Matrixism

Matrixism, or The Path of the One, is a purported religion inspired by Lana & Lilly Wachowski's The Matrix film series.^[1][2][3][4] Conceived by an anonymous group in the summer of 2004,^[5][6] it claimed to have attracted 300 members by May 2005,^[2] and the religion's Geocities website claimed "over sixteen hundred members". There was some debate about whether followers of Matrixism are indeed serious about their practice;^[6][7][8] however, the religion (real or otherwise) received some attention in the media.^[9][10][11]

A "赤", the kanji figure for red, the symbol of Matrixism.

History

Matrixism, also referred to as "The path of the One," was primarily introduced in 2004. A website on Yahoo GeoCities created by an anonymous source provided the basis for the religion. Matrixism is inspired by the Matrix trilogy and its associated stories (including The Animatrix).^[7] However, these stories are not the sole foundation. The ideals of Matrixism can be traced back to the early 20th century to The Promulgation of Universal Peace, the record of talks by `Abdu'l-Bahá during his journeys to the West in the United States.^[5][12][13] Nor is this the first time a book of his inspired a religious community to form.^[14]

Tenets

Matrixism carried with it five main beliefs that are described as "The Four Tenets of Matrixism". Briefly these were: belief in a messianic prophecy, use of psychedelic drugs as sacrament, a perception of reality as multi-layered and semi-subjective, and adherence to the principles of at least one of the world's major religions.^[8] The Matrixism website singles out April 19 as a holiday – otherwise known as Bicycle Day – marks the anniversary of Albert Hofmann's 1943 experiment with LSD.^[15]

Symbology

The adopted symbol for Matrixism was the Japanese kanji symbol for "red". This symbol was used in the video game Enter the Matrix. The color is a reference to the red pill, which represented an acceptance of and ability to see truth, as established early in the first Matrix film.^[16]

See also

• New religious movements
• Parody religion
• Religion and the Internet
• Religious satire

References

1. Bouma, Gary (2007). Australian Soul, Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0521673891
2. Morris, Linda (May 19, 2005). "They're all God Movies". NPR. Retrieved 2006-08-05.
3. Moscaritolo, Maria (12 June 2006). "Matter of faith". News Limited Australia. Retrieved 2007-04-24.
4. J. Gordon Melton (2007). "Perspective New New Religions: Revisiting a Concept". Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions. 10 (4). The Regents of the University of California: 103–112. doi:10.1525/nr.2007.10.4.103. ISSN 1092-6690. Archived from the original on 2012-02-09. Retrieved 2012-10-15.
5. Possamai, Adam (2005). "Religion and Popular Culture: A Hyper-Real Testament", Peter Lang Publishing Group. ISBN 90-5201-272-5 / US-ISBN 0-8204-6634-4 pb.
6. Jordison, Sam (April 8, 2006). "Everything you always wanted to know about sects". The Scotsman. Retrieved 2007-05-04.
7. Johnson, Phil (April 10, 2005). "Matrixism". Circle of Pneuma. Retrieved 2007-04-02.
8. Jordison, Sam (2005). The Joy of Sects: An A–Z of Cults, Cranks and Religious Eccentrics: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sects But Were Afraid to Ask, pp 127–9, Robson Books. ISBN 1861059051
9. Kazan, Casey (19 April 2007). "Matrixism -"The Path of the One" Religious Movement". Daily Planet. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-03.
10. "Nieuw geloof". Esquire Magazine Netherlands. 24 May 2007. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-14. English translation: Because there is nothing more fun than discussing a film, 1400 fans of the film have set up a new religion, Matrixism (not to be confused with Marxism). Just like their hero Neo from The Matrix, they release themselves from The Matrix with a red pill.
11. "Matrixism – "The Path of the One"". Esquire Magazine UK. Zinio. January 19, 2007. The 1,400 worldwide "Matrixists", or "Pathists", cite the three Matrix films as their religious texts. Like Matrix hero Neo, they choose to free themselves from the Matrix
12. Kohn, Rachael. The Spirit of Things, Australian Broadcasting Corporation Radio National, August 20, 2006.
13. Whibley, Amanda (18 November 2005). "God.com: Preaching the Word in a consumer-driven world". University of Western Sydney. Archived from the original on 28 December 2005. Retrieved 2007-03-24.
14. Lee, Anthony (November 1997). Cole, Juan R.I.; Maneck, Susan (eds.). "The Bahá'í Church of Calabar, West Africa: The Problem of Levels in Religious History". Occasional Papers in Shaykhi, Babi and Baha'i Studies. 1 (6). Retrieved September 19, 2014.
15. Hofmann, Albert (1980). "From Remedy to Inebriant". LSD: My Problem Child. New York: McGraw-Hill. p. 29. ISBN 978-0070293250. Archived from the original on 2008-03-02. Retrieved 2012-10-15.
16. The Wachowskis (1999). The Matrix (DVD). Warner Bros.

External links

• Website archive
• Geocities archive