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E-Motion Picture Magic

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E-Motion Picture Magic A Movie Lover’s Guideto Healing and Transformation

Birgit Wolz, Ph.D.

Glenbridge Publishing Ltd.

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Copyright © 2004 by Birgit Wolz

Published by Glenbridge Publishing Ltd.19923 E. Long Ave.Centennial, Colorado 80016

All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical articles or reviews, no part of this

publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic ormechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval sys-tem, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: LC 2004104793

International Standard Book Number: 0-944435-55-6

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Dr. Wolz’s e-mail address: [email protected] site: http://www.cinematherapy.com

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ContentsIntroduction..................................................................................1

1. Basic Discoveries ...................................................................7

2. How Movies Support Healing and Transformation ....19

3. Watching Movies With Conscious Awareness...............33

4. Using Movies to Release Negative Beliefs .....................56

5. Negative Belief Index.........................................................75

6. Building Self-Esteem...........................................................96

7. Grief and Transformation................................................113

8. How Film Characters Affect Us —The Film Matrix................................................................126

9. Self-Discovery Through Film Characters —

The Self Matrix .................................................................13610. Powerful Tools for Healing and Growth —

The Growth Matrix ..........................................................154

11. Creating a Cinema Therapy Group ...............................176

The Film Index.........................................................................185

Endnotes ....................................................................................213

Bibliography ..............................................................................216

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TO

All of my wonderful teachers, who guided me on this fascinating journey, discovering and

communicating the transformational magic in movies.

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ForewordEver Since Hugo Munsterberg offered the first scientifically-based, psychological perspective on how movies affect movie-goers in 1916, the courtship between psychology and motionpictures has been a volatile, on-again, off-again affair withlibidinous spurts of heart, mind, and, occasionally, spleen.

Ironically, Munsterberg may have been the first to remark about the psychological impact of this remarkable invention,this magic lantern, yet it was the less rigorously empirical,more boldly speculative but aesthetically far more appealingpsychoanalytic theory, which leapfrogged over the likes of Munsterberg and his staid scientific psychology and quicklycolonized the film world.

Onscreen and off, psychoanalysts “explained” to the worldthe surface and symbolic meaning of words, actions, and

images rambling or racing across movie screens, into the con-scious and unconscious minds of rapt viewers. The psy-chopathology of everyday life became the grist for Hollywoodfilms. While attending the movies, people were often firstexposed to such exotic terms and conditions as psychosis,depression, hysteria, and the unfolding panoply of treatmentmodalities that made terms like “psychotherapy,” “schizophre-nia,” and “neurosis” integral parts of parlor conversation’s lex-ical landscape.

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While films could viscerally depict people wrestling withpsychological demons, grand and petty, as a medium, film wasunwieldy for purposes of using the issues it dramatized as gristfor another mill, the mill of psychotherapy. What was it aboutthe life on screen that touched the life of the viewer off screen?How do you easily explore it? A book or poem that moved you,a painting that touched you, a musical passage that transportedyou — they could be reread, re-viewed, or replayed to recap-ture the emotional lightning. But how could the 35mm motionpicture, an expensive, non-portable medium, be used to aidpsychotherapy? Not well and not easily.

Then, in the late 70s the VCR and the video cassette revo-lutionized film duplication, and the door to cinema therapy wasopened wide. Easy, inexpensive access to emotionally provoca-tive film stories became a convenient reality. Freed of screen-ing constraints, film could now easily be recruited to aid thetherapeutic process.

Today, the value of film to the process of self-awareness

and self-improvement has never been more exquisitely appre-ciated, by both academics and laypersons. Self-help booksdesigned around recommended and categorized film titles haveappeared. I have read many of them, and some are quite good.Few, however, are written by therapists who have devotedmuch of their practice to the use of film as a central therapeu-tic adjunct. Birgit Wolz is such a therapist and author. Herextensive hands-on professional experience in the field bringsa greater sensitivity to the intricacies and nuances of film as an

emotional experience and source of identification and self-dis-covery. E-Motion Picture Magic: A Movie Lover’s Guide to

Healing and Transformation comes with guidance, advice,insights, and recommendations that reflect her experienceswith the emerging field of cinema therapy.

It is clear that Wolz understands the dynamics of whymovies are such a rich source of personal insight and self-dis-covery. Movies constitute the premier popular culture form of the day. This is due, in no small way, to the psychophysiologi-

viii E-Motion Picture Magic

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cal properties of the film medium. While film has been justlycalled an “emotion machine,” it is also a strongly multi-sensorymedium. More than any other medium of entertainment andcommunication, movies richly represent the swirl of flesh,ideas, pain, pride and laughter, symbols, and images that definewhat we call “the human condition.”

