecies. If the things she tells people couldn't impact their decisions and their futures, than what use would she be as an Oracle? As Morpheus says, she isn't right or wrong; she is a guide.
The machines, able to make such incredibly precise predictions even at a quantum level are able to know what is going to happen. This means Neo is wrong, the world is deterministic and the Oracle is a program.

Matrix Quotes

SMITH: We're willing to wipe the slate clean, give you a fresh start. And all that we're asking in return is your cooperation in bringing a known terrorist to justice.
NEO: Yeah… well that sounds like a really good deal, but I think I've got a better one. How 'bout… I give you the finger [pauses while he flips him the bird] and you give me my phone call.

Um, why is Neo giving his captors the finger? That seems a little aggressive, doesn't it? Well, Neo simply has faith in the system. He knows how things are supposed to work and doesn't expect to be denied his rights. Of course, he also doesn't expect to have his mouth sealed and a bug squirm into his bellybutton. Smith gives Neo his first taste of how the rules of the Matrix can be broken.

TRINITY: That is not true Cypher. [Morpheus] set us free.
CYPHER: Free? You call this free? All I do is what he tells me to do. If I got to choose between that and the Matrix, I choose the Matrix.

Cypher is actually a lot like Neo. He has a problem with authority. His main reason for wanting to be reinserted is his hatred for Morpheus. He can't stand that the person who 'tricked' him into taking the red pill gets to order him around all day. Of course, Cypher has been in the real world for nine years, you'd a thought he would have signed up for a job in Zion if the Nebuchadnezzar was really that bad. Maybe he's not too bright after all.

SMITH: In one life you're Thomas A. Anderson. Program writer for a respectable software company… Your other life is lived in computers where you go by the hacker alias "Neo" and are guilty of virtually every crime we have a law for.

It's easy to forget who Neo started out as (or at least who is residual self-image started out as). He is rebellious and curious by nature, unafraid of bending the rules to make money selling illegal information, or maybe just for the purpose of undermining authority and breaking the rules. Maybe this is why Neo excels in combat in the Matrix. His mind is used to looking for ways around the natural order of a system and exploiting rules for his own benefit.

Neo (Keanu Reeves)
Character Analysis
Just Call Me TomOkay, let's assume you've just finished watching The Matrix. You probably think it's about some normal everyday Joe who gets caught up in a crazy mess of things because he is destined… by fate. (Dun dun dunnn).
It's a typical story where the protagonist goes from being a nobody to a somebody, and Keanu is just bland enough to fit into that "everyman" role so it totally makes sense. Does Keanu Reeves only have one facial expression? Seriously?
Rebel RebelIt's not quite that cut and dried, however. Sure, Neo (a.k.a. Thomas A. Anderson) is in a reality he never knew existed and who has been told it's his destiny to save mankind: he's a little out of his element.
But think back to the original Neo, or maybe we should call him Thomas. Thomas is a world class hacker who, according to Agent Smith, is:
SMITH: guilty of virtually [pun intended?] every computer crime we have a law for.
We even get to see Thomas in action, selling some illegal disk to Choi for two thousand big ones. Not exactly petty crime considering he has a whole stack of these minidisks in his secret book. Thomas has been searching for Morpheus and the answer to the question "What is the Matrix" for years.
He isn't just a nobody who works at a software company; he's a hacker. He is curious and rebellious by nature, and it is these traits that make him a prime candidate for being what Matrix fans call a "redpill".
Yeah, let's talk a little more about Neo's rebellious side. If you were ever randomly detained by scary looking federal agent dudes who you've been warned about, by a mysterious man you've never met, your first reaction probably wouldn't be to say:
NEO: How 'bout I give you the finger [gives him the finger] and you give me my phone call?
Yeah, Thomas doesn't mess around. Even when he's in the car with people he's spent years searching for, when Switch tells him that:
SWITCH: Right now there's only one rule: our way, or the highway.
Thomas actually goes to get out of the car. He would literally rather bail on the completion of a years-long project than be told what to do.
But Trinity pulls him back into the car by appealing again to his curiosity, his natural need to search and his tiredness of the same, mundane life he's been living. She tells him:
TRINITY: You have been down there Neo, you know that road. You know exactly where it ends and I know that's not where you want to be.
Yup—Neo knows the mundane road. He has a boss that lectures him about being on time and informs him that he has a problem with authority. So although Neo is a newbie when it comes to being The One, he's not wet behind the ears when it comes to being Thomas, a rebel with a cause.
Neo 101When we first meet Neo, he wakes up in a womblike vat of gooey fun with a bunch of umbilical-y machine cords feeding him nutrients Soylent Green style. We dare you to find a more visceral symbol of rebirth.
Right away, Neo's abilities are clear. He "trains" for 10 hours straight, taking in massive amounts of uploaded data (Tank even calls him a machine, lolz). Then he's way faster than normal fighting Morpheus; Mouse comments that his neuro-kinetics are
MOUSE: Way above normal.
But although Neo is way above normal when it comes to absorbing info, he's not getting an A++ when it comes to having faith in himself. Even though he is quite quickly able to outdo Morpheus in combat, he fails the jump program. This harkens back to another time he failed a height-related task— when he tried to make it to the scaffolding before he had swallowed the red pill. We can hear him muttering to himself as he steps out the window:
NEO: Why is this happening to me? What did I do? I'm nobody. I didn't do anything. I'm gonna die.
Buck up, Neo! You're not nobody. You're The One. Jeez.
Neo's lack of faith in himself is mirrored by his disbelief in fate (or destiny or prophecy or whatever you want to call it). Before offering him the choice of pills, Morpheus asks Neo if he believes in fate. Neo responds:
NEO: No… because I don't like the idea that I'm not in control of my life.
The Oracle also reminds Neo that he doesn't believe in any of this "fate crap."
But then, when the Oracle's prophecy seems to come true and Neo has a choice between his life or Morpheus' Neo acquires a strange new belief. He says:
NEO: I believe in something… I believe I can bring him back.
Neo's faith is faith in himself; faith gained through the Oracle's prophecy.

Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne)
Character Analysis
Morpheus the GodFirst, Morpheus is a name. Then he is a voice. Finally, he is a face, albeit one that masked with some extremely 90's shades.
Ultimately, Morpheus is an enigma. He is the man who embodies the real world to the minds trapped in the Matrix. It is Morpheus that people turn to when they seek escape from the world of the Matrix; it is Morpheus who is able to give people a rebirth.
Initially it seems as if Neo is looking for Morpheus, but really it's Morpheus who's looking for Neo. Just as God seeks out his lost sheep, Morpheus seeks out the minds that are willing to break free of the bonds of the Matrix.
Morpheus the ProphetOkay, you're probably thinking that if anyone is a prophet, it's probably the Oracle. This is true, but Morpheus is also a prophet of sorts. It's his job to acknowledge that Neo is The One, and to prepare others to accept his position as their savior and the savior of all mankind.
We're not going to get too deep into the multitude of religious symbols right here—check out our Tools of Characterization section for more on that. However, it's worth mentioning that Morpheus is, in a way, like John the Baptist, preparing the way for Christ (Neo). Baptism, like waking up in a bathtub of translucent Jell-O that looks like a mechanized salmon egg, is a symbol of rebirth. Morpheus has, in a way, baptized the crew members of the Nebuchadnezzar. He is the ultimate guide, leading people to the proverbial door that they must walk through. As the Oracle says:
ORACLE: Without him, we are lost.
Morpheus the AcolyteFinally, Morpheus is a believer. The Nebuchadnezzar crew is his disciples, and he in turn is a disciple of the Oracle. In fact, Morpheus has so much faith in what the Oracle has told him (that he would find The One) that she comments to Neo that:
ORACLE: No one, not you, not even me, can convince him otherwise.
Wait a minute: not even the person who prophesied Morpheus's destiny can tell him it's not true? Even when Morpheus himself admits to Neo in the elevator on the way to the Oracle that she is not right or wrong but simply tells people what they need to hear?
Well, maybe that's what true faith is: a belief in something when there is ample evidence to the contrary. Morpheus's belief then seems to transcend the Oracle; it is something deeper.
Whereas Trinity is disappointed that Neo cannot make the jump on his first try, Morpheus never once shows a sign of doubt and is completely willing to sacrifice himself for his faith. It seems like his beliefs have finally been solidified by Neo's success against the agents… but just wait 'til he gets back to Zion in the second movie.

Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss)
Character Analysis
Riot Grrrl When we first see Trinity, she has just been surrounded by a squad of policemen who are about to arrest her. She's sitting at a computer and is completely unarmed, so it's not looking too good for ol' T.
In the following scene agents show up and scold the lieutenant for acting without them. When the policeman scoffs that he thinks they can "handle one little girl" Agent Smith matter-of-factly informs him that his men are already dead.
And sure enough, in the next scene Trinity is kicking some serious booty. Female empowerment isn't the focus of the Matrix, but that doesn't mean it's not important to the movie. Think about Trinity's first encounter with Neo, when he realizes she is the Trinity; the one who cracked the IRS D-base (did people really call databases D-bases? It was the '90s, so we wouldn't be surprised). Neo is caught off guard because he thought she was a guy, to which she replies:
TRINITY: Most guys do.
Her intellect as a hacker and her proficiency at bending the rules of the Matrix prove that she is a force to be reckoned with. She ain't no damsel in distress. In fact, it is Trinity who helps rescue Neo from the Matrix, Trinity who saves Neo twice in their rooftop fight (once with a well-placed knife and once with a pointblank shot at an agent), and Trinity who helps revive Neo in his final struggle. If you can look past the sexy tight-fitted leather outfit—this is Hollywood after all—we can see Trinity as a symbol of feminine agency and power.
Love at First Virtual ContactBefore there was Hinge and Tinder, there was the Matrix. Well, okay, maybe meeting people in the Matrix isn't much easier than meeting people in the real world. Just ask Neo; it looks like he doesn't get out a whole lot.
But regardless, this is where the first connection between Trinity and Neo takes place. The physical intimacy is very obvious. Sure, the club is loud, but Trinity gets up nice and close so she can talk into Neo's ear. But what is even more interesting is that we learn that Trinity, too, was a hacker. Probably Trinity had been a hacker when she was still trapped by the Matrix; as she says:
TRINITY: That was a long time ago.
Is it a coincidence then, that both Trinity and Neo were hackers who were freed by Morpheus from the Matrix? Maybe, but maybe it is something about the nature of those people who are hackers that make them more prone to seeking out the question of the Matrix.
This spirit of rebellion and curiosity is as much a part of Trinity's identity as it is a part of Neo's, linking the two even before they physically meet in the real world. Of course, there intimacy extends way beyond their virtual criminality. It is Trinity's love of Neo that compels Neo to rise from the brink of death and defeat the agents.
It's unclear exactly why Trinity loves Neo. It almost seems as though her love for him is based on the Oracle's prophecy that she would love The One, just like Morpheus's belief in Neo being The One was dependent on the fact that he knew he would find The One. Phew. It's tricky in a chicken-and-egg sort of way.
But either way, Trinity and Neo experience something so real that it manifests itself as a reaction within the Matrix, and Trinity's love provides Neo with the impetus he needs to "get up."

Cypher (Joe Pantoliano)
Character Analysis
More Than Skin DeepCypher seems like a nice person. Sure, he likes to tease Trinity about having a thing for Neo… but maybe Cypher is just a little immature. And he seems to genuinely care about Neo; he empathizes with him about the craziness about being The One and even offers him some pretty sage advice about running from the agents. He doesn't sound so bad after all.
But Cypher is incredibly selfish, and incredibly disloyal. In order to keep Morpheus alive so that he can be hacked, Cypher must kill the entire crew of the Nebuchadnezzar. And if you think that's bad, he's actually giving up the codes to Zion's mainframe, essentially selling the lives of every single free human being. He really is a Judas of sorts, betraying The One for his own benefit.
The Philosophy of the RealLet's take a step back, though. Cypher is a bad dude: that's a given. But just because he's incredibly evil doesn't mean he's… wrong.
Let's think about his dinner with Smith, where he talks about the steak. He knows that the steak isn't real, that it's a simulation of the Matrix. But, as he says, ignorance is bliss. Even knowing the steak isn't "real" it tastes "juicy and delicious." When someone is ignorant of the fact they're in the Matrix, then the steak is exactly like "real" steak. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck… it's probably a succulent t-bone.
Cypher's problem, of course, is that there is no steak in the real world. Instead, he is stuck eating goop that maybe tastes like runny eggs if you close your eyes. Cypher seems to be the only character to truly realize that one's experience in the Matrix cannot be defined as unreal. It is not an opposition to the physical world; it is simply alternative, and an alternate that Cypher prefers with good reason—there are steaks in the Matrix.
Cypher adds a depth to the film that would otherwise be absent. The Matrix could simply be another of the films binaries: the "real" world is real (therefore good) and the Matrix is false (and therefore bad).
But chew on this: if the world, our world right now, were actually a Matrix, would you suddenly consider all your experiences (and, in consequence, your very identity) to be unreal? That is an incredibly tricky question.
We hope you wouldn't be willing to sacrifice hundreds of thousands of people to live a better life, but Cypher certainly makes us question the nature of what makes a thing real, as well as the inherent value of a physical reality. Who knows, in a hundred years people who value the physical world just might end up sounding like your grandpa complaining about how nobody talks face-to-face anymore.
As a side note, Cypher also makes us think of other "realities", not just our own world, as matrixes. In the scene where he talks to Smith at the restaurant, Cypher describes the person he wants to be in the Matrix when he's reinserted. He says he wants to be rich and important, "like an actor."
But uh, he is an actor. Neo, Trinity, Morpheus: they're all actors. It's a sly joke that seems perfectly sensible within the confines of the movie. But it also makes us think about movies themselves as a kind of Matrix: a virtual reality that we can escape into. Surely, it's not a stretch to think of video games and even books in the same way.
So thanks, Cypher! Not only do you inject some drama-rama into this film, you also make our brains hurt from rigorous philosophizing: we feel the burn, and it is sweet

Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving)
Character Analysis
The Man who is "The Man"Agent Smith's last name is Smith. In fact, his only name is Smith. Besides having one of the most common names in the Western world, he's basically as devoid of personality as you can get. He has a very distinctly monotone way of speaking. He wears the classic suit and tie combo with shades and a pretty phenomenally average haircut.
Essentially, he isn't anyone (well, of course he isn't anyone, he's a program, but that's not the point). If the Matrix is "control," as Morpheus says, then the agents are the controllers. They are the "they," the "them," and Agent Smith is "The Man"—the Matrix, the system.
The Matrix is a very complex program and sometimes things go wrong or hackers like Morpheus and crew muck it up. The agents were created by machines to right those wrongs and keep the Matrix stable. And that's exactly what Smith does… through violence, of course.
The Program behind the MaskSo, then we have the question: if that's all there is to it, why are we still talking about Smith? We really like the way he calls Neo Mr. Anderson, but does his character go any deeper?
For most of the movie he is simply an antagonist, but then we get the scene with Smith and Brown and Jones trying to hack into Morpheus's mind. Smith, like any good antagonist on the brink of victory, begins to monologue. First he talks about the Matrix itself.
While we won't truly learn about its ancestry until the Architect in Reloaded, Smith talks about the first Matrix which tried and failed to simulate a perfect human world. While some people think machines lack the programing language to simulate a perfect world, Smith believes that it was rejected because:
SMITH: Human beings define their reality through misery and suffering.
And then it starts to get good. Smith orders the other agents to leave him (which they do reluctantly) and he gives Morpheus and us insight onto why he needs the codes to Zion's mainframe.
As viewers, we've assumed he was working on behalf of the machines. The machines want to destroy Zion and Smith is simply helping him; they are the ones that programmed him after all. But no, that's not the case. Smith is acting on his own behalf, trying to destroy Zion so that he wouldn't need to be in the Matrix anymore.
We really see the man behind the mask when he takes of his shades and sits down next to Morpheus, distraught by the stench of humans. We now see Smith not as an archetypal villain, an arm of the machines, but a program with a will of his own.
When the machines became conscious, they were no longer working for humans. And now that a program is conscious, he no longer works for machines. It's a crucial theme of the Matrix and you should be ready for it in the sequels.

The Nebuchadnezzar Crew
Analysis
There are a lot of other crew members aboard the Nebuchadnezzar that we should devote a little time and space to.
There's Mouse, the young, energetic one who's full of questions and theories and seems to relish creating things (mainly virtual women). He is the one who makes us question experiences in the Matrix as accurate due to their subjective nature. How can they really know what Tasty Wheat tastes like? What things in the physical world were simulated incorrectly? Mouse is the first to die and his youth makes his death all the more painful.
Then there's Dozer. He doesn't say much except to rain on Mouse's parade about the Tasty Wheat. He screams as he charges at Cypher and then he is electrocuted to death: sizzle.
His brother, Tank, plays a little larger role. Tank is a follower of Morpheus and is used to juxtapose the suspicious Cypher. He is very excited and hopeful about Neo being The One, and is also our main source for the little information we get about Zion, the final human city. He ends up surviving Cypher's attack and saving Neo and Trinity.
Next up is Apoc. He doesn't do a whole lot. He drives things and is usually partnered with Switch.
Speaking of Switch, she is the only real-world female in the film besides Trinity. She has a few one-liners and orders Neo around when they pick him up in the car. She is killed alongside Apoc when Cypher unplugs them both while they're trapped in the Matrix.

Director
Life with the Wachowskis
The Wachowski siblings are quite the elusive duo. As part of their contract with Warner Brother's for creating the second and third Matrix movies, they opted out of doing any sort of promotional-type advertising for the movies. They wanted the movies to speak for themselves. However, in typical Hollywood fashion (no, not that kind of fashion), just because they want privacy doesn't mean they get it.
Let's start at the beginning: comic book writing. Before writing screenplays these bros were already busting out stories of alternate realities with the likes of Ectokid (who could see both the normal world and the Ectosphere realm where buildings are made of coral and unfriendly ghosts want to snack on his soul) and working construction or painting houses to earn a living. Soon after the comics they turned to cinema. They wrote Assassins before writing and directing Bound and The Matrix, the success of which pushed them into stardom.
Since The Matrix they have written and often directed a handful of other (mostly science fiction) movies like V for Vendetta, a live action version of Speed Racer, and an adaptation of the novel Cloud Atlas.
In addition to movies they've continued to write comic books and were also heavily involved in the video games that were based on The Matrix trilogy. Apparently the W's were quite avid gamers themselves. In their younger years they even wrote their own role-playing game.
Origins of the MatrixThe Wachowskis said they first conceived of The Matrix when considering the possibility of multiple and digital realities and thinking, "What if our world is a digital reality?" They were influenced by different anime they'd watched like Ghost in the Shell, Ninja Scroll, and Akira (source).
We'll get more into the philosophy behind the movie later, but it's worth saying that the Wachowskis were definitely influenced by texts like Out of Control, Evolutionary Psychology, and Simulacra and Simulation. Keanu Reeves states in Matrix Revisited that the Wachowskis had him read all these books carefully before even showing him the script. Needless to say, The Matrix's popularity is partly due to the fact it isn't just an action movie.
It's not just an action movie—but it is also completely an action movie. All of the crazy slow motion camera rotation freeze frame action sequences? Yeah, the Wachowskis had always admired Chinese action cinema and hired choreographer Yuen Woo-ping to help them perfect "wire fu" (which is just what it sounds like: actors doing kung fu assisted by wires that suspend them in the air).
It's this attention to filming full action sequences instead of using "clever" cuts to make the action appear more intense that really make The Matrix fight scenes pop.
As for the Wachowskis, they're still going at it full force and full sci-fi. With Jupiter Ascending and the Netflix series Sense8 they continue to prove that they are no mere '90s fad (like Orbitz, RIP). The future holds more Wachowski madness, guaranteed to blow us away.

