what's the history of this image, and why does it creep me out?

[burythehatchet]

[Az]

1. Not certain of its origins but

Its obviously trying to point out the Masonic connection to the eye on the seal.

[snagglepuss]

2. Its Masonic and it shouldn't creep you out because many of

your Founding Fathers were Masons.

[MNDemNY]

3. Creeps you out 'cause it's an image of an eye floating over a pyramid

[Bolo Boffin]

4. It's half of the Great Seal of the United States (the other half is on the other side)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Seal_of_the_United_States

Can't answer why it creeps you out.

[Berry Cool]

5. I think disembodied eyes (at least realistically portrayed ones) are creepy.

They imply that someone is staring at you, watching everything you do, only you don't know who it is because you can't even see a face. Is that not creepy?

Then again, anything non-human with eyes can seem creepy--a portrait, a doll, etc. Then it's the idea that the inanimate object is staring at you, which can make you feel as if it could somehow "come to life" and hurt you.

That's my theory, anyway.

[Bolo Boffin]

11. It's intended to be the Eye of Providence

...which looked on the founding of the US.

I really didn't mean to imply that no one had a reason to be creeped out by it. I only meant that only the OP could explain the reasons why he or she was creeped out by it. :)

[zippy890]

6. thats always creeped me out too

don't know about them Masons,

its just weird

[StarryNite]

7. Here's lookin' at you, kid

Creepy!

[bananas]

8. It's all explained here

http://www.deepleafaudio.com/illuminatus1sample.htm
more episodes here: http://www.podfeed.net/podcast/Illuminatus+Podcast/11036

[Warren DeMontague]

12. You know what I'm waiting for? Someone to make THOSE books into a kick-ass movie trilogy.

Maybe Peter Jackson.

[bananas]

17. It was made into a play

so there's already a script - just need some actors and a video camera...

but yeah, a real movie with special effects would be great!

[La_Fourmi_Rouge]

9. Freemasonry is oft misunderstood, mainly due...

to a 2000 - year - old campaign of lies and distortions by the Catholic Church. (see Religious Opposition entry on the Wikipedia link below)


"Freemasonry is a fraternal organization with millions of members.<1> It exists in various forms worldwide, with shared moral and metaphysical ideals and in most of its branches requires a constitutional declaration of belief in a Supreme Being.<2>

Freemasonry is administratively organized into Grand Lodges (or sometimes Orients) that each govern a particular jurisdiction made up of subordinate (or constituent) Lodges. Grand Lodges recognize each other through a process of landmarks and regularity. There are also appendant bodies, which are organizations related to the main branch of Freemasonry, but with their own independent administration.

Freemasons define Freemasonry as "a system of morality," using the metaphors of operative stonemasons' tools and implements, against the allegorical backdrop of the building of King Solomon's Temple, to convey what is most generally defined as "a system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasonry">Freemasonry Wiki Entry


The All - seeing eye is a common figure among many cultures:

http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/symbolism/all_seeing_eye.html">The Iconographica Eye

[Oeditpus Rex]

14. More on Freemasonry here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGAtBNzccdU

:D

[Bluebear]

18. "No atheist can become a member of a Freemasonry Lodge."

Ecch.

http://www.mimasons.org/

[HCE SuiGeneris]

10. Reminds me of Sauron's eye...

[Xenotime]

13. I always thought it was odd we had other languages on our money..

What does that say?

[BrklynLiberal]

15. Do you mean the Latin...? Used in law all the time.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

16. It's The Eye Of Providence; Adopted By Freemasons And Rosicrucians But With Egyptian Sun God Origins

It shouldn't spook you out though, as it is a sign of higher wisdom.

[ChickMagic]

19. My dad and all other male members of our family

have been Scottish freemasons since well before any of them emigrated here.
I kind of grew up with the symbology, so it doesn't creep me. I can see
how it could skeeve someone out though.