Paradise



"She will usher in the eternal Paradise. A place with no pain. No hunger, no sickness, no old age. There will be no greed or war and all will live by God's grace alone.
 * —Claudia Wolf to Douglas Cartland"

The Home of Eternal Paradise is a concept of relative prominence mentioned numerous times throughout the Silent Hill series. It is one of the central beliefs of the local religious organization known as the Order, and is essentially their "heaven". The Order uses Paradise to entice followers into its religion.

Mythology
The concept of an idyllic plane of existence is first touched upon by Dahlia Gillespie, who believes that the revival of her religion's deity will bring about the creation of what she believes to be Paradise, and will only be accomplished through the complete destruction or extinction of humanity.

There are myths in the Order's past which expound upon the idea of Paradise as being a gift to humanity from the Order's god, though these same myths say She died while attempting to create this place of eternal happiness. Though She had died, before Her death She made a promise that She would return one day. Certain members of the Order believe the return of God will mean the establishment of Paradise.

Visions of Paradise may differ from believer to believer, with those ideas of an ideal place colored by their view of the world. Claudia Wolf, for example, believes paradise to be a peaceful utopian place where all walks of life will be delivered along with no war, famine, illness, or aging, while her father Leonard believes the Order's god will only open Paradise to those who have maintained faith. Claudia claims that everyone can be happy just by being there.

Silent Hill
By performing an unnamed ritual in her own house, Dahlia was able to let her daughter, Alessa Gillespie, carry God within her. Before the ritual could be completed, Alessa's soul fractured, ruining Dahlia's plans. Alessa, although a child, was nevertheless slightly aware of her mother's insidious hopes and deliberately severed her soul in the desire to somehow still feel happiness. This missing piece of Alessa manifested itself as Cheryl. Before completion, the ritual was interrupted by Travis Grady, and Alessa was left severely burnt and disfigured, yet still surviving as a side effect of either the ritual or a second incantation performed by the Order. Travis made a hasty attempt to get what should have been a terminally burnt child to Alchemilla Hospital. Desperate to have her daughter made whole so the ritual could be concluded, Dahlia cast a spell that would in time draw back the missing half (Cheryl) to Silent Hill via the child's mysterious will.

When the two halves were made whole in the events of the first game, God's manifestation as either Incubator or Incubus was briefly brought into existence, this existence being terminated soon after by Harry Mason.

Silent Hill 3
In Silent Hill 3, Paradise is trying to be fulfilled yet again by Claudia Wolf by using Heather Mason, who has "God" in her womb. If the player attempts to attack Claudia or fails to use Heather's Aglaophotis, Heather births God and becomes a sacrifice in the process.

Silent Hill 4: The Room
Walter Sullivan attempts to complete the 21 Sacraments to unleash Paradise. The Crimson Tome notes, "The '21 Sacraments' be naught but the 21 Heresies. To give birth to a world of wickedness within the blessed realm of our Lord be blasphemy and the work of the Devil."

Trivia

 * In Silent Hill: Orphan, Alessa mentions Paradise several times in certain parts of the game.
 * Claudia Wolf's comment to Douglas is strikingly similar to Revelation 21: 3-4 (And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away)