Stranger Things: What Is the Upside Down? Origin and Relation to Vecna Explained

It has been several years since we were introduced to the world of Stranger Things. This amazing Netflix series not only gave us several memorable characters, but it also introduced the fandom to the haunting dimension known as the Upside Down. Every monster, including Vecna, is connected to the Upside Down, but to this day, some fans might wonder what exactly the Upside Down is in Stranger Things and how Vecna, the antagonist, is connected to it. Well, here’s the answer.

Upside Down Is an Alternate Dimension in Stranger Things

Honestly, there’s no evidence on how the Upside Down was created or for how long it has existed in Stranger Things. However, there’s one thing for sure: Upside Down is simply an alternate dimension that exists along with the real world. When we think of alternate dimensions, we think of a similar kind of world, but every dimension goes through a different chain of events. For instance, there may be an alternate dimension where Nazis won the war. Similarly, there may be an alternate dimension where climate change has already confused every human life on Earth. 

These dimensions may resemble the real world, and they may contain different versions of ourselves, but each dimension ultimately faces or will face a different fate. In reality, scientists from all over the world are trying to unlock the secrets of alternate dimensions. And well, in the world of Stranger Things, humans accidentally come across one of such alternate dimensions.

This dimension is just like the real world in Stranger Things. Hawkins is exactly the same, but there’s one major difference. This dimension or world is conquered by an alien entity known as the Mind Flayer. This dimension was basically a mirror image of the real world, but it stopped being the same when this alien arrived. 

Now, the question is: when did the Upside Down stop being so happy and jolly? Well, Stranger Things Season 4 answers that question for us. Apparently, the Mind Flayer successfully captured this world the day Will disappeared. So, unlike the real world or the main world we see in the show, the Upside Down lost the war against this alien on the very first day. 

First Mention of the Upside Down and Henry Creel’s First Encounter

Now, you might think that the first person to encounter the Upside Down was Will, but that isn’t correct. Apparently, the first humans to encounter this alternate reality were the staff members of the USS Eldridge, the ship that was part of the Philadelphia Experiment. The top-secret government experiment happened in real life, and the ship disappeared in 1943. And surprisingly, the Duffer Brothers very cleverly implemented this real-life event into the world of Stranger Things. According to the lore, this ship accidentally entered through a portal and made its way into the Upside Down, which at the time was known as Dimension X. 

Only one staff member survived the entire ordeal and returned to the real world: the father of the infamous Dr. Martin Brenner. 
Martin became obsessed with Dimension X upon learning about it from his father, and that is why he became a part of another top-secret government research project to unlock the gates of Upside Down. However, things go haywire when one staff member of the experiment steals a piece of equipment and hides it in a cave. And guess who stumbles upon this equipment? Yes, it was Henry Creel or Vecna.

The young boy was playing in the cave when he found and accidentally activated the equipment. Henry went to the Upside Down and made contact with the Mind Flayer, but he somehow survived and returned to the real world. But something changed inside of Henry, and this encounter with the alien entity helped him develop his psychic abilities. That is why Henry drew the picture of the Mind Flayer when he was just a child, before he was sent back to this dimension by Eleven several years later. 

Dr. Martin Brenner’s Obsession with the Upside Down

Martin was obsessed with unlocking the secret of Upside Down, and somehow, he learned about Henry, the boy who returned from the alien dimension. Martin captured Henry after the boy killed his family and framed his father for the murders. Martin knew that Henry himself would never open the gates to Upside Down, so the doctor used Henry’s psychic abilities instead. Martin helped other children develop such superhuman abilities, including Eleven. And just as we saw in Season 4, it was Eleven who accidentally opened the gates to Purgatory while fighting Henry. 

Henry was back home, in the world where he belongs. He used his abilities to gain control over the alien particles in Upside Down and formulated a plan to take over the real world. However, we have yet to learn if he is the true leader of the Upside Down, or if he is still the Mind Flayer who is controlling everything from the shadows. There’s also a possibility that once Henry became Vecna, he became one with the Mind Flayer. If that’s the case, then Vecna and Mind Flayer have become a singular entity.