Al-Ghul (الغول) is the working name of a self-taught American occult artist, and the masked figure behind Poked in the Third Eye. Since the 1990s he has made books, art, music and essays about folk magic, gnostic heresy and trickster spirits. He works through several personae, each credited on its own project, and he doesn't put a face on the work.
His writing goes out in a free newsletter, the Chthonograph. The catalog lives at pokedinthe3rdeye.com.
WHY THE NAME
In Arabic folklore the ghūl haunts graveyards and ruins, feeds on the dead, and changes shape to mislead travelers. It's the source of the English word "ghoul." Al-Ghul took the name because he has died and come back more than once, and because Palo, the tradition he came up in, starts from the premise that you are already dead. The long version is on the About page.
The ghoul is also a fair description of the method. It goes where nobody else will, down to what's been buried and thrown out, and comes back fed. It also won't hold a single face, which is why the work runs under several names.
WHAT HE MAKES
Poked in the Third Eye is the catalog of that work, numbered P3E-001 onward and traced back to 1996. Its three central figures are Phra Ngang, the Thai spirit of desire; High John the Conqueror, the trickster who kept a kingship the whip couldn't reach; and Gnosis, the condemned knowledge buried at Nag Hammadi.
| Work | Credited to | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Gnostic Gods & Monsters (P3E-007) | Albert West | An illustrated book adapting the Hypostasis of the Archons, the Nag Hammadi text about the archons who rule this world. It's billed as the first illustrated children's book to adapt it. |
| The Phra Ngang Codex (P3E-008) | Lung Farang Ngong, with Ajarn Maha Mettaboon | It's 1,999 one-of-one pha yant, the Thai sacred cloth yantra, printed to glow under blacklight. The elements are hand-drawn and composed by the artist's own code, with no AI image models. |
| Night Watchmen (P3E-006) | Al-Ghul | It's a merch line of tricksters, shapeshifters and antiheroes: Phra Ngang, High John de Conquer, Mr. Hyde, and a calligraphic portrait of Al-Ghul himself. |
| Art of High John the Conqueror and High John: Fetishes & Flags (P3E-005) | Dr. Octopus | These are hand-built flags and fetishes for High John, made on commission. |
| Pseunophage (album) and EP-ileptic (EP) | Gabagool | These are hardcore and gabber records released on the Poked in the Third Eye label. |
| Gnostic Friends Network (P3E-001) and New Dawn Magazine articles (P3E-002) | Rev. Illuminatus Maximus | The first is an online archive from 1996 to 2012, and the second is a set of articles from 2006 to 2008. |
The authority behind the work is initiatory, not academic. He practices in Palo and Ocha, has worked with Phra Ngang for about ten years, and has kept up a decade of work with High John.
Who is High John the Conqueror? Read the explainer.
WHAT AL-GHUL IS NOT
The name collides with better-known things, so here they are.
- Al-Ghul is not Ra's al Ghul. Ra's al Ghul is a supervillain in DC Comics' Batman titles. Both names come from the same Arabic word, ghūl, and "ra's al-ghūl," meaning "the ghoul's head," is also the old Arabic name of the star Algol. Al-Ghul the artist has nothing to do with DC Comics, Batman, or any film, game or merchandise built on them.
- Night Watchmen is not Watchmen. Night Watchmen is Al-Ghul's own line of trickster designs. It isn't related to the Watchmen comic or any of its adaptations, and it isn't licensed by or affiliated with DC.
- Gabagool is not the other Gabagools. Several unrelated artists use the name on streaming services. Al-Ghul's Gabagool releases are the ones on the Poked in the Third Eye label.
- Al-Ghul is not a fictional character. He's a real artist using a working name. The personae are masks for the work, not separate people.
- Poked in the Third Eye isn't a chakra or meditation brand. The "third eye" here means perception, the ability to see patterns and motives that others miss. Being poked in it is what happens when something cuts through the noise and leaves you harder to fool.
- He isn't selling festival spirituality. The work is folk magic and heresy taken seriously, with the danger and the obligations left in.
WHERE TO FIND HIM
These are the official profiles. Anything else using the name isn't him.
- The website is pokedinthe3rdeye.com.
- The newsletter is the Chthonograph on Substack, at pokedinthe3rdeye.substack.com.
- Instagram is @pokedin3rdeye.
- X is @Pokedin3rdEye.
- YouTube is @pokedinthe3rdeye.
- Facebook is Pokedinthe3rdEye.
- The Gabagool mixes are on Mixcloud at RealGabagool.
FAQ
Who is Al-Ghul?
Al-Ghul (الغول) is a self-taught American occult artist and the masked figure behind Poked in the Third Eye. He makes books, art, music and essays about folk magic, gnostic heresy and trickster spirits, and he publishes the Chthonograph newsletter.
Is Al-Ghul the same as Ra's al Ghul from Batman?
No. Ra's al Ghul is a DC Comics character. Al-Ghul is an independent artist whose name comes from the ghoul of Arabic folklore, and he has no connection to DC Comics or Batman.
Is Night Watchmen related to Watchmen?
No. Night Watchmen is Al-Ghul's own collection of trickster and antihero designs, including Phra Ngang, High John de Conquer and Mr. Hyde. It has no connection to the Watchmen comic or to DC.
Is Al-Ghul a real person?
Yes. Al-Ghul is the working name of a real artist. He publishes under several personae, such as Gabagool for music and Lung Farang Ngong for the Phra Ngang Codex, and he keeps his face out of the work.
What is Poked in the Third Eye?
Poked in the Third Eye is Al-Ghul's catalog of books, art, music and essays, traced back to 1996. It treats folk magic, heresy and trickster lore as survival knowledge rather than entertainment.
Where can I read Al-Ghul's writing?
His essays and field notes go out free in the Chthonograph, his newsletter on Substack at pokedinthe3rdeye.substack.com.
READ THE WORK
Everything that doesn't fit on a website goes into the Chthonograph. It's free, and it's the one place the writing arrives first. Subscribe to the Chthonograph.
