User blog comment:Madman97/The CHIM Theory: Why I don't think it exists/@comment-3524435-20131130204642

Actually it's a compelling argument. When the lore gets into weird areas (that do sort of break the fourth wall) I tend to wonder what the point is. It's either a joke/easter egg, or a silly, convoluted idea made by the devs/Kirkbride to add a crazy metaphysical aspect to the lore. As far as I'm concerned, the Elder Scrolls themselves do this adequately. However, the concepts like CHIM and the godhead that break the fourth wall, or come close to doing so, only weaken the lore as a whole. It's kind of like a common complaint people have about Mass Effect 3. To some people, a single part (the ending) was so bad that it ruined the entire trilogy for them.

Obvio usly the Elder Scrolls isn't in the same boat, but I honestly did lose a little respect for the devs when I found out that all of creation (in TES) was simply the dream of some schizophrenic dude. Really, they couldn't come up with something a bit more creative than the fevered dreams of some grandpa in a nursing home? I guess I've ranted enough.

I just imagine a slightly more philosophical sounding interpretation for the weird ideas. To me, CHIM has always been a sort of "state of enlightenment" that can help you understand and manipulate the fabric of reality. It involves self-awareness, but not so much that one can see past the fourth wall. The godhead is a mysterious entity believed by many to be responsible for creating and possibly altering reality, but it is somehow unaware of or disconnected from its creation. Who knows, CHIM may even be the discovery or understanding of the godhead. Perhaps CHIM involves contacting it or somehow tapping into its latent power.

Overall, both of these forces are so powerful and elusive that they are unlikely to ever be a tangible component of the games, for which I'm grateful. Maybe, CHIM is just a form of entertainment, in which Bethesda laughs at the crazy ideas and interpretations devoted fans come up with when debating the topic online.