Origins of the word Lateralus

[Mantra]

For quite a while I have been wondering what the word LAteralus is actually supposed to mean; it does not appear in WEbster's Dictionary, but obviously plays a major role in deciphering the over all message of the album, and song. While discussing this topic with my sister, she informed me of a muscle in the thigh called the Vastus Lateralis. Lateral in anatomy terms means away from the the middle line of the body while medial means on the midline of the body. This may play some role in the symbolism behing the word. Another important thing to note is that it is a leg muscle, what do our legs do? They carry us through life, controling where we end up. Further more, the word Lateral by itself usually refers to something linear.As for the us at the end I am not sure, possibly just a way to make it harder to find out what it means, but not likely. Whether Tool had the Vastus Lateralis in mind or not when they thought up the word lateralus I am not sure, but if they did it does fit with the overall theme of the album: Alex Grey's signature fascination with anatomy in the album art, the idea of looking at one's inner self while at the same time moving on to try new things in life as described in the song Lateralus, etc. I would love to hear other's thoughts on the subject.

PS. below is a pic of the Vastus Lateralis, it is number 2.
http://www.exrx.net/Graphics/QuadricepsAnterior.gif

[WizardOfGauze]

I first saw the word "lateralus," or close to lateralus, on an anatomy poster a couple of years ago at the gym I go to. it was vastus lateralis (not too informed on latin, lateral just meaning 'sideward direction, to the side, or as you said linear.') but today I noticed that the word 'lateralus' could have been formed from other words or prefixes of another language or languages, each one to say something about each member. The Lateralus logo IS
"la te ra lus." each letter lowercased. I don't know if maybe there's some kind of coding in this. I've been looking into it a little bit, mostly about how the words 'vastus lateralis' are derived and how they translate..but the internet is the most cluttered and unreliable source of information, and all the libraries in a 2 hour drive distance here suck so I gotta find a good one in NYC or the rich towns out east on L.I. i'll be in touch. The leg muscle thing has to have some kind of role. Not the entire thigh, just that strip of muscle. Medical textbooks might help. i'm looking for mine. (I feel like a very very nerdy honor student). dig around and you'll most likely find bits and pieces at a time.

[nina]

just thought i would chirp up with my probably useless ideas. i read in the faq that it was a leg muscle but before i read this i thought it had something to do with lateral thinking...lateral us...we think laterally?...we are lateral?...i dunno i guess its a combination, like anima + enema = ænima/ænema. maybe there is some action that specifically requires the vastus lateralis? ...i think that the splitting up of lateralus into la te ra lus is significant in some way but i am fully prepared for the possibility that my thoughts = shit :)
but then that is also what i find great about tool, all the maybes and what ifs and 'haha made you look!' hehe ok i am silly, ignore me.

[Meat Flavour]

I believe Danny mentioned that the song and album has some connection to the muscle, most notabley how without the muscle, it would be physicly impossible to stand.

[George Bush Sr.]

in the History of Freemasonry one of the symbolic pillars of masonry is called Laterus which had the mysteries of science written on it. correct me if i'm wrong

[Paraguay]

I looked in the index of my copy of Henry Gray's "Anatomy" (beautiful book, not to mention big) and found something called the 'laterlis nasi'. Here is the info I found out about it.

The Lateralis Nasi, Fig. 191-'The Arteries Of Tne Face And Scalp'.

"The Lateralis Nasi is derived from the facial, as the vessel is descending along the side of the nose; it supplies the alu and dorsum of the nose, anastomosing with it's fellow, the nasal branch of the ophthalmic, the artery of the septum, and the infra-orbital."

Interestingly, Fig 191 bears more than a slight resemblance to the 'Layered Man's' head in the booklet. I looked further and on pg.3 (the one with the circle of eyes) you can see the Lateralis Nasi. It is the thick, red artery directly above the nostril.

[CCD]

"You need to be open-minded, flexible and creative in your questioning and able to put lots of different clues and pieces of information together. Once you reach a viable solution you keep going in order to refine it or replace it with a better solution. This is lateral thinking!" -- Paul Sloane, http://einstein.et.tudelft.nl/~arlet/puzzles/lateral.html

Here is an article on lateral gene transfer: http://www.sciencenews.org/20000722/bob2.asp

I think the boys are trying to get us to think in new ways and not carry assumptions into situations. Not only is there more than one solution to a problem, there is more than one definition of Lateralus. Be open minded.

