India and the Third Impact

Spoilers for Neon Genesis Evangelion and End of Evangelion follow.

On the surface, an anime about giant robots fighting giant aliens has nothing in common with ancient Indian history. But much like Neon Genesis Evangelion is a Trojan Horse show about emotional trauma, it also connects to a fundamental aspect of Hinduism. Reading The Upanishads, it is hard to miss the similarities between the capital S Self and Gendo Ikari’s work with NERV to create the Third Impact. Instead of meditation and reflection leading to realization of the Self, NERV uses science and technology to shortcut the process and enforce the Self on the entire planet. Seen through this lens, Neon Genesis acts as a metaphor to rail against humanity’s scientific hubris and over-reliance on machines compared to the mind.

The Self is everything; everything is the Self. When one realizes the Self, one is connected with all matter. All beings, all grass, and and stars, everything is the Self and the Self is everything.

The Self is the Sun shining in the sky,
The wind blowing in space; he is the fire
At the altar and in the home the guest;
He dwells in human beings, in gods, in truth,
And in the vase firmament; he is the fish
Born in water, the plant growing in the earth,
The river flowing down from the mountain.
For this Self is supreme!
Katha Upanishad II.2.2

The Third Impact shares many similarities with this idea of the Self. The Third Impact aimed to remove the AT fields that surround all beings. These fields give beings shape and individuality, but also separation and dissent. If we all lose our AT fields, our souls and consciousnesses would merge into one Eden-like singularity. The Upanishads act as a guidebook for mental travelers attempting to reach this singularity through learning and meditation.

All the disaster that falls upon the characters of Neon Genesis might be warnings against their prideful idea that the Self can be mechanically forced upon everybody. Realizing the Self appropriately requires work and study. The majority of people are simply unready for this realization. Would they be able to understand or appreciate what was thrust upon them? Or would their minds be flayed by this unexpected epiphany. Much like a Greek tragedy full of vengeful gods, the characters of Neon Genesis are assaulted for their hubris.

A hallmark of excellent media is the ability to reinterpret it as we grow and learn. Neon Genesis is widely considered one of the greatest animated shows of all time. That reputation is well deserved. It has so many layers; the ability to connect it with millennia old Indian beliefs and ancient Greek story structure should not surprise anybody.