Iteration Theory

SPOILER
WARNING

This article contains details that may spoil key plot points.

The "Iteration Theory", or the "Iteration Cycle Theory", is a popular theory about EMH (now confirmed) that speculates that the current cast is the most recent in a long line of "iterations", or variations of themselves that have recurred throughout decades, if not centuries.

The Theory

The theory posits that Jeff, Vince, Evan and Steph, along with HABIT, Slenderman, The Rake and possibly Dr. Corenthal, are avatars or embodiments of a group that are engaged in an eternal struggle. Every so often, these players are incarnated as earthly manifestations of themselves who struggle against each other in pre-determined roles — the idea being that, much like in a video game, the characters "re-spawn" after death and begin the game again in a new iteration.

Some versions of the theory say that in order for the cast to survive their current predicament, they must break the cycle, or work against type in order to avoid the fates prophesied in the edition of "Everyman" found in Box 5 and not be forced to live through another iteration. Before and after taking part in a cycle or an iteration, the cast is speculated to exist in a dark alternate universe lit by candlelight and hence dubbed "The Candleverse."

The Evidence

The Iteration theory was first posited as an explanation for the Mining Town Four (the Fairmount versions of the cast). It was first revealed in Corenthal Report dated 11-17-1971 that Dr. James Corenthal had treated a patient in 1971 with the same name as Evan. It became apparent through subsequent pieces of the Corenthal Papers that each of the cast had a namesake in that era. Dr. Corenthal had treated children who had names matching each of the modern cast members, and each of the children had been haunted by the same monsters that plague the cast.

In the video "Jeff", Evan and Vince find a copy of House of Leaves with a passage circled reading "Why did God create a dual universe?" Some believe that the "dual universe" refers to the cast and to their universal avatar incarnations, or the existence of "our" universe and the Candleverse.

On page 58 of the edition of "Everyman" found in Box 5, the following is noted: ""THE GREAT FLOOD SHALL WASH AWAY ALL THE ASH, READYING THE WORLD FOR ANOTHER GREATER, CYCLE". At the time, this was the strongest evidence for the iteration theory. Elsewhere in the text are descriptions of what seem to be universal archetypes: The Firebrand, The Voyeur and The Guardian. These archetypes have been connected to the cast and have been theorized to be the names of the universal versions of the cast.

The word "iteration" was first uttered during a video by Jeff in on of the hidden videos entitled "-.-. .". During one of the segments in the candlelit scene, Jeff can be heard saying "I guess when we're done with this iteration we'll have a nice little war buddy talk with him." This heavily implies that the cast that we are seeing in this segment of video are not the standard cast, but are the universal avatar versions of the cast in the Candleverse discussing the current iteration. Throughout this video, they discuss Corenthal and HABIT in a detached and clinical way, implying that they are separate entities.

In the video "Sigma", Evan uses the Black Box Device to test a sample of his blood, which tests positively for Sigma Radiation according to this device. On August 11th, Jeff tweeted that he, Evan, Vin and Steph had all tested positive for Sigma radiation. Alex, however, had tested negative. The presence of this radiation links the four characters. According to the Corenthal/Adam Roberts Notes and the Corenthal Letters dated 7-22-1995 and 7-23-1995, the radiation also links them in some way to Slenderman, who the Black Box Device was created to detect.

The Princeton Tapes, found in 2018, chronicle the investigations of a version of Vincent living in the 1980s, who has friends called Jeff and Evan who sound identical to the contemporary cast members.