Production Design
Worlds of Color
We're not talking about the Disney water show; this is much more subtle. If you haven't already read the Setting section, we recommend you go there for all the big differences between the real world and the world of the Matrix. But there's still more we need to cover, and it's maybe something you didn't notice when watching the movies, but probably felt or experienced.
We're talking about differences in color. In the Matrix, the color green has a special emphasis. It's hard to point out, but now that we've mentioned it you would probably notice it here and there if you re-watched the movie. There's the club scene where Neo meets Trinity (which has a very obvious use of green light) but for most scenes it's an undertone, or maybe a highlight. It's in Trinity's initial fight scene, in Neo's room, in the rainy car scene, and in the final fight scenes like the lobby and the subway.
Now let's take a step into the real world and feel that bright blue sky. Well, okay, the sky is pretty bleak, but there is actually a lot of blue light in these scenes to contrast with the greens of the Matrix. When Neo is first inside the Nebuchadnezzar being rehabilitated we see blues in the clothing and the sheets, the electrical pulses and engines of the hovercraft.
But again, it's also more subtle than that. It's more of an emphasis of blue lighting in general that specific blue objects. It's about the subliminal feel of things that was used to create a subconscious effect. After all, green lighting creates kind of a sickly atmosphere, where blue light is more clinical. You might not love the blue tones that many hospitals have, but you feel reassured by them.

Bullet O'Clock
Then there are things that aren't so subtle. The Matrix uses a groundbreaking special effect that's come to be known as "bullet time." The effect is exactly what you think it is. The camera moves as fast as a bullet, slowing everything else down and allowing for some crazy slow motion shots and stills. It's used from the very beginning when Trinity fights the policemen and of course when Neo is dodging bullets on the rooftop.
The process to get such an effect is incredibly precise and requires a lot of planning and labor. Hundreds of cameras are set along a path used to capture up to 12,000 frames per second. And, with some post-shooting animation jazz that's too complex to get into, we get some sweet slo-mo action that has been integral in giving the Matrix its rise to fame.

The Tinkers
Okay, okay, we get it. The Matrix is philosophically complex, critically acclaimed, and has greatly impacted the movie industry, but what about the little guy? The everyday viewers?
Well, the people who made The Matrix a big success in the first place (by buying tickets to go see it) have continued to embrace it in just about every possible fanboy (or girl) way there is. Cosplay? Check. Classy fan art? Check. Um, other kinds of fan art? Check. Car commercials featuring Morpheus as an opera singer? Yes indeed. Slash fiction featuring Neo and Smith? Of course!
The Tellers
Aside from all the fun artsy stuff of inspired fans, there are also those who are obsessed with archiving and explaining the world of The Matrix for the understanding and enjoyment of all. Mostly we're talking about the Wiki page Matrix Wiki, which we'll surely be linking to a few times throughout this guide.
This is a one-stop shop of sorts for all your Matrix needs. Need to know the New York State Appellate Court's ruling against B166-ER, which led to the formation of the first machine state, 01? (We swear, Matrix novices—this will make sense soon).
The Thinkers
So we've already briefly mentioned the philosophy that influenced The Matrix. With this movie it's a two-way service tunnel. The movie has inspired numerous academic papers and lectures dealing with the philosophical contents of the film.
There are some in-depth looks at The Matrix itself by philosophers like Chalmers and even an hour long documentary spanning the trilogy and just about every religious and philosophical subtext there is (and which we highly recommend).
After all, philosophy consists of asking questions, which is often done through creative hypotheticals called thought experiments. And what is science fiction like The Matrix other than a series of incredibly entertaining thought experiments?!

Setting
The Desert of the Real (a.k.a. Where the Sun don't Shine)
If we want to get technical about it, this is the only physical setting of The Matrix. Everything else that happens takes place within the minds of the characters. In fact, the entirety of the movie is confined within the Nebuchadnezzar, except when Neo is briefly in a power plant before he is rescued.
While this may be true, there's no getting around the fact that stuff goes down within the Matrix itself. So let's talk about some of the main differences between the Matrix and the Desert of the Real, starting with everyone's favorite hovercraft.
The Nebuchadnezzar is pretty grimy and beat up. It really fits in with the rest of the "real" world aesthetic they have going on: the whole ruinous city and blackened sky thing. The blue lightning really brings it all together.
If we go inside the Nebuchadnezzar we see flickering lights and worn down chairs. The living quarters appear submarine-esque; they seem hard and tight and not particularly comfortable. There are also a lot of wires running around out in the open and the main console with all the computers seems a bit slipshod.
Even though we're about two hundred years in the future, this hovercraft is nothing like the pristinely clean spaceships of other science fiction works, like Star Trek. Of course, they're driving around their ship in the service tunnels and sewers of ancient cities and we're pretty sure they haven't installed any showers. Smith might think the Matrix stinks but he should be glad he's not aboard the Nebuchadnezzar.
Mega City (a.k.a. The Set Down Under)
If you really think about the Matrix as a setting, there is really only one part of the Matrix that we every see: the metropolis known as Mega City. It's actually unclear whether there are other parts of the Matrix.
This city is portrayed as a very modern, corporate kind of world. It's full of skyscrapers and big, busy streets with lots of people. What's interesting, though, is how clean it appears. Aside from Room 101 where Neo lives, most other scenes have a very minimalist, orderly feel: the office and cubicle Neo works in, the building that Morpheus is taken to, the building where the fight scene occurs with its pretty columns, and even the rooftops. Everything appears neat and tidy… which seems to be the whole point.
There is one play that sticks out like a sore thumb, however: the old hotel where Neo is introduced to Morpheus and where Cypher betrays the group after Neo goes to the Oracle. This building is an intermediary between the two worlds. It's a mix of real world dirty and Matrix clean. It has a classy antique feel—dig that checkered staircase and the large armchairs—and, while it may be dusty it's certainly in better shape than the Nebuchadnezzar.
Seeing as this building acts as a kind of portal which Morph and the crew use to enter and exit the Matrix, its aesthetic makes sense.

Point of View
What with all the craziness of The Matrix conceptually (not to mention all the philosophy and theology thrown in the mix) the narrative structure itself is necessarily simple. Just imagine if Neo's journey out of the Matrix was a series of flashbacks that occur as he's on his way to save Morpheus. Not only does that sound way more confusing, but it also ruins the big reveal: that the world we think is real, our world, is a virtual reality.
Because this reveal is the huge point of the film, the narrative takes place alongside Neo's discovery. When Neo is shocked, we are shocked. Our emotional journey mirrors Neo's disbelief. Morpheus tells Neo that he has:
MORPHEUS: ...the look of a man who accepts what he sees because he is expecting to wake up.

Genre
Post-Apocalyptic; Science fiction; ActionLet's start with the basics, shall we? The Matrix is an action movie, pure and simple. We spend so much time talking about themes and symbolism in this guide that it's surprisingly easy to forget what's actually happening in the movie: lots of action.
And while there's nothing unique about a gunfight or a kung fu showdown, no movie has combined the two in such a way before The Matrix. Of course, if you really want to see what's capable in terms of maximum action, you'll need to see The Matrix: Reloaded, but we're sticking with the original for now.
Next on our plate is the science fiction genre. Again, this one is pretty straightforward. Sure, it doesn't have warp drives and sexily clad female aliens that (for some reason) always seem to be strangely humanoid aside from their skin color, but it's pretty science-y (jacking into a virtual world complex enough to replicate the real world…and hovercrafts for good measure) and it's pretty freakin' fictitious.
Finally, let's touch on the post-apocalyptic. The real world in The Matrix is a mess. Everyone lives in a single underground city fearing annihilation from a machine army (without Netflix—the horror!). People are scared for their lives and travel through underground service tunnels and sewers. The sky is black. And why? Because the robot overlords—those squid-like machines with their technological know-how—took over. Jerks.

What's Up With the Title?
You want to know why The Matrix is called The Matrix? Well, it's because the movie centers around a computer simulated virtual world known as the Matrix in which humans are mentally trapped and placated so that they can be kept alive and produce energy.
Okay, maybe there's a bit more to it. What does "matrix" mean in the first place? If you just Googled it like we did, you probably found a bunch of definitions that don't really make sense within the context of the movie: "the thickened epithelium at the base of a fingernail or toenail from which new nail substance develops." Thanks Merriam Webster, but for some reason we don't think the movie has much to do with nail growth.
Ah, but wait. What about: "set of numbers arranged in rows and columns to form a rectangular array." Now we're getting somewhere. "Matrix" seems to refer to the structure and complexity of the system, whose underpinnings can be seen in the cascading green code of the operator computers and even more accurately when Neo is resurrected and begins to see the matrix itself in its true state.

What's Up With the Ending?
It's one of those cyclical things. You know, like the hydrologic cycle... or like a cat chasing its own tail.
In the first scene we start with Trinity and Cypher talking while the camera zooms inside of a monochrome monitor and into the Matrix. At the end, we hear Neo talking as we again zoom into the Matrix, this time to look at Neo talking to…whoever he's talking to, it's not really clear. The machines? The agents?
At any rate, Neo's telling it like it is. He's going to show the minds trapped in the Matrix the truth, or at least the lack of truth. Again, very unclear exactly what he's planning on doing.
He then hangs up the phone and steps out of the phone booth like a bona fide superman. He even flies like superman with his fists outstretched above his head like he's riding a motorcycle that is way too big for him. But maybe that's just how one flies: who knows (not us, unfortunately)? The point is, Neo's the man now, and things are about to get revolutionary.
So, to answer the question: what's up with the ending? Neo is. He's up, up and away.

The Matrix Questions
Bring on the tough stuff. There’s not just one right answer.

Would you take the red pill, not knowing what would happen? Seriously, don't just idealize yourself as a thrill-seeking, truth-seeking, inquisitive intellectual and say "of course." Really think about it. If you were in Neo's shoes, would you take the red pill?
Would you take the red pill, knowing what would happen? You would wake up in a scary place, as mankind seems to be on the brink of defeat. You are not The One and don't know if Morpheus will find him/her. Would you rather suffer in the physical world or have a quaint life as a human battery?
Do you think we could be living in a virtual (or in some way simulated) universe?
Could machines ever attain consciousness or is this just another science fiction trope? To answer this, think about a) how you would define consciousness and b) ask yourself if all consciousness must be the same. Could machines have a different type of consciousness than humans?
Do we live in a deterministic world? This could mean lots of things: genetic determinism, social determinism, historical determinism, quantum determinism. If our world is predetermined, does that mean we don't make choices?
What are some more practical matrices that we experience every day? Instead of thinking of the Matrix as a metaphor for our own experience in the world, what if we thought of different experiences as types of matrices?
What role does faith play in the movie? Morpheus has complete faith in a prophecy and Neo doesn't even have faith in himself. Is faith always held in a positive light?
Compare the Matrix to other philosophical metaphors, like Plato's Allegory of the Cave.
If you were stranded on a desert island (not in the Matrix) and you were accompanied by one character from The Matrix, who would you choose and why?

Trivia
Will Smith and Nicholas Cage both turned down the role of Neo for various reasons, fortunately. (Source)
In the car where Neo is debugged, Switch calls him a Coppertop. This is slang for a battery; a term used in old Duracell commercials. Redpills will call bluepills this because they are, like Morpheus so visually describes, being used like batteries by the machines. It's not a nice thing to call someone. Would you like being called a battery? (Source)
The ending date on the computer monitor is 9-18-99. When Neo is late for work, he wakes up at 9:18. Andy Wachowski's wife's birthday is September 18th. (Source)
Neo's driver's license expires on September 11th, 2001. The movie was released in 1999. Coincidence, or conspiracy?

The Matrix
The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us. Even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work, when you go to church, when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.
Morpheus
in the movie, The Matrix
We think we live in a "world". In fact we live in a frequency range. That's all it is. We are trapped in a frequency range and therefore trapped in an illusion. This is what the well-known movie calls the Matrix.

The "world" we see around us is merely the tiny fraction of multi-dimensional infinity that our physical senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste can access. The physical world we perceive is like a radio station and our physical senses are tuned to its frequency. So that is all we see. But all around us are the other frequencies or densities of infinite creation -the ones that "science" has denied exist.

They are all around us on frequencies beyond the range of our physical senses. These are the frequencies that can be seen and heard by animals, like cats, when they react to apparently "empty" space, and dogs when they hear sounds far higher than we can. Newborn babies also react to "empty" space until their senses are imprisoned by conditioning. These are the frequencies accessed by true psychics -the oracles of the ancient world -who can raise their vibration to tune into these unseen realms.

The Italian physicist Giuliana Conforto in her brilliant book LUH, Man's Cosmic Game (Edizioni Noesis, 1998) puts it like this:
"...a good 90% of total calculated mass is in fact dark and unobservable, while only 10% is observable by means of the infinite rainbow, which is light. The visible universe we do observe, with its billions of stars and galaxies, is in turn only a narrow perspective of this already scanty 10%. ...Inside every physical body there is an invisible, but far more massive reality (90%), a non-observable substance, that can be felt and experienced as emotions, intuitions, and feelings."'
It is within the realms of this unseen "dark matter" that other-dimensional entities like the reptilians operate. Giuliana Conforto also points out that in some galaxies, this dark matter, unseen by the human eye, is 100 times the mass we can observe. We can see from our frequency range just 7% of what exists in such galaxies! 2

When we open our minds and expand our own frequency range of perception, so we will "discover" more planets and stars. The atom is said to be the foundation of physical matter and yet all but a fraction of the space within an atom is, to the human eye, "empty". A "physical atom" from which all physical forms are made, consists of a nucleus with electrons orbiting around it like a mini solar system.

Dr Douglas Baker said in his book, The Opening Of The Third Eye (Aquarian Press, Wellingborough, England, 1977):
"If we expanded the hydrogen atom to the size of a cathedral, its electron would perhaps be the size of a nickel!"3
The overwhelming majority of the "space" within an atom is "dark matter" operating on frequencies we can't see and it is the same with our solar system and the entire dense physical universe. If only "science" were led by Giuliana Conforto's way of thinking, instead of the concrete minds of academia, we would already live in a world of infinitely greater awareness of who we are and the nature of life.

But look at her figures there and apply them to the "scientific" denials of intelligent life beyond this planet. We are asked to believe that life as we know it has only evolved on this one physical planet among the billions of planets and stars in this visible universe, which is, itself, only a fraction of visible "light", which is in turn only 10% of total mass? What a joke. God save us from official "science". And, of course, all this is only by current calculations.

That fraction of 10% of total mass that we can see might turn out to be an extremely optimistic view.

The kingdom of heaven is within you

All around you now, and sharing the same space as your body, are all the radio and television frequencies broadcasting to your area. You can't see them and they are not aware of each other because they are vibrating to such different frequencies that they pass through each other and your body without anyone noticing. The only time they "interfere" with each other is when they are very close on the frequency band.

When you turn on your radio, the frequency you have accessed is passing through the windows and walls of your house to reach the radio receiver because the walls and broadcast frequencies are so far apart on the density scale. This is how "ghosts" and "extraterrestrials" can apparently walk through walls and why some people see them and others don't. It depends whether your mind is tuning to their frequency or not.

These other-dimensional entities, including the reptilians, are all around us sharing the same space. You can sometimes feel them when the vibes in a room change and you sense an icy chill or, with positive entities, a feeling of great love in the atmosphere around you. They are so close to our frequency range, but just outside it.

Credo Mutwa talks of the vibrational "blind spot" that people have which prevents them from seeing these entities and I think this is manufactured externally in some way, probably through a frequency broadcast from below ground that shuts off part of our DNA's multi-dimensional potential. The DNA is a transmitter and receiver of vibrational information and can therefore be reprogrammed by vibrational and electromagnetic fields. Nikola Tesla, whose genius was responsible for much of today's electrical system, understood that other frequencies existed, but the most profound parts of his work were suppressed.

He once said:
"We cannot even with positive assurance assert that some of them [other dimensional entities] might not be present here in our world in the very midst of us, for their constitution and life manifestations may be such that we are unable to perceive them."4
As I said earlier, when you move the radio dial and tune to another station you can no longer hear the first station because you have moved the dial out of its range and so now you are hearing another. But the first station has not disappeared, it goes on broadcasting. It's just that you can't hear it anymore. If you choose to retune your dial again, there it will be. It is the same with Creation. We are like droplets of water in an ocean of infinite energy taking infinite forms. This ocean of energy manifests as different densities or frequencies and at this moment we are tuned to this one, the "physical world".

But all the other frequencies are around us and interpenetrating us while we perceive only the density that our physical senses can see, touch, hear, smell, and taste -the Matrix.

As physicist, Giuliana Conforto, put it:
"The fact that we are not able to observe [it] doesn't mean it doesn't exist, rather that human perception is severely limited."
The late and great Bill Hicks, the brilliant and highly intelligent American comedian, encapsulated these truths magnificently. He said:
"Matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration. We are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively. There's no such thing as death, life is just a dream. and we are the imagination of ourselves."5
Look at the findings of Albert Einstein, the most famous scientist of the 20th century. His E=MC2 shows that matter is just a form of energy and that energy cannot be destroyed, only transformed into another state. It's official, our consciousness, which is energy, is indestructible. We live forever. The truth is in front of our eyes. Purely by changing the temperature (frequency), ice becomes water and water becomes steam and steam "disappears".

That simple temperature change turns "solid" ice into invisible vapour because different temperatures represent different frequencies. It is all the same energy, but in a very different state. Our bodies consist of many different sub-frequencies within the dense physical range. Look at X-rays. They are tuned to frequencies that match our bone structure and so they do not portray the outer flesh, which is vibrating to a different frequency.

