SEELE

"Soon the humanity will perish"

SEELE is a secret organization responsible for the Second Impact. Although it is unclear when it was formed, it has enormous global influence, surpassing even the power of the United Nations. This power is never used directly however, as SEELE prefers to subvert and manipulate other countries and the U.N. to do its bidding.

Biography
Using the Dead Sea Scrolls as reference, SEELE's ultimate goal is to initiate the Third Impact via the Human Instrumentality Project, all in an effort to manufacture mankind's artificial evolution. To achieve this they require the combined resources of the entire world, which they access via the United Nations.

Many of SEELE's ventures, including Gehirn, NERV, Project E, and the Human Instrumentality Project, appear to be funded and controlled by the U.N. In truth, SEELE is in control, leaving the U.N. with very little input and even less knowledge of the true intentions and purposes of these ventures.

SEELE consists of a council of senior members. Although it is unclear how many such members exist, as many as fifteen have been simultaneously seen participating in their meetings. The council prefers to communicate through audio only, and while in conference, its members are represented by black monoliths. For much of the series the SEELE-appointed 5-member Human Instrumentality Committee oversees the progress of the Human Instrumentality Project. As the project nears fruition, SEELE takes a more direct approach, supervising the efforts themselves.

The crest of SEELE has seven eyes drawn over an inverted triangle. The same pattern was drawn on the mask covering Lilith's face in Terminal Dogma. It is speculated that this crest represents the seven eyes of Yahweh, the absolute God described in the Old Testament of the Bible.

Incidentally, the number 7 has important significance in the Kabbalistic mysticism of the Christian and Judaic faiths, symbolizing completeness (seven planets, seven days it took to create the world, seven holes in the human head, which is the center of the microcosm, etc.). In addition, in the Book of Revelation of the New Testament of the Bible, the number 7 appears frequently with mention of seven golden lamp stands, seals, plagues, angels, etc.

SEELE means soul in German. The names of all major organizations related to SEELE, such as Gehirn and NERV, are also derived from German.

Real Life History
Production materials for the series indicate that SEELE was at some point referred to as the Essenes. The Essenes were a secluded Judaic sect from around 200 B.C. and 100 A.D., and are believed to have been responsible for the compilation and preservation of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Qumran Caves.

Whether or not the members of SEELE are descendants of that sect is unknown, though at some point the Essenes were at the very least used as inspiration for the SEELE organization.

Logo Reference
Production materials for the series indicate that Seele was at some point referred to as the Essenes. The eyes and triangle have been long-standing symbols for deity, while the later introduction of the apple is reminiscent of the discordians. There is nothing masonic in the symbols or themes presented.