Tag: master of the key

The Key: A True Encounter by Whitley Strieber

The Key: A True Encounter by Whitley Strieber

Originally Reviewed on April 12, 2015

I enjoyed this book not necessarily for its message but because it’s a stunning example of a clear communication from a mysterious source of non-human/non-physical intelligence. It’s not a huge surprise to me that Strieber was able to make such a connection as he details his daily transcendental meditation practice and has previous experiences with the worlds and beings beyond the everyday waking world. (For an example, see his story in this book about meeting the small, withered old man or one of his numerous other non-fiction works.)

If you pick up this book, you’re either going to believe what Strieber has to say or dismiss the information- there’s not a lot of wiggle room. Let’s continue this review with the assumption that you, like me, believe Strieber saw and heard something or someone, received a message, and wrote it down. If you don’t believe that basic assumption, then this review is going to be a waste of your time. I’d suggest moving on to the next one. Peace.

Now, I believe that there are all manner of spirits that inhabit the unseen world. Like the “Master of the Key” described in Strieber’s midnight conversation, I believe there are forces that allow things to thrive and forces that deny this. I think the way to decide which force is what is to examine how the communication makes us feel and the actions that we feel compelled to take after the encounter.

What was the ultimate impact of the “Master’s” words for you, the reader? I felt fear- deep, bone-chilling fear.

First of all, I felt fear for the being’s assertion that the Earth is going to be destroyed in a climate related disaster that no one can stop now because we ruined the atmosphere. That not only affects me, but my children’s children’s children. There are always steps we can take to make the world, and the future, a better and brighter place. I will not give up this agency to anyone, despite what hidden knowledge they may profess to have.

Second, I felt fear for his idea that none of the major world religions (Christianity, Buddhism, Islam) reveal the full truth of conscious evolution, which, in one fell swoop, denied the inner truths for a majority of the people on this planet today. And, the quietly implied addendum to this revelation, that none of the major religions know the truth, BUT I DO- this mysterious guy who shows up in the middle of the night, dumps all of this in Strieber’s lap, then makes him drink a concoction to have him forget everything that he didn’t write down. This doesn’t feel like a benevolent act to me. It feels like a play to make Strieber feel afraid, directionless, and unwilling to seek out help from anyone from a major religion, which is a lot of people and shuts a lot of potential open doors.

Third, I felt fear for this mysterious being’s assertion that the world will be lost because of a child who was never born because of the Holocaust. What sort of creature/being/visitor would know the full extent of the evil caused by one of the worst atrocities in human history, save that knowledge until fifty years after the fact, and tell it to someone who, by his own admission, doesn’t have the power to do anything about it? Fiendishly clever, no?

And, again, this third bit of information seeks to remove Strieber’s, and any reader’s, feelings of hope for the future. I reject the idea that nothing can be done about future events. Everyone exists in the Now moment, which is quite a powerful place to be. It is here that we can change the world, not by ruminating on past horrors and the terrible fallout from them. I will not abandon hope. A dream of mine is that others will not give up also.

I find it interesting that the “Master of the Key” in the book planted enough prophetic tidbits in his fear-filled message to impress Strieber with a feeling of truth from the communication like with the gas-holding memory idea for machines. But, for me, the nature of the messenger himself is clear, given the underlying effect that almost everything the visitor had to say was to sow fear, create a feeling of impotence or divisiveness, and to manufacture a driving need to consciously evolve now, now, NOW in this brand new way or everybody’s going to die and be chained to a dying planet forever until the end of time.

Let’s go back to our existential questions again for a moment: what sort of being wants people to feel afraid, separate from the source of your being, feeling like you have forgotten important knowledge that is required to save your soul that only the mysterious being knows? What sort of being would counsel a soul to not go into the light because that isn’t God, it’s oblivion?

When Strieber asks this being his name, the reply was something like “You could call me, Michael. Or, you could call me, Legion. I would be honored to be called human.” This was a red flag for me. “Who’s in there with you, Legion?” would have been my next question to the being.

I think what Strieber experienced was real. I think that it was a cleverly packaged hodgepodge of truths, possible futures, and small twists of religious dogma designed to make Strieber doubt everything, even his own inner guidance. Strieber himself said that, after everything that had happened, what he most wanted was to talk to this being again. If I was in his shoes, I’d feel the exact same way. There are quite a few things that could use clarification. The first of which, in my mind, is why does this being instill such a feeling of fear in those he communicates with? Is that really necessary to get his message across or is it some kind of unfortunate side effect of the type of energy the being is emitting?

Despite my thoughts on the true nature of the “Master of the Key,” if you liked The Key and were able to distill some truths that rang true for you from all of the fear-mongering, you might like troubling predictions of Heaven is Real But So is Hell by Vassula Ryden. I got the same kind of vibe from her book. I feel like there may be truths there to be found but the large part of the message felt devoted to making the recipients of that message just quake in fear. Proceed cautiously.

Thanks for reading!