But film isn’t without its shortcomings. Although researchhas shown film to be the premier emotion generator, researchhas also shown that books can explain and explore complexissues far more effectively than can films. In essence, filmarouses and print elaborates. A wedding of film self-help bookscan offer the best of both media. This is what the field of cin-ema therapy has to offer a cinema-savvy society.

Dr. Wolz advises that therapeutic value can be harvestedfrom good or bad films, from agreeable or disagreeable char-acters, or from exhilarating or depressing endings. It is not theaesthetics of the film that is of moment for Wolz, but how thefilm resonates with the troublesome narratives of our lives.

Moreover, films can show us, with equal salutatory value, whatworks, what doesn’t work, what’s functional, what’s dysfunc-tional, what we should incorporate into our lives and what weshould jettison. Films become vicarious learning machines forthose who pay attention to how the myriad film muses speak tous in darkened theaters or dimly-lit living rooms.

The wisdom of Dr. Wolz’s understanding of how films canspeak to us in unanticipated ways is cleverly evidenced in the“negative” instance. She notes that one needn’t like or even be

moved by a character to learn from him or her. I would add thatyou don’t even have to like an entire film to learn somethingabout yourself. For example, how or when a movie doesn’t moveus is often as important as how or when a movie does move us.If the entire audience is weeping when the lights go on at theend of the show, and your eyes are desert-dry, a river of emotionmay be running through the dry gulch, just below the surface.

Dr. Wolz clearly has a comprehensive agenda in mind for herreaders. Drawing from multiple academic and philosophical

Foreword ix

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sources, she combines self-help strategies, techniques, insights,and exercises addressing the array of personal problem areasthat are emblematic of the modern human condition. She offersa version of cinema therapy that, more than most, is firmlygrounded in well-tested principles of cognitive-behavior mod-ification and social learning, and she applies them with rigorand creativity to this modern treatment modality. Her book eas-ily appeals to both lay and professional audiences and, mostimportantly, she has raised the bar of excellence for futureauthors.

Stuart Fischoff, Ph.D.Emeritus Professor of Media Psychology,

California State University, Los Angeles, andDirector of the Media Psychology Research Institute

x E-Motion Picture Magic

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Introduction Have you ever wished for more perspective on your life? Haveyou ever thought “If only I could take a couple steps back frommy problems I might feel less insecure, worried, discontented,angry or confused?” I have often observed that true healingbegins when some event occurs that causes us to gain a deeper

understanding of ourselves and our circumstances. Sometimesthis shift in perspective comes about through a major disrup-tion in our normal routines. Or perhaps a friend’s life inspiresus and opens us to new insights. Sometimes the object that keysthis extraordinary change of viewpoint is not even a real personbut simply a character in a story.

Throughout history philosophers, psychotherapists, andspiritual teachers have pointed to a shift in viewpoint as the keyto emotional and spiritual growth. Such a change in perspective

is one of the goals commonly sought by those who practicespiritual disciplines. In many forms of meditation it is hopedthat the practice will enable us to see into our deeper nature andthat by doing so we will no longer identify so closely with ourindividual concerns. In such a scenario our problems do notnecessarily go away, but through meditation we learn to viewthem in a larger context. This meditative vantage point is some-times called an observer perspective . Many psychotherapeuticmethods share a similar goal.

“The best movies trans- port us beyond time. We hitch a ride on the emo-tional roller coaster of themain character’s quest.”

Cathie GlennSturdevant

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Life teaches us that there is often more than one way toachieve our dreams. Having worked with many clients over theyears, I have been occasionally surprised to watch as one of themexperienced an amazing “aha!” of recognition and had an inter-nal shift after watching a movie. These clients were able to iden-tify with characters who had struggles similar to their own. Butwhile they identified with the characters, it was also somehoweasier to maintain their distance “outside” the experience. Inother words, they maintained an observer perspective . In somecases, instead of identifying with a character, the client washighly critical of them. Either way, the same active principlesseemed to apply, and combining the movie experience with psy-chological exploration during our sessions had powerful results.

Having observed this almost “alchemical” process manytimes, I have come to believe that the key to it lies in two criticalaspects of the movie-viewing experience. Movies, more than anyother storytelling medium, have the power to draw us out of our-selves and into the experience of their characters. Yet, at the

same time, it is often easier to maintain a healthy distance or per-spective while watching a movie than it is in a real-life situation.When psychotherapeutic tools are used to process this

movie-prompted experience, healing and transformation canhappen. Viewing a film with conscious awareness , and prop-erly digesting the whole experience , together form the coreprinciples of E-Motion Picture Magic — a particular type of cinema therapy.