X-rays don't show the walls of buildings, just the rods of iron within them for the same reason. Look at the world from the X-ray frequency and it looks very different than it does from ours. How an object or person appears depends purely on the frequency from which you are observing. The human aura, as technology has shown, is a mass of different colors (frequencies) that change as our thoughts and emotions (frequencies) change.

The X-ray is just one example of frequencies that science has confirmed exist, but we can't see. Ultraviolet, gamma-rays, infra-red, radio waves, etc., are some of the others. But had you suggested to a conventional scientist that any of those existed before they were officially discovered and he would almost certainly have called you ridiculous or dangerous. Every scientific "norm" since the dawn of the "scientific age" has been proved with time to be either flawed, not the full picture, or, often, unbelievably inaccurate and patently ludicrous.

Yet generation after generation society clings to the "scientific" norms of its day until its knuckles turn white and its hair turns grey. "Science" goes on judging possibility by the apparent "laws" of this frequency range and yet scientists know that 90% of the mass of existence, what they call "dark matter", is not subject to these laws like gravity and those of the electromagnetic field. If we take the laws of physics as they may apply to one frequency and judge what is possible in other frequencies on the same basis, we will be in ignorance forever.

What applies to one, does not apply to another.

There is no spoon

The key point in Bill Hick's superb encapsulation of hidden truth is: We are the imagination of ourselves. Our lives, our physical experience, are a manifestation of our thoughts. We are what we think we are. Our imagination of self and the world around us becomes our physical experience. You think you are ordinary? You will be "ordinary". You think you are powerless? You will be powerless. You think the best things in life happen to others? So they will.

Everything is created by thought our thoughts. In this dense, treacle-like, frequency range we live in, the time between the thought and its physical manifestation can appear to take a long time, but thought is still the creator. For instance, look around you now wherever you are. The buildings, furniture, and all the trinkets and utensils, are provably created by thought. Unless someone had thought to design them and thought to make them they could not exist. Without the thought there can be no physical creation. In other realms, where the energy is far less dense, the thought and its manifestation are simultaneous.

The thought becomes manifest in an instant. All this means that we live in a world of illusion because the world is a reflection, a mirror, of human thought. What we think the world is, it will be. Or at least that will be our perception of what it is. In the movie, The Matrix, a little boy is bending spoons at will.

But he says that the real truth is:
"There is no spoon...it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself."
What is real? Real is merely what you believe is real. As the Morpheus character in The Matrix says:
"Real is just electrical signals interpreted by your brain."
For goodness sake, we don't even see objects, only the light they are reflecting. Close the curtains and turn off the light. What can you see? Nothing. And if you can see anything it is only because some light source is reflecting from whatever you can see. The term "dark matter" refers to that which does not reflect light in our frequency range and therefore we cannot see it.

We don't see anything, except reflected light. Even then the object enters our eyes upside down and has to be flipped over by the brain so we perceive it the right way up! And we don't even "hear" sound as such. Our ears convert pressure passing through the atmosphere into a series of waves and our brain transforms these waves into a perceived "sound". This is what televisions and radios do.

The broadcasts don't travel through the air as pictures and sounds. Can you imagine episodes of Friends or Frasier flying over the rooftops? Or hearing all the radio shows on every station simultaneously wherever we went? Of course not. It doesn't work that way.

The programmes are sent as broadcast waves, and television and radio technology decodes them into pictures and sound.

Welcome to my world

We each live in our own personal universe and when people come into our space they are entering our unique world of reality. There are areas where our universes agree and connect. Most people, for example, agree that the road outside your door and the cars driving past really exist. But apart from these basics, our universes can be very different. In my universe, to chase a fox with horses and hounds and tear it to pieces is an abomination.

But to other universes, it's fine to do that. In my universe, a few people are controlling the planet through a network of secret societies working through all "sides". But in most other human universes these "sides" are completely unconnected and the world has an infinite diversity of decision-making and ownership. In my universe, some of the most famous people on the planet are torturing and sacrificing children.

But most other human universes cannot conceive that such horrors could be taking place and so in their universes, they don't. Our minds observe the visible, physical world, and what we make of it becomes our reality, our personal universe. Because I see the world and events in very different terms to most people, there are far fewer points of agreement and connection between my universe and those of the mass of the people.

For this reason, I am considered strange, extreme, or a "nutter". But that is only those people's perception of me from the perspective of their own universe. It's not what really is, only what they believe it is. It's a self-generated illusion.

You can prove over and over that the physical world is controlled by the nonphysical mind. A stage illusionist can convince millions of minds that he has performed a "miracle" when it is just sleight of hand. There is one trick in which a girl is tied up and placed in a large box. The lid is shut tight and, after a roll of drums, the magician opens the box to find that the woman has disappeared.

What she has done is hide in the box's false bottom giving the appearance that it is empty. The magician then moves to an identical box on the other side of the stage. When he opens it the woman miraculously reappears to wild applause. The minds of the audience have been convinced that somehow the woman has been transported from one box to the other. This, therefore, becomes their reality, part of their universe. But you know what really happens? The magician uses identical twins wearing identical clothes.

It's that simple to delude the mind. I sat next to a guy on a television programme who ripped up the front page of the morning paper, crumpled the pieces together in his hands, and then opened it out in its original state. I was no more than two feet away. He ripped that paper to pieces. I saw him. But of course he didn't. He just convinced everyone that he did and once a mind is convinced of something it becomes that person's physical reality. A stage hypnotist can manipulate a member of the audience into believing that dog pooh is a prime piece of steak or that the woman next to him is naked or that he is anything from a donkey to a racing driver.

The Illuminati are simply applying these techniques on a mass scale because they know how it all works -that's the knowledge they have worked so incessantly to keep from us.

Creating our own reality

We are not our physical bodies. That is merely one level of us for a short time while we experience this frequency range. The body is a holographic projection that allows our consciousness to interact with the dense physical realm. Plato said, quite rightly, that all bodies are only the shadows of true reality. Every particle of a hologram contains a picture of the entire image.

This is why every cell of the body contains the information needed to create an entire body. A hologram is an illusion. It is not 3-D, but it looks 3-D. Same with the body. "Conventional" medicine concentrates purely on the holographic image and ignores the multi-frequency forces like thought and emotion that can harmonize or destabilize that image.

Thus, official medicine has its entire focus on the symptom and not the cause of physical dis-ease, disharmony. We are certainly more than our bodies. We are, in truth, all that exists, has existed, and ever will exist. I am you, you are me, I am everything and everything is me. We are not only part of that infinite energy from which everything manifests, we are that energy. All of it, all of us. In the end there is no "me" or "we", just one infinite "I". Look out at the world. Look at the explosion of planets and stars in the night sky.

All of it is you and that's only the fraction of you that your physical senses can see. We are all one energy, all each other. The divisions between us are an illusion and conflicts between us are conflicts and illusions within ourselves. The outer conflict is the expression of the inner conflict and those who come into our space, positive or negative, are outer projections of our own inner state of being. In this way, those who hate themselves and have no self-esteem attract, vibrationally, into their lives, their universe, people who will punish them.

They don't know they are doing this, it's all played out in the subconscious mind. Look at how many women who are beaten violently by their partner end up with a new partner who also beats them violently. I have known women who changed partners four or five times and every one knocked the living shit out of them. Until the inner self changes, its outer manifestation cannot change. All the answers are within, not without. That's why the Illuminati encourage and manipulate us to look outside of ourselves for answers.

They know that this way we will never find them. They want us to believe that the answers lie in the physical world, the "mirror", when that is just a reflection of what we are projecting from within. Thus, we see solutions in new laws and new powers for the police and authority when that is only papering over the cracks and diverting us from the real problem - the state and attitudes of the inner self, our consciousness.

The Illuminati are delighted with this because they know that nothing fundamental will ever change until we go to the source of all experience -inside ourselves. They want us to believe that we can change the movie by focusing on the screen when the only way to change the movie is to change what is being projected on the screen. One simple example: if we loved each other, there would be no conflict in the world.

Because we don't, there is. It's just a choice and those choices become manifest on the news and in our lives every day.

The reptilian brain

The more you understand about the reptilian mind the easier it is to see the Anunnaki-Illuminati at work in our society across the centuries. They have distinct character traits and they are seeking to make humans the same. These reptilian characteristics and their connection to the human brain are fundamental to the perpetuation of the illusions I call the Matrix. For those who, understandably, find even the idea of a reptilian race to be unimaginable, never mind the shape-shifting, I repeat the words of cosmologist Carl Sagan:
"There are more potential combinations of DNA [physical forms] than there are atoms in the universe."
Far from it being impossible for such a race to emerge, it would be more surprising if it had not. Studies have suggested that if the dinosaurs had survived, and some may have done so within the Earth, they would have evolved a reptilian humanoid form by now. Dale Russell, the senior palaeontologist at North Carolina University, was asked by the US space agency NASA to produce a report on what extraterrestrial life might look like.

He evolved the Troodon dinosaur in line with genetic changes over millions of years and created a model of a being he called a dino-sauroid. It was a reptilian humanoid and identical to those that abductees and others have claimed to see. There is so much more to know about the dinosaurs. After all, their existence was only discovered by scientists in the 1880s.

Credo Mutwa and others say that reptilians originated on this planet and were driven off before returning to claim what they believe is rightfully theirs. Maybe, maybe not. We only have their word for that and their word does not seem to be worth a lot. But this planet certainly has an enormous reptilian history. While I was writing this book, it was revealed that the fossil of a reptile that walked on two legs had been found in a German quarry in rock estimated to be at least 300 million years old. The find demolished previous scientific belief on reptilian evolution.

Dinosaurs were not, as believed, the first reptiles to run on two legs. This newly-discovered biped, Eudibamus cursoris, was a reptile unrelated to the later dinosaurs. The Eudibamus skeletal structure suggests that it could run swiftly, probably standing up on its toes, with its forelimbs swinging in a pendulum-fashion. This is similar to the posture adopted by running humans, say the US, Canadian and German scientists. Researcher Alan Walton has compiled a large amount of background to the reptilian presence on Earth.

He says:
"Aside from reports and even photos of human footprints found fossilized inside of dinosaurian prints, suggesting a common existence -I discovered some interesting biological facts concerning 'reptilians'. It seems that biologists agree that snakes ultimately mutated from lizards, and lizards from the larger 'thunder lizards' or dinosaurs of ancient times. And what was the earliest dinosaur discovered?

Well the two contenders are the Eoraptor (which gave rise to the very cunning and dexterous Veloci-raptors as depicted in the Jurassic Park movies) and a similar saurian biped which walked upright like a man, about the size of a human being, and with hands that were ideal for grabbing and ripping flesh, the herrerasaurus: both were meat-eaters, however there are enough differences and similarities between Eoraptor and Herrerasaurus to suggest that they had a common ancestor a 'few branches down' the saurian tree."6
The most ancient part of the brain is known by scientists as the R-complex or "reptilian brain" (Figure 46).

It is the most obvious remnant of our reptilian genetic history, apart from those who are still born with tails. This reptilian brain or R-complex is vital to understanding the ways that the Illuminati manipulate human thinking and perception. Most people have no idea of the reptilian heritage of the human body and its influence on our behavior. Scientists say that the R-complex represents a core of the nervous system and originates from a "mammal-like reptile" that was once found all over the world in the Triassic period (205-240 million years ago).

It is believed this was an evolutionary link between the dinosaurs and the mammals. There may be other explanations, too! All mammals have this reptilian part of the brain. Now look at the character traits of the reptilian brain as agreed by scientists.

I quote here from a fascinating Internet article by Skip Largent:
"At least five human behaviors originate in the reptilian brain ...Without defining them, I shall simply say that in human activities they find expression in: obsessive-compulsive behavior; personal day-to-day rituals and superstitious acts; slavish conformance to old ways of doing things: ceremonial re-enactments; obeisance to precedent, as in legal, religious, cultural, and other matters...and all manner of deceptions."7
Add other traits of the R-complex such as "territoriality" (this is mine, get out); aggression; and the idea that might-is-right, winner-takes-all. Put that little lot together and you have the very attitudes of the Illuminati.

Racism comes from the reptilian brain also and aggressive, violent sex, which the Illuminati bloodlines indulge in big time -ask US Presidents "father" George Bush and Gerald Ford, Vice President Dick Cheney, and the list of other famous Illuminati names I expose in my books. Can it really be a coincidence that the Illuminati manifest the classic traits of the reptilian brain while, at the same time, the evidence suggests that they are reptilian bloodlines?

Cosmologist Carl Sagan, who knew far more than he was telling, wrote a book, The Dragons Of Eden (Ballantine Books, New York, 1977), to highlight the reptilian influences on humanity.

He said:
"...It does no good whatsoever to ignore the reptilian component of human nature, particularly our ritualistic and hierarchical behavior. On the contrary, the model may help us understand what human beings are all about."
Other areas of the human brain balance the extremes of the reptilian characteristics in most people, but they can still be seen, for example, in those who live their lives as a daily ritual, such as going to the same supermarket at the same time every week and having the same meals on the same days. Those with the most dominant reptilian traits, the Illuminati bloodlines, would, it seems obvious, express more of those characteristics associated with the reptilian brain and so you have the reptilian bloodlines of the Illuminati utterly obsessed with ritual. Equally obviously, the reptilians understand the R-complex better than anyone and how it can be manipulated.

The human brain is in two parts or and an obsession with ritual. These are hemispheres, the right brain and the left-balanced by other parts of the brain in humans, brain, connected by a mass of nerve fibers.

but not in the full-blown reptilians, which manipulate this planet The left side is the rational, logical, and "intellectual". It works closely with the physical senses and can be summed up by can I touch it, see it, hear it, smell it, or taste it? OK, it must exist. It communicates through spoken words and written language. The right brain is where we manifest imagination, intuition, instincts, dream-states, the sub-conscious. It is the artist, musician, creative inspiration. It communicates through images and symbols, not words.

This right side is closely related to the R-complex. Reptilians communicate through imagery and symbols just like the Illuminati secret society network as widely detailed in The Biggest Secret and on my website. They have an entire secret language based on symbols. This brings us to the most effective form of human conditioning by the Illuminati movies and television.

As Skip Largent says:
"All movies and television are a projection of the reptilian brain. How so? Movies and television (video games etc.) are all undeniably dreamlike, not only in their presentation of symbolic-reality, but also in that humans experiencing movies, etc., have the same brain wave patterns as when they are dreaming. And guess where dreaming originates in your head? In the reptilian brain (although other parts of our brain are involved) ...The "language" of the reptilian brain is visual imagery. All communications transferred by reptiles are done so by visual symbolic representations, each having specific meaning."8
And this is precisely what the Illuminati do. So how does this relate to human control? The movie and television industries are not only owned and directed by the Illuminati -they created them. They understand how visual images can be used to condition the population. In normal circumstances, the reptilian-dominated right brain receives images through the eyes or the imagination, and the left brain decodes those images into thoughts, words, and conclusions.

The Illuminati-Anunnaki have intervened in this process, however, to control the human mind. Their aim is to disconnect the functions of these two distinct parts of the brain so we can be manipulated through the right brain while only being conscious of the left. They plant images into the right brain (the dream-state, the non-conscious) using symbolism, subliminal imagery, and pictures, while often telling the left brain how it should interpret those images. This is done through "education", "science", and the media. The television news is a classic.

The right brain is shown pictures of thousands of refugees pouring across the border out of Kosovo while the reporter's voice-over tells the left brain how to interpret those pictures: i.e. the refugees were fleeing Serbian atrocities. This explanation increased public support for NATO bombing of the Serbs. What later emerged, of course, is that many of those refugees were actually fleeing the effects of the NATO bombing. Same images, but a very different story or interpretation. It is the same with newspaper pictures in which the caption interprets the image for the reader's left brain. Often what the caption says is not the true background to what the reader is seeing.

What is happening all the time is that the left-brain is being told by external sources how to decode right brain images. What we need to do urgently is regain control of our left brains and decide for ourselves what our right brain images mean. That requires breaking away from the herd, thinking for ourselves, and questioning all that we see and hear. That includes what you are reading in this book. If it doesn't make sense, walk away. You will find that words like imagination, imagine, dream, and such like are used constantly in advertising.

They know that if they can use trigger words that encourage a right brain, non-conscious, day dream state, they can access your mind with imagery and then tell your left brain how to decode it into conscious language -"I want that car"; "I think the police should be given more powers to stop crime"; "I need to take Viagra to be a proper man again"; "We need a world government to solve our problems".

Television and movies are producing a fantasy world of make-believe to open up the unconscious right brain and allow the Illuminati a secret access through that to the conscious mind. Children are most at risk from this and they are being bombarded with fantasy images to this end. In early childhood, the mental state is controlled almost exclusively by the reptilian brain and the purveyors of children's "entertainment" like Disney exploit this knowledge. Disney is a major Illuminati operation. Music is used in the same way.

There is nothing wrong with music in itself, and the same with fantasy and dream-states, so long as we are doing our own decoding. As with everything, it is the way this is manipulated that I am talking about. And who controls the music industry? The same people who control Hollywood and the global media in general -the Illuminati.

The biggest music operation in the world, for instance, is Universal Music, controlled by the Bronfmans of Canada, which also controls Universal Studios. The Bronfmans were a gangster family during prohibition and later owners of one of the biggest liquor operations on the planet, Seagrams. The Bronfmans control a stream of other media organizations including such deeply intellectual, mind-expanding, programs as The Jerry Springer Show.

Universal Music is the force behind the Satanic "shock rocker" Marilyn Manson. The Illuminati control the music industry and it is widely used for subconscious and vibrational conditioning. A former employee of the music corporation, EMI, told me how they had "supervisors" who ensured that only the "right" artists the "right" music were signed and promoted. The Bronfmans are a reptilian bloodline and very close to the Rothschilds.

It is the Bronfmans, through various front organizations and stooges, particularly operating out of their headquarters in eastern Canada, who are seeking to stop me speaking all over the world. In accordance with the Illuminati method of controlling all sides in a debate or conflict, two of the most vociferous critics of Edgar Bronfman junior, the head of Universal Pictures, are former Bush and Reagan cabinet minister, Bill Bennett, the shape-shifting child abuser exposed by Cathy O'Brien, and Joseph Lieberman, the vice-presidential running mate of blood drinker and shape-shifter, Al Gore.

This pair say that Universal Studios encourage people to be immoral! Is there no shame?

Manufacturing illusions

Through the reptilian brain, the Anunnaki-Illuminati manipulate our perception of reality. This frequency range or physical world is controlled and manipulated from outside, from another frequency range or density, which I have called the fourth dimension. As in the movie, The Matrix, the "agents" of this force come into this world to delude and manipulate us -like the other-dimensional Men in Black.