In the Princeton Tape audio file TOWER ON THE LAKE, Patrick from The Andersen Journals phones the 1980s Princeton Iteration of Vincent to enlighten him on the Cycle, and in doing so, expounds some key specifics about Iteration Theory; namely the following:

• Vince and his friends (Evan, Jeff and Steph) are caught in this Iteration Cycle.
• Spreading awareness of the existence of Slenderman, and also perhaps HABIT and the Rake, gives them more power and more victims (who may also potentially re-iterate)
• There is no escaping the Iteration Cycle, and that Vince will inevitably "fuck up" (fulfill his role in the cycle) and his friends will die in every iteration (at least through the 2010–2018 iteration).
• The antagonists (namely, Slenderman) like Vince over other victims for some reason (likely because of his role as the Voyeur).
• In labeling Vince the "mechanic", he makes reference to Vince fulfilling his role in the Iteration Cycle as Voyeur, spreading knowledge of Slenderman et al and "efficiently" ending iterations.
• Patrick is also caught in the Iteration Cycle, though unlike Vince, he remembers the experiences of previous iterations' "Patricks".
• It may be possible for Vince and friends to "end", "slow down" or "undo" the Iteration Cycle, as it "shifts a little bit at the end" of each cycle, though Patrick thinks James Corenthal is more likely to achieve this. It may also take many cycles before this is achieved.
• James Corenthal was "another [Vince] in another time, so may be a previous iteration of Vince. (This may refer to Corenthal fulfilling the role of Voyeur at the start of the Fairmount iteration, before Vincent took on the role himself.)
• The cast are not the only avatars stuck in the cycle.
• A bookmark in the seventh and final box has many years listed on it in chronological order, possibly suggesting that the Iteration Cycle has been going on since at least 1589.

The Candleverse/The Ark

The Candleverse, also called "Candle Cove," or "The Ark" by some, is speculated to be the alternate universe or dimension where the universal avatars of the cast reside while not participating in an iteration, and where their spirits reside after their deaths here. It is also referred to as "the monsters' sanctuary" by Corenthal in The property, which implies it is also a haven for the likes of Slenderman, the Rake and HABIT.

In TribeTwelve's video "Bridge To Nowhere " (February 2014), protagonist Noah travels to the Candleverse and there talks to Jeff. He appears to be running from HABIT, and hints that he is trying to catch Jeff, and "a couple others", for reasons unknown to the viewers. It has been speculated, among other theories, that Jeff is possibly reiterating in the Candleverse at this point in time.

It is also speculated that the portions of the video "Ryan & the SEVENTRIALSOFHABIT" showing Evan at the kitchen table may also take place in the Candleverse.

Time/space travel via the Candleverse

The Candleverse also seems to act as a "pass between" with a major entry/exit existing in Baldpate Mountain; the Candleverse acts as a portal between certain points and times in our world, as seen in the video "Last week/Taking it back", where Evan, Jeff and Alex seem to be instantly transported between Jeff and Alex's home and Baldpate Mountain. Further evidence of this theory can be seen in The property, where Vince travels from Baldpate Mountaint to not only multiple locations in all of the homes of the major cast members, but also into a space where he sees himself and the rest of the cast sitting in a version of Evan's basement, and finally to a previously unknown garden location where he meets Dr. Corenthal, who appears to have been hiding there since his disappearance.

The name

The Candleverse was given its name by the audience following the video "-.-." where a version of Jeff, Evan and Vince can be seen sitting around a small grouping of candles discussing the events of the series.

It is also referred to as "the Ark", as references are made to "the Ark" throughout the series, especially in 2010. These references include:

• in Steph's blog, Canyouseethewords
• on the poster in Sleep Lab Part 1
• on Box #1
• in the specific audio distortion in In which I assume the role of a 13 year old MySpace girl.
• in the background news audio in the Princeton Tape [HOME LIFE].

Corenthal's Eden

In the video The property (July 2012), after travelling to Baldpate Mountain then through the Candleverse to multiple points in time and rooms in the main cast's homes, Vince encounters Slenderman and cannot open the door behind him to get away. Corenthal suddenly appears through the door behind Vince and he backs through before Corenthal slams it on Slenderman. Vince awakens in a forested garden area with a fountain and a white park bench, to which Corenthal directs him.

