It seems there are many tales and stories of ‘The Other Side’, speculations and ideas, fact and fiction often intermingled so that you aren’t quite sure whether it was memory, a dream, a film you saw once or just an idea that never solidified. However, there are many accounts of personal experiences where people have crossed over, have been privy to that alternate world for a brief time before returning to what we know as the conscious and physical realm.

Nightmare before Christmas – each tree has its own symbol, to represent the world to which the Portal leads to. I guess because Jack is already dead, he is crossing over into the ‘real world’.

Twin peaks – the trees being a type of gateway also. See article Gateway Trees. There was much to unpick in this series, and lots of connections between two worlds where sometimes you weren’t sure which was which.

Coraline – the little door to the ‘other parents’, where there were ghost children and sinister revelations. But initially the access to that ‘other world’ was sleeping, being able to slip through the doors of the subconscious, not having to be dead or crossed over.

The Others – the film about the family that don’t realise they are the ones who are the others, being on that other side thinking they in the physical reality. And just like in that film, could it be that hauntings and instances where it appears that something has lingered, is because it has. Remaining between worlds, perhaps by choice, of perhaps trapped by mentality, fear or confusion.

Beetlejuice – where drawing a door gains you access to the other side; despite the fact they are supposed to already be on that other side because they are dead. But it could be tied to the rules and the time they must spend in the house, 100 years or so.

POTC – Davy Jones and his locker, do you fear death? If so, you can delay the final crossing, instead giving 100 years of indebted servitude, while caught somewhere in between where you were and where you are meant to go.

Where again Time is apportioned to something that apparently has none, also discussed in Here and There.

All of the above references also denote a rather sinister and dark side to it, not at all like the actual real-life tales of caught between, or seeing what is waiting on that other side. And that could just simply be fear creating a fearful landscape for it, the unknown and our imagination running away with itself. Having been given the gift and curse of time, it seems maybe we are not as constructive with it as we could be, or using our imaginings for good effect rather than for destructive purposes. But the idea that there is something else, something after, or beyond what we know as this lifetime, is a fascinating concept, and one I shall definitely be giving more thought to.

(c) MKW Publishing