Throughout this book I offer movie suggestions and intro-

duce these therapeutic methods in the form of exercises. I alsoinclude examples of experiences related to me by clients frommy practice. In all such examples, the client’s name has beenchanged in order to protect their confidentiality.

The Power of MoviesSince the dawn of the movie era more than one hundred yearsago, cinema has had its skeptics and detractors. Even Louis

“Movies offer an unusu-ally safe, enjoyable way to peek at all we’ve denied — our dark sides and our light.”

Marsha Sinetar

2 E-Motion Picture Magic

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Lumière, one of the principal inventors of cinematography,said, “The cinema is an invention without a future.”

But happily, Lumière was wrong. Movies did have afuture. They have become enormously popular and immenselypowerful as a tool for telling stories, communicating informa-tion, and influencing culture. Even the early silent films, withtheir jerky, grainy, black and white images exhibited an almostmagical power to captivate their viewers’attention. Today, withbone shaking surround-sound, brilliant color, wide-screen for-mat, and digital special effects, the power of cinema to trans-port us into other worlds has grown to gargantuan proportions.

As one measure of just how powerful movies have become,consider how some sociologists, psychologists, politicians, andclerics complain that movies are changing the way society,especially children, view themselves and their world. Such crit-ics point out that in an effort to appeal to the basest elements of human nature, many movies overemphasize graphic violenceand sex. Of course, their complaint is about the films’ content

— not the medium. But it is interesting to note that while suchcritics level these same complaints against other media —books, magazines, popular music, fine art — movies bear thelion’s share of such attacks. It is illuminating to ask why. Ibelieve it is because movies, by virtue of their verisimilitudeand ubiquity, have significantly greater power than other mediato move us, to change the way we see our world and ourselves.

It is obvious that many films play to the lowest commondenominators — the base human instincts and desires. Even so,

it is practically impossible to number the movies that seek theopposite pole, that strive to inspire the highest human values.The vast majority of movies simply hope to entertain by spin-ning a good yarn, and even those sometimes end up uninten-tionally serving as a catalyst for personal insight into the darkerside of the soul. When those dark aspects are brought into thelight of conscious awareness, true inner freedom is possible.

Like no other medium before it, the popular movie pres-ents the potential of a new power for illuminating the depth of

Introduction 3

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What E-Motion Picture Magic Is, and Is not

Basically, E-Motion Picture Magic is a way to use the act of consciously watching movies in combination with therapeuticor consciousness-raising exercises for personal healing andtransformation.

Some of the existing literature about utilizing movies ther-apeutically focuses on professional therapy; others are writtenprimarily as a self-help guide. The most popular of those self-help books treat the subject in a lighthearted manner. As a ther-apist, I believe the movie experience used in a very specificway can have great healing benefits for those who are willingto apply themselves. I also believe that this process can be fun.

As to working with a therapist or not, I strongly urge thosewith serious psychological problems to seek professional help.I also believe that for many people the transformative power of movies can be used for personal growth without the aid of atherapist, so long as they follow certain guidelines and learn to

watch films with conscious awareness — a term that will beexplored in depth later in this book. Conscious awareness iscentral to E-Motion Picture Magic: it is both a principal meansand one of the end results of that process.

E-Motion Picture Magic is not watching movies to escapeour problems. It is the very opposite. It is not just poppingvideos into the deck hoping that somehow, through a kind of osmosis, certain life lessons will be absorbed. Much of thehealing work in E-Motion Picture Magic is accomplished

either before the opening fade-in or after the end credits roll onthe screen.

Therapists may use this approach with their clients, but thetherapist needs to be aware that the movie experience shouldnot be used as a therapeutic modality by itself. E-MotionPicture Magic includes and in fact rests upon traditional psy-chotherapeutic methods. Methods from the therapist’s thera-peutic “tool box” other than the one described in this book canbe combined with the conscious movie experience.

“Take your life in your own hands and what happens? A terrible thing:no one to blame.”

Erica Jong

Introduction 5

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Both fiction and nonfiction films can be used. But for thepurposes of this book I have chosen to focus solely on the useof fictional films. I do so for two reasons: they constitute thevast majority of movies most easily accessed (even if some of those fictional stories are based on true-life stories); andthough documentary and other nonfiction formats are oftenused with strong effect and result in films that are truly power-ful agents for personal reflection, many fictional stories alsocontain an added mythic dimension, which is important to thetransformational process and is often missing in nonfictionfilms.


