The Missing Screenwriter: When Darkness Becomes Light

27 September

The Missing Screenwriter: When Darkness Becomes Light

Written by Ford Harris

If what Hurley said was true, and there really is an underground society called “Dark Onto Light”, then we have every right to be afraid. The missing screenwriter’s research into the group seems to divulge various secrets that the cult would not want to be publicly known. Because this research would infringe on the group’s privacy and continued ritualistic tradition, maybe these people had a hand in Hurley’s disappearance. It would explain why Hurley’s original screenplay, Shades of Blood (later recreated by Vitaly Sumin as a different story – currently the project is in development)), and the shooting script for Notes from the New World, also went missing. Both scripts were based, in part, on Hurley’s research into the Russian mafia and the underground cult. It would also explain all the other mysterious forces acting against the investigation. For instance, why did several cast and crew members decide to quit their jobs during the production of Notes from the New World? Who called them, and what was the threat? All this information does seem to validate the theory that Hurley was kidnapped or even killed. To be sure, let’s review Hurley’s website.

One of the greatest qualities that a writer could have is a curiosity for the unknown. Robert Hurley was curious enough to ask questions about what goes on below the surface of our average everydayness. For the most part, people read the paper and take comfort in understanding the world from afar. But as soon as we step out of our comfort zone, we risk everything. Hurley risked everything…

Ereshkigal – Goddess of the Underworld

According to the research, ancient wall carvings of the cult’s sigil dates back to 2700 BC. Although this may have been the starting point, Dark Onto Light wasn’t fully actualized as a methodology until much later. The cult’s origin of practice can be traced to a time before the fall of the Assyrian empire. The cult’s creator was a man named Zulilu, who was also the founder of the Assyrian Monarchy. One night, he became extremely ill. On the verge of death, Zulilu had a vision of a dark figure wearing a horned cape. The figure told him “darkness becomes light”, and then vanished into a ball of bright light. In that moment, Zulilu’s illness was eradicated. He believed that Ereshkigal, the Annunaki goddess of the underworld, had cured him.

Distressed about the invasion of the Persian king Cyrus, he wished he could awaken the Gods to help the people from the takeover and preserve Mother Earth, and keep Aruru, the Goddess of Earth and birth, satisfied.

Aruru – Goddess of Earth and Birth

The dark Figure appeared seven times throughout his life, revealing a set of principles to follow. Hurley lists them as:

Through the Dark will Light be achieved.
Blood is the lifeline and is sacred.
Immortality is given to the true believers of the dark.
To find true enlightenment, Women, the givers of life, must be sacrificed.
Gather others and unite as One.
Praise the gods and as Them you will be.
Obtain freedom from the material world and fight for liberty.

The physical world is referred to as the Light, which is a “lie”. It is what we see with our eyes. The Darkness is the spiritual world of truth. “Dark Onto Light” is essentially the good over the bad. In order to achieve the truth, we must praise the Gods and free ourselves from material bondage. By sacrificing women (i.e. the givers of life) and drinking their blood, the members of the cult believed that they would be successfully liberated from the physical world, and specifically, governmental control. They also believed that they would become immortal.

The symbol of “Dark Onto Light” is a five-point star that is associated with Truth. In the center of the star is an eye which represents Ereshkigal, the goddess of the underworld. A part of the recruitment process involves having the sigil carved into the right side of one’s chest.

The Ritual:

The prostitute would have her clothes stripped off and placed on a plank with her arms and legs tied down and separated. The 5-star symbol would be branded into her abdomen. Her wrist would be slit and each member would take a turn drinking her blood. She would be left to bleed to death.

Hurley’s sketch of the cult’s ritual

As new religions form and old countries develop, some deities become lost and forgotten. After the fall of the Assyrian empire, Dark Onto Light went through many redevelopments. The most significant change was Christianity’s influence on the cult. Dark Onto Light became a group of people that worshiped Satan in order to be heard by God. The people wanted to usher in a better future, and it seemed that the only way to do so was through darkness. In another time and place — 19th century Russia — the cult believed that the only way to maintain progress was through destruction. Through destruction and anarchy, something better can be reborn. Another pivotal moment was after the communist party disbanded in 1991:

Followers of the sect in Russia believe they should be the superpower instead of the United States. By worshiping Satan, they are hoping to overcome the failure of communism and gain the strength to become the strongest nation in the world. By becoming the strongest nation, they’ll be able to influence a wider range of people in hopes of making the world a better place.

Only through darkness will one find the truth

There were certainly other countries and other developments that had influenced the cult’s belief system, but it’s hard to say what their intentions are today. Based on the information, we know that a private sect of Dark Onto Light is associated with the Russian mafia. At one time, they set up shop somewhere in Los Angeles, but it is possible that they moved around since Hurley’s disappearance. In many ways, identifying the connection between the private sect and the Russian mafia would have a great impact on the investigation. I will let you know as soon as I find out.

In one of the journal entries, Hurley pointed out that he intended to confirm his findings on the cult by getting access to secret archives in Moscow’s Russian State Library. The fact that the information has not been confirmed is extremely unsettling. If I were to search Google for “Dark Onto Light”, the only relevant information would be Hurley’s website. Considering this, it is totally possible that there is no such thing as Dark Onto Light. Perhaps Hurley researched various religious beliefs and practices for his screenplay. Another way of looking at it is . . . If the cult was really trying to cover up Hurley’s disappearance by eliminating any clues, why have they not tampered with Hurley’s website? Other mysterious things have happened to the production and investigative team. As I have said before, the privacy of the cult is one of their greatest values to preserve. Does the website not reveal their secrets? Who knows, maybe the cult does exist and it’s not worth the effort to tamper with the website. In other words, it is possible that the cult exists but everything we know about them is wrong.

Be sure to visit our website and learn more about Robert Hurley and the film that was made about his experience at Dostoyevsky Reimagined: The Making of Notes from the New World.