| Object The Gray Man | ||||||||
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| Shadowy Figure | ||||||||
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The Gray Man, Grey-Coat or The Mysterious Gentleman is an entity that will appear at seemingly random times throughout certain areas of the dream-scape, and will slowly approach the player. Upon getting close, he will disappear in a bright flash, similar to a camera flash. The Gray Man is notorious for his startling sudden appearances. He seems to appear most often in Happy Town.
Features
The Gray Man is described as wearing a dark gray bucket hat and a trench coat of the same color. His hands are always inside his pockets and his elbows stick out slightly. His face is entirely blank. He appears to "glide" instead of walk, as his feet never move.
Effects
It's possible to lose the flashback option after an encounter with him. If you approach him during a flashback, it will end shortly after. The Gray Man seems to erase the memory of past dreams, slowing down progress on things such as textures.
Speculation
Role
He seems to be the main antagonistic figure, as he is the only in-game entity capable of hindering your progress.
Theory's Behind His Existence
The Gray Man could be a result of Hypnagogia, a state of sleep where the mind can sometimes imagine a threatening entity or presence. A sense of dread comes with this experience, causing one to only remember the fear. As a result, in game, the player loses the ability to use flashback mode.
Other Theories
The Gray Man may exist for one of several reasons.
- In the "Alien Theory," he represents an alien probing the conscious mind in a dream, hence the 'mind-erase' effect.
- In the "Sexual-Texture Theory," he represents a rapist and or murderer.
- The mind may be trying to mentally block the Gray Man to prevent repressed memories from being reawakened.
- He may be a reoccurring unpleasant figure that the mind is trying to forget.
- He may be a reference to the common drug diphenhydramine, which is found in Benadryl. This recreational drug has been known to create instances of a "Hat Man" or "Shadow Person," which could be similar in appearance to The Gray Man. Diphenhydramine can also cause temporary memory loss of most of the drug's effects.
Evading The Gray Man
To avoid an encounter with the Gray Man, run away while keeping him within your field of vision. The game places him in the vision of the player, so running backwards is the best method for escaping.
Gallery