They do it through direct manifestation, aided by the Satanic rituals, or by occupying and possessing the bloodlines that most resonate with them -the Illuminati bloodlines. Some of these "agents" appear to be capable of "miraculous" feats. But they are not miraculous at all. It is just that they are using a knowledge of physics and energy that is systematically kept from us.

They know that this world is not solid, only that it appears to be. Everything from a breath of air to a drop of rain, to a mountain or a ten-ton truck is vibrating energy. Look at anything under a microscope, no matter how dense and "solid" it may seem to be, and you will see that it is just vibrating energy. The slower it vibrates, the more solid it looks, the faster it vibrates the more ethereal and transparent it appears until its speed moves beyond our physical senses and it "disappears". Look at a simple spoked cartwheel. When it is turning slowly the spokes looks very solid.

But when it is traveling at speed the spokes are just a blur and no longer "solid" at all. In fact they can even give the illusion of going backwards while the cart is going forwards. Optical illusions are just simple expressions of the Great Illusion. I have been writing for ten years that the speed of light, 186,000 miles per second, is not the fastest speed possible. It is only an outer limit of our frequency range, after which anything traveling above that speed enters another range, another density and we cease to perceive it.

This is how UFOs and extraterrestrials appear and "disappear", and how demonic entities manifest and de-manifest at Satanic rituals. They switch frequencies. As John A. Keel points out, the color changes seen in interdimensional materializations are often described in "UFO" sightings as the "objects" scan the electromagnetic spectrum.
"UFOs often appear as a purplish blob and then descend the visible scale until they turn red," he wrote "at which point they sometimes solidify into seemingly material objects."
We exist on all dimensions and densities in the Great Infinity. At our core we are pure love, what some people call the spark or flame of God within all of us. At that level of our infinite self, we are vibrating at incredible speed. There is no form. We are pure energy. We just are. Everything just is. We are all one. We are consciously everything that has ever, does, or will ever exist. These is no time, no location. We are all time, all places, all thought and feeling. We interpenetrate all existence.

We are the infinite and the ultimate.

And that is everybody, no matter what you may be doing at the moment in this Great Illusion. But to experience all the densities on our endless journey of experience, that spark, that pure love, has to surround itself with an outer shell that resonates with the frequency range it wishes to experience. Without that, it could not interact with that "world" because it would be too far away on the dial. If my consciousness did not surround itself with a physical body on the same frequency range as this "world" I could not tap the keys of this computer.

My consciousness would pass straight through them. For this reason, our inner spark of pure love has taken on a vast number of outer "bodies" to interact with and experience all densities down the scale. We are, therefore, like a series of Russian dolls, one inside the other, all vibrating at different speeds. And all, except that spark of love that interpenetrates all existence, are illusions of varying degrees. The dense physical body, the outer of all the shells, is therefore part of the greatest illusion because it not only has its own personal illusions, it encompasses all the others, too.

The nearest "bodies" to the dense physical are the etheric, astral, mental and emotional. They are all vibrating at higher speeds than our physical senses and so we can't see them, although psychic people can when they access those frequencies. We feel them, however, as good and bad "vibes".

The etheric is a mirror image of the physical, but less dense, and the lower levels of the astral frequency range (lower fourth dimension) appear to be the realms from which the Illuminati demons, reptilians, and other malevolent "extraterrestrials" largely operate. The "lower astral" is the traditional home of malevolent entities in esoteric thought.

Abductees have reported that when they looked at their bodies during an extraterrestrial experience they looked different to normal and, as we saw earlier, the American, Jim Walden, said that his body looked like those of the "aliens" who abducted him. Walden felt that this was another dimension of him, which inhabited his human form. He believed from his experiences that the "aliens" could transcend time, transform matter, manipulate human thought and behavior, and create "distracting illusions to satisfy the needs of our simple human minds".9

He concluded that they could move between dimensions and that they were less "extraterrestrial" and more "interdimensional". I think that is correct. The demonic entities and the malevolent faction of the reptilians are overwhelmingly astral beings that can move between densities, thus appearing human one minute and then shape-shifting into something else the next.

They are like those agents in The Matrix movie. But, also like those agents, they are still stuck in an illusion themselves. It might be less of an illusion than humans because they know of other dimensions and so on, but they are still stuck in their astral illusion as humans are stuck in the physical one.

The Matrix character, Morpheus, says of the agents:
"I have seen an agent punch through a concrete wall; men have emptied entire clips [of bullets] on them and hit nothing but air. Yet their strength and their speed are still based on rules. Because of that, they will never be as strong or as fast as you can be."
That is why the Illuminati and their other-density masters have worked so hard to suppress our minds. They know that we are potentially far more powerful than they are if only we can free ourselves of their mind control.

Their aim, in effect, is to keep us in a bigger illusion than their own. It is like the short sighted manipulating the blind. Within every human is a genius waiting to manifest. I never cease to be amazed at the levels of excellence that humans achieve in the whole range of professions and talents. Find someone at the top of his or her craft and you will be in awe at their brilliance.

And this is despite all the manipulation and suppression of our potential. Just think what we could achieve when this control is dismantled. The climax in The Matrix movie is when the initiate, Neo, ceases to see the world as a series of "solid" people and buildings and instead sees everything and everyone as a flow of fast moving numbers and codes - vibrational frequencies. Once he reaches this point of awareness and multi-dimensional connection, he is able to brush aside the previously unbeatable agents of human servitude because he can operate outside of their rules and limitations.

Symbolically he has expanded the point of his awareness beyond the astral realms to much higher levels of himself. Higher levels than his controllers can access. Once he achieved that, he becomes as powerful to the agents as they were to him when he was still in the physical illusion and they were in the astral one. How do we get out of this mess? We open up to who we really are and let go of who the system tells us we are. The whole Illuminati plan has been designed to keep us trapped in the physical illusion and therefore ensure that we can be controlled and manipulated by their astral illusion.

This is why, among so many other things, they have done the following:

Systematically destroyed or kept hidden as much ancient knowledge as possible because it contained the understanding of who we are and the true nature of life.
Hi-jacked all the major investigations and searches for ancient hidden knowledge and artifacts across the world to ensure that nothing is found that tells the truth of our nature and origins and, if anything significant is found, it is never made public nor its true importance understood.
Created religions to seize the minds of the populace, fill them with a sense of limitation and inferiority, and portray esoteric knowledge as "evil".
Established "science" to recognize only the physical, deny the existence of other frequencies of life, and suppress the knowledge of our multi-dimensional selves. This is done by rewarding those who repeat the party line and destroying the reputations of those who do not
Introduced the media to assault our minds with the reality the Illuminati wish us to have; and to attack, ridicule, condemn, and destroy anyone who threatens to expose the scam and the illusion on which it depends.
Bombarded us with an orgy of physical stimuli and materialism in which success is judged by what you own rather than what you are.
Focused the world and communication on all that is physical -money, winning the lottery, possessions, and promoting an obsession with sex as a physical rather than a spiritual experience. Sex based on lust alone holds down our frequency because it is a purely physical act. Sex based on love increases our frequency because it reconnects us with our spark of pure love.
Isolated male and female energy, so creating the duality and preventing the fusion of male and female energy within us all that would create a third, potentially high-vibrational force, and set us free of this vibrational prison, the Matrix.
Filled our food, drink, medicines, vaccines, water, air, and electromagnetic environment, with chemicals and frequencies designed to suppress our ability to experience our multi-dimensional selves and to block the channels through which our higher levels can communicate with the physical.
Manipulated our DNA directly and through other means to dim this higher-dimensional connection. The genetic code agenda that is sold to us so positively as a way of preventing disease has a far more sinister background and motivation.
Held highly malevolent Satanic rituals at the planet's major vortex points to hold down the frequency of the entire global energy field -the field that we operate within. In this way, our own energy field can be vibrationally suppressed by living within such a low vibrational environment.
Created wars and conflicts at all levels of global society and ensured financial dependency and insolvency to keep us in low vibrational emotional states like fear, guilt, anger, resentment, and frustration.

The vibrational prison

This manipulation, together with the physical illusion, means that we access only a fraction of our potential consciousness. We are literally in a vibrational prison, disconnected by all these methods from the multi-dimensional ocean that we really are. These astral entities work to maintain and expand this situation and thus maintain and expand their control of the billions entrapped in the illusion.

At the same time, the low-vibration emotional energy that the illusion causes us to generate is vibrating to the lower astral frequency range. This means that a cycle is created in which the astral manipulators use their energy to set up physical events; these events cause emotional reactions that generate emotional energy; this pours into the astral dimension; and the astral entities recycle it back to continue and increase the cycle still further.

In The Matrix, it is said that we live in a computer-generated dream world built to keep us under control and to use humans like a battery. Symbolically that is correct. The only ones who can break the cycle are ourselves by ceasing to fall for the illusion and so generating the emotional energy the reptilians and others demand.

Morpheus tells his initiate, Neo, in The Matrix:
"...you are a slave Neo. Like everyone else you were born into bondage. Born into a prison that you cannot smell or taste or touch -a prison for your mind. Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is -you have to see it for yourself ...I'm trying to free your mind, Neo. But I can only show you the door. You're the one that has to walkthrough it."
Or, as the aerospace scientist Dr Gordon Allen said in his book, Enigma Fantastique, after a lifetime of study:
"The purpose today is identical to the purpose in the times of the magician-scientists of ancient times, the purpose of the controlling priesthood of the Egyptians, the Caesars, the Roman Catholic Church, the Inquisition. The ecclesiastic control of the various ruling families had for its purpose the rule of the people in their material bodies on this Earth-plane ...A nation is said by Eastern philosophers to lie under certain occult (or secret) controls. Nations who go to war on the Earth-plane reflect certain wars in Heaven."10
I think there is validity in the myths and legends that consciousness became trapped in this dense physical frequency range and, as its own frequency fell, it could not get out. We are talking maybe of millions, even billions, of years ago when this began. The Fall of Man was a vibrational fall, perhaps. I certainly would not rule out for a moment that at least the early stages of what is known as Lemuria/Atlantis, were fourth-dimensional, not third-dimensional phenomena, and they might still exist in fourth-dimensional reality.

The fourth-dimensional range is very close to this one and it could well be that events unfolded in which these far ancient societies, or aspects of them, became denser and denser until they fell vibrationally into three-dimensional reality. Once here, the temptations and limitations of such dense vibrations with all the physical sensations available became like an addiction to the consciousness that experienced it.

The Italian physicist Giuliana Conforto writes in LUH, Man's Cosmic Game:
"The human body is made of physical matter, the solid state of the substance, that is cosmic Thought, Information. The many parallel universes are therefore different modes of thinking or software: either rigid, dual, typical of the solid state, or more fluid and thus tuned to cosmic oneness. 'Falling' in temperature from a hotter parallel universe, the human body underwent a phrase transition that solidified the substance and stiffened its modes of thinking. If it is so, we can understand why it may be possible for the human body to 'rise' again, as many hermetic traditions suggest too."11
There are those who believe that when our physical body dies, our consciousness returns to some wonderful heavenly realm. Personally, I don't accept that this happens as a matter of course. Death is no cure for ignorance and when we leave this world as the physical body dies, we gravitate to where our consciousness is focused. It's our vibrational state that decides where we can go. In other words, we do.

If we are the embodiment of pure love, we will peel off our outer shells, the Russian dolls, and our consciousness becomes that spark of pure love that permeates all existence. If we are still seriously stuck in the illusion, which the vast majority of people are, we will perhaps get no higher than the astral realms because our vibrational state will hold us there.

When Satanists do deals with demonic entities and sign contracts in blood with them, it is a vibrational contract. In return for demonic manipulation to give them power and all that they want in this world, the Satanist agrees that their demons should own them when they leave this physical realm. When they leave the body, Satanists move the tiny vibrational distance into the lower astral or fourth dimension, that's all. The more souls (energy) of that malevolent nature these demonic entities can pack into their frequency range, the more powerful the vibrational prison that surrounds or interpenetrates the third dimension.

Those who are not Satanists, but still firmly controlled by the illusion, will leave the physical and move to higher levels of the astral frequency range and experience another illusion. I am personally convinced that most people on Earth are trapped in a cycle of reincarnating between the astral illusion and the physical illusion and back again. In the end people can become so detached vibrationally from their higher dimensions that they are virtually operating as a completely separate fragment or "lost soul".

That's the situation the lower fourth-dimensional entities have worked so vociferously to create. Consciousness incarnates from higher realms to try to expose the scam and the illusion that underpins it, but many of these people also get trapped in the illusion and forget why they came. It's a tough school, this one, because the vibrations are slow and therefore the energy is dense.

But when we can focus our consciousness and reality in the higher realms while occupying a physical body, we ground that higher-dimensional consciousness (energy) in this density and raise both awareness of the illusion and the frequency of the Earth's vibrational field. When we have reached that higher state, we are in this world, but not of it.

So what does all this mean?

We are in a low vibrational prison -the Matrix -and living a daily illusion. It is the illusion that holds the whole show together, and the Illuminati have set up the media, science, education, religion, medicine, finance, and business, the whole grotesque system, to assault our conscious and subconscious minds with messages designed to programme the illusion deeper and deeper into our sense of reality. If we buy that, and all but a few people do, we will never get out and break free.

The bottom line of all bottom lines of the Illuminati agenda is the manipulation of humanity's imagination of itself. Without that, the rest of their agenda becomes impossible. I will make some suggestions in the final two chapters about how we can get the hell out of here, but our choice is very clear: to exist in the Great Illusion or to live in the Great Infinity.

Put another way: do we want the prison or the paradise? If it's the paradise, we have some work to do.

SOURCES
1 Giuliana Conforto, Man's Cosmic Game (Edizioni Noesis, 1998), pp 11 and 12
2 Ibid, p 44
3 Dr. Douglas Baker, The Opening Of The Third Eye (Aquarian Press, Wellingborough, England, 1977), p 13
4 Quoted in Our Haunted Planet, p 179
5 Bill used this line in many of his stage performances and videos
6 See Branton
7 http://www.telepath.com/skipsil/trirept.html
8 Ibid
9 The Ultimate Alien Agenda, p 65
10 Quoted in Our Haunted Planet, pp 170 and 171
11 Man's Cosmic Game, p 24

You must be the change
you wish to see in the world.
-Mahatma Gandhi

What you are looking for
is what is looking.
-St. Francis of Assisi

Each person comes into this world with a specific destiny--he has something to fulfill, some message has to be delivered, some work has to be completed. You are not here accidentally--you are here meaningfully. There is a purpose behind you. The whole intends to do something through you.
-Osho

This we know: All things are connected
like the blood that unites us.
We did not weave the web of life,
We are merely a strand in it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
-Chief Seattle

Man emulates earth
Earth emulates heaven
Heaven emulates the Way
The way emulates nature.
-Henry David Thoreau

You've been walking in circles, searching. Don't drink by the water's edge. Throw yourself in. Become the water. Only then will your thirst end.
-Jeanette Berson

Not to be able to stop thinking is a dreadful affliction, but we don't realize this because almost everyone is suffering from it, so it is considered normal. This incessant mental noise prevents you from
finding that realm of inner stillness that is inseparable from Being.
-Eckhart Tolle

Wherever I go, I meet myself.
-Tozan

You can outdistance that which is running after you,
but not what is running inside you.
-Rwandan Proverb

You know quite well, deep within you, that there is only a single magic, a single power, a single salvation...and that is called loving.
Well then, love your suffering.
Do not resist it, do not flee from it.
It is only your aversion to it that hurts, nothing else.
-Hermann Hesse

Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.
Bashô, Narrow Road to the Interior

The intuituive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.
-Albert Einstein

It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; It is because we do not dare that they are difficult.
-Seneca

To penetrate into the essence of all being and significance, and to release the fragrance of that inner attainment for the guidance of others, by expressing in the world of forms- truth, love, purity and beauty - this is the sole game which has any intrinsic and absolute worth. All other happenings, incidents and attainments can, in themselves, have no lasting importance.
-Meher Baba

You can only find truth with logic if you have already found truth without it.
-Gilbert Keith Chesterton

You need not do anything.
Remain sitting at your table and listen.
You need not even listen, just wait.
You need not even wait, just learn to be quiet, still and solitary.
And the world will freely offer itself to you unmasked.
It has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.
-Franz Kafka

Emancipate yourself from mental slavery; none but ourselves can free our minds.
-Bob Marley

What is in one is in the whole, and therefore, ultimately,
Each soul is responsible for the whole world.
-Gary Zukav

When you know that you are eternal you can play your
true role in time. When you know you are divine you can become completely human. When you know you are one with God you are free to become absolutely yourself ...
-Mother Meera

A ship is safe in harbor-- but that's not what ships are for.
-John A. Shedd

Seeking
Why run around sprinkling holy water?
There's an ocean inside you, and when you're
ready you'll drink.
-Kabir

It is eternity now; I am in the midst of it. It is about me in the sunshine; I am in it, as the butterfly in the light-laden air. Nothing has to come; it is now. Now is eternity; now is immortal life.
-Richard Jefferies

Without going out of my door, I can know all things on earth. Without looking out of my window I could know the ways of heaven. The farther one travels, The less one knows, the less one really knows.
-George Harrison The Inner Light

I shut my eyes in order to see.
-Paul Gaugin

The little space within the heart is as great as the vast universe. The heavens and the earth are there, and the sun and the moon and the stars. Fire and lightning and winds are there, and all that now is and all that is not.
-The Upanishads

Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle.
-Lewis Carroll

Bring into play the almighty power within you, so that on the stage of life you can fulfill your high destined role.
-Paramahansa Yogananda

You cannot transcend
what you do not know. To go beyond
yourself, you must know yourself.
-Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

The fish trap exists because of the fish. Once you've gotten the fish you can forget the trap. The rabbit snare exists because of the rabbit. Once you've gotten the rabbit, you can forget the snare. Words exist because of their meaning. Once you've got the meaning, you can forget the words. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words so I can talk with him?
-Chuang Tzu

We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life, is when men are afraid of the Light.
-Plato

It is good to have an end to journey towards, but it is the journey that matters, in the end.
-Ursula Le Guin

Truly it is in the darkness
that one finds the light, so
when we are in sorrow,
then this light is nearest of
all to us.
-Meister Eckhart

Truth does not become error just because nobody believes it.
-Gandhi

Be a lamp unto your self. Be your own confidence. Hold to the truth within yourself as to the only Truth.
-Buddha

The true vocation of man is to find his way to
himself.
-Hermann Hesse

The first peace, which is the most important, is that which comes within the souls of people when they realize their relationship, their oneness with the universe and all its powers, and when they realize that at the center of the universe dwells the Great Spirit, and that this center is really everywhere, it is within each of us.
-Black Elk, Oglala Sioux

I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence, but it comes from within. It is there all the time.
-Anna Freud

