Professor Z. Parabrahm Zeus (Musicology, Miskatonic University) presents "musical teachings" to the initiated, conducting The Phantastic Orchestra (of the Arkham Music Conservatory) and a rotating cast of music makers. Sympathizers regard him as a charismatic master who brought new knowledge into Western culture and whose psychological and cosmological elucidations are better than the ones found in modern sciences. Critics assert he is simply a charlatan with a large ego and a constant need for self-glorification. Others see him as an esotericist or occultist. Zeus widely admits his musical teachings are esoteric but he claims that none of it is veiled in secrecy for secrecy's sake. Rather, certain ideas cannot be understood by people without certain preparation, and ideas received without such preparation result in distortion. Evidence of such distortion can be seen today (as well as in other esoteric teachings such as Freemasonry) where advanced allegories, and especially symbols (e.g. the pentagramophone) are now taken out of context, causing great confusion as to the intended meanings. About his teaching, Zeus once said, "What do I teach? I teach people how to listen to the Universe."