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1 Basic Discoveries

How Movies Influenced My Life It was starting to get a little warmer when spring showed itsfirst signs in the small town where I grew up in southwestGermany. I had just turned seven and was having trouble withsome children at school. I had just been transferred into a newclass, and it was hard for me to make friends. My classmateshad formed cliques from which I seemed excluded; I felt tooshy to ask for their attention. In addition I was bored and ready

for adventure after a long winter. I hungered for excitement.One Sunday afternoon my grandfather invited me to see a

movie in our small theater. I was surprised because “Opa” andI were not close. He never seemed to pay attention to me. Whenhe asked me to go, I did not spend much time wondering aboutit, I was very excited. At home, we had just gotten a television,but going to see a movie on a big screen seemed different.

Although I am aware that my grandfather did not havemany movies to choose from in our village back then, I am

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now surprised about his decision to take me to The Last Daysof Pompeii (1960). Nobody seemed to worry about ageappropriateness or exposure to violence. Today I stillremember scenes in which Christians heroically fought fortheir lives and faith in ancient Rome. The martyrs were savedat the last minute because Mt. Vesuvius erupted and killedtheir persecutors.

This movie outing was my big adventure. I wasabsolutely fascinated. For the first time I experienced beingengrossed in a bigger-than-life experience — the colors, thesounds and the story of a big screen motion picture. The Last

Days of Pompeii moved me deeply. When I held my grandfa-ther’s hand walking out of the theater, the world seemed dif-ferent. After this intensely emotional experience I felt close tohim for the first time in my life. A new and unfamiliar bondhad developed between us, as if we had prevailed togetherover a real tragedy as opposed to one on the screen, as if wehad stuck together during a real war and not a projected fan-

tasy battle. Our relationship was transformed. From that dayon we became movie buddies. No one else in our familyshared our interest.

My first motion picture also opened my eyes to animportant value, standing up and fighting for one’s truebeliefs. In some ways I had been aware of this all along, butit was not very clear in my mind, and I certainly did not havethe words to articulate it. The movie demonstrated that therehave been people in the world who followed this principle.

Although I had felt drawn to stories about Christians andother heroes before, the film brought their lives to my aware-ness in a much more vivid fashion. Since I was raisedCatholic and felt deeply committed to my seven-year-oldChristian faith at the time, the movie provided a significantspiritual experience as well.

I perceived the film heroes as strong and courageous whenthey faced their immense challenges. Today I remember thatfor a long time after watching the movie, I saw myself as one

“Man can learn nothing except by going from the known to the unknown.”

Claude Bernard


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of them. I felt strong, capable of taking on my problems. Thenext day in school, I, “the hero,” started talking casually tomy classmates. It wasn’t hard at all. Making contact actuallyfelt surprisingly effortless. I forgot my shyness. At first Ialmost could not believe that my classmates responded in afriendly manner. Over time I got used to it and new friend-ships developed.

I believe that this first motion picture and the subsequentfilms I viewed about heroes and their challenges created animportant imprint on my young soul. They helped me developan adventurous spirit and the courage to take risks that sup-ported me in my development.

After my first adventure with my grandfather I saw manymore movies that told stories of heroes. Some were ancientRomans, some cowboys and Indians who fought with theirenemies or struggled with other big challenges and eventuallytriumphed over them.

This early positive experience with the movies planted a

seed that continued to grow throughout my life. I have longbeen a confirmed movie lover. That personal interest turnedprofessional after I began my career as a psychotherapist andfirst learned about the technique of using movies as a tool forpsychological healing and personal growth.

E-Motion Picture Magic grew out of this personal and pro-fessional interest. It is more than merely a guide to selecting afilm to improve your mood. It goes beyond discussion of psy-

chological theory and spiritual advice (though it includes agood deal of both). It is intended to be very “hands-on,” a toolfor exploring and developing your inner life. Use the exercisesthat appeal to you and save the rest. Perhaps you will feel likedoing them at another time.

To introduce the notion of the exercises I encourage you tostart with this one below. Contemplate the questions. Whileyou’re thinking about your answers, it might help to writedown your thoughts.

“The universe will reward you for taking risks on its

behalf.” Shakti Gawain

Basic Discoveries 9

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led to strange miscommunication. As the story progressed,however, I noticed that they did not hide with shame but startedto admire and eventually love each other. Again, it seemed as if I suddenly saw things with different eyes. Now I understoodthat the world was not going to end when I felt anxiety aboutmeeting a boy I liked.