The unexamined life is not worth living.
-Socrates

We either make ourselves miserable or we
make ourselves strong. The amount of work
is the same.
-don Juan Matus

Heaven on Earth is a choice you must make, not a place you must find.
-Dr. Wayne Dyer

Our own heart,
and not others'opinions of us,
forms our true honor.
-Friedrich von Schiller

One may not reach the dawn save by the path of the night.
-Kahlil Gibran

There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands. You seek problems because you need their gifts.
-Richard Bach

The ego will not go with laughter or caresses.
It must be chased in sorrow and drowned in tears.
-Persian saying

The attainment of wholeness requires one to stake one's whole being. Nothing less will do; there can be no easier conditions, no substitutes, no compromises.
-Carl Jung

Sound when stretched is music.
Movement when stretched is dance.
Mind when stretched is meditation.
Life when stretched is celebration.
-Ravi Shankar

The soul is a breath of living spirit, that with excellent sensitivity, permeates the entire body to give it life. Just so, the breath of the air makes the earth fruitful. Thus the air is the soul of the earth, moistening it, greening it.
-Hildegarde of Bingen

There is nothing permanent except change.
-Heraclitus

Only the dead can die, not the living. That which is alive in you is immortal.
In reality there is only the source, dark in itself, making everything shine. Unperceived, it causes perception. Unfelt, it causes feeling. Unthinkable, it causes thought. Non-being, it gives birth to being. It is the immovable background of motion. Once you are there, you are at home everywhere.
-Nisargadatta Mahraj

Only those who partake of the harmony within their souls know the harmony that runs through nature.
-Paramahansa Yogananda

Peace originates with the flow of
things-- its heart is like the movement of
the wind and waves. The Way is like the
veins that circulate blood through our
bodies, following the natural flow of the
life force. If you are separated in the
slightest from that divine essence, you
are far off the path.
-Morihei Ueshiba

Life is a daring adventure or it is
nothing at all.
-Helen Keller

We are all born for love. It is the principle of existence, and its only end.
-Benjamin Disreali

Try and be a sheet of paper with nothing on it. Be a spot of ground where nothing is growing, where something might be planted, a seed, possibly from the Absolute."
-Rumi

It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.
-Marcus Aurelius

He who knows others
is clever; He who
knows himself is enlightened.
-Lao Tzu

We must never cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we began and to know the place for the first time.
-T.S. Eliot

I come not to entertain you with worldly festivities but to arouse your sleeping memory of immortality.
-Paramahansa Yogananda

Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white. Neither need you do anything but be yourself.
-Lao Tzu

Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius.
-Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.
-Anais Nin

You see things; and you say 'Why?'; But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?'
-George Bernard Shaw

The greatest human quest is to know what one must do in order to become a human being.
-Immanuel Kant

There are only two ways to live your life.
One is as though nothing is a miracle.
The other is as if everything is.
-Albert Einstein

Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.
-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

The beauty seen is partly in him who sees it.
-Christian Nestelle

We must always tell what we see. Above all, and this is more difficult, we must always see what we see.
-Charles Peguy

It is only when we forget all our learning that we begin to know.
-Henry David Thoreau

Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.
-Maori Proverb

Who was born first, you or the world? As long as you give first place to the world, you are bound by it; once you realize, beyond all trace of doubt, that the world is in you and not you in the world, you are out of it. Of course your body remains in the world and of the world, but you are not deluded by it.
-Nisargadatta Maharaj

Yesterday you were thinking about today because then it was tomorrow; now it is today and you are thinking about tomorrow, and when the tomorrow comes, it will become today-- because anything that exists, exists here and now, it cannot exist otherwise.
-Osho

How do I know about the world? By what is within me.
-Lao Tzu

Man cannot discover new oceans
until he has courage
to lose sight
of the shore.
-unknown

You are not a soul,
you are not a mind,
you are not a body.
You are the controller of all three.
-Yogi Bhajan

What can we gain by sailing to the moon if we are not able to cross the abyss that separates us from ourselves?
-Thomas Merton

Whatever we lose
(like a you or a me)
it's always ourselves
we find in the sea.
   -ee cummings

It is still up to you to choose
to join with truth or with illusion.
But remember that to choose one
is to let go of the other.
-A Course In Miracles

When there is an original sound in the world, it makes a hundred echoes.
-John A. Shedd

Your mind should be in harmony with the functioning of the universe; your body should be in tune with the movement of the universe; body and mind should be bound as one, unified with the activity of the universe.
-Morihei Ueshiba

Sometimes it is not necessary
the problem to solve.
Change the angle of vision
and the problem dissolves.
-John C Lehman

I want to cultivate the seed that was placed in me
until the last small twig has grown.

-Kathe Kollwitz

We do not live life.
Life lives us.
-Joko Beck

Listen or thy tongue will keep thee deaf.
-Native American Proverb

For behind all seen things lies something vaster; everything is but a path, a portal, or a window opening on something more than itself.
-Antoine de Saint-Exupery

The high minded man must care more for the truth than for what people think.
-Aristotle

In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was within me an invincible summer.
-Albert Camus

There is nothing in the universe that is not you.
-Unknown

Why are you unhappy?
Because 99.9%
of everything you think,
and of everything you do,
is for yourself,
And there isn't one.
-Wei Wu Wei

The Awakening is no other than
Consciousness becoming acquainted with itself.
-DT Suzuki

You can gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face... You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.
-Eleanor Roosevelt

Never fear the shadows. They simply mean that there's a light somewhere nearby.
-Ruth E. Renkai

You are me, and I am you.
Isn't it obvious that we "inter-are"?
You cultivate the flower in yourself,
so that I will be beautiful.
I transform the garbage in myself,
so that you will not have to suffer.
-Thich Nhat Hanh

We cannot teach people anything;
we can only help them discover it
within themselves.
-Galileo Galilei

Not being known doesn't stop the truth
from being true.
-Richard Bach

Would people know that nothing can happen unless the entire universe makes it happen, they would achieve much more with less expenditure of energy.
-Nisargadatta Maharaj

Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things
brought together.
-Vincent Van Gogh

When true self-remembering comes, one does not want to alter oneself, or others; one somehow rises above their weaknesses and one's own. There can be no blame anywhere. One swallows what is, and becomes free.
-Rodney Collin

When we think we're separate, we lose power. Whenever I say 'my,' I have lost power. Power is not my power . . . It is only gainable as a part of the larger whole. Then you communicate with the rest of yourself -- which may be a tree. You, reciprocally, are moved by the universe. Whenever you shut down connectedness, you get depressed . . . It's fearful to know we're connected to everything in the universe, because then we're responsible.
-Glenda Taylor

The heart has its reasons which reason knows not of.
-Blaise Pascal

We would frequently be ashamed of our good deeds if people saw all of the motives that produced them.
-Francois De La Rochefoucauld

You are a crowd, a multitude.
Just you have to look more closely, more deeply,
and you will find many people within you.
And they all pretend at times to be you.
-Osho

You can't wake a person who is pretending to be asleep.
-Navajo Proverb

Seeing death as the end of life is like seeing the Horizon as the end of the ocean.
-David Searls

Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.
-Jimi Hendrix

The world we have created is a product of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.
-Albert Einstein

To see the world in a grain of sand
and heaven in a wildflower
hold infinity
in the palm of your hand
and eternity in an hour.
-William Blake

Joy is not in things.
It is in us.
-Richard Wagner

Whenever you want to produce something,
do not depend upon the outside source:
go deep and seek the Infinite Source.
-Paramahansa Yogananda

to be yourself-
in a world which is doing its best
night and day
to make you everybody else-
means to fight the hardest battle
which any human being can fight
and never stop fighting.
-ee cummings

All serious daring starts from within.
-Eudora Welty

When one tugs at a
single thing in nature,
he finds it attached
to the rest of the world.
-John Muir

Not all those who know their minds know their hearts as well.
-Francois De La Rochefoucauld

It is only with the heart one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.
-Antoine de Saint-Exupery

When you feel most alive, find out why,
This is one guest you won't greet twice.
-Kabir

We are not bodies with souls. But souls with bodies.
-Kevin R. Bean

Argue for your limitations and sure enough they're yours.
-Richard Bach

I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly dreaming I am a man.
-Chuang Tzu

To remember oneself means the same thing as to be aware of oneself - I am. It is not a
function, not thinking, not feeling; it is a different state of consciousness.
-Ouspensky

The human form is a microcosm of the universe. All that
supposedly exists outside us in reality exists in us. The
world is in you and can become known in you, as you.
-Jean Klein

Man is equally incapable of seeing the nothingness from which he emerges and the infinity in which he is engulfed.
-Blaise Pascal

All the true things must change and only that which changes remains true.
-Carl Jung

Exultation is the going
Of an inland soul to sea,
Past the houses - past the headlands -
Into deep Eternity.
-Emily Dickinson

Pain is illusion;
joy, reality.
Pain is but sleep;
joy is awakening.
Pain is deception;
joy alone is truth.
And so again we make
the only choice that ever can be made;
we choose between illusions and truth,
or pain and joy,
or hell and Heaven.
-A Course In Miracles

Life is a mystery, which means your thinking mind cannot make sense out of it. For that you've got to wake up and then you'll suddenly realize that reality is not problematic, you are the problem.
-Anthony de mello

God has no religion.
-Gandhi

Everything is simple --reality is simple. It seems complex only because of ignorance; otherwise everything is simple. Once you know it, it becomes simple. The knowing is bound to be difficult not because of reality, remember, but because of your mind.
-Osho

The wind cannot shake a mountain.
Neither praise nor blame moves a wise man.
-Buddha

In the stillness of your presence, you can feel your own formless and timeless reality as the unmanifested life that animates your physical form. You can then feel the same life deep within every other human and every other creature. You look beyond the veil of form and separation. This is the realization of oneness. This is love.
-Eckhart Tolle

The great man is he who does not lose his child-heart.
-Mencius

The astonishing depth of the mythology in the Matrix films touches the core of our beings as sentient life. Intelligent life functioning and, most of all, thinking. Thoughtful beings able to ponder their own existence. Their own Self. What is the Matrix? What is ME?

In screen format, jammed with action, explosions, and death-defying feats of seeming unreality, the messages and evocations of the Matrix films are a plethora of psychic onions to be unpeeled - layer-by-layer - by the watcher. Its characters a bold and larger-than-life representation of everything we as humans have considered among religion and philosophy since before any record of such questions were recorded.

Where many filmgoers are intently watching the deft display of martial arts, the clanging attack of the deadly sentinels, or the Agents dodging machine gun rounds, others are paying attention to a subtext of huge consequence. Like the Matrix itself, where humans are plugged in at birth and live only to experience the sensations of the brain, moviegoers are watching for the entertainment value big-budget films like The Matrix are meant to provide. Like those unplugged from the Matrix, moviegoers are experiencing the same entertainment value as the first set but are also attuned to a higher understanding of what it is. Thus, those in the second set are able to perform various feats only attained by those who have an understanding of the Matrix. Neo, having a greater understanding than any of the unplugged, has the ability of feats unrealized by his comrades.

When I saw The Matrix Reloaded in the theater, I noticed something during the scenes where Neo interacts with The Oracle and also the scenes where Neo interacts with The Architect (inside the door of light). I noticed a great shuffling and movement in the crowd during these scenes. While I was at the edge of my seat trying to absorb every word of the conversation in the film, the shuffling and movement kept drawing my attention. My only conclusion was the others around me (who knows how many or what percentage) were either very bored with the dialogue, uncomfortable with the dialogue, or unable/unwilling to comprehend the dialogue. Possibly, they didn't see these diatribes and esoteric meanderings as part of the real plot. Or, they considered these sections a dead spot in an otherwise action-packed film.

Rarely do the worlds of entertainment and esoterism/religion/philosophy intersect. TV shows and movies rarely (if at all) make use of the mind of the watcher. The standard who-done-it thriller or the "I sent my father back in time to impregnate my mother" of the Terminator saga, or "can a machine love me?" of the film A.I. do conjure a kernel of thought-provoking material for the watcher, however, entertainment is mostly about being entertained; not about thinking.

Entertainment in our time, for the most, consists of having an experience. Hopefully, a pleasant experience (or in the movie business, you can kiss your career goodbye!). Like a nice bowl of your favorite ice cream, sprinkles, hot fudge, and whipped cream, you savor every mouthful and then sit back and relish the last gulp as it slides into your stomach. Never, when consuming the very pleasurable bowl of ice cream, do we consider that it will soon pass through our bodily functions and end up in a bowl of water we will then flush into a pipe. Equating the very amazing fight scenes and special effects of the Matrix films to the ice cream will lead you to an obvious point. (I love ice cream, by the way).

On the other hand, when I was in third grade, I learned my times tables and I learned the value of a thesaurus. I still use them today. It was upon those, and other, fundamental principles that I learned algebra in junior high school, wrote an award-winning poem in college, figured out the discounted price of an item in the store, and wrote this article. Equating the thought-provoking spiritual imagery of the Matrix films with these principles will lead you to an obvious point. (I love my thesaurus, by the way).

The themes expressed in these films beg us to identify the greatest mystery of life itself - ourselves. Packaging these questions and ideas in an amazing array of stunning effects and mind-boggling action is a draw that breaks box office records. But what is the substance and what is the refuse? It is doubtful that a 12-minute freeway chase scene involving tractor-trailer semi trucks colliding in bullet-time slow-motion can actually offer us something of value once the initial sensory of our eyes and ears has worn off. While stunning and visually/auditorially appealing, the value fades very quickly.

Who would pay eight dollars to sit for two-and-a-half hours to listen to people talk about the importance of understanding the choices we make in our lives and why we make them? Furthermore, that type of film would not have a budget of thirty million dollars. The inordinate amount of money spent to make these films have absolutely no correlation to the value they offer the viewer in the form of true knowledge. The high budget is to produce the most visually and auditorilly stunning product imaginable. But contained within this shell of refuse is value in the form of provocative thematics. It is brilliant.

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• THE MATRIX

The Matrix - itself - is a supposed world of fiction where humans experience a simulated life programmed by a computer generated environment set in the late 20th century. The computers are a race of machines with a singular consciousness spawned from Artificial Intelligence. Like any living being, its first natural instinct is survival. The story goes that a war began over the fate of dominance of the planet with the new, mechanical intelligence launching an aggression against their human creators. The threat of machines capable of such awareness and, thus, aggression caused a conflict whereby humans were reduced to secondary life forms and, eventually, as energy sources for the machines. Upon first seeing the physical earth in the Matrix films, we are shown human farms where people are no longer born but grown. The humans are then placed in pods where body heat is derived as a source of energy. This harvested energy is a source of power for the machines. The humans, meanwhile, exist physically in the pods while their minds are plugged into a computer hard drive. The Matrix is that hard drive. It is a computer program designed by the machines to simulate true life through stimulation of the brain.

The scientific basis for such a model to exist is not only possible but also plausible. Science tells us that every sensation - touch, sound, smell, sight, and taste - is simply information sent to the brain via sensory pipelines. The information is then interpreted by the brain and processed. The smell of a rose is simply information recognized through sensory organs (the nose) and sent to the brain which then interprets the smell as "rose." The body is covered in a layer of a vastly complex sensory organ called the skin. We feel the rustle of our pants as we walk, bump against a chair, or step on a tack and the information of those occurrences are sent to the brain at light speed for processing. Nerve cells, or neurons, act as a living system of information for the interpreter, the brain. The nervous system senses everything that touches us, everything we hear, everything we smell, see, and taste. The best (but rather small) example of this concept at work is seeing an advertisement for your favorite food and feeling your mouth water. Or, seeing a picture of a lemon and feeling the twinge of a puckered mouth. These are suggestions and not at all real. However, our brain knows what those tastes are and our body seems to react. It is fascinating to imagine a fictitious world where every sense is accessed and simulated and then sharing that world with the rest of humanity who are having the same experience. Walking into downtown Manhattan and opening the door of a cab (the driver experiencing the same ocurrence in his own mind) and driving to Central Park where the trees and grass are programmed to be there and to smell like trees and grass. The sound of birds chirping, joggers running, the sun shining, the breeze blowing, etc. This subject matter speaks to the idea of collective consciousness. With so many different sensory stimulations in place and so many different people experiencing them without realizing they are essentially dreaming, the world would seem to go on as it always has. People would grow from childhood, get jobs, marry, buy a house, go to work, go to church, play in the grass, enjoy a sunset on the beach. All the while, having never moved from a pod where they will eventually die and be discarded as waste.

Parallels of the human experience - birth, life, and death - are drawn for the films from various different traditions. These traditions uphold that the human experience is simply an illusion. In the simplest of terms, almost every religion/tradition on the earth subscribes to a belief in a life beyond and/or outside the realm of birth and death of the individual. Whether it be heaven or hell, Valhalla or Hades, reincarnation, transcendence, ascension, or resurrection, a subscription to the idea SOMETHING other than the experience encapsulated in the time span of womb to grave is prevalent in all cultures. The Matrix films draw heavily from the Buddhist and Gnostic viewpoints of the material world as false. It is a place of substandardism. There is no substance in it. A mind experiencing the material world through the five senses is compared to a life lived within a pod in The Matrix. Never moving, never speaking, never truly touching or experiencing anything; a mind simply stimulated through sensory perception. Thus, a life is lived in a complete dream-state where the participant is wholly unaware of dreaming and fully believes the events occurring are truly happening. The end result being a human/material experience devoid of substance and ceasing to exist at death; the end of the five senses and the function of the brain which interprets them.

The idea of a false material world is a proclamation of Buddhist thought dating back to the ancient Indian continent. The Buddhas (or Teachers) expressed a disbelief in the concept of the cyclical human being. According to the Buddhas, humanity is not merely "food for worms" at death - existing only to procreate more food for worms and so on. Raising humanity above life and death through consciousness is a central message of the Biblical Jesus on which Gnostic Christianity is based. Gnosticism (or knowledge) implies elevation above the valueless material world through realization of its inherent lack of value. This is the first step. "The truth will set you free" is a very famous quote from the Bible. The Buddhas and esoteric Rabbis (Teachers) like Jesus bring a light into the darkness. Jesus was called "the light of the world." The ideas, themselves, about light and darkness can only truly be understood by someone who has awakened to some extent. They are abstract ideas unknown and hidden to those who sleep. They are hidden to those who dream away in slumber and are not paying attention, in fact. The unplugged inhabitants of Zion represent the enlightened ones who have - even if in small degrees - some evident knowledge of the truth.
The parallels to the ancient traditions of the material world as false and valueless (and possibly a world of imprisonment for the mind only to be released at death) are rich and far-reaching. The concept of "awakening" or "arising from sleep" has vast undertones. The unplugged humans in the Matrix films are set free from The Matrix by being woken up. Neo rises from his slumber in the pod for the very first time - sucked down a tube and expelled out as waste - with his limbs in a state of atrophy and his eyes aching because he had "never used them before." Upon entering back into The Matrix, the unplugged seem to enter into a dream state. Everything they experience from then on is simply information sent directly to their minds via direct interface with the cerebral cortex. Then, upon leaving The Matrix, they awaken once again as if from sleep.

