Lateralus and Lazarus

[LuridSilence]

Alright...I've read through endless opinions on this song...and I've read some that get so close, and don't quite make this connection. Perhaps they have, and I just haven't come across it...in which case, all of this may seem fragmented and redundant...

I'm not well versed on biblical stories...so I won't make a strong attempt to delve into this one...but I HAD to throw the idea out there because it's been irking me...

So many people have tried to focus on the literal meaning of lateralus...or lateral...just like parabol and parabola. However, I believe that they played around with the words, and connected the mathmatical meanings to fit with their biblical reference...which isn't a new idea at all...but perhaps throwing Lazarus into the mix will make it more interesting

Yes, all of the songs can deal with relationships...but the deeper significance is in the several biblical references...

Schism...Parable...Lazarus...the patient (waiting for Jesus?) and even the cover of the album...and many more i'm not aware of.

I believe, that Tool were purposely connecting the themes of Mathmatics and God...proposing that the RELATIONSHIP between these two ideas can co-exist...despite their seemingly sharp conflictions...

There was quite a lot more...but, I'm hoping that the rest of you can pick up where I've left off...i'm eager to hear what other people think of this...Also, hopefully someone can educate me further into the story of Lazarus to shed more light on this theory...(?) That's all...

[dissociation]

it sucks i can't remember the painting's name or artist, but there was a painting at a museum here that was of, what appeared to be i believe, the virgin mary. the interesting thing was that her hand was held up in the exact same position (almost identical) to that of the man on the lateralus cover. so make your connections.

[ShackledEidolon]

Elsewhere on the opinions forum we have been talking about methods for enlightenment and perhaps ways of representing higher states in a lower state. It has become a sort of general belief that mathmatics is what we can use for this. indeed we can represent (my math isnt very good but i think) 11 diminsions. So it only makes sense that there would be more parallels to this concept in the album.

Check out (i think its) Connections in everyday life... on the 46&2 forum for more on this concept.

[TheHollow]

Originally posted by LuridSilence
I believe, that Tool were purposely connecting the themes of Mathmatics and God...proposing that the RELATIONSHIP between these two ideas can co-exist...despite their seemingly sharp conflictions...


Makes sense. In mathematical comparing to religious terms:

0=passive, spiritual, divine, yin
1=active, carnal, human, yang

the whole world can be explained by fluxuations between 0 and 1, just like the relationship between yin and yang chi.

[mychincanhurtu]

The story of Lazarus is basically this:

Lazarus was a leeper (A severe and deadly disease that is talked about in the bible) that was brought back from the dead by Jesus. There is more to the story, and if you want to investigate on your own, check the book of John, Chapter 11.

There is another mention of Lazarus in Luke 16, verses 19-31. I am not sure if it was Lazarus was sent to hell, or some one else, but the bare bones version of the story was that this person was looking up to heaven after they had been sent to hell. This might have some relation to the line " As below, so above and beyond, I imagine." Again, I encourage those who are curious to investigate.

Kyle