What makes The Shining sequel so disturbingly scary is that it isn’t entirely fiction; it is very loosely based on real historic events. Heck, I think the little girl at the beginning of Doctor Sleep is Madeleine McCann!

Imagining up a sequel for one of the greatest horror flicks of all time must be a nightmare (pun not intended?). The Shining left its mark on cinematic history back when it premiered in 1980 and even still holds up today. Although the author of the novel to which the movie is based, Stephen King, was not impressed with the direction that Stanley Kubrick took the film, he was happy to see his follow up turned into a film. But what could King possibly do to make a film even more terrifying than The Shining? How about drawing from one of the darkest events in human history.

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Doctor Sleep revolves around a band of misfits that travel across the country looking for children ‘that shine’, abduct them, torture, and murder them. They do this to extract something they call ‘steam’ which is the life force of the victims. By inhaling the ‘steam’ they become stronger and live longer, “eat well, live long.” What makes it even more disturbing is that to the ‘steam’ is more effective when its pure and to purify it they torture and torment their victims. How exactly is this based on true events? Ever heard of blood libel?

First claim was as early as the first century when Democritus (not the philosopher) alleged that “every seven years children were captured by mysterious strangers, taken to a temple, and tortured and sacrificed.” 

Ewan McGregor as Danny in Doctor Sleep

One of the most famous cases is that of William of Norwich. In England in 1144 a young boy was found dead with stab wounds in the woods. William’s hagiographer, Thomas of Monmouth, claimed that every year there is an international council of elitists at which they choose the country in which a child will be killed during Easter. The legend was turned into a cult, with William acquiring the status of a martyr and pilgrims bringing offerings to the local church.

It was alleged that the blood of these children had healing properties and it was more effective if the children were tortured prior to the consumption of the blood.

These kind of allegations popped up all over Europe and all the way into the 19th century but blood libel has been written of as nothing more than fear mongering. True or not, what is really creepy is that science has proven young blood to have healing and regenerative powers. Also, adrenaline is known to release a chemical called adrenochrome which reportedly makes it more potent… and uh… effective. I say reportedly because obviously there is no evidence of anyone actually drinking adrenalised blood before, at least not officially. However, in Hunter S. Thompson’s novel Fear and Loathing in Los Vegas, which is heavily rooted in autobiographical incidents, he claims to have been offered and tried adrenochrome. This particular part of the book even made into the film adaptation starring Johnny Depp as Hunter S. Thompson himself.

So, after this little history lesson let me show you exactly how obvious it that this is what Doctor Sleep is about.

Violet McGgraw is Madeleine McCann

Doctor Sleep? Madeleine McCann? Wait… what? Bare with me on this. The very first spooky connection to this conspiracy is at the very start of the film. A young girl named Violate wonders away from her parents while they are out on a picnic on their holiday. She stumbles across a beautiful Jewish woman who is wearing a top-hat (another thing which I will discuss later on). The girl is fascinated by her hat, she thinks it is a magic hat. The woman promises to show Violate a magic trick; she pulls a flower out of her hat. While the little girl is admiring the flower, the rest of the child abducting cult sneak up behind the girl. The lady then snatches the flower of the girl and eats it. “You’re not supposed to eat the flower,” she says. The lady in the top hat says something along the lines of, “yes we are, the special innocent things taste the best.”

Doctor Sleep depicts Madeleine McCann abduction
Doctor Sleep Madeleine McCann.

While the little girl looks on in horror the rest of the cult pounce on her and the little girl screams. Her name is Violet and her scent/taste is referred to as flower-like. I’m certain that Stephen King used Madeleine McCann as inspiration for this character. Madeleine is also a type of flower, their surnames also seem to be very similar. The book was also written after Madeleine’s disappearance.

Doctor Sleep, Madeleine McCann (L-R: Violet McGraw, Madeleine McCann)

The disappearance of Madeleine McCann sparked some very spooky conspiracy theories. One theory in particular is that she was abducted or sold for human sacrifice for a Satanic festival called Beltane; which is like the Satanic version of Easter — celebration of the Spring Equinox. Kind of spooky how Democritus also said that this cult abducts children around Easter, right? I mean, come on. What more do you need to be convinced that the girl in Doctor Sleep is Madeleine McCann?

Bradley Trevor is William of Norwich

Another strange similarity in the tales of blood libel and Doctor Sleep is exactly 7 years after the murder of Violate McGraw the cult strikes again. Remember, Democritus said that a child is abducted ever 7 years! What’s even sicker is that we get to see what they do to the poor boy. The lure him into a van then take him into the middle of a forest, tie him to a crucifix and stab him to death. The young boy cries and prays to God but is mocked. The top-hat lady even says, “your pain and fear purifies the steam,” which really seems like she alluding to adrenochrome.