The symbolism of sleep in the Matrix films cannot be overstated. Not only is sleep and awakening meant to symbolize an experience of two separate worlds, but also to represent an awakening of the mind that realizes and sees the truth. In the case of the Matrix films, the truth is that a race of artificial computer intelligence is controlling the human race. To be free of this domination through apartheid, the unplugged seek to bring an end to the computers. In the world outside of the Matrix (our world, yours and mine) there are countless traditions that teach of a life outside of this one. Some seek it. Some do not. Some recognize it. Some do not. Some believe it. Some do not. Just as Morpheus tells Neo in the first film:

"What you know you can't explain. But you feel it. You've felt it your entire life. That there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is but it's there, like a splinter in your mind driving you mad."

There are some people who search for something. There is uneasiness about the human experience that almost invariably leads to religion of some sort. In many cases, the answers provided by the well-established faiths of parents are sufficient to (or try to) answer all the questions we might ask about god, the afterlife, morality, etc. Other times, a personal journey is conceived in the individual in order to appease life's burning questions or to provide some semblance to what it all means to BE or EXIST. The characters in the Matrix films have awoken to discover the human race enslaved by machines. What will we discover when we awaken? Is there anything to awaken from? These are the most provocative questions asked in the films.

If there is no question to be asked - if one is content with this life and has no desire to seek anything other than the material stimulus of the material world; beginning at birth and ending in death - one takes the blue pill and believes whatever they want to believe. If there is a question to be asked (taking the red pill) then the journey begins. The journey leads to the identity and nature of ourselves. Ultimately, all journeys lead to the answers or the quest to answer these questions. Whether it concern a god or gods, a devil, a type of afterlife for sins, good deeds, or karmic undertaking, the answers always lead back to: what are we and why are we here?

The Matrix films identify and make use of so many seemingly unrelated iconography, imagery, and traditions: the falsity of the material world of Buddhism and Gnostic Christianity, the Messiah/Christ figure as Redeemer of mankind, the Satanic and malevolent evil force deceiving mankind, Greek tragedy figures, bureaucracy and unchecked federal government, prophets, etc. Woven together into a new and potent blend of storytelling, the Matrix relays age-old messages into the psyche of a new generation - a generation often considered godless and sacrilegious by its predecessors.

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• NEO

The Messiah/Savior archetype exists in most all cultures, all religions, all myths and is the heart of just about every philosophy of modern man. This icon represents something (usually in the form of a person or through a person) which gives or imparts something to mankind something it did not have before and/or something it needed or was lacking. Usually associated with hidden understanding, healing, or salvation from cataclysm, the Savior figure is singled out and is often often something to be worshipped, praised, adulated, or emulated. The Messiah is different from the rest. He has something we do not. He knows something we do not. He does something we cannot. He is something we are not. In most traditions, this figure is good rather than bad. Meaning, the One will mostly likely use his abilities to heal cancer rather than inflict it or save someone from harm as opposed to creating damage. These archetypes are represented in everything from the Catholic rosary to an Egyptian obelisk. They are variant symbols of something concerning the Messiah and/or His works or powers or mission or wisdom. They inspire, they impart hope, they stand as cornerstones of faith in something larger than our every day lives where catastrophe or bad things in general can happen at any time. The Savior saves. That is what he does. He helps. He gives what we need.

Neo, of course, is the One. After experiencing a death and resurrection in the first film, he suddenly has abilities even the unplugged can only dream of. Though the unplugged as a whole realize the Matrix is a fictional environment where the rules can be bent or broken, their belief - and thereby their ability - to bend and break those rules are still limited. On the contrary, Neo's realization of the fictional Matrix is so thorough that he is able to fly, fight over one hundred agents at once, and stop bullets. The further Neo goes in his quest, the more powerful he becomes. Ultimately, his power over the Matrix extends even into the real world. Where the other unplugged will perish by a fatal bullet wound, Neo stops the bullet in mid air merely by holding up a hand. His vision while inside the Matrix is the vision of one who sees everything for exactly what it is - computer code. His complete and total understanding of his environment allows him to reach into Trinity's body to retrieve a bullet and then start her heart with an electronic pulse from his inserted hand. The needy at Zion form throngs around his arrival so that he might heal their sick. The knowledge, healing, and hope he imparts to those within the Matrix (who were then unplugged by their own volition) cause them to worship him and exalt him even though Neo, himself, claims it wasn't him that saved anyone. They saved themselves.

The concepts expressed through the character Neo are a stark parallel with the Western Christian Science views of the Christ and the Eastern concept of the Buddha. In such a traditions, the measure of one's ability to heal sickness, to grow spiritually, or to transcend the physical world is proportionately related to one's belief in the truth. Following the model of Jesus or Buddha - the Savior, the Healer, and Representative of the truth - Neo sees something the other unplugged do not or cannot see. He literally sees the Matrix as code and not as a reality. It is through this complete and total awareness of the truth (the truth in the films being the Matrix is simply a computer program) he is able to manipulate most anything within the Matrix at will. The other unplugged know the truth and they can manipulate the Matrix to a certain degree. Neo, however, knows the truth so completely that his abilities are unparalleled - even beyond those of an Agent. Christian Science is inherently Gnostic in that KNOWING (and more so, believing) something produces or brings about something in return. It alludes to faith being the only blockade between the power of God and the manifestation of that power in our world. In the first film, the boy bending spoons tells Neo spoons cannot be bent by mind power. They can only be bent by believing there is actually no spoon at all. The Biblical Jesus was said to have made this claim:

"If you have the faith of a mustard seed (the smallest seed) you will be able to move mountains."

Neo is granted the highest of faith because his vision is wholly unobscured. He sees - in totality - the falsity of the Matrix. His abilities are a direct result of his faith thus, Neo surpasses the other unplugged and even Agents in power and ability to manipulate the Matrix and eventually the machines in the real world.

The character of Neo not only represents the Savior figure, he represents all humanity; each person individually and collectively. There must be a distinct separation between material and spiritual in order to understand how this applies to the films. The One is from the Source. Thomas Anderson is a regular human being. Though Thomas Anderson manifests The One, The One is an intangible concept designed and implemented by the machines' grand scheme through the Architect.

The One returns to the Source at the end of Revolutions but Thomas Anderson has died. When Sati questions The Oracle about whether they will see Neo again, The Oracle answers "I suppose so. Someday." She is not talking about Neo. She is talking about The One. The concept of The One resides in the Source as it always has. If the achieved peace between humans and machines falls apart at some future time, the war - thus, the Prophesy, The One, the door of light, the struggle of mankind to escape - will begin anew. The One will reappear manifested in some other human and the entire circle will start from the beginning once more.

This understanding of material and spiritual can possibly address the mystical Trinity in Christianity and also the reincarnation of the Buddha in Buddhism. Some spiritual 'mantle' or 'cloak' or 'energy' manifests in a human such a the Christ or the Buddha. It isn't the human being itself who is the Savior or Messiah, it is the Savior or Messiah manifesting IN the human. Thus, the mysterious passages of the bible "The Word was with God and the Word was God" referring to the Christ can be more fully understood when removing the human Jesus as pre-existant Word and replacing it with a conceptual, pre-existant idea that manifested in the human Jesus. Or, the pre-existant Buddha that manifests in a human in one age and returns again and again to manifest in humans at a later time. While the human is ordinary, the mantle, cloak, or energy is extraordinary. In the Christian tradition, Jesus underwent a baptism and began his ministry after that event. It is said that at that time of initiation or baptism, the Spirit descended upon him. It was at this time the Messiah became evident and began manifesting in the human Jesus. The parallel can be drawn with the death and rebirth of Neo in the first film. The taking on of the mantle or cloak to manifest The One, thus, 'becoming' or manifesting something other than Thomas Anderson.

The Messiah or Savior, however, has an equally apparent counterpart in most every tradition world-wide. Where there is a Savior saving us from cataclysm, there is an anti-savior perpetrating the cataclysm. Like a mirror, there can be no reflection unless an initial image first appears before the glass. God and satan. Good and evil. Light and dark. Polar opposites on a grand scale. We learn in Revolutions that Smith is Neo's opposite; his negative. In fact, The Oracle explains that the emergence of Smith as a rogue force is actually the equation (of Messiah, the Prophesy - the anomaly that so bothers The Architect) trying to balance itself out. Thus, where there is a Savior, there is a Perpetrator. The Architect's very nature is to counter the power of Neo with an opposite of equal power. As The Oracle explains, The Architect has no ability to see beyond a choice. His methods are purely mechanical and rote.

"He doesn't understand them. He can't. To him, they are variables in an equation. One at a time each variable must be solved and countered. That's his purpose - to balance the equation."

The appearance of Smith as a Rogue power running amuck in the Matrix and beyond is wholly contingent upon the existence of Neo. Without light, there can be no darkness and visa versa. But the films show us there is something greater than good and evil. There is peace. Often, the battle for peace is fought out through the struggle between good and evil, however, in a much larger context, peace is independent of good or evil. While the side of good may fight for peace and the side of evil may fight for upheaval, the films result in the battle being won by the side of good (Neo) and BOTH good and evil (Smith and Neo) being destroyed.

Neo and Smith are representations of both human and machine. In accordance with the theme of balance, they are beginning to mirror each other and actually merge. Neo is becoming more mechanical while the Smith is becoming more human. One example lies in Neo's abilities to manipulate the Matrix. His manipulation is so extreme in the second film that he actually stops a sword-type weapon with his hand. He does bleed, however, the "rules" of the Matrix would insist his hand would actually be lopped off. Instead, Neo bleeds just a little. He IS still human. The key to peace between machine and man rests in the relationship between Neo and Smith - between good and evil.

"Tonight, the future of both worlds will be in your hands or in his."

The equation is like a see-saw. The more powerful Neo becomes, the more powerful Smith becomes. They are one and the same. Opposites. Negatives of each other, yet, one thing. The only difference between them is their individual agendas. Neo wants peace. Smith wants complete and total destruction. Neo knows and understands why he wants what he does. Smith's desire to destroy is blind and without reason. Neo desires to achieve peace because he loves. Smith desires to destroy for virtually no reason at all other than rage. When, at last, Smith clones Neo, he seems intrinsically confused - "is it over?" He has no idea why he is doing what he is doing and no comprehension of an end result. Neo has understanding and it is through that understanding he is able to bring about his desire for peace by simply giving in. He relinquishes his own life to save others. That's a hero.

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• TRINITY

A Holy Spirit is a concept consisting of a hodge-podge of various mystical ideas and representations throughout history. It is a spirit, for one thing (an unseen) and not much is really identifiable about its consistency other than it is somehow connected to an omnipotent, omniscient power; a power of an all-governing and all-existent realm unknown in the physical world. A Judaic Holy Spirit idea is expressed as a Ruach (meaning wind) while a Christian Holy Spirit might be expressed a flame of fire. Broken down into its simplest form, a Holy Spirit might be represented in a dove (a bird recognized as a symbol for peace) or simply a comforting presence. In Gnostic circles, a spirit is an attitude or a motivation for acting in a certain manner. For example, playing a sport "in the spirit of competition." If the Holy Spirit is indeed the Spirit of God Almighty, then what exactly IS God Almighty that this Spirit might be expressed? Is it love? Is it judgment? Is it wisdom? Is it all of these things combined plus more?

Trinity represents the Spirit. She is the love of the One and she is his one love. He became the One because she loved him. Were it not for her love, he would have died in that hallway - riddled with bullets from an agent. His transformation was not gradual but exact. Neo died and was resurrected by love. Upon resurrection, all was made clear to him and him alone. Much reminiscent of Jesus and his communion with God, Neo needs her communion and her counsel and proximity. When the throng approaches him in Zion, she urges him to stay and help them even though they earnestly desire the companionship only they can provide to one another. "They need you," she says. "I need YOU," he replies. The mysterious form of Spirit leaves many questions unanswered and unknown as it has throughout the ages. However, Spirit is the driving force behind the One and their union is both unbreakable and largely not understood due to its inherent intimacy.

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• MORPHEUS

Holy men exist in most certainly all traditions: the Shaman of tribal societies, Priests of various orders and religions, ancient Celtic astronomers, psychic visionaries contacting the dearly departed. These figures are those who see or perceive something or believe in something - a channel or conduit of some sort - which is then relayed to the society. Three "kings" sought out a star they associated with the birth of nobility in the case of the Biblical Jesus. In fact, these people were astronomers or Magi. They were students of a prophecy and watched the heavens accordingly.

Morpheus believes without fail that a Savior exists and that his destiny is to locate the One. Morpheus' abstract beliefs are not well received throughout the elite of Zion; however, the common populace seems to trust in Morpheus and his beliefs even above the elder council. He inspires the crowd through a speech as if he were Moses addressing Israel from a perch of the mountain. He did find the One. Zion will not fall into destruction. Zion will be saved by the only one who can save it. To him, no amount of firepower or armory can bring about this salvation. He has absolute conviction about the beliefs he holds. He "preached" of the prophecy of the One and prepared the way for him in the minds of the people so that when the One did appear, they would be ready to receive him and believe in him. The character of Morpheus is synonymous to The Biblical John, the Baptist in the Jesus/Neo scenario.

In Greek mythology, Morpheus is the god of dreams. Also in this tradition, dreams were sent out to men passing through one of two gates. Through one gate, men passed through and were sent true dreams. Through the other, false dreams. The symbolism here for the Morpheus character in the films is quite obvious. He finds humans within the Matrix and offers them a blue pill or a red pill. One, offering the truth, one offering a lie. Morpheus, himself, and his prophetic message could be construed on this same level. He has preached the coming of the One who would cause the end of the war with the machines. However, his prophecy and all that he believes turns out to be quite false. In Greek tradition, Morpheus is the son of Hypnos - the god of sleep. Perhaps the function of Morpheus is to unknowingly foster the sleep of even the Unplugged and the inhabitants of Zion through preaching a message which may be as false as the Matrix itself except on a different level.

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• CYPHER

One fairly obvious comparison to the Christian lore is the Judas/betrayer figure portrayed in the character of Cypher. A comrade who betrays the One by cooperating with the enemy for personal compensation. Of course, had Cypher not betrayed Neo, the transformation through resurrection may not have occurred. Thus, the age-old parable of fate and destiny is addressed. In the second film, The Matrix Reloaded, the issues of fate and destiny are presented like a vast sea of underlying metaphor. Was Cypher meant to betray Neo? Was it part of the whole plan? Was there a plan? If it was all a plan, is there truly choice?

Fate and destiny are coherently addressed in ancient Greco-Roman epics and references to such topics are by no means confined to the ancient "civilized" world. Man has most likely considered his actions, reasons, and motivations in light of some divine providence since the beginning. Do we really choose? Or has all choice been laid out in advance only for us to discover them along the way? If we do not truly choose, what do our lives really mean? Are we simply programmed by a larger divinity to act out according to whatever scheme or model created by the divinity? In the model of being plugged into the Matrix, it would seem that choice was simply an illusion. However, the unplugged Neo, the One, has now been advised that even the lives living outside the Matrix are plotted as well.

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• ZION
The word "Zion" is indelibly linked to the Judaic faith. The word first appears in the Tenach (or, Old Testament) as a fortress within the land of Palestine captured by King David. That fortress occupied a small track of land that is now the mostly hotly contested plot of earth on the entire globe. The small hill in the city of modern-day Jerusalem is both Islam's Dome of the Rock and Judaism's sacred Temple Mount. Both faiths lay claim to the site and the divisive issue of true ownership is unquestionably the fundamental fuel for all mideast tension between Muslims and Jews.

"Zion" plainly translated means "hill." At present, the words "Zionist" and "Zionism" have taken on a life of their own in terms of anti-Semitism, racism, and/or bigotry. However, the simple four-letter Z word holds vast connotations in a Judaeo-Christian-Islamic religious context.

The quasi-historical hill of Zion is the place of numerous "holy" events. It is alleged to be the place where Abraham brought his son to be slain at the request of the Lord, the site of the first and second Jewish Temples, and the ascensions of both Jesus and Muhammed. Beyond the physical location of the hill itself, Zion became synonymous with "the people of God." In books of the Tenach subsequent to the description of the creation of a Temple, authors began ascribing the term Zion to the people as a whole. The word took on new meaning and spiritual significance. Christianity took the word a step further by ascribing to it the stamp of the New Jerusalem; a spiritual awakening or consciousness coming down from heaven to earth. What is more, Zion is the home of God and his people. Zion is often referred to as a place of safety, sanctity, and refuge; a people with discreet separation from an evil or malicious world for a specific purpose. In religious terms, they are set apart and consecrated to God.

In this model, we can see the underground city of Zion is the sanctuary for a people who are separate from the world. They are outside of the Matrix and free from their pods and the malicious rule of the machines. New Testament writers made allusion to Mount Zion being a spiritual place of a new spiritual law. They contrasted the spiritual Mount Zion with the physical Mount Sinai where the physical Torah (law) was received by Moshe (Moses). The contrasting of a physical place and a spiritual place can also be applied to the Matrix films where most humans are physically bound to a gelatin pod while only a select few awaken to real life in the real world. The people of Zion are drawn out of the world of the Matrix and are not part of it.

Just as the religious models suggest, the Savior comes out of Zion. He is the chosen one from among the chosen people. The Architect explains that Zion is an anomaly existing to facilitate the appearing of the One. He comes from Zion to save Zion. The ordinary people of the Matrix are quite unaware of the existence of Zion or the One. Yet, the One seeks to liberate even those who are unaware. He first fights to save his people - Zion - and ultimately to rescue the entire human race. However, in Reloaded, we learn that the very existence of Zion and the One are simply another level of machine control. The Oracle explains the path of the One ends at the Source. Neo has fulfilled all the prophecies and jumped through all the proverbial hoops to get to the Architect through the door of light. Yet, the only answer he receives at the culmination of his endeavors is a choice to either perpetuate the circle yet again through the destruction and rebuilding of Zion or to tread a completely unknown path with the possible extinction of the entire human race.
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• THE KEYMAKER

The prolific Jim Morrison named his band The Doorsafter "The Doors of Perception." In the drug-induced frenzy of the 1960's (and beyond) people have used psychedelics and other drugs either to escape reality in the ensuing haze of the drug state itself or to transcend literal reality by expanding personal consciousness. In fact, the hippie movement initially represented a culture of searchers attempting to obtain some level of understanding or meaning of life through this expanded consciousness. While drug use is by no means the only method by which to expand consciousness, the freeing of the mind from natural constraints by use of opiates or fungi such as mushrooms were and are common practice by holy men in tribal societies throughout the world. To somehow float above the physical plane where the mind can become aware of things it ordinarily cannot, to access hidden doors of knowledge or understanding was the duty of these holy men who then endured visions, revelations, or omens from some supposed higher source.