It was easier, at least for a while, to accept my own inse-curities. Now I noticed something of which previously I hadbeen unaware: the boys to whom I was attracted were at leastas anxious as I. To my surprise my nervousness diminished asI became less concerned about my own feelings. Later, when-ever my doubts and fears about my impression on othersreturned, I recalled the awkwardness of Jennifer and Oliver inthe movie and felt reassured that I was normal. This helped meto develop more self-esteem over time in my response to boysfor whom I felt an attraction.

I still appreciate the help I received from the world of filmduring this significant phase of my life. I believe that movies

like Love Story helped me learn patience and compassion withmyself at a time when I thought I was failing terribly becauseof my insecurities.

You may have experienced different excitements and chal-lenges during your teenage years. Most likely these experi-ences imprinted significantly on your personality, your rela-tionships, and your life goals. Movies may have played animportant role in this process. Write down your thoughts to thefollowing questions:

Exercise 2: Remembering Your Teenage Years

Do you remember a movie that had a specialimpact on you during your teenage years?How did it affect you?Do you believe that it might have had animpact on how you see yourself and the worldtoday?

“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”

Basic Discoveries 11

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Later I had to face several losses and disappointments. Oneof the biggest challenges was a life-threatening, disabling ill-ness. After a time, it became clear that I would live, but thequestion still remained as to how I would live. I learnedthrough this shocking wake-up call that I could never take any-thing for granted. All possibility of reaching the goals to whichI had previously aspired seemed to evaporate. Relationshipschanged dramatically. My future suddenly appeared a com-plete blank. It presented a frightening picture. The traumaticnature of this ordeal made it hard to use the spiritual practicesthat previously had helped me find inner peace. I was verydepressed and felt cut off from everyone around me as well asfrom my true self. Even the solace of tears eluded me. I hadbecome emotionally paralyzed and could not even cry.

During this time certain kinds of movies seemed amaz-ingly helpful, even transformative. I noticed with surprise thatI started crying uncontrollably whenever I saw films thatshowed characters in tragic experiences. I made a point of

going to movie theaters by myself and sitting in the last row. Inthe protective darkness of this environment all the blocked uptears started flowing in response to watching the characters’pain. I still recall vividly the strong cathartic effect of watchingthe political and emotional drama The Unbearable Lightness of

Being (1988) , and the portrayal of illness and death in Terms of Endearment (1983) . My catharsis felt emotionally liberating.

Surprisingly, I experienced these movies as comforting toobecause they showed me that I wasn’t the only person who suf-

fered. Watching the characters’ hardships helped me put thingsin perspective, and I recognized that I was comparatively well-off. After several months I noticed that tears did not flow aseasily anymore in response to a touching film scene. It felt likesome inner pressure had been released and my focus shifted.

Intuitively I now began seeking out movies that helpedsupport a different aspect of my recovery. During this phase Iwatched films in which a character faced almost bigger-than-life challenges, suffered from repeated setbacks, prevailed over

“In the dark time,the eye begins to see.”

TheodoreRoethke


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obstacles, and experienced an internal transformation.Recognizing that the characters had grown immensely in thisoften agonizing process, I was then able to touch into my ownhope and deep inner knowing that this might be possible for metoo. I became fascinated by movies like My Left Foot (1989)where Christy, who has cerebral palsy, gradually becomes anartist, writer, and eventually a husband. Among others Iwatched Places in the Heart (1984) several times. Here, themain character, Edna, masters many overwhelming problemssuccessfully after her husband dies. Each time I saw this film itenabled me to access my own strength, courage, and determi-nation not to let my challenges defeat me. Instead, I started tobelieve that I, like these movie characters, could eventuallycome out of this life crisis matured as well as emotionally andspiritually transformed.

You may have experienced significant crises in your lifethat challenged you emotionally. Perhaps you are in the middleof working through a trauma or a loss. In response, you may

feel sad, depressed, or anxious. Write down any thoughts inresponse to the following questions:

Exercise 3: Remembering Your Hard Times

Do you remember certain movies that affected you strongly when you experienced hardtimes?If you experience difficult challenges rightnow, ask yourself: What do you need most —

catharsis, comfort, encouragement, ormodeling of transformation? What kind of movie do you feel intuitivelydrawn to?

For many years I have felt drawn to a variety of movies andwatched them with much enjoyment. After I started using theprinciples of E-Motion Picture Magic I not only enjoyed themovies for entertainment, but I noticed consciously how I felt

“I cannot believe that theinscrutable universe turns on an axis of suffering; surely the strange beautyof the world must some-where rest on pure joy!”

