The inverted psychological realm, or “inverted purgatory,” where the true, emotionally raw versions of the characters (like Caleb and Jason) exist, suspended beneath their “upright counterparts” in the real world. This state is usually caused by a deep trauma that “broke” the person.
The term used by those in the Upside Down to refer to their “upright counterparts” or “right-side selves” who are living in the real world, often perceived as having suppressed their emotions and becoming “calloused”.
A cruel, mocking phrase Sebastian uses to taunt Caleb, warping the song “Psycho Killer” to imply Caleb is responsible for the death of his sister, Shelly.
A brightly lit, open space in the Upside Down, separate from the characters’ typical inverted location, where they can confront their “demons” and trauma. It lacks the limiting dark “fringe barriers”.
Dark, limiting boundaries that define the spaces within the Upside Down, which vanish when a character enters the Cavern.
The Upside Down is often perceived as a reflection of the real world. The mirror is a point of confrontation where Maddy faces a stone-faced, judgmental version of herself (a form of her suppressed feelings or “upsider”).