In the Matrix films, the Keymaker represents this access. He cuts keys used by every programmer and every program in the Matrix. He creates the method by which they gain access. Far beyond the simple process of the false world of the Matrix, the Keymaker provides a tool by which the user can navigate the Matrix virtually at will. Those with keys are highly elevated; they move throughout the system and are able to access any and all of the Matrix. Since the Matrix is one large perception in and of itself, the keys represent perception into any and all things with the Keymaker being the very creator of access to perception.

Seraph has keys, Merovingian and Persephone have keys, and the programmers and programs have keys. They all use their keys according to their own purposes; however, the keys themselves are without prejudice and are a tool to be used by the holder. Morpheus relates keys to access in the first film where he said the Agents "guard all the doors and hold all the keys." Not only are the Agents an enforcement tool of the system, they are also suppressors of understanding and access to elevated knowledge. In the second film, the Keymaker is being held by Merovingian who explains the Keymaker is "a means but not a why." Perhaps perception without purpose is reasonless. Merovingian's world makes use of the access provided by the Keymaker to serve his own materialistic ends but Neo's group seeks the Keymaker only because someone told them they should.

At that time, the Keymaker (insight/access) ceased being a function to be protected and suppressed by Agents and became a personal tool of the evil Merovingian as a means to his own selfish ends. The Keymaker's sole purpose for being is to ultimately provide the unique key to the One who can open the door of light and complete the circle of the anomaly. The purpose of the Keymaker to ultimately provide the one special key is most fully expressed in the 314-second window in which the door must be opened by the One. 3.14 being the numerical Pi, used to calculate a circle. Every key, every door, every method of access culminates in one event which completes the circle. After Neo finds the Keymaker, the Keymaker understands he has no more purpose other than to get Neo to that door.

On a higher plane, it could be said that transcendence of literal reality through expanded consciousness ultimately ends with finding our true purpose for being. Expanded consciousness is a tool by which we gain higher insight and higher access. Whatever we learn at that higher level (if anything) is determined by our own individual focus. While Merovingian uses many keys for his own selfish lifestyle, Neo uses one special key - uniquely made for him and his unique purpose - in his attempt to save the human race.
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• SERAPH
In Judaic mythology, Seraphim (the plural of a Seraph) are understood to be the attendants of Yahweh and are continually in his presence. The word "seraph" comes from the Hebraic verb saraph which means, "to burn" and the noun saraph meaning "fiery, flying serpent." The Seraphim are thought to be bright, shining, and powerful beings who guard of the throne of Yahweh and carry out his bidding. Many ancient cultures speak of various versions of Seraphim which usually represent a figure who guards or protects something sacred. The only reference in the bible to a Seraph is in the plural Seraphim. The text describes Yahweh, appearing to the prophet Isaiah, surrounded on all sides by these six-winged beings. Thus, Seraphim later became known simply as angels. However, much earlier variations on these creatures (as described in the book of Isaiah) appear in ancient Egyptian ruins as statues placed as guardians of the graves of kings.

Undoubtedly, the Seraph character is an emissary of the Oracle as well as her protector. The Oracle is not simply the mother of the Matrix or an intuitive program for investigating the human psyche, she represents the future of all that exists. The Oracle seeks peace between man and machine and a resolution to a conflict that can potentially destroy both humans AND machines. As her guardian and emissary, Seraph protects both the Oracle and her agenda at all costs. Seraph, as we would commonly think of an angel, is an extension of the Oracle [god] and of her will. Seraph protects "that which matters most" - the future.

THE ARCHITECT

A very curious religious figure in both Christian and Judaic traditions is Yahweh. The ancient god of the Israelites, Yahweh powered the Israelite Exodus from Egypt and constructed the most elaborate religious tenets for his people. The god of Moshe (or the Christian Moses) performed wondrous signs and miracles before the captors of a slave race in Egypt and then proceeded to assign a cultural synthesis completely new to the known world. The emergence of Yahweh is thought to be the first true monotheistic presence in ancient history. Allowing no other gods before him, instructing his people in various technological efforts such as weapons and the manufacture of metals, ordinating a priesthood to dispense civil and moral law, Yahweh was a true architect. Yahweh expressed himself in the totality of male hood and remained a very aloof deity; only one selected person could enter his presence once a year and only after having performed the most elaborate of rituals. Yahweh was also often hostile to the enemies of his people and even the people themselves. Swift in judgment of wrongdoing, Yahweh is portrayed as the ever-present authority with omnipotent power to shake mountains, rain fire from above, and slay the first-born male. The model of the angry and aloof deity is a model lasting into modernity. In fact, Freemasonry (an ideology that held enormous sway on the founding of America) calls god "The Great Architect."

Predominately in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, the angry god archetype who sees and judges every thought, motive, and action is the god everlasting - the one true god. Outside of the three main monotheistic religions, various feminine archetypes do exist. Ancient Egypt expressed the femininity of god in the form of Isis, the Babylonians in the form of Ishtar, the various feminine goddesses of Greco-Roman structure, etc. In Roman Catholicism (a tradition dominated by the male archetype of god and his son, Jesus) Mary, mother of Jesus, is elevated to a very high status. In the spiritual cosmos of religious ideology, feminine models are often suppressed in certain traditions but exalted in others. It makes one wonder if an all-male iconography of god leaves the human psyche lacking and almost forces us to interject a softer and kinder presence. Male and female humans are the yin and yang which constitute the human race. Whether it is for biological reasons and procreation or as an expression of the image of our own creator, dual natures of male and female do exist. The Architect represents the male half of the creator in the films.

We are first introduced to the character of The Architect in the second Matrix installment. He is, in fact, the creator of The Matrix. His all-seeing monitor screens reflect every thought in Neo's head and the unlimited insight into Neo's mind seems to be eclipsed only by his aloof commentary and impersonal flair. The Architect displays the attitude of complete and total obedience to and obsession with order and perfection. He is, of course, a computer program. The task of The Architect program was to create a virtual world where humans could live out their lives in The Matrix while being used as fuel for the machines. His design was perfect, yet, flawed. Human minds would not accept his flawless design. According to Agent Smith in the first film "entire crops were lost" due to the benign construction. The Architect explains it was The Oracle (another program) who discovered a technique by which the human crops would accept The Matrix. The Oracle introduced choice. The introduction of choice into the equation yielded a 99.9% success rate. This means the unplugged and the inhabitants of Zion are the .1% who chose to challenge the Matrix. Through their cooperative endeavors, The Architect and The Oracle created a viable Matrix. While he is the father of The Matrix, The Oracle is its mother.

The duality of the nature of an all-cognizant god figure has been the subject of discussion since time immemorial. Although feminine characteristics of deity have been both suppressed and exalted throughout the ages, gender is a human concept. Gender is an expression of something greater than corporeality and is not necessarily fully represented in genatalia. The Bible (a book of writings having survived various centuries and influencing various cultures) is a source of influence on the world like no other book in history. The book itself, or parts thereof, is a crux of the three largest monotheistic religions in the world. The book of Genesis is the foundation stone for these three religions and it speaks of the creator and mankind created in his image. "In the beginning, god created man in his image. Male and female, he created them." For the purposes of the Matrix films, The Architect is most certainly representative of the male nature of god. The Architect has no care for humanity, for Neo, for Trinity, for Zion. His sole aptitude is to deal, yet again, with this Messiah figure that is:

"the sum of a remainder of an unbalanced equation inherent to the programming of the matrix. You are the eventuality of an anomaly, which despite my sincerest efforts I have been unable to eliminate from what is otherwise a harmony of mathematical precision."

The Architect is fully logic and mathematical precision. His function is to state the facts (however arrogantly) and get the job done. He has no other consideration but to uphold The Matrix and process the anamoly. He, unlike The Oracle, does not seek a resolution to a coexistence of human and machine.
Neo, he explains, is by no means the first of his kind. There have been other Messiahs and Saviors trying to rescue mankind from the clutches of The Matrix. But The Architect is very bored with the meeting and deems the meeting "a burden to sedulously avoid it," but, "it is not unexpected, and thus not beyond a measure of control. Which has led you, inexorably, here."

The Architect is a polarized version of The Oracle. While the Oracle is kind, gentle, and helpful, The Architect is cold, brash, and purposefully cynical. In the collective consciousness of humanity, mothers are always considered to be the emotional, communicative, and affectionate parent while the father figure is often aloof, harsh, and desirous of a strong proverbial backbone. The environment in which The Architect corresponds with Neo is a sterile room with every thought in Neo's head displayed for examination. This model is probably what a large marjority of the world's concept of "Judgement Day" would look like. Evoking a passage from the Yaweh figure in The Tenach (or, the Christian Old Testament), "I have set before you two paths; the path of life and the path of death," the Architect offers Neo two doors. One door will complete the machine's automated function of the anamoly (Zion) and the other door will lead to the destruction of the entire human race.

Not unlike the story of the great Flood and Noah's Ark, The Architect, like Yahweh, explains that every living thing in Zion is about to be destroyed. Like Noah and his family being warned of and saved from the Flood, Neo will take with him a certain number of people to repopulate Zion after its destruction. Zion and its inhabitants represent the rejection of The Matrix. Their presence is simply an anomaly of the construct which, if left unchecked, threatens to destroy The Matrix. It is at this stage Neo realizes it has all been planned from the beginning. Their valiant efforts to free humanity from the machines has already been foreseen. The Architect claims this process has happened five times before. The destruction and re-building of Zion is simply another aspect of maintaining The Matrix. Another "One" will come after Neo and another after that; a series of repeating events to control a radical element within the construct. This revelation rocked the storyline in Reloaded and sent the theme off on a wonderfully unexpected tangent.

The Architect turns out a coward. Unlike the Oracle who takes a great risk to assist in the ratification of a huge, systemic problem, the Architect presumably sits back to watch the drama unfold - only emerging after the battle is fought and the outcome apparent. He has no interest in peaceful cohabitation - much less risking himself in any way to help achieve it. Aloof as always, he appears in the final scene of Revolutions to address a jubilant Oracle regarding the events that have just transpired. Apparently, she struck a deal with the Architect to leave the humans alone - to cease the senseless cycle of destroying and rebuilding Zion on the predication of the prophecy due to the anomaly. More than that, it is implied that Sati (and other machines who want to be free of the Matrix and "purpose-only" existence) will be freed by the same accord. The Architect's final words in the last film breathes a chilling comparison between man and machine. This very short line is thought provoking enough to possibly explain the underlying reason the war between man and machine began in the first place. Machines do not lie. Humans do.
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• THE ORACLE

The Oracle as co-creator of the Matrix evokes the ancient philosophies of the dual natures of the Creator - one male and one female. With humans created "in the image" thereof, there are two types of humans: male and female. While the Oracle represents the love, compassion, help, and guidance of the Creator, she has put into motion a system (the Matrix) which now can only be guided along, pruned and clipped, like a gardner might tending her garden. Her intent seems to be to assist people in the purposes of their lives, mainly, the One. She is a source of hope for Morpheus who earnestly seeks her counsel and guidance. She told Morpheus he would find the One. On the faith of this belief, Morpheus did eventually find Neo.

The Delphic Oracle of Greek mythology foretold the future and was consulted by kings. She dwelled in the temple of the god Apollo. From an inner chamber, she received visions from fumes (alleged to be Apollo's breath) wafting up from the earth. She is described as sitting upon a three-footed stool and has the words "Know Yourself" inscribed upon the wall. Substitue Apollo's breath for feel-good cookies, and we see the basis for this character.

The Oracle knows what is going to happen before it does. Neo chides her for offering him candy because, he says, "you already know if I am going to take it or not." She continues to explain that it is not her place to tell what will happen but, rather, it is our mandate to discover why we did/do what we did/do. Neo can see Trinity's fate in his dreams but he cannot ascertain the outcome. According to the all-knowing Oracle, the reason he cannot see whether or not Trinity dies in the fall is because he does not understand why he will choose to save her. It is without doubt that Neo loves her and would save her at any cost - even with his very life. However, given the choice by the Architect, he only then has understanding as to why he made the choice to save her.
The Oracle implies (and her bodyguard/protector program states implicitly) everyone and everything has a purpose in a grander scheme of things; everyone and everything does what it was designed to do. If it does not, the thing is out of order and inharmonious. Originally, it was assumed the Oracle was a human just like the other unplugged. But the Oracle is co-creator of the Matrix. It was through her empathy for the human condition (as opposed to the austere disposition of her counterpart, the Architect) that the notion of choice was introduced into the system; whereby causing the participants of and in the Matrix to appear as being people of volition and free will. The Oracle represents the femininity of the creator through her slow, temperate, matronly manner. She assumes the form of a woman living modestly in a housing project. She bakes cookies, enjoys candy, and speaks gently and compassionately. Where The Architect is the analytical, The Oracle is the abstract. She is mystical and often comical. Ultimately, she knows everything The Architect knows, however, she does not reveal the pale truth of the matter. Her emphasis is on a coexistance of man and machine. She says, "whatever the future holds, we've got to get there together." She knows, as Neo has learned, one cannot live without the other. Even so, she is part of the program. Neo questions her agenda and cannot decide whether or not to trust her. Even so, her agenda seems quite the opposite of her Architect counterpart. She understands the importance of humans and machines living together in a type of harmony and seeks a solution. Where the Architect is concerned only with upholding the "perfect order" of his creation (The Matrix), the Oracle seeks lasting peace.

The Oracle is a true heroine of the films. She risks everything to achieve peace. She relinquished her shell to the Merovingian for Sati (to preserve and nurture machine love) and willingly gives herself to Smith for Neo (human love). Once it becomes clear to the Oracle that Neo believes in the possibility of peace as strongly she does, she seizes the opportunity to give Neo a chance to achieve it. By calmly allowing Smith to absorb her, she places her very existence in Neo's hand - trusting that he will make the right decision when the time comes. When it does come, she is there to remind him (out of Smith's own mouth) "everything that has a beginning has an end."
The motivator of the Oracle is all-encompassing love. She loves her creation (the Matrix) and everything in it (humans AND machines). She believed peace was possible and she guided all aspects without controlling them. She believed in Neo. She trusted him to make himself a sacrifice for the noble cause. Even though she seems to know everything in advance, she claims not to have known the outcome for sure. She believed.
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• AGENT SMITH

In the Greek trilogy, The Orestia, a seemingly unjust murder takes place. The murderer is then killed with the gods' approval. But the second murderer is then pursued relentlessly by creatures called the Furies (who are not subject to the will of the gods but act only to exact judgment for the crime without reason or prejudice). Though the archetype of the One is a function of the Matrix (as we learn in Reloaded) the Smith has no regard for that function. He operates completely outside of the realm of the auspices of the Matrix with only one goal: kill Neo in revenge.

In the second installment, during Neo's conversation with the Oracle, she explains that programs face deletion upon outliving their usefulness or not fulfilling their purpose. Upon facing deletion, these programs can either return to the source or go into exile. Agent Smith (destroyed by Neo in the first film) has chosen exile. The character of the Smith is a rogue force determined to exact his own brand of justice for his own reasons. The tale within The Orestia consists of murderous plots conceived of vengeance for previous murders. Agent Smith specifically reminds us of the The Furies in that his sole purpose is to enact perceived justice for great crimes. Neo's crime? He has taken away the Smith's purpose. The Furies, like the Smith, operated outside the dominion of the gods (or the singular consciousness of the Matrix) within an agenda all their own.

The Smith reveals to Neo that he did not return to the source as was his protocol but instead, seeks to enact punishment on Neo for destroying him and taking away his purpose as an Agent. Just as the lore of The Furies states that when defeated, they become only that much more angry and determined in their attempt to carry out their judgment, the Smith is consumed by the obsession of destroying Neo. Though Neo defeats a virtual army of cloned Smiths, the former Agent's response is equally as fierce. Though he cannot overpower Neo, he clones more and more Smiths in a desperate, wild, and voracious attempt to enact revenge. He is unchecked. His mission has no validity outside of personal revenge. But still, his plot continues - destroying or attempting to destroy anyone in the way; falling deeper and deeper into a spiral fueled by all-consuming vengeance and senseless violence.

The revelation of The Oracle that Smith is Neo's opposite - his negative - is of looming consequence. Smith's decision to disobey protocol and stay in The Matrix to enact revenge on Neo may not have been a choice at all. The Architect's equation attempting to balance itself out takes the form of a rogue Smith with the potential to absorb or achieve as much power as is necessary to hold Neo to a stalemate.

The question could be asked, "did Smith really choose to disobey? Or is he simply a tool of The Architect to combat the incredibly-powerful Neo?"

Such questions would link to The Merovingian's philosophy that there is no such thing as choice. That "choice is just an illusion created between those with power and those without." In this philosophy, the real choice comes only when the "why" is discerned. Smith is completely devoid of why. His "why" is extremely personal and without any broader scope. His endless pursuing of Neo - even into the real world - has no real end result. Even when he "wins" and clones himself in Neo (his purpose seemingly fulfilled) he is confused and troubled. "Is it over?" he asks. It is a real possibility that Smith was in fact a tool of the Architect to counter Neo and balance the equation. When Neo entered Smith in the first film, they overlapped. Perhaps The Architect used this opportunity to imbue Smith with the capability to counter the Neo anomaly - with the hate and vengeful rage being the driving influence. If it is true, Smith seems wholly unaware of it.

Smith's philosophy actually mirrors that of The Architect. His conversation with Neo prior to the brawl in the courtyard in Reloaded smacks of the overwhelming ideology of the machines in general (of which The Architect is the forerunning spokesperson in the films). Smith rants that there is no denying reason or purpose. Smith's revenge is fueled by the fact that Neo removed his purpose. The idea of purpose-only existence is the entire reason Rama and Kamala are seeking refuge for Sati in The Matrix. In the machine world, purposeless existence is forbidden and deleted. In a way, Smith is parroting the machines, thus, The Architect in this ideology. So, Smith pursues Neo in order to take away Neo's purpose. He is, in effect, STILL AN AGENT. He is no longer an Agent on par with the original Agents, he is now a Super Agent combating a Super Human. Like the other Agents, Smith is still upholding the agenda of the machines and The Architect. Like Neo, Smith has emerged from the ordinary (from being a regular Agent) into the extraordinary. Smith represents the machines fighting to the death against the humans. The machines would rather die themselves than see humans take over. It is entirely possible that the virus of Smith would have done exactly what the Oracle said it would: seep into the real world and the machine world and consume BOTH.