Louise Bogan


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most deeply moved when a character demonstrated a strong com-mitment to their authentic truth or their spiritual self. For exam-ple in Whale Rider (2003) a young Maori girl challenges a thou-sand years of cultural tribal history to fulfill her spiritual destiny.Another one is Powder (1995) where the main character, Powder,is in touch with deep spiritual truths. Powder is made an outcastbecause of his ability to tap into certain powers that frighten peo-ple, but he remains committed to himself, nevertheless.

Storytelling has always been the preferred tool of greatwisdom teachers. They use stories as allegories to convey pro-found messages. Some screenwriters follow in their footsteps.

When the allegorical messages of such movies touch me, Ifeel reconnected to my own authentic and spiritual self. Feelingfrequently caught up in life’s distractions, these films call meback to my true priorities and values.

You may have felt deeply touched by certain movies too.Again, write down some notes about your thoughts in responseto these questions:

Exercise 4: Films That Move You Deeply

Do you remember movies, characters, or filmscenes that moved you? What kind of feelings did they elicit?Do you learn anything about yourself as youcontemplate your response?

Using Movies for Personal andSpiritual GrowthSince movies have impacted my life in such a powerful way, itdid not seem far-fetched to start wondering how they might beused systematically for emotional healing as well as personaland even spiritual growth. At the same time I encounteredamazingly transformative therapeutic and spiritual practices onmy personal path and in my training as a psychotherapist.

“It is within my power either to serve God or not

to serve him. Serving Him, I add to my own good and the good of thewhole world. Not serving Him, I forfeit my own good and deprive theworld of that good, which was in my power tocreate.”

Leo Tolstoy


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Working with individual clients and my cinema therapy group,I have observed how these various practices and the power of films can enhance and complement each other.

Movies work on many levels. I use them in three differentways: Prescriptively (using films to model or illustrate specificdesired qualities or behaviors), Evocatively (using films for self-discovery), Cathartically (using films to find emotional release).

The Prescriptive WayThis approach is based on the assumption that watching amovie can put us into a light trance state, similar to the stateoften achieved via guided visualizations. In therapy this kind of trance work is designed to help clients get in touch with amature and wise part of themselves that helps them overcomeproblems and strengthen positive qualities.

As you have already learned, certain films had this kind of effect on me. Early in my life films helped me increase my self-

esteem and work with anxiety. They also taught me to connectwith and strengthen my courage and determination. Many of my clients experienced amazing results in a similar way whenthey watched movies under my guidance.

I concluded that a combination of watching certain filmswith conscious awareness combined with effective therapeuticmethods helps to reach deep layers of the psyche to bring abouthealing and growth. Using the Prescriptive way, specific filmsare recommended as a kind of teaching tale, to model problem

solving, or to access and develop an undiscovered capacity.They also can be chosen to demonstrate the wrong way of doingthings so the viewer can learn by proxy. In Chapters 4 through7 you will be introduced to some applications of this approach.

The Evocative WayAnother way of utilizing movies in a therapeutic and growth-provoking manner borrows from dream work. Films can be

“Ancient sages and contemporary psychologists alikeinsist that music, art,and drama are potent transformer of consciousness.”

Marsha Sinetar


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seen as the “collective dreams” of our times. When certainmovies resonate with us, they touch into the unconscious partof our psyche. A film may move us deeply, as I experiencedwith Whale Rider and Powder . A character or a scene mightalso upset us intensely. Understanding our emotional responsesto movies, just as understanding our nighttime dreams, canserve as a window to our unconscious. Both are ways to bringour unconscious inner world to a conscious level.

One of the most effective ways of using dreams to tap thewisdom of the unconscious can be found in Jeremy Taylor’sbook Where People Fly and Water Runs Uphill .1 I have adaptedsome of his basic principles for interpretation and utilization of dreams to the process of self-discovery and growth throughfilms. As you understand your responses to movie characters,you will get to know yourself in ways of which you were pre-viously unaware. Consequently these responses will teach youhow to reach increased health and wholeness. This is possiblebecause expanded awareness alone often helps us to let go of

unhealthy patterns and reconnect with our authentic self. Incase insight alone is not sufficient, I will also introduce a seriesof exercises to work with your new discoveries.

In this process films are used in an evocative way. Differentfrom the Prescriptive way, the choice of films is not limited toa certain kind of movie. As it is possible to gain insights fromany dream, your emotional responses to almost any kind of movie can teach you to understand yourself better. You will beintroduced to this approach in chapters 8 through 10.

