I first learned about this episode in
Strindberg’s life from The Occult by Colin Wilson, who got his information from
Strindberg’s autobiographical novel Inferno. This bizarre book, which can be found on Project Gutenberg, is based on the diary that
Strindberg kept at the time.
Strindberg believed that he had brought all
his troubles on himself and attracted evil influences into his life by
deliberately using his special powers in an attempt to practise psychological black
magic.
There is much material of interest and some
familiar features in this case. It will take more than one article to summarise
even the most relevant and significant details of the nightmare episode, provide
a commentary and make some connections.
We begin with some information about when and
why the trouble started.
An obvious starting point
An obvious starting point
As described in many articles, there have
been occasions in my life when, after going for days, weeks, months, even years
without anything unusual to report, I suddenly experience a string of minor
misfortunes. There is an obvious starting point to the incidents; they stand
out in comparison with the preceding uneventful days.
It seems to me very significant that
Strindberg was going through a good patch in his life just before it all went
wrong. In his own words:
“The summer and autumn of the year 1895 I
count, on the whole, among the happiest stages of my eventful life. All my
attempts succeed; unknown friends bring me food as the ravens did to Elijah.
Money flows in; I can buy books and scientific instruments...”
Then he did something that caused it all to
go into reverse. There is an obvious starting point to his misfortunes, which stand
out in comparison with his prior easy existence.