Corenthal's Eden.

Corenthal explains that this is his "Eden", his "little heaven in this hell" and an "inner sanctum to the monsters' sanctuary". He says he somehow created it, carving away at it with his will; it appears to be a space in the Candleverse that he has rid of Slenderman and his monstrous companions. He makes it clear that the "monsters" can fight their way back in, and have done so before, but he fought hard and kicked them out. He then explains that they're coming for Vince now, and he'll be able to stay a short time while Corenthal fights them back but will have to leave very soon.

Sub-Iteration/Death Theory

A sub-theory or variant of the Iteration theory is that the current EMH crew is experiencing frequent, smaller iterations (or pseudo-iterations) throughout the series. Born from the “Consensus” video during speculation on the unexplained loss of Vince's beard, the sub-theory offers an explanation for the multiple scenarios in which extremely perilous situations have often led to inexplicable jumps in time and space (that often coincide with jumps in continuity), and the unexpected survival of the crew. The theory suggests these are actually events in which the cast member or members in question have, in fact, died, and have either reiterated in a slightly different universe, or been replaced with a new version of themselves with altered bodies and/or memories. There is speculation that Slenderman is involved in these events, though there are currently no theories as to why.

Major examples of these occurrences:

• “Ashen Waste”: The crew attacks Slenderman twice; once with a bat, once with the car. After a "black out" period, they wake up in Jeff's basement, healthy, clean, and confused.
• “Ryan & the SEVENTRIALSOFHABIT”: Jeff films inHABITed Evan threatening an unknown entity, and upon being caught, is also confronted with Slenderman. Though the threat is very evident in the clip, no harm seemed to have come to Jeff.
• “Consensus”: Vince and Alex experience a jump. Vince wakes up in a deserted area with Alex dead and Slenderman visible in the distance. His beard is also somehow gone. As Alex is not known to be in the core group, the theory wouldn't apply, and he is officially considered dead.
• "Twenty-four months": Jeff and Vince are involved in a car crash, and Jeff apparently overdoses; however, both are fine later.
• "L'esprit de l'escalier": Evan describes having been disemboweled by the Rake, yet survives and has no scars.

By now, certain members of the four cast members of the cycle have died without re-iterating. It is not known under what conditions one of the four can be killed permanently. It has been thought that only Slenderman or another one of the four can permanently kill one of the four (allowing HABIT to kill them indirectly through possession). It is also possible that when one of the Four reaches a pre-determined "plot point" corresponding to the Everyman Play, they lose their ability to re-iterate.

Notes

Confirmation

• Iteration Theory was confirmed by EMH actor/co-creator Evan Jennings in a documentary by Alex Hera entitled "Slenderverse: Building the Slenderman".

Iteration and other characters

• It is speculated that Linnie is also a re-iterating avatar; evidence to support this includes the dead girl being killed the same way that Dr. Corenthal said Linnie died, but 20 years later.
  • However, there has been no appearance of Linnie after the dead girl's body disappeared.
• There has been no evidence of other versions of Jessa and she is likely not part of the iteration cycle.
• Daniel is not likely to be part of the interation cycle, as Evan/HABIT described him as "caught in the crossfire" in Next.
• A figure that appeared to be Alex was spotted in Next, which stirred speculation that he may be part of the cycle.

Alex's supposed appearance in 'Next'

Noah Maxwell

• In the TribeTwelve video “Bridge To Nowhere", Noah Maxwell enters the Candleverse.
• It has been confirmed that the Firebrand from the edition of "Everyman" found in Box 5 is not the same entity as Firebrand from TribeTwelve.
• It seems that Noah Maxwell is also part of the Iteration Theory. Citing the "TribeTwelve Veterans Day Special", future Noah states that if he messes with his timeline, the loop will break and they will "take all the control we've built up over iteration after iteration to get to where we are at this point". This seems to indicate Noah has gone through several iterations.