William of Norwhich’s body was discovered by Thomas of Monmouth. This is his account of the murder, “having shaved his head, they stabbed it with countless thornpoints, and made the blood come horribly from the wounds they made…. some of those present ad judged him to be fixed to a cross in mockery of the Lord’s Passion.” William’s body was later said to have been found in Thorpe Wood with a crown of thorns atop his head.

Bradley Trevor’s murder is too similar to William of Norwich to be a coincidence, especially when the theme of the film is contemplated.

Freemasons in Doctor Sleep

One thing couldn’t be clearer, and that is that this group of misfits is supposed to be represent the ancient Masonic cult. The first piece of evidence is the head-wear they don. Every single member wears a special kind of hat. The main villain, Rose the Hat, wears a black top-hat with a red feather and her partner, Crow Daddy, wears a Stetson fur felt hat. These hats are worn by the highest ranking Freemasons.

Freemasons, Top hats, Satanic signs,

The Freemasons wear these hats like a badge to signal to other high ranking members in other lodges. The Masonic Lodge of Education writes, “while most Freemasons are aware that ritual and a few officer duties and Masonic symbols vary somewhat around the world; ‘From many, one… and from one, many.’ A brotherhood of many, …who speak different languages, who reside possibly half a world away…who each wear different hats…come together as one….within the brotherhood of Freemasonry.”

Each member of Rose the Hat’s cult is of a different ethnicity. They have all lived for hundreds and hundreds of years or, as Ms. Top-Hat says, “seen the birth of kings, the raise and fall of great empires, and overthrown governments.” Danny himself even says that these people have been around so long that they have powerful connections to world governments.

The Top-Hat and black magic

Why are top-hats associated with magic? As kids, when we see a top-hats we connect to to magic tricks, but as adults we connect it with stature and wealth. Well, as I mentioned above, top-hats were often worn by the highest ranking Freemasons who would often perform strange rituals involving blood and sex. One famous occultist, Aleister Crowley (pictured below,) first coined the term for these twisted rituals as ‘blood sex magick‘. It was rumoured that little children would often to be involved in this sick rituals. Aleister Crowley firmed another cult called Ordo Templi Orientis which would perform many strange blood and sexual rituals in secret. The cult had many famous members, one being the musician who wrote the song ‘I Don’t Like Mondays’, Bob Geldof. His daughter later spoke out against the cult alleging that they use children for their sick rituals. 6 months after she made those allegations she was found dead by an apparent overdose in her apartment.

Aleister Crowley, Stephen King

But the bad guy with the top-hat is a quite popular trope in movies that touch upon the topic of child abduction. Professor Screweyes in We’re Back: The Dinosaur Story is a travelling circus master who tries to lure children into his show. The children need to sign a blood contract! He gets his powers from the fear of little children.

Professor Screweyes

Anyone remember The Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang? That guy gave me nightmares. The Fandom Wiki describes him as, ” a black-clad, large-nosed man who is employed to hunt down children and take them away.” He carries a large net of the sort used to catch butterflies, and a rather menacing-looking hook such as those used by old-fashioned abortionists. The Child Catcher occasionally snares his prey by luring them out with lollipops.” What is even more unsettling is that this character did not exist in the original book. Disney producers just thought he would be a good addition to the children’s musical… are you kidding me?

The Child Catcher

Then there’s Dr. Facilier (commonly known as the Shadow Man), the main antagonist of Disney’s 2009 animated feature film, The Princess and the Frog. Facilier’s past is mostly unknown, though he mentions being a descendant of royalty through his mother. But there you have another connection to sacrifice, magic and top-hats.

Shadow Man

Former CIA clandestine claims it’s real!

in 2017 Robert David Steele is a former CIA clandestine who, in an interview, alleged that children are being abducted for their blood and organs. He also states that the blood of the young does have healing and regenerative properties, which has now been confirmed by science, and that it even more effective when it is adrenalised, which is caused my the torture and torment of the children. “It’s disgusting but it is a chemical fact that if you drink adrenalised children blood — which is to say you terrorise the child — it doubles the effects of the anti-ageing device.”

I don’t know if this is true. I don’t want to believe it is, but if you connect the dots it all seems to add up. Robert David Steele has worked for the CIA and that’s what makes this even scarier… but I’m going to remain blissfully ignorant on this, I think.

Are big time Hollywood producers mocking us by exposing their dark secrets as “fiction” in their movies and such or am I just crazy and looking into things too deep. I probably am, but you’ve got to admit that the similarities are beyond creepy. I don’t, not even for a second, doubt that Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep was inspired by real events.

What are your thoughts? Is this all some spectacular conspiracy theory or is there a much darker side to reality that is completely hidden from us? Do you think the little girl at the start of Doctor Sleep is Madeleine McCann? Let us know in the comments below!