The Cathartic WayOur cultural preference for processing emotions cognitivelyinstead of feeling them in our bodies tends to maintain andprolong distress. Emotions are stored in the body, not only themind. Cathartic therapeutic techniques allow therapists to helpclients access these stored emotions and release them. Thesemethods are based on the assumption that the more catharsis

“Movies do more than just entertain. A good moviecan also teach.”

John K.Clemens


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The late author Norman Cousins wrote about watchinghumorous films as part of his recovery from degenerative dis-ease: “Ten minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anestheticeffect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free sleep.” 2

Increased physical well-being most often improves our psy-chological state.

Laughter can also relieve anxiety as well as reduce aggres-sion and fear. Many clients have told me that after watching ahumorous movie they were able to approach a solution to aproblem they were worried about with less emotional involve-ment and a fresh and creative perspective. Even light depres-sion can lift for a while.

Most of us respond differently to different kinds of humor-ous or sad movies. With our unique sensibilities, some of uslike intellectual humor, some gallows humor, some slapstick,etc. A “one-hanky” film for one person might be a “five-hanky”movie for her friend. Therefore you will find the best emotionalrelease when you choose a movie using your own experience

of your typical emotional responses. For guidance consult theFilm Index . You will find two categories that are designed tohelp you choose movies for catharsis: Laugher Works As

Medicine (under Inspiration ) and Crying For EmotionalCatharsis (under Personal Questions).

The criteria you use in selecting your film should not bebased on the same criteria typically used by a movie critic or a

jury of a film festival. For E-Motion Picture Magic to be effec-

tive it is much more important that your choice center on find-ing a film that speaks to you about your specific life situation,not on whether it has high artistic merit. A movie that touchesyou deeply or demonstrates a character development you areaspiring to will help you best with your healing or personalgrowth. Through the exercises and film recommendations inthis book you will learn to choose the right movie for your spe-cific need at a certain time.

“Films trigger emotions and open doors that might otherwise be closed.”

John W. Hesley& Jan G. Hesley


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paper. It was assigned two weeks ago and was due yesterday.She wonders whether she is capable of writing it. Elaine hasvery high expectations of herself and does not know how tostart writing. Nothing she thinks of seems good enough. Sittingin front of her computer and wracking her brain just seems tomake things worse. She gets increasingly fearful of makingmistakes, begins criticizing herself, and feels depressed.

From experience Elaine knows that watching one of herfavorite lighthearted comedy movies will interrupt her in herhabitual self-criticism and lift her mood. She decides to rent AFish Called Wanda (1988).

Many scenes in this film make her laugh. As she watches,her emotions change. Mistakes the characters make are por-trayed in a humorous, uplifting, and forgiving manner. Elainestarts feeling lighter, more optimistic.

After the movie she notices that, somehow, the negativebeliefs about herself have dissipated. For the time being shefeels more accepting of herself. She makes some tea and sits

down at her computer. Ideas about the paper begin to pop intoher mind. She feels just a little more confident and creative. Asshe starts writing, Elaine’s trust in her capability to write agood paper grows.

Alice is in a very dark spot in her life. Yesterday she hadanother big fight with her husband. It became clear to her thather marriage might end soon. She had tried for a long time tomake it work. Because of her overwhelming sadness at this

prospect she made a big mistake at work and was reprimanded.Now Alice remembers hearing about the power of positivethinking. She tries to cheer herself up by thinking upliftingthoughts, but try as she might, she comes up blank.

Finally she recalls that in the past, whenever she has beenreally sad, crying always made her feel better. But today, tearssomehow seem blocked; she can find no emotional release.Alice knows that renting a sad movie sometimes opens thefloodgates. She rents Snow Falling on Cedars (1999) because

“Every time you don’t follow your inner guid-ance, you feel a loss of energy, loss of power,a sense of spiritual deadness.”

Shakti Gawain


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she remembers that she cried when she saw this film a fewyears ago. As she watches the sad scenes, tears start flowing. Itfeels really good to cry, and her mood lifts a little. Things donot look as bleak anymore. The thought occurs to her that theremight be a light at the end of the tunnel. For the first time shestarted accepting that her marriage might be over soon and thatshe might be happy again after a period of grieving.

Hal has a very hard time making a decision. He hasreceived two job offers and is going back and forth, favoringone, then the other. He even writes down all the pluses andminuses of each. Neither job seems to stand out as an obviouschoice. He feels kind of paralyzed, tense. His head starts hurt-ing. Hal knows that he cannot make a decision from this tenseinner place. He struggles for hours until his friend Mark hap-pens to come over. Mark has brought a video to watch together:

Jonathan Livingston Seagull (1973).After they watch the film, Hal feels somehow lighter and

inspired. It is as if something in his consciousness has shiftedaway from his usual concentrated thinking mode. His tense,arduous mentality changes into an open-minded, relaxed atti-tude. When the two friends start talking about the pros andcons of Hal’s job offers, he suddenly knows intuitively fromdeep inside, which of the jobs is best for him.

