[[WMG:[[center:[-'''RECAP:'''\\
[[Recap/TheXFiles Index]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS08E01Within 1]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS08E02Without 2]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS08E03Patience 3]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS08E04Roadrunners 4]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS08E05Invocation 5]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS08E06Redrum 6]] | '''7''' | [[Recap/TheXFilesS08E08Surekill 8]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS08E09Salvage 9]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS08E10Badlaa 10]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS08E11TheGift 11]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS08E12Medusa 12]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS08E13PerManum 13]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS08E14ThisIsNotHappening 14]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS08E15Deadalive 15]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS08E16ThreeWords 16]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS08E17Empedocles 17]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS08E18Vienen 18]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS08E19Alone 19]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS08E20Essence 20]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS08E21Existence 21]]]]-]]]
'''Season 8, Episode 07:'''
!Via Negativa
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/thexfilesvianegativa.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''[[ParanoiaFuel "I'm not sure... I'm awake."]]'']]
->Written by Frank Spotnitz\\
Directed by Creator/TonyWharmby

->''"[[TitleDrop 'Via Negativa']] - the path of darkness. Tipet believed he reached it. Uh, he believed that the drugs took him inside the subconscious minds of anyone he knew... making the most horrific, irrational dream imagery of their nightmares come true."''
-->-- '''John Doggett'''

While Scully is in the hospital, Doggett and Skinner investigate a cult leader named Anthony Tipet (Creator/KeithSzarabajka) who may be murdering people in their dreams.
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!!Tropes:
* AgentMulder: Scully is briefly hospitalized, so Skinner fills this role in this episode, suggesting that Tipet may have actually succeeded in ascending to a higher plane of consciousness. Doggett, as usual, fills the AgentScully role, but by the end he has really been thrown for a loop by the strange occurrences he can't begin to explain.
* ApologeticAttacker: Tipet to Doggett, unable to help himself as he is trying to brainwash Doggett into taking his place in the dream world, and trying to force him to kill Scully.
* BadBoss: Kersh is being a dismissive jerkass, as per usual.
* BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind: Doggett and Tipet at the end. It is implied the only reason Doggett wins is because Tipet passes away before Doggett can kill Scully.
* BittersweetEnding: Tipet dies and Doggett is able to break free of his control, resisting killing Scully, but Doggett is deeply shaken by the end of the episode by his paranormal experiences.
* DrivenToSuicide: Tipet, upon realizing he was out of control sticks his head against a saw blade. He falls into a coma and dies by the end of the episode, after unwillingly trying to force Doggett to become like him.
* HeroicWillpower: One possibility for how Doggett was able to resist going through with Tipet's command in his dreams to murder Scully.
* HeroicSuicide: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]. When Doggett refuses to kill Scully in the dream world, he tries to swing the axe towards his own head. Luckily, he wakes up before the blade even touches his face.
* NearVillainVictory: Tipet nearly succeeds in taking control of Doggett and killing Scully, but passes away before he can succeed. Allowing Doggett to stop before he does.
* NotSoStoic: The normally rock solid Doggett becomes gradually more emotionally troubled by the paranormal events of the episode, especially when he can't tell if he is dreaming or awake.
* SpectralWeaponCopy: A mystic used his power to copy the ritual axe.
* TragicVillain: Tipet didn't mean to kill anyone in his dreams, but lost control of himself with his powers. In an attempt to stop the killings he rams his head onto a buzzsaw, killing himself.
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->''"It was a bad dream, Agent Doggett, but that's all it was."''