[porcelain anima]

just in case it matters i heard that there was a mistake on the cd and it was actually supposed to be lateralUS... or lateral us or somthing like that bassically it looked like it was sepparated i dont actually remember where i heard that so it could just be some made up thing but interesting none the less

[4nick8]

I have a theory of my own about where the name "lateralus" came from, and it isn't a leg muscle.

I happened upon the muscle "lateral rectus", which is defined directly as "n : the ocular muscle whose contraction turns the eyeball outward"

This made sense to me, as maynard is all about lateral thinking, and I will not likely have to explore the allusions to being able to look inside yourself. I will leave all the thinking and discovery up to you.

Even more compelling, the greek name of this muscle is "Rectus Lateralis". This evidence, coupled with the proliferation of eyeball art (the CD itself is covered on the outer edge with them) makes it almost obvious once everything is put into place.

Whether Maynard chose to remove the "rect" from "rectus" and combine the two words, or change the "I" in "lateralis" to a "U" could be argued either way, both with persuasive results.

I held this theory for quite some time before I had read maynard's own quote on the subject (which I found in the "FAQ" on this site, section J) "Lateralus itself is actually a muscle and although the title does have something to do with the muscle, it's more about lateral thinking and how the only way to really evolve as an artist -- or as a human, I think -- is to start trying to think outside of the lines and push your boundaries. Kind of take yourself where you haven't been and put yourself in different shoes; all of those cliches."

Thoughts?

[Paraguay]

Yes,
I did know about the spelling mistake.
Just adding my two "cents", ahem.

[paraflux]

Danny said in an interview here on this website that he focused a lot more on "getting his ego out of the way," or moving it aside, which would be laterally. A Lateral Us might refer to all of the members (or all of the listeners as well) to do the same thing, crucify the ego before its far too late. That is why I think Lateralus is so special, they merely relect the light through themselves, eliminating four individual egos and allowing another presence to appear on the album, the superpresence, the source of light.

[OpiAtE_666]

4nick8, that's a really cool, original theory. I would probably dismiss it as a coincidence, if it weren't for all the "eye" art all over the CD, the packaging, and the outer sleeve. Tool has been obsessed with the eye as a kind of symbolism ever since Aenima and the fact that there's a muscle called the LATERALis rectUS is almost too much to ignore.

BTW: I do think the most prominent message they are meaning to communicate is to think laterally, think outside the box. It goes right back to think for yourself, question authority.

[George Bush Sr.]

I'm here to announce that I'm running for president in 2004.
Read my lips "New World Order"

[OpiAtE_666]

George, I don't think your son needs any help fucking up the world. He's doing a pretty good job on his own.

[Scobularni]

But there are many, many muscles and bones in the body wih "lateral" in their names. You could say it about any of them, for example the "Lateral Epicondylitis".

I personally see more logic in the "lateral" thinking theory, but who knows.

[stillclover]

Originally posted by porcelain anima
just in case it matters i heard that there was a mistake on the cd and it was actually supposed to be lateralUS... or lateral us
the first run of the lateralus album had track nine listed as lateralis, which is where the misprint was. lateralus was the intented spelling.

[Metatron's Cube]

Originally posted by Scobularni
But there are many, many muscles and bones in the body wih "lateral" in their names. You could say it about any of them, for example the "Lateral Epicondylitis".

I personally see more logic in the "lateral" thinking theory, but who knows.

Lateral is an anatomic term meainging "to the side" or away from the midline. For example, your shoulder is lateral to your neck.

[Sora]

I personally think hat everyone is overlooking the "la te ra lus" aspect of the album. I'm clueless as to what this means, but it must have some importance.

[floormatt]

Hmm, well, there could be several meanings to the word lateralus. One I heard was that it is some muscle that helps humans stand up, and another thing I heardwas that it is supposed to mean "Lateral Us" which means in a straight line. The songs are put in Lateral order (again talking about the 13-spiral) so you can listen to them in a line, going laterally acroos the spiral instead of going around it. that is what i think the title means.