Dogra Magra (38/47)

by Hisashi Yumeno

"Thinking about the raison d'être of this picture scroll..."

"That's right. If you carefully compare the paintings in that scroll with the facts recorded in its origin story, the fundamental significance of this scroll becomes questionable. In other words, this scroll could achieve its purpose of admonishing the emperor simply by depicting six images. To make one realize how fleeting and impermanent a woman's physical beauty is, these six decaying images of beautiful women are sufficient. The evidence is right before your eyes. You must have shuddered just by glancing at it, didn't you?"

"...That... yes, that's true..."

"Isn't it? If one more painting of a skeleton were added after the sixth figure, which looks like dried goods, then this scroll could be considered complete. If one were to write words of admonition and tales of hardship in the remaining white space, present it, and then commit suicide, it would have been more than enough, indeed, abundantly effective in swaying the heart of a weak-willed cultural emperor. Yet, why did he not quietly wait for her remains to turn into a skeleton, but instead continued to seek unnecessary new sacrifices...? Why was it passed down to later generations incomplete, serving as a terrifying psychological genetic suggestion to curse the Wu family...? Why did it create the karma and destiny that makes it treasured as material for our academic research today, one thousand one hundred years later...?"

I involuntarily sighed. Captivated by the strange mood emanating from Dr. Masaki's words, I felt a somewhat mad and mysterious doubt swelling in my heart...

"Isn't it strange? It seems like a small problem, but it's actually quite a significant one. The more you think about this problem, the more incomprehensible it will become. Hahahahaha. That's why I say, to solve this problem, we must go back and observe the initial psychological elements that led Wu Qingxiu to create this scroll. We must dissect Wu Qingxiu's psychological state at that time and find the root cause of this contradiction... Moreover, it is by no means a difficult problem."

"..............."

"In other words, if you first peel back the superficial layer of consciousness, the 'idea of loyalty to the sovereign and patriotism,' which enveloped Wu Qing-xiu's psychological elements at that time, what first emerges from beneath it is a burning desire for honor. Next comes a scorching desire for art... and at its very bottom, there is a desire for love, combined with sexual desire, that has surpassed its boiling point. These four desires were thoroughly solidified into one, emitting a superhuman heat. Ultimately, it becomes clear that the true nature of Wu Qing-xiu's splendid spirit of loyalty to the sovereign and patriotism was, in fact, nothing more than a very base, profound, and perverted mass of sexual desire."

I involuntarily stroked my nose with my handkerchief. It felt as if my own psyche was being dissected...

“To explain this concretely, it must have been like this: Wu Qingxiu saw how Li Taibai became a great poet of the world by flattering Emperor Xuanzong’s debauchery and splendor with his poetry, and receiving his imperial favor. Wu Qingxiu then thought, ‘Alright, then I will take the exact opposite path and leave my name.’ He tried to draw an unprecedented grotesque painting with his own brushwork to astonish the world and future generations… This is the most heightened desire for fame, common among young, talented artists. Furthermore, Wu Qingxiu, infatuated with his own masculinity and the fame befitting a genius, and ecstatic with the early marital bliss of having his heart and soul devoted to him by his new wife, who loved him sincerely, had exhausted every way of loving and being loved within just a few months. His desire had escalated to the point where, unless he abused his beautiful lover in an extremely cruel manner, he could not seek any further thrill. This is the supernatural lust, combined with sexual desire, that is common among talented youths, especially intellectually brilliant artists… And one more thing: the ultimate point of aesthetic appreciation lies in destroying it. It lies in exposing the ugly content to its depths and observing it coldly… This artistic desire, along with these four desires, created an incandescent focal point and converged within this plan. Moreover, Wu Qingxiu had mistaken these intense desires for desires of pure loyalty and sincerity, but what succinctly explains the hidden side of Wu Qingxiu’s psychological state is, after all, the painting in this picture scroll—the figure of the decaying beauty.”

Before my eyes, the phantom of the first dead beauty almost reappeared. Involuntarily, I rubbed my eyes with both hands, lowered my gaze to the picture scroll at the tip of my nose, and stared intently at one of the golden Tang lions shining within the mounting. It won't come out… I thought, even as I did…

As Wu Qingxiu continued to meticulously depict the dying beauty, he began to feel an indescribable pleasure. His brushwork, from beginning to end, was exquisitely sharp. The figure of the beauty, expressing the ultimate natural beauty of the human body and the transparent harmony of color and form, gradually lost its brightness, undergoing a dim and eerie transformation, as if following a terrifying fate. He perceived the demise of infinite beauty within this change, quietly transferring it onto paper. This sentiment was incomparably deeper than the reflections of a historian recording the decline of a nation.