Sally feels confused and worried. Last night she becamevery angry with her boyfriend Jim and yelled at him. This led

to a big fight. Now she feels bad because she sees that the smallmistake he made when they cooked dinner together did not jus-tify her acting out that way. The real reason for her reactionwas her hurt about his plans to leave the next morning for atwo-week fishing trip with friends. This made her feel excludedand abandoned.

Sally intuitively senses that it would help both of them if sheapologized, but she is afraid this would make her look stupidand needy. It could make her feel too vulnerable and weak. She

How Movies Support Healing and Transformation 21

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believes that Jim might take advantage of her vulnerability,criticize her, or push her away. Then she would feel evenworse. So she discusses this inner conflict with her friends.Unfortunately they have no useful advice for her.

Suddenly a movie scene appears to Sally: The character,Helen, in Sliding Doors (1998) did not seem to worry about hervulnerability when she ran into her boyfriend James on thestreet after having been separated for some time. She remem-bers that Helen expressed her desire for James even though shewas not sure whether he was still interested in her. Sallydecides to watch this film again and pays close attention to thisscene. In the movie Helen looks like she put herself out on alimb. She looks emotionally vulnerable but not weak at all. Infact, she seems kind of courageous and strong, allowing herself to be so open and vulnerable. James responds with emotionalopenness too, and they develop a close relationship.

Sally feels very inspired. Suddenly she can identify withHelen. What Helen demonstrated, Sally can do too. Her per-

ception of Jim changes as well. Remembering how good-hearted her boyfriend actually is, she suddenly realizes that theywill have an opportunity to experience more emotional close-ness as soon as she apologizes for her yelling and expresses thetruth about the hurt she had felt beneath her anger.

Cindy sits in a doctor’s waiting room reading a magazineabout psychology. She learns that children who grow up withalcoholic and dysfunctional parents usually believe that their

experience is normal. She also finds out that this normalizationis their way of coping with the pain of their unfortunate situa-tion. That’s how these children make their lives work. They donot have a choice because they depend on their parents forphysical survival and emotional well-being. The article contin-ues that later in life these children frequently create dysfunc-tional families of their own. Cindy is surprised because shegrew up as an only child with her divorced, severely alcoholic,and frequently abusive mother. Cindy was never allowed to

“There is vitality, a life force, energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action and because there is only oneof you all the time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through anyother medium and will be

lost.” Martha Graham


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play with friends from school or visit their houses. Havingbeen married happily for twenty-five years, she raised twowonderful children.

The next day, on a walk, she tells her girlfriend about thearticle and a memory that came back to her after reading it. Sheremembered being seven years old and thinking that there wassomething very different in her home from how it was sup-posed to be. Now both women wondered how she could haveknown at that young age that something was seriously wrongat home. How did she know that parents can and should be dif-ferent from her out-of-control mother?

As they talked, suddenly Cindy remembered that anythingshe knew about families in general was from watching moviesand shows on television. While mom was getting drunk orsleeping it off, there was nothing else to do except sit in frontof the television. She was a little embarrassed when she sharedthis with her friend because everyone seemed to be against kidsspending too much time watching television these days. But

Cindy is now convinced that watching many different kinds of films helped her intuitively understand the difference betweenhealthy and dysfunctional families when she was a child.

Through movies she also learned about a big range of feel-ings that she almost never experienced at home, such as love,

joy, trust, and compassion. Her mother demonstrated angeralmost exclusively. Now Cindy thinks that watching movies asa child helped her not repeat her mother’s mistakes later in herown life. Some movies taught her hope and courage. She espe-

cially remembers watching The Wizard of Oz (1939) whenevershe had an opportunity.

Even now, when she feels afraid or depressed because shefaces career or health challenges, Cindy watches films thathelp her find courage. She was surprised when she noticed thatthe heroes in these movies were merely adult versions of thecharacters in films she had seen as a child. The basic structureof their plots and their allegorical messages were almost thesame.

“Fairy tales deal in literary form with the basic problems of life, particularly those inherent in the struggle to achievematurity.”

BrunoBettleheim


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Why Movie Plots Affect UsIn order to understand the effects of movies, a multidiscipli-nary approach is needed. The following explorations thereforedraw from theories in several relevant disciplines.

Elaine obsessed over her paper. She needed a little vaca-tion from