with the constant mention of diamonds and lightning, one can't help but think about vajrayāna, literally "diamond vehicle" or "thunderbolt vehicle", a vehicle of the mahāyāna buddhist tradition that focuses on esoteric transmission of teachings directly from teachers to students, in a ritual setting that contains the mandala (a geometric configuration of symbols) of a buddhist deity.
central to this practice is the vajra (kongo for shingon buddhism) a ritual tool symbolising both the properties of a diamond, indestructibility, and a thunderbolt, irresistible force, always paired with a bell, whose sound is considered very auspicious and said to ward off and drive away evil spirits. the vajra then implies the "thunderbolt experience" of enlightenment.
vajrayāna influenced shingon buddhism school ("true word/mantra school) founded by kūkai in japan. shingon states that one can attain "enlightenment/buddhahood in this very body", because one's true nature is identical to the one of buddha, and that "the absolute"/buddha communicates the absolute truth via a language "other" and signals/signs of the world. only the initiates who possess the reading key and who know these teachings can understand the message, which is that the world (of illusions) is the same as the world of enlightenment, that buddhahood and the universe are one and the same and directly identify with each other, that the entire universe is the "symbolic body" that manifests the absolute and every single thing is a "symbol that expresses/embodies enlightenment".
three modes in which the buddha expresses and manifests the absolute truth are "the three mysteries" (sanmitsu), which correspond to a category of practices and rituals:
shinmitsu, the mystery of the body, expresses itself in the material world of phenomenons and concrete forms. corresponds to the ritual of mudra, devotional gestures, and use of ritual instruments
kumitsu, the mystery of the voice/speech, expresses itself through the sounds of the universe and the constructs of languages. corresponds to the ritual of mantra, repetition of sacred formulas and/or sounds
imitsu, the mystery of the mind, expresses itself in ideas, in reasoning, in the deepest visions of the subconscious. corresponds to meditation, to meditative identification with the deities rapresented in a mandala.
in the context of stranger things, i'd like to focus on the idea of seeing the truth through illusions, and that reaching the truth requires a reading key/context/additional knowledge that's not readily available.
in the case of shingon, the illusion is the fact that there's a reality "other" beside the material world that grants enlightenment. the truth is that one can find enlightenment in their own body and mind, but they require to be introduced to esoteric teachings and to perform specific rituals that are unknown to the masses.
in the case of stranger things this could manifest as becoming aware of one's true nature through the knowledge of context and truth that one was unaware of before. reaching "enlightenment" not through the projection of a perfect version of oneself, but through embodiment of one's own self, because in a way, the two are one and the same ("you are holly the heroic").
mike is already mike the brave, he's already a version of himself who is brave and just and loving, he's already a version of himself who is loved and deserving of love, he just has to realize it, realize that two are one and the same. he will realize he is brave, and he is loved. and the realization will hit him like a lightning bolt.
*additionally, reaching the truth through body, voice and mind: acknowledgement of physical attraction + physical action of affirming one's truth, dialogue and honesty, convergence of the idea of self with one's material form.
@stranger-chichka @itswhatyougive @cara-ti-amo