Wu Qingxiu must have poured all his loyalty, honor, love, and sexual desire into a state of selfless absorption, imbuing his brush with this pleasure and aesthetic sense, savoring it tirelessly. Eventually, when he saw the remains so decayed that they could only become white bones, he resolutely threw down his brush. A fervent desire to experience this pleasure again trembled through his entire body.

However, deep within Wu Qingxiu's heart, sexual desire, accumulated by a long life of abstinence, continued to give him intensely painful stimulation. This stimulation, refracted and distorted by his exhausted nerves, swirled throughout Wu Qingxiu's entire body. In every single one of his cells, the perverted habits of twisted sexual desire and piercing memories were etched to the point of bursting.

Dr. Masaki's voice paused for a moment here.

I was vaguely staring at the lion embroidery in front of me, due to eye fatigue. My attention was drawn to the single grass-green color that stood out amidst the blurred colors, and I listened intently.

"Thus, Wu Qing-xiu, who had transcended loyalty to his lord, patriotism, honor, art, and conjugal love, encountered his sister-in-law, Fen, who was also trapped by perverted sexual desires, in his returned home, and received a beautiful shoulder throw. Then, he was instantly liberated from that intense stimulation, and his consciousness vanished. He died, carrying the sexual desires that had become habitual over a long time, and the terrifying memories intertwined with them. And his lineage, through successive rebirths and deaths, found an opportunity to awaken again in Wu Yi-lang. The psychological heredity latent in every cell of Wu Yi-lang vividly reawakened the perverted sexual desires and related memories repeatedly experienced by his ancestors, through the six statues of beautiful dead women. In other words, Wu Yi-lang possessed the form of Wu Qing-xiu."

"..............."

"Before the stimulation of this profound and intense perverted sexual desire, Wu Yi-lang's own memories and consciousness became as worthless as a shadow. In place of the modern reason and conscience that had governed him until then, the unrestrained desires of a genius youth from a thousand years ago took over. And within those memories, only the beautiful figure of Moyoko emerged vividly."

"..............."

"The perverted ghost of Wu Qing-xiu, who appeared a thousand years later, began to act recklessly, using the judgment, memory, and habits of a modern youth. After leaving the quarry on the beach, he must have rushed home and discussed something with Moyoko. It was probably about unlatching the main house's storm shutters from the inside, and preparing the kura's key and candles. Then, Wu Ichiro waited for the whole house to quiet down, snuck into the main house, and quietly woke Moyoko. Of course, Moyoko seemed not to have known the true meaning of the groom's request until this point. Wu Ichiro also probably deliberately did not tell her the truth until the critical moment, and pressured her forcefully. It can be inferred from Tokura Sengoro's story that Moyoko, unaware of the terrifying plan, simply interpreted it in an ordinary sense and hesitated, feeling extremely embarrassed. However, Moyoko, with her gentle nature, eventually followed the groom's command. Wu Ichiro led her up to the second floor of the kura, relying on the candlelight. This is the sequence of events. Now, please open the investigation record regarding that scene."

"..............."

"...Yes, that's exactly right. The record must state that candle wax dripped from downstairs. In front of the light of that hundred-momme candle, Moyoko, facing the groom, was confronted with that picture scroll for the first time. She must have received an ardent request to die to complete that picture scroll. Moreover, when she saw that picture, before her eyes was the decaying figure of a naked girl who looked exactly like her, which must have been unbearable. Her insides must have trembled to the core, she must have fainted, and then fallen into a state of suspended animation... This fact is indicated in that investigation record by phrases such as 'no signs of resistance or agony' and 'strangulation after loss of consciousness,' isn't it?"

"...Furthermore, considering the fact that Moyoko later, albeit not very deeply, depicted the psychological genetics of the twin sisters Hana Kiyomiya-ri, ancestors sharing the same surname as herself, in Room No. 6, it is imaginable that the moment she fell into a state of suspended animation was precisely the moment when the masochistic perverted psychological desires and memories Moyoko inherited from her ancestors, the sisters Mayumi and Kaori, were awakened as if directly by the gestures of the psychological genetics of Wu Qingshou from a thousand years ago, which Wu Yilong depicted on the second floor of the storehouse."

"..............."

“...However, it might seem strange to say this, but there are many ancient records and legends of cases where a state of suspended animation, unconsciousness, or coma accompanied the onset and cessation of psychogenetic seizures. From the perspective of specialized research in this field, it is not strange at all. In the past, this was called 'divine possession,' 'divine energy,' or 'divine ascension,' and in severe cases, the period was so long that there are not uncommon records of people who were thought to have truly died and were buried, only to revive under the grave. The story of Watari no Mou, an Ise priest who is the protagonist of the Noh play 'Utazura,' suffering in the earth for three days and emerging with white hair, is one of the most famous such legends. Explaining this scientifically, it's like the moment of darkness that occurs when an electrical switch is flipped from one side to the other. Of course, the duration varies depending on the strength of the emotional change, the individual's constitution, and personality, but normally, there is a collapse similar to a sudden shock, followed by a cessation of all bodily functions. After breathing returns, the person's behavior becomes completely different... that is, the somnambulistic seizure of psychogenesis begins. Also, people who have experienced such seizures can return to their senses after passing through the same state of darkness. In cases like the fox possession mentioned earlier, the degree of the somnambulistic seizure is relatively shallow, so the time spent in an unconscious state is usually short. ...Furthermore, I believe Wakabayashi has thoroughly researched the nutritional effects and metabolism during this suspended animation based on the model of Wu Moyoko, and while I could somewhat recount what others have said, it is not directly necessary for this story, so I will omit it. In any case, the direct cause of Wu Moyoko falling into a state of suspended animation was the suggestion from Wu Ichiro's somnambulism,which is an inference subtly indicated in Wakabayashi's investigation documents, and I cannot help but agree wholeheartedly.”

“……………”

“Also, this is my personal speculation, but it seems that in the traditional Wu family, there is no record of any story about a woman, like Moyoko, who exhibited psychological heredity from female ancestors like Dai or Fen. Furthermore, neither Shōkū, the monk who guarded this picture scroll and kept it hidden from others, nor Kōtei, the restorer of the Wu family, seems to have paid any attention to this point. This is because it was clear that the suggestion of perverted psychology shown in this picture scroll was effective only for men, and it was completely unimaginable that the psychological hereditary attacks of men stimulated by it would affect the psychological heredity of the women they were with. ...However, this time the situation is completely different. They are not strangers to each other. Shall I call it a once-in-a-millennium opportunity, or perhaps a miracle among miracles? Because Moyoko's appearance was exactly like that of the protagonist in the picture scroll, Wu Ichirō's psychological heredity came to be dominated by an almost perfectly complete suggestion, unprecedented until now. Therefore, it is thought that by continuously expressing every single word, every single action, down to the most minute details, in a manner identical to Wu Qingshou's actions at that time, Moyoko's psychological heredity was inadvertently triggered. This is an imagined coincidence of facts that is too bizarre, but it is not entirely imagination. It can be said with considerable basis. ...This is because, as the investigative report proves, if Wu Ichirō deliberately strangled Moyoko's neck with a Western towel while she was lying as if dead, it becomes clear that this perverted sexual desire was not merely for the purpose of killing a woman. It can be considered that he did such an unnecessary thing out of a desire to experience the peculiar pleasure of strangling a woman's neck, even if she was already dead. ......What do you think? If a man's perverted sexual desire from a thousand years ago has been transmitted so accurately down to such minute details, isn't it truly interesting research material?”

“……………”

「...Well, once this seizure ended, Go Ichiro waited for the corpse to rot, intending to use it as a model. When his aunt, Yashiroko, peered through the window of the storehouse, Go Ichiro calmly turned around and said, 'It will rot soon.' This statement, to us, contains a contradiction of time and space spanning a thousand years... a thousand ri, but for him, Go Ichiro himself, both were present, right before his eyes. The fact that his purpose in strangling Moyoko was solely for the satisfaction of the supernatural psyche of his distant ancestor, Go Seishu, from ancient times, can be seen from the autopsy results of Moyoko's corpse, which showed no signs of sexual intercourse..."

The astonishing explanation, which had continued without a break, finally ended, and I took a long, deep breath and looked up. Dr. Masaki was indeed a great psychiatrist. While regaining the respect I had initially felt, I also felt a sense of relief. However, I noticed that my entire body felt somewhat cold and I was sweating.

I asked again, feeling relieved, "But... will Go Ichiro's mind... recover?"

“Go Ichiro’s mind, you ask? Yes, it will recover... I am confident.”

Having declared that, Dr. Masaki smirked with an ironic expression and directed a dark gaze straight at my face, as if seeing right through me.

“I believe Go Ichiro’s mind will recover at the same time as yours.”

I was startled, once again receiving the suggestion that Go Ichiro and I were the same person. Furthermore, Dr. Masaki's words that the illnesses of our two minds would follow exactly the same course and recover filled me with an unspeakable eeriness. Nevertheless, I casually wiped my face with a handkerchief and asked again.

“But it will be quite difficult, won’t it?”

"There's no reason. If the cause and progression of the illness are as clear from a psychopathological perspective as I've described, then the treatment method will also become clear. Especially if a mental abnormality with a clear cause, like Oh Il-rang's, cannot be cured, then my psychopathology is mere armchair theory."

"So... what method will you use to treat him?"

"Hmm. I will treat him by flexibly using the medicine of appropriate suggestion. And it's not something unscientific like taboos or prayers. In other words, as I've been saying, Oh Il-rang's nerves weren't driven mad by physical ailments like syphilis or tuberculosis. He went mad purely through mental suggestion. After Oh Il-rang saw this picture scroll, he lost all sense of time and space, of himself and Oh Cheong-su, of China and Japan, and came to live solely with the stimulation of intense and profound first-class Chinese perverted sexuality, and the illusions, hallucinations, and perverted ideas associated with it. And that perverted sexuality also changed in the exact same order that Oh Cheong-su followed a thousand years ago, eventually becoming nothing more than the simple and straightforward desire to 'see a woman's corpse,' which became discernible from his somnambulistic state during treatment. Oh Il-rang's hereditary homicidal delusion, precocious dementia, perverted sexuality... that is, through the eyes of Oh Cheong-su's vengeful spirit from a thousand years ago, it seemed as if female corpses were hidden beneath the earth all over the world. That's why he wanted a hoe when he saw the earth. And once he got a hoe, he began to frantically dig up the earth every day."

Thus, the ghost of perverted sexual desire, transcending time and space, as I mentioned earlier, gradually became exhausted from continuing its aimless labor day after day. The hormones that stimulate human sexual desire, commonly known as "vitality," are endocrine stimulating fluids that are consumed by intense labor. He gradually stopped feeling the stimulation of sexual desire and fell into a miserable state of panting and moving the hoe, drawn by the hallucinations of female corpses that floated like inertia at the tips of his exhausted nerves. Thanks to the fading of the vengeful spirit of perverted sexual desire, which had previously overwhelmed all mental processes, from beneath it... Oh, how painful. Why must I continue such arduous labor?... Such consciousness, close to sanity, gradually began to emerge. He would occasionally rest his hoe, look around vaguely, and then return to work as if remembering. Seizing that timing, I went out and, combining the power of his exhausted consciousness with my rational consciousness, asked, "When was that woman's corpse buried in the ground?" Then, he became unsure. In other words, the concept of "time," which he had completely forgotten until now, began to reflexively revive with the suggestive power of the word "when." Along with that, the spatial concept of "Where on earth am I?" also began to stir, and he started looking around strangely. At the same time, the self-consciousness of "Something is wrong. What have I been doing until now?" also began to raise its head, and he felt a somehow mysterious and lonely feeling. He sadly bowed his head, powerlessly dropped the hoe he had cherished until now, and retreated to his room... This is what is written in this will.It is a description of the treatment process for Wu Ichiro, who is currently undergoing treatment. The "liberation therapy for the insane" is nothing more than a name given to a treatment method that involves observing the psychological state manifested in the patient's free actions, discerning the course of the illness, and providing appropriate suggestions while treating them.

Of course, attempting such a treatment method requires considerable knowledge. At the very least, it cannot be done with a low-level mind that, as has been done until now, assigns arbitrary diagnoses, applies superficial surgical or internal medicine therapies, or, when those fail, resorts to primitive measures such as tying up or confining patients. The correct treatment for mental illness that should be practiced in the future world is not such an ambiguous thing. In other words, one must thoroughly understand the principles of the anatomy, physiology, and pathology of the mind in light of the theory of psychogenetic inheritance, discern every detail of how the somnambulistic attacks of psychogenetic inheritance are progressing and changing through the free and uninhibited actions of the liberated patient, and possess a mind keen enough to give appropriate suggestions at the right time, guiding them step by step towards correct notions of time and space—that is, sanity. Oh, I've inadvertently digressed into my own thoughts... Now, let's get back to the story.