However,The Architect is shown in this context to be ignorant. If The Architect did indeed enable Smith to counter Neo, this was a nonsensical course of action completely in line with how the Oracle described him - unable to see past any choice, his only purpose to balance the equation. The Architect could not see past the enabling of Smith to know that Smith would be capable of destroying both worlds. In effect, the machines put something into motion that was capable of destroying them.

Smith's blind rage comes to an end when he finally completes his task - to infect Neo with himself. But his ignorance cannot see - even with the Eyes of The Oracle - Neo's selfless sacrifice. A sacrifice that results in peace between man and machine but the destruction of both Neo AND Smith. So, the light and the dark are silenced, their battle grinds to a halt, and a new day begins with PEACE.

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• AGENTS
In the Matrix Reloaded, a broader scope of the relationship between man and machine is addressed. Man has used machinery as simple as rocks in the distant past to achieve a desired end. Today, machines wake us up in the morning, transport us to work, spell-check our work, heat and freeze our food, and entertain us. In the films, machines have transcended consciousness of being tools and have achieved self-awareness. Just like their human counterparts, the machines also have needs. Currently, the needs of the machines involve using humans as an energy source. Plainly, the two are dependent upon one another for existence.

Any society needs order. This need for order culminates in some sort of government. A governing body to function as peacekeepers, lawgivers, etc. Imagine getting in your car and driving down streets with no stop signs, stop lights, traffic signals, or street signs. Those things exist because a governing body made them exist. Irrespective of morality or law, everything from paved roads to corporate businesses are an outcome of a governing body which upholds the larger plan for those it serves. It operates as functioning body of the WILL of its constituents. In the films, the machines are the governing body. They are a representation of a bureaucracy which operates within its own agenda (survival). If the rule of the machines is to be portrayed as a government, it would be a dictatorship. A dictatorship allows no input from those it governs and rules with impunity.

It is no mistake the Agents are dressed in suits and look identical to F.B.I. Agents. The Agents represent the enforcer arm of the machines in the Matrix. They are above any law enforcement within the world of the Matrix. They are clearly directing the police in the first film, they take over the bodies of military personnel (or any other human) at will, and their tactics seem like KGB Agents when they arrive at Neo's workplace to remove him for questioning. When seeing the larger focus, the Agents clearly represent a federal government above and outside of prosecution or confrontation by the people it rules.

Just like the real world, our Federal System overrides most any local agency. Some would say our Federal System is so large and so bureaucratic that it is out of our hands as voters to really make decisions on that level. That is why we have elected officials. However, it can also be said those elected officials have only limited scope and power in the domain of the Federal system. The Matrix films portray a system of rule gone amuck. Machines who dominate man fully and completely by reducing them to unconscious slaves. The machines (most tangibly represented by Agents) are an unchecked system of control with full dominion over every aspect of the lives of human beings.

In the 90's, events like Ruby Ridge and Waco caused alert with extremists who felt the Federal Government went too far to infringe on individual freedoms. Speculation about the deaths of John Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King, the scandals of Watergate and Iran Contra have produced much distrust of the Federal Government as a power-mad entity; only appearing to serve constituents but actually serving a secret, hidden agenda of its own. From the formation of the United States as an entity, Federal power has increased over time to virtually overshadow local power in every facet. In its early stages, the country was divided over the issue of slavery and Federal power won out - causing a war between, essentially, the dictation of a Federal rule over state rule. The morally-wrong issue of slavery aside, Federal rule overtook local rule. During the Great Depression, the Federal Government took yet another leap in power over individuals by installing Roosevelt's New Deal. The depth of hardship suffered by Americans in that era fostered a more powerful Federal body to assist constituents by way of various relief programs and social engineering by way of Social Security. Lyndon Johnson's Great Society introduced even greater Federal authority over the states with a myriad of social engineering legislation from Welfare and Medicare to war in Vietnam and the social upheaval that followed.

Successive movements toward Federal supremacy have always come in the form of further assisting the constituents when they needed help. Government is, by nature, supposed to be a tool of the people, for the people, and by the people. Just as machines have always been tools of people to produce a desired end, the machines in the films have exceeded that mandate. The Agents in the Matrix films are simply an extension of the will of the machines. Their function is to uphold the agenda of machine rule and they exist solely to do so. In the same way Federal power has become omnipotent in our world, the machines have become omnipotent in the world of the Matrix. Machines that once were a tool of man - to serve his agenda- have now risen to power and reign unchecked over those they once served.

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• MEROVINGIAN & PERSEPHONE

One of the most fascinating characters to come from The Matrix is Merovingian and his lovely wife, Persephone and their clan of various warriors. Far too many parallels for these characters are drawn from ancient mythos and legend to name. The Merovingian dynasty ruled in the regions of Gaul (now France) around the 5th century A.D. until about the 8th century A.D. The summation of the legend of the Merovingians is that they stem from divine origin. The main figure surrounding the dynasty's rise to status and power, Merovech (from which Merovingian is derived), was conceived by a union between his mother and a divine sea creature. Not unlike Greco-Roman mythology where the gods conceived children with human women, the offspring were said to be born with powers and/or magical abilities. The same is true with the Merovingians. Their existence as true characters of history are not in dispute even if their origins in divine copulation may be. The lore of the divine origin of the Merovingian lineage traces back to the Biblical references to the same types of divine/human unions resulting in the Nephilim. The most famous story of the Nephilim is found in the Biblical book of Genesis in the Judaeo-Christian-Islamic traditions. The Nephilim were children born of fallen angels and human women who followed their own individual whims as opposed to their creator, God. Of course, the most famous of these fallen angels is called Lucifer or Satan. They sought personal power and dominance on the earth and used their mystical powers and knowledge to rule over ordinary humans.

In another version of the tale of the Merovingians, their order is said to be the direct blood descendents of Jesus through his union with Mary Magdalene. They were said to be the keepers of the divine wisdom of Jesus, the Holy Grail, and numerous mystical secrets. Their divine blood line was the source of their ruling authority and power. After their power faded from ruling class, the knowledge and mystical artifacts were lost or scattered. In both accounts, the Merovingian monarchy was recognized or proclaimed as a divine blood line stemming from something otherworldly.

The complicated imagery of the Merovingian figure in The Matrix films inevitably leads us to a satanic figure. In Greek mythology, Persephone is the wife of Hades just as she is the wife of Merovingian in The Matrix films. The character of Merovingian toys with humans in a mindless game of what he calls "cause and effect." This imagery brings to mind questions faithful people have asked since the beginning; "why does God let bad things happen?" In the first Matrix film, Agent Smith tells Morpheus the first Matrix was created perfect but no one would accept it. The Architect (the very builder) of the Matrix confirms the first Matrix was a benevolent world of perfection but that it was "a triumph equaled only by its monumental failure." He continues to explain, "The inevitability of its doom is as apparent to me now as a consequence of the imperfection inherent in every human being, thus I redesigned it based on your history to more accurately reflect the varying grotesqueries of your nature."

In fact, the Merovingian figure was introduced into The Matrix as a tool of imperfection. Just as the historical Merovingians of Gaul were said to have powers involving spells of carnality and sensuality, the Merovingian character of The Matrix takes delight in causing an orgasmic reaction through a piece of chocolate cake in an attractive woman from whom he then elicits sexual favors. "It is all a game," they keep saying. "There is no reason. Only cause and effect." As the Oracle implied, all things do what they were designed to do. Merovingian is obviously a man of extraordinary wealth and influence within the Matrix and his existence is wholly based on carnality and materialism. He is entirely indebted to the Matrix and it to him. He delights in what some would call "sin" and provokes it wherever he goes. He tantalizes those within the Matrix through unseen methods and tempts them using sensory stimulus. He chooses French as his language of choice because it makes cursing sound wonderful. "Like wiping your ass with a piece of silk," he quips. Strangely, both he and Persephone use the terminology "sample" as if they are somehow outside the realm of true experience but they can "sample" the Matrix at will. Persephone wants to "sample" the kiss of Neo. Merovingian has "sampled" all languages and has chosen French.

The immediate circle of beings around Merovingian consists of various creatures symbolizing dark forces. The bodyguards killed by silver bullets (vampires), the Twins who look like human versions of Sentinels and resemble angry ghosts as they materialize and dematerialize, and others who seem to have fighting abilities equal to the unplugged humans. This is reminiscent of countless traditions linking vampires, werewolves, spirits, ghosts, and other undead entities to the forces of hell and the will of a dark lord. According to traditions dating from the epochs of ancient Egypt and the dark lord Set to modern day Christianity and Satan, dark forces have always been said to be at work in the unseen realm - invisible malevolence assailing humanity with evil, temptation, sin, etc.

While the Merovingian character of The Matrix seems to be wholly enticed with and synonymous with evil exploits, Persephone, on the other hand, seems a bit bored with the whole matter. In Greek mythology, Persephone is actually held captive by Hades. After a while, she did come to love her captor. But eventually, Persephone was rescued by the powerful figure Hercules. The imagery of the film suggests a heavy drawing from these myths. Persephone did love Merovingian but now, that love has faded. She seems to have missed true love and looks to one kiss by Neo to recover a "sample" of the long-forgotten sensation. She does not ask for a simple kiss, she requires that love be expressed if even for that brief moment. In exchange for the "sample" of what she desires, she will hand over a precious possession - the Keymaker. In the world of Merovingian and Persephone, everything is a game and nothing really matters. It could be said that their world is the world of darkness - the Greek Hades, or perhaps the Christian Hell.
A very interesting observation that can be derived from close examination of the dialogue in Reloaded is that Merovingian may have been a previous "One." A few things point to this conclusion. Persephone desires to sample Neo's love because she explains Merovingian used to be like him. The fact of the historical Merovingians as a "divine blood line" also offers curious questions as to whether or not the Merovingian in the film is part of that special group of people who are successively "The One." If so, Merovingian was probably the very first "One." Upon entering the Source and before being reinserted into The Matrix, he could have then chosen the repopulation number of Zion and then became The Merovingian. Where he may have once been a noble superhero like Neo - attempting to save the human race from the machines, we now find the Merovingian in a jaded, materialistic, meaningless existence.

Neo, understandably, is very perplexed by the revelation that his entire purpose, Morpheus' prophecy, and the hope of overthrowing the machines is simply another function under the control of The Matrix. Perhaps (as a former Messiah) Merovingian chose the door that would save Zion. Maybe he bowed to the will of The Matrix; thus, completing the circle of the anomaly and choosing the door Neo did not choose. Perhaps Merovingian (as a former Savior) relinquished his fight to save humanity - realizing the futility - and accepted a new role in The Matrix much like Cypher did. The former "One" then ultimately becomes the power-mad, ego-driven character we see in Reloaded. Having realized the magnitude of the "game" being played out at the highest levels of The Matrix, the person who became Merovingian has simply given himself up to The Matrix and the game itself.

The Merovingian seems to have a vast knowledge of Neo's purpose and what the Keymaker's role is for Neo and he also seems to have great insight into the larger machinations of the processing the anomaly and the function of the "One." He speaks of surviving Neo's predecessors as if every time the circle repeats, the Merovingian is always holding the Keymaker and has to be continually rescued by the current "One." This is a very interesting subtext. Merovingian is a program. The Oracle said it plainly. If it is true - if the Merovingian is a previous "One" - it means Neo is also a computer program. This underlying theme was never answered to any satisfaction, but perhaps the mere suggestion itself is more compelling than the offering of the answer.
The Merovingian is the machine representation of an extremely wealthy and influential man. Nothing seems beyond his reach or scope. The Oracle defines his existence perfectly - a man with power who seeks only more power. Since the Merovingian seems to define power as knowledge (he is a trafficker of information and gains leverage, hence more power, through knowing) the ultimate expression of and highest exponent of power would be to "see" with the Oracle's "eyes."
The Merovingian's motivation is purely selfish. Where Smith takes the Oracle's eyes with the sole purpose of adding power to himself in order to destroy Neo, Merovingian has no care for Neo, Smith, The Oracle, or the Matrix except where it can benefit him and his own selfish goals. If we accept the model of Neo and Smith being motivated by polar opposites, the motivators of The Merovingian fall directly inbetween Smith (revenge through corruption) and Neo (salvation through sacrifice).
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• RAMA, KAMALA, AND SATI

Rama, Kamala and Sati are, simply, a family. The unusual thing about them is that they are machines. This post-Jetson family unit represents the impossible or the inevitable (depending on how you look at it) evolution of machines. Evolution from manufactured mechanisms used to achieve a desired end to sentient beings deciding to procreate of their own volition. Arguably the most important character symbols in the Matrix Trilogy, the revelation that machines - like humans - can and do love is what eventually propels Neo to give his own life to achieve peace between the two.

Rama-Kandra is the father of Sati and the husband of Kamala. According to Hindu mythology, Rama is the legendary figure of the epic Ramayana. He is the seventh avatar (or incarnation) of Vishnu. Rama is an extremely virtuous hero, thus, "Rama" has become a prefix synonymous with "Lord." When used in a manner such as the English "Mister", Rama generally denotes formal regard. Chandra (pronounced Kandra) is the ancient god of the moon representing fertility. When a couple desired a child, they were to pray for Chandra's blessing. Combined, Rama-Kandra is the virtuous, childbearing father of Sati. He speaks at length to Neo about karma, love, and honor - concepts that are shocking to Neo coming from a computer program.

Kamala is the tenth and last of the Mahavidyas (translated "great knowledge"). The Mahavidyas, or wisdom goddesses, represent the assertion of femininity into Indian thought as ten deities with ten very specific and varying identities. Of the ten, Kamala is called "The Last But Not The Least." She is the full revealing of the feminine into the material realm. The goddess Kamala is almost entirely removed from traditional domestic context. She is portrayed as independent and powerful in her own right (a concept strikingly different from historically proper dharmic or social behavior). Also, Kamala is often assumed to be the goddess Lakshmi with a different name (Lakshmi is the goddess of fortune and fertility). Kamala does not say much in the film; however, the mythological context of her goddess counterpart makes up for it.

Since the names for the characters of Rama and Kamala are drawn from Hindu origin, one would assume to also draw from Hindu mythology to find a basis for the name of their daughter, Sati. Hinduism's practice of Sati is both legendary and infamous. Sati is the ancient ritual by which a man's wife can venerate herself and achieve deification as well as the redeeming of all her forefathers from hell. She does this by casting herself onto the funeral pyre of her husband and burning to death through self-immolation. It seems impossible to draw from this symbolism to shed light on the young daughter of Rama and Kamala, although, parallels with the practice of Sati could be applied to Neo's self-sacrifice. However, there is another tradition (the Buddhist tradition) speaking of Sati that is more appropriate to the Matrix story and better represents the special child of the film.

In Buddhist methodology, Sati means "mindfulness." The meaning is much more than it appears. Sati means not only being aware of something or remembering something or even being conscious of something. It actually means Self Awareness. It means the mind's ability to comprehend and observe itself. In the film Terminator 2: Judgment Day, the Terminator describes the artificial intelligence called Skynet created as a tool of humans to more accurately control and operate defense systems. As an artificial intelligence system, it was created with the capability to learn on its own. He explains how it began to learn at a "geometric rate" and eventually became "self aware." It achieved Sati. Sati is said to be the vehicle for wisdom and knowledge. It was at that moment Skynet began to make decisions for itself.

Not unlike the little girl of the film, Skynet ceased being a tool of its creator and became a self-governing entity. Sati is the first computer program created without a purpose. She represents the final step in an evolution of machines being told what to do (first by humans, then by other machines) to machines existing for their own reasons. Sati's existence, of course, is the product of Rama and Kamala's love for each other.

It becomes clear after seeing Revolutions that not all machines are created equal. To programs like the Architect, Smith, and the Merovingian, love is a most flagrant and vacuous "reason" to exist. Smith's rants about purpose and reason are not empty script. They show us how blatantly moronic it seems to some machines (and some humans!) to exist without purpose. It also relays the ultimate threat such a purposeless existence would be to the order of the machine world itself. Smith calls love "insipid." The Merovingian compares love to insanity. To the Architect, love is a "contingent affirmation" programmed into the code of The One to create a "profound attachment to the rest of your species" but has no elemental purpose other than "facilitating the function of The One."

On the other hand, The Oracle, Rama and Kamala, and even Persephone realize the value of love. Persephone craves it but finds it elusive in the dark world of The Merovingian. Thus, she gives up the most-valued Keymaker to experience one brief sample of the long-forgotten feeling. The Oracle exudes love. She instructs Sati that one's hands must be used to mix cookie dough in order to imbue the cookies themselves with the personal touch and love of their creator. Rama and Kamala represent the full incarnation of love and sentience - procreation. They have brought about and created a third individual out of love for each other. Sati, in the imagery of the films, is love personified.

Machine love is the progression from the static, collective consciousness of machines as a whole into the abstract, individual awareness of Self. Such a Self Awareness is an obvious threat to the machines as a whole; thus, "procreation" or machines existing without specific purpose are disallowed. The threat of machines existing in individual Self Awareness (as opposed to collective self awareness) is the inevitability of chaos, confusion, and the ultimate breakdown of machine rule over humanity as well as its own internal self-governance. However, it is the revelation of machine love that ultimately saves humans, the Matrix, and gains peace between the two.

In the first Matrix film, Neo and the humans from Zion are under the impression that human freedom can only be achieved through destruction of the machines and the Matrix. Through many trials and tribulations, the believers learn their understanding of the prophecy and their beliefs based on the guidance of the Oracle were limited. Neo realizes that destruction of the machines is not the salvation of Zion. After Neo's experience with the Architect, everyone is confused and all previous assumptions are shattered. Neo's conversation with the machine family shows him that machines are not the enemy. Like humans, some machines are good, some are bad, and some are indifferent. The notion of balance and peace between humans and machines becomes REAL to him. The family is proof to Neo that machines have evolved to a place where they are truly not that much different than humans. He realizes that Rama loves Sati in the same way Neo loves Trinity. It is for this common bond, love, that Neo negotiates the Great Peace at the cost of his own life. Hero.

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Fist of Legend 1994

Allegory

​http://www.thematrix101.com/matrix/synopsis.php

​Colour Meaning

​The Making of The Matrix 1999

​Crisis Actors​http://thetruthfulone.com/false-flag-crisis-actors/

​Simulacra and Simulationby Jean Baudrillard

Crisis Actors

​What is the Matrix, Why does the matrix exist, and How do we get out of the Matrix.

Matrix Quotes

Check out...
Crisiscast.com

http://www.thematrix101.com/matrix/synopsis.php

Colour Meaning

The Making of The Matrix 1999

Crisis Actors
http://thetruthfulone.com/false-flag-crisis-actors/

Simulacra and Simulation
by Jean Baudrillard

What is the Matrix, Why does the matrix exist, and How do we get out of the Matrix.