Boy, I really need to have an eye on myself not getting actually consumed by the topic which is currently my navigational compass. I just saw a Cosmic Horror film that just ticks off every single characteristic of what makes a film or story Cosmic Horror.

And that brings me to the question: When is Cosmic Horror real CH and why is Space Horror not synonymous with CH? And why – for Cthulhu’s sake – does it even matter?

Your typical Space Horror movie would involve a story that rotates around a space station, a starship, a remote planet, maybe aliens invading earth, or whatever. It always deals with an alien threat or maybe even something supernatural, and that, of course, is very horrific in itself, if the story catches.

But, Cosmic Horror is something different, although monsters and entities play, of course, an important role. It is, however, not only about the horror of aliens or evil planets or action. Cosmic Horror relies heavily on the very insignificance and punity of humanity in a giant, indifferent, cold and uncaring Universe, ruled or inhabited by unfathomable entities that do not necessarily be evil. They just need to be incomprehensible and indifferent. Humans in this genre face hopelessness because their role played out doesn’t matter. Mostly, you won’t find any trace of hope, happy ending or anything positive, because the individual doesn’t matter, nor does civilization. It is as if the universe is empty. Existence comes and go, and time space only shrugs it off. It has maddening aspects, because the prospect of the meaninglessness of humanity and their choices before the backdrop of the infinity of the Universe is terrifying.

Bam.

Well, I already elaborated on why I love this genre, and I will put in a nutshell, why it actually matters:

It matters because the insignificance and the meaninglessness of the vast expanse of the Universe gives me a lot of philosophical playroom. Especially after reading Ligotti, where the universal horror is even projected onto the individual even stronger than in Lovecraft, I find a lot of solace in the aspect that I can, more or less, choose myself on how I think I have a place in this Universe. Because it doesn’t matter if I’m right or wrong. Who can judge me? People? Insignificant. The Pope? Please. God? Maybe, if she exists. But if not, the Universe is my playground. And since I can’t change the Universe or the World from turning, I can choose my own way. And that is the only thing of importance.

And, in my logic, if my choices are the only thing that are important, I will want to protect them and be as kind to myself and as aware of myself as possible. Now, I am a systemic social worker, so I can only work in a self effective way, if I interact progressively and proactively in my social system. And that entails that being altruistic and building a better tomorrow matters. At least as far as my perceptive and comprehending horizon allows me to. Everything beyond becomes a matter of speculation. And this then is the playground I can theorize and phantasize about what the Universe may be or not be. What matters is what I can work on and what I can influence.

And on the meta-sphere, I use Cosmic and Philosophical Horror as a field I feel disturbingly at home, eerily comfortable and it makes me hypersensitize me towards depression, anxiety and other disorders that influence my Core.

And both parts – the shaping of my system and the speculating play on the playground of Cosmic Horror – are very good ways to work on my Core and keep me in Recovery.

Implications of how to incorporate both parts to deal with my Core will find expression in Solo Journaling RPG, short story fiction, self coaching (more on that in combination with Philosophical Horror in a later post) and habit building.

Until next time: Keep up the faith in yourself and take one step at a time.