The Split (an essay/theory with moondoo unmarked spoilers.)

During the past week or two I started to think more about the idea of Alessa splitting her soul in two parts. Before I begin I need to clarify that this post will contain major spoilers for SH1 and SH3. This post will also deal with the psychological and spiritual issues found in Silent Hill.

Part 1. The Method of Splitting the Soul.

First of all is the splitting of the soul possible? In the psychological world there is a condition in which the soul does split and appears in two separate bodies. However is splitting the soul possible?

Apparently it is, but it's extremely difficult, and very very dangerous. In fact the only way a soul can split is if their is an extreme conflict inside of a person that one body cannot happen. One example would be an extreme desire both to die, and to live.


Part 2. In Alessa's Case.

Alessa's soul split during the fire. Silent Hill 1 hints that Alessa did this on her own, while Silent Hill 3 hints that Alessa was forced to split her soul. Still in the SH1 official guide they state that Alessa allowed part of her soul to escape.

So what is the truth? It lies somewhere in the middle. First of all we have to find out the extreme opposition within Alessa. We learn the answer in SH3 in which Heather (who is Alessa) fights a part of her unconscious mind (Memory of Alessa.) Heather is the combination of Alessa and Cheryl, therefore she is the whole of Alessa. (whether she likes it or not.)

Alessa represents the Thanatos, the will to die. Cheryl represents the Eros, the will to live.

There you go. The deep opposition within Alessa. Eros and Thanatos. The will to live, and the will to die. It is this opposition within Alessa that causes her soul to split.

Part 3. The split. An act of Alessa, or an Act of "God"?

In SH1 and the official Guide we are told that Alessa split her soul herself. We are also told that Alessa allowed part of her soul to escape, and still in SH3 we are told that Alessa was forced to split her soul, and this is the reason why she couldn't birth God right away. So again, what is the truth?

It lies somewhere in the middle.

One can imagine that while Alessa was being burned a part of her begged for death, while the other part of her begged for life. Due to this severe opposition within herself, her soul starts to split. Finally Alessa's desire to die becomes so great that her body cannot handle the side of her that actually wants to live. Her body rejects this part of Alessa's soul, and this part of soul is reborn as a new baby.

While it was Alessa's mind that split her soul, she had to allow part of her soul to escape.

Part 4. Salvation and Joy.

With her soul now split, Alessa is unable to birth the God. Why is this? What I'm about to say is going to shoot myself in the foot (considering the theory I hold that Alessa/Incubator is LV) I digress.

I don't think the God could be born yet because it was dormant inside of the part of Alessa that wanted to die. Some say that salvation is death, and it would seem that Alessa wanted to die. She wanted 'salvation' from her wretched life. Meanwhile Cheryl who is the part that wanted life, would represent the part of Alessa that wanted joy.

In the myths the God is born from a man who prays for salvation, and a woman who asks for joy.

It's the same deal with Alessa. A part of her prays for salvation (death), while another part of her asks for joy (life). Therefore is it not surprising that when Alessa and Cheryl merge that God is born?


...now somebody please prove this theory wrong, so I can go back to saying that Alessa/Incubator is actually LV.

Glad to see your theory, St.Aatos, on the forum! Keep it up!

Some comments...


Agree. Even the intro to Origins proves that Alessa did want to die, but still the fact that a part of her soul escaped can be taken as a proof of her will to live nevertheless. BTW, we will probably get some additional info on the subject once the Origins is released.



Also a great idea comparing the two sides of Heather/Alessa's personality to Eros and Thanatos. Not without a reason the authors in the Making of SH2 mentioned this idea in regard to James' story which as well can be perfectly applied to the whole SH series!



Could it be that it was the god who didn't allow her whole soul to escape through the reincarnation? That would be kinda logical question to ask: why not escape with the whole soul not just with a half of it? I mean either this soul-splitting technique is not capable of things like that or it was the god preventing it, being, for instane, bound to a part of Alessa's soul.



^^ who would've thought!? XP



Wow, this symbolism can really be applied! Just perfectly! Two parts of Alessa's soul representing salvation (death) and joy (life), or the same Eros and Thanatos, combined together would give life to the god in the manner it was described in the myth! Somehow I think this idea can be in no way less consistent than "Alessa/Incubator is LV"!



No, I think I won't...

Изменено: Kromy, 25 Июль 2007 - 16:46

Ahh sorry for not quoting the entire thing. Anyways I just realized that Alessa splitting her soul would not have been beneficial to the God. Had Alessa not split her soul, then the God would have been born right there and then. (Alessa would have transformed)

I've also heard that the name of the Deity is "Child God". The first attempt to birth God happens when Alessa is seven. (this could be another reason for the split. She's too young to conceive anything fully.) then she births God at age 14. (Now a teenager, but still a child in certain cultures.) Then in SH3, she's 17 when they want her to birth the God.


In the St. Alessa painting Heather mentions "The part of me who wanted death and disappeared with God seventeen years ago, and the me who sought life."

That part could actually prove that the God and Alessa were living in the same body when the God died. However, I do think Heather's statement is dubious at best. We know the God didn't disappear, but instead lived in it's new vessel (Heather.) So if the God didn't disappear then Alessa wouldn't have disappeared either.

As a note...

Well, in 'Another Red Diary' thread I posted the Japanese version of the text where this "Child God" is mentioned. I don't know exactly what meaning do you give to this term but it certainly is not a proper name, but simply 'a child of God' (神の子, kami no ko). I think it more implies the god itself -- it's just since that would be only a manifestation of God, it is called "a child of God". The same with Jesus, actually -- someone calls him the God himself, someone the Son of God. But still it's just a little note for, as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't change anything.



Could the statment just mean that one part of Alessa that sought life -- went on living with Harry, and the other part disappeared with God (means not with God inside but along with that manifestation Harry killed)? Also we probably should separate a manifestation of God from the seed of God that lies dormant inside of Heather/Alessa. Then it would mean that while the manifstation of God disappeared along with Alessa seventeen years ago, the seed of God went on living inside of Heather. And yeah, that still would mean that the God and Alessa were living in the same body -- I guess that seed (soul/essence) of God were to be found in all the versions of Alessa -- herself, Cheryl and Heather. Maybe if we take an approach that this 'God' is just a part of Alessa's soul originally (maybe because of her special powers she had since birth -- like the movie implies, actaully, with that concept about witches) that was kinda awakened with the ritual but since she splitted her soul in two the God was unable to be "born" -- in this case the whole thing becomes more clear. What do you think?

I've talked to Burning Man about this before. Apparently the deity known as Incubus is called "Child of God/Son of God." and is the equivalent to Jesus Christ. I've also been told that each of the three main sects of the Order represents a real world religion. The sect of the Holy Woman is said to represent Christianity. (btw anyone notice that the only time LV is mentioned is in a church based on the sect of the Holy Woman?) I've come to believe that the three deities (Creator of Paradise/God, Xuchilbara, and Lobsel Vith) are a parallel to the Holy Trinity of Christianity. (and still there's the unholy Trinity of Christianity consisting of the Beast, the Dragon, and the false Prophet. But I digress.)

If one of them is called "Child of God/Son of God" then one of these deities would be the parallel to Christ.

Oh, getting way off topic here. *coughs* I'm finding the Alessa split really fascinating actually. First there's the parallel of Alessa and Cheryl being the parents of God. Then I realized there's a parallel to Alessa, Cheryl, and Heather being the three Gods.

(Alessa = God. God created Xuchilbara (who looks like a child version of her.) Alessa creates Cheryl who looks like a child version of Alessa. Cheryl parallel to Xuchilbara. God creates Heather, Alessa/Incubator creates Heather.)

So it is a theory. That's okey, I agree with it -- I just wanted to point out that the original text does not imply a name for a new deity, but simply states its status -- a child of God.



Yeah, I always liked the idea. The resemblance of the HM sect to Christianity is really obvious. Actually, come to think of it, what about the sect of Valtiel? What religion does it represent? An ancient indian beliefs?



Hey, that's very interesting! Yeah, I've heard about a parallel to Holy Trinity before, but what about the unholy Trinity? Sorry, I don't know, but who corresponds to who? That might also be very interesting because by this principle the opponents might have dubbed the cult's deities. For instance, the Beast corresponds to the main deity I presume, then maybe the Dragon -- to Xuchilbara, and the false Prophet -- to Lobsel Vith, eh?



Ha, if the parallel to the the unholy Trinity I mentioned is right, then the parallel of Lobsel Vith to Christ gains more strength as well 'cause Jesus was a also a prophet... well, you know what I mean.



Oh yeah, I remember those! XD Especially how it goes to an extent of finding parallels between Lobsel Vith and Heather's blond hair! ^^ *Ahem* Seriously, I like this parallel even though there's no way Team Silent would really imply something like this.

In the book of Revelations (the Christian Bible) it talks about the end times. Mentioned in Revelations is a Dragon (parallel to Satan) who has a son (the Anti-Christ/the Beast), who is aided by the false prophet. Ironically there's no way that the three deities of Silent Hill could be parallel to the unholy trinity. (not that I've seen yet. I need to look at this further.)

In the unholy trinity

Satan/Dragon parallel to God
Anti-Christ/Beast parallel to Jesus
False Prophet parallel to the Holy Spirit.



As strange as it sounds I'd have to go with Islam. I'll explain more to you through email.

I believe, the reason why Alessa's personality was split was quite clearly expressed in Alessa's Memo in SH3:
"It would be better for "myself" to die. After all, it's nothing to be afraid of... That child....that demon.... When I think of the endless pain it will bring when it is birthed.... I decided that, instead of the suffering and cruelty I endured in that sick room, that I would like to bestow a more gentle and peaceful death on "myself". Why do "I" resist? I never thought of "myself" as such a fool."

One part of Alessa wanted to die without giving bith to some god, while another resisted and wanted to live. That's why her personality was divided into two.



Let's do not forget that Team Silent didn't worked on Origin's plot, so it's pretty questionable whether the story will be canon or not.



One of the doctors in the hospital said that while other half of the soul is away "the power we could draw now would be very weak; almost nothing. Unless we get the other half of the soul...". I believe, it quite clears things out: the God and the world inside Alessa can only effect the outside world through Alessa's mental powers -- and while her soul was split, so the powers too greatly decreased.

Hugs and kisses, St. Aatos. (EEWWWW!!!!)

Well, the only problem I see with the theory is in regards to cause and effect.

Cheryl is well associated with the Eros aspect, but this is an after-effect of the love and care that she received from Harry and Jodie. Whether or not Alessa herself had any desire to live when the soul-split occurred is debatable.

The memo that SilentPyramid quoted is about Heather, and then, yes, Cheryl's own Eros aspect may come into play there. But only because Cheryl had lived a life where happiness has a meaning.

Must...resist urge...to make inappropriate crack...



I do think one thing that might be misunderstood about the original posted theory is that the extreme opposition of the soul has to happen during the split, and not after. In this case I'm going to think that a part of Alessa actually wanted to live (while being burned) while the other part of her wanted to die. When these two parts of her became too great, her soul split apart.


Another thing about the Memory of Alessa fight. I don't think that the memory of Alessa actually IS Alessa. We have to remember that Heather is Cheryl and Alessa, but unlike her prior incarnation she was raised in a loving home, and therefore had no need to want to die.

However as soon as Heather's father dies, and she finds out that she's to become the daughter of God that's when all of her memories as Alessa begin to surface. When those memories of Alessa begin to surface, then so does "Alessa".

The fight on the carousel could basically be a fight between Heather's will to live, and her urge to die. Her urge to die of course takes the form of a bloodier version of herself (memory of Alessa.)

Yeah, but I'd say it was Alessa' urge to die, not Heather's, since Heather only by the end of the game managed to slightly remember that sick room while it was Alessa who was lying there for the whole 7 years wishing for death. I know, they are the same soul reincarnated, but still for the clear understanding of this whole inner battle we should separate Alessa from Heather here. Also I agree that the Memory of Alessa is not Alessa herself -- guess we can call it a manifestation of Alessa's Thanatos Heather should overcome (defeat) in order to continue her quest.

BTW, thanks for the info about the unholy trinity! :upside:

You're forgetting though that Heather is Alessa. The only difference between the two is how they were raised.

Ok, you didn't forget. But because Heather is Alessa and Cheryl combined it is safe to say that Alessa represents Heather's thanatos.