Is the Mystery Man of Lost Highway 'This Man'?

WARNING!!

THIS ARTICLE HAS SPOILERS TO THE FILM LOST HIGHWAY. IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE FILM, SKIP THIS READ. IF YOU HAVE, THEN KEEP ON SCROLLING. :)

Last night, I watched a very intriguing video by The Why Files that gave me a mind-boggling thought that I doubt anyone has thought of yet. If they have, feel free to make yourselves known in the comment section and share your thoughts concerning this topic of discovery. 

If you haven't heard of The Why Files, feel free to check them out as well. They cover many interesting and fun topics with the research of their amazing team and continue to make an impact on the world with their presence. Subscribe to their channel if you enjoy the episode above and crave more. Also, make sure to smash that Cooper-thumbs-up button. :) 

This Man has sparked some inner thoughts within me that he could possibly be the Mystery Man that has haunted us since his intro to our minds in the David Lynch film Lost Highway (1997). We all know that David Lynch is all about dreams in his works. Everything seems to be in a dream, whether it be in Twin Peaks, Mulholland Drive, Lost Highway, or even Inland Empire. In Lost Highway, this is when things get a little strange when pinning a connection to a particular figure. A particular figure that has haunted people in their dreams for days, months, or even years worldwide in our space of dimension and time.  

This Man has been seen in dreams since the 1980s. There wasn't a real sketch of him until 2006 when a patient described him to a New York psychiatrist. Since then, people have been coming forward saying they've seen This Man in their dreams. He's either staring at or over them without saying a word or grunting; telling them to Go North if they want to be safe, or chases and attacks them for mysterious reasons. His visits are recurring in the Dream World. The fact he keeps coming back is a mystery of its own. 

Who is he?

What does he want?

Why does he always want us to Go North?

Where and how can we hide from him if he wants to hurt us?

It's hard to answer any of these questions because we just don't know. Many would say This Man is just an internet hoax. In fact, yes, that is true. But only a bit. An Italian viral marketing specialist by the name of Andrea Natella created the website Ever Dream This Man? in 2008 after dreaming of him telling him to do it and try to find out his identity. Andrea claimed he had tried using the sketches of This Man with facial recognition tech, but failed to identify who this Mystery Man was. Soon, Natella admitted that This Man was a picture of his father that he used as a marketing ploy. 

But that doesn't explain why people since the 1980s have dreamed of This Man. This was before Natella created the website and his claim that it was no other than his father. If that sketch isn't really This Man, then what does he look like? Yet again, why do people see that particular sketch and recognize him with either dread, allure, or even a mysterious or guiding dream figure? And some even say he wants something but they just don't know what...

The Mystery Man of Lost Highway. He wants something as well, but we never really know what it is. He claims he doesn't come without being wanted. And when he enters the scene, you're in a different space... like a dream. All surrounding sounds fade and sound so... unexplainable... almost like a hum... takes over. It's you and him... alone where others are around. Very dreamlike and very unsettling when you're face to face with him. He's even got thinning dark hair, big eyes, rounded face, yet lacking the thick eyebrows of This Man.

Though The  Mystery Man seems neutral, it depends on how you view him. Others might view him as harmless and a guiding figure of the Dream World. Others might view him in terror because of his intimidating presence with a murderous or haunting intention. Others might view him as just a random guy who's just creepy or strange. Kind of similar to the many views that many people have of This Man.

In Lost Highway, the Mystery Man seems to have some aspect of control over the events that occur in the film. It's like two or three dreams at once. A story over a story over a story. And the Mystery Man plays some role in each one as they move forward like the pieces in a chess game. He wants something and he's trying by taking advantage of those who summon his help or guidance. For mysterious reasons, he switches the bodies of Fred and Pete, and he murders Renee in Fred's body and sleeps with her blonde doppelganger Alice in Pete's body. He even murders Mr. Eddie in the very eyes of Fred, who gave him the gun to do so upon demand. 

Lastly, as if in a dream, the Mystery Man goes further to frighten Fred with the film camera. Something that Fred resents, since he likes to remember things that have happened in his life the way he wants to remember them. A therapist or psychologist would point out from this dream that he fears the truth of everything in his life and the world around him. Even the truth about himself, to go more extensively. For some unknown reason, knowing and harboring the truth deeply affects him. Perhaps the Mystery Man knew all along before Fred did. Whatever it is about Fred, the Mystery Man wouldn't have made his appearance and caused a rift in events that occurred.

This Man wants something we don't know and has been viewed differently just like that of the Mystery Man in Lost Highway. Though it is uncertain whether Lynch was inspired by the tales of This Man to create a replica of this character in Lost Highway. If not, it is still worth the thoughtful correlation between the two strange and mysterious figures that have made a prominent foothold in our imaginations and dreams.