I'm soliciting test subjects for my research on dreams as the border between life and death. It was difficult to find someone who could speak clearly about their dreams, but I found someone who seemed to know of the "Other World."
The man has had the same dream for several months in a row. The dream is how I describe below.
1. He first notices he is standing before a small, snow-covered shrine.
2. He has seen the shrine before, but only vaguely remembers it. He has, however, heard of a shrine like it in his hometown.
3. From deep in the shrine he hears the voice of the girl he left behind.
4. Beckoned by the voice, each day he goes a little further into his dream shrine.
Up to this point, this is a plausible dream generated from the desire for home and love. Next is where his statement becomes interesting.
5. An ancient ceremony is held there and one can meet the deceased.
6. There is a huge cave deep in the shrine and a huge river flows there. There is a large pit and the base of it is the sea.
This statement is clearly about the "Other World", particularly the "Underworld". According to his story, there is a legend in his hometown about the Other World and dreams and much of his dream congrues with it.
I recorded his talk on his dreams for four days, compiled below.
He is from the Mutsu region, where they have an ancient legend about a sea called the "Sea of Endless Night" that exists in the mountains.
There they have many legends related to dreams. For example, dreams are called "the Rift" and traverse "the border between the Other world and the real world." If you continue to have nightmares, the deceased apparently return from the underworld.
The shrine exists in order to prevent the nightmares. There resides a priestess who sleeps in the Rift and will take on the nightmare.
The voice he hears may be that of the priestess that sleeps in the shrine of the Other World, communicating the existence of "the Rift".
The morning after the day I recorded his testimonial on the gramophone, he suddenly disappeared, leaving behind all his luggage. Did he go to see the woman from his hometown?
The earring he left is made of "Echo Stone" and since ancient times has been said to communicate thought. Perhaps I can use it to modify the Crystal Receiver.
The "Other World"
The "Other World" | |
| |
| Kanji | 「異界」研究者の手記 いかい けんきゅうしゃ の しゅき |
| Game | Fatal Frame III: The Tormented |
| Author | Dr. Kunihiko Asou |
| Chapter | Hour XII: The Ceremony of Commandment |
| Located at | Miku's Room, Attic |
| Obtained | With the earring. |
| Description | A researcher's notes that came from Yuu's belongings in Miku's attic. Could they be Dr. Asou's...? |
| Additional Description | Inside the drawer is an old book and something wrapped in cloth. |
| Related Notes | |
生と死の境としての夢を研究するにあたり、
被験者を募る。明確に夢を語れることが条
件とあつて審査は難航したが、「異界」と
関りがあるやも知れぬ人物を発見した。
彼は数ヶ月に渡り、同じやうな夢を見続け
ると云ふ。それは、以下のやうな夢である。
一、気がつくと、雪の降る小さな社の前に
立つてゐる。
二、その社は見たことはあるが、明瞭とし
た記憶は無い。ただ、郷里にそう云ふ
場所があると聞ゐたことがある。
三、その社の奥より郷里に残して来た女性
の声が聞こゆる。
四、声に誘はれ、毎日同じ夢の場所を少し
ずつ奥へと進んで行く。
此処までは通常在り得る、郷里の思ひ出や
恋情など欲望が夢へ現出したものであると
思はれるが、興味深きは以下の発言である。
五、其処には古の儀式を行ふ場所があり、
死者に逢える場所があると云ふ。
六、社の奥には巨大な洞窟があり、川が流
れてゐる。その奥には巨大な竪穴があ
り、その底は海になつてゐる。
此は明らかに「異界」特に「黄泉」と云は
れる場所に就ひての発言である。話を聞く
に、彼の郷里には異界と夢に関する伝承が
あるらしく、この夢はその話と一致する部
分が多く見受けられた。
以後、四日に渡り記録した彼の夢の話は、
以下のやうな証言としてまとめられた。
彼は陸奥の出身であるらしく、その地方に
は古くから山に「常世海」と呼ばれる海が
存在すると云ふ伝承がある。
其処には「寝目」つまり夢に関する伝承が
多い。例へば、夢は「狭間」と呼ばれる
「異界と現世の境界」と繋がつて居り、悪
夢を見続けると死者が黄泉返ると云はれて
ゐると云ふ。
「忌目」と呼ばれるその悪夢を見ぬやうに
する為の社があり、其処には人々の忌目を
引き受け、狭間に眠る巫女がゐると云ふ。
彼の聞く声は、その「異界」に関る社にゐ
る巫女の女性より「狭間」を解した交信で
はないかと思はれる。
蓄音機に証言を記録した次の日の朝、彼は
荷物も残し突如失踪した。郷里の女性の下
へと向かつたのだらうか。
彼の残した耳飾りは「響石」と呼ばれる石
で、古来より人々の思ひを伝へると云はれ
てゐる。
鉱石式受信機の改良に利用できるやもしれ
ぬ。