## Monolith enigma >In the same sentiment as fantasy writer [H.P. Lovecraft](https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-horror-influences-goth-subculture/ "Discussing the horror influences of the goth subculture"), Kubrick wished to obscure the sight of the alien being with the knowledge that anything he conjured could not match the power of the [[imagination]], noting, “It soon became apparent that you cannot imagine the unimaginable”. As a result, Kubrick created the black monolith, the antithesis to wild [[Creativity]] that is paradoxically an innovative masterstroke. In the shadowed depths of an elusive [[landscape]], a solitary figure stands before a monolith—a thing of [[Otherworldly]] grace. Its obsidian surface gleams with an unknowable glow, a riddle wrapped in sleek darkness. No origin marks its form, no purpose speaks from its presence; only questions stir in the observer’s heart. Is it a messenger from cosmic realms, a relic of some lost [[Civilisation]], or a gateway to the abyss of the unknown? The figure feels the weight of secrets beyond [[Time]] and reason, a tether to something ineffable and vast. Reality wavers; the air hums with a silent, tantalising promise. Driven by a yearning for revelation, they step closer, seeking to unravel the monolith’s cryptic truth. In this moment, the object becomes more than stone and shadow—it stands as a symbol of man’s insatiable thirst for knowledge, a beacon to the infinite mysteries of existence. **The End of 2001: A Space Odyssey – The Starchild Sequence** The climax of _2001: A Space Odyssey_ (1968) involves one of cinema’s most famous psychedelic visual sequences. As astronaut **Dave Bowman** approaches the monolith near Jupiter, he is suddenly pulled into a surreal, light-filled journey known as the **“Stargate” sequence**. Kubrick used slit-scan [[photography]], high-contrast colour overlays, and rapid stroboscopic effects to create a hypnotic, almost overwhelming visual experience. The flashing lights, streaking colours, and kaleidoscopic imagery suggest a transition beyond normal human experience—perhaps representing interdimensional travel, the dissolution of the self, or an evolutionary transformation. Bowman eventually arrives in an ornate, surreal neoclassical room, where he sees himself aging rapidly before being reborn as the **Starchild**, a glowing, godlike infant floating above Earth. This transformation suggests enlightenment, transcendence, or the next stage of human [[Evolution]]. **Connections Between Burroughs’ Light Experiments and Kubrick’s 2001** Both Burroughs’ experiments with flickering lights (via the Dreamachine) and Kubrick’s stroboscopic **Stargate** sequence explore altered states of [[perception]]. The rapid pulses of light in both cases are meant to induce a state where reality feels disrupted, consciousness shifts, and new ways of seeing emerge. While Kubrick was not directly inspired by Burroughs, both were influenced by **psychological, psychedelic, and avant-garde** ideas circulating in the 1960s. The Dreamachine sought to create a similar effect in real life that the **Stargate sequence** achieved through film—pushing viewers beyond ordinary experience and into something more transcendent. `Concepts:` `Knowledge Base:` [[Film index]]