Dan Browns The Lost Symbol True Story Whats Real & Whats Fake

Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol True Story: What’s Real & What’s Fake

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The Lost Symbol journeys into hidden societies & crypts promising ancient wisdom in Washington D.C. How much of Brown’s claims are historically true?

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Dan Browns The Lost Symbol True Story Whats Real & Whats Fake

What’s real and what’s fake in Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol? After being skipped for adaptation in the Robert Langdon film franchise in favor of Inferno, The Lost Symbol has been transformed into a TV series, which will serve as a direct prequel to the film franchise. In The Lost Symbol, Ashley Zukerman (Solomon Goode in Netflix’s Fear Street trilogy) plays a young Langdon, who, in conjunction with Katherine Solomon (Valerie Curry), must locate an ancient portal beneath Washington D.C. before time runs out. The Lost Symbol is expected to follow Brown’s novel closely and premiered on Peacock on September 16, 2021.

Like all Dan Brown novels, The Lost Symbol features a plethora of symbolism, essentially driving the plot forward, with Langdon at the nexus of the narrative. While Brown explores a wide range of religious, scientific, and spiritual ideologies and schools of thought in The Lost Symbol, his approach is much more cautious and measured, possibly due to the controversies caused by The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons in the past. Freemasonry is featured heavily in the plot, as it hinges on the disappearance of 33rd degree Masonic member Peter Solomon (Eddie Izzard) who happens to be Langdon’s friend and mentor.

It is important to understand that while Brown borrows from historical records and architectural evidence to breathe life into his tales, a major chunk of his creations are fabricated exaggerations, created for the sake of narrative impact. Artistic liberty plays a key role here, as Brown takes certain tenets of a school of thought and adds his own twist, making it difficult to differentiate between what’s real and what’s made up. Here’s the true story behind The Lost Symbol, and what’s mostly real and fake about its key historical and cultural elements.

Mostly Real – Details About The Inner Working of Freemasonic Ceremonies

Dan Browns The Lost Symbol True Story Whats Real & Whats Fake

Brown places the Freemasons front and center in The Lost Symbol, as it is the foundation cornerstone hidden beneath the depths of the Capitol Building that propels Mal’akh (Keenan Jolliff) to kidnap Peter Solomon and blackmail Langdon in the process. The existence of the cornerstone is historically accurate, as the Freemasons of Virginia and Maryland conducted ritual ceremonies for the first foundation marker stone of Washington D.C. and the House of Congress. Although Brown does a commendable job of describing the core tenets of Masonic ideology, especially through the character of Peter Solomon, certain details about Masonic rites and rituals have been fabricated for dramatic effect. For instance, the description of the 33rd degree Scottish Rite wherein Masons apparently drink out of a skull has no historical basis, and has most likely been gleaned from an anti-Masonic propaganda piece in the 1870s.

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A key part of Brown’s narrative is Solomon’s Chamber of Reflection, a liminal space for meditating on life, situated in the basement of the U.S. Capitol building. While the details and the core purpose of the Chamber of Reflection remain true to real practices, it is impossible for Masons to have private rooms in their own homes or sites of business, as this contradicts general practice. Apart from this, Brown also claims that the pyramids are quintessentially a Masonic symbol, which is untrue, as pyramids do not heavily feature in Masonic rites and rituals. Hence, the entire narrative thread of Mal’akh coveting the pyramid and its capstone to achieve apotheosis is Brown’s addition for the sake of the plot, similar to most of the Robert Langdon-Tom Hanls movies.

Mostly Fake – The Untapped Potential of Noetic Science

Dan Browns The Lost Symbol True Story Whats Real & Whats Fake

Halfway through The Lost Symbol, Brown introduces Katherine Solomon, a brilliant scientist foraying into the untapped field of Noetic Science. The Institute of Noetic Sciences is indeed real, created by Apollo 14 astronaut Dr. Edgar Mitchell in 1973, with the aim to explore the interplay between scientific knowledge and inner knowing. While years of research connecting scientific discovery and human consciousness hold value, there is tangible, convincing evidence to warrant a deeper look into the connection, although a lot in the realm remains undiscovered. Contrary to the current state of things in Noetic Science, Brown posits it as a metaphysical discipline with the potential to revolutionize human knowledge and experience on a universal level.

The problem with this assertion is the declaration that scientific breakthroughs throughout time, such as quantum entanglement and string theory are somehow results of mystical spirituality, and that the former is unknowable without the latter. Brown attempts to take it a step further via the weight of the soul experiment, which, at the very least, is a poorly-controlled endeavor and has never been replicated under scientifically sound conditions since. As Noetic Science plays a seminal role in terms of the plot, especially the connection between science and the human soul, Brown fictionalizes most of this aspect to the point of ludicrousness. The concept of our thoughts and emotions shaping reality might have some weight, but it is scientifically unprovable, hence making the premise of Noetic Sciences dubious.

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Mostly Exaggerated- Symbols Inside Historic Buildings & Their Religio-Cultural Significance

Throughout episodes of The Lost Symbol, Langdon powers through a host of historical symbolism, from apparent mathematical puzzles encoded in the prints of Albrecht Dürer to the myth of the “Lost Word,” which Brown deems as the circumpunct. While the accuracy of these statements is highly debatable, Brown sticks to the realm of reality when it comes to the architectural description of key buildings, such as the Smithsonian Museum and House of the Temple. However, the problem does not lie in Brown’s description of these monuments, but the meaning he ascribes to the symbols etched upon a pillar, a mural, or a wall, combining dubious hearsay with raging urban legends.

For instance, Brown’s assertion that the Founding Fathers originally decided to call the nation’s capital New Rome is pure fabrication, unsupported by evidence of any sort, historical or otherwise. Another example of contrived connections are those drawn to highlight the significance of the number 33, which Brown, via Langdon, claims be connected to Isaac Newton’s 33-degree temperature scale, the 33 vertebrae in the human spine, and 33 degrees in the Masonic circle. Hence, as with most of Brown’s novels, The Lost Symbol is a mishmash of facts and fabrications. However, it will be interesting to witness how the TV series tackles Langdon’s character and psyche, potentially providing more insight into the complex realm of symbols and the way in which they shape our immediate reality.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/dan-brown-lost-symbol-true-story-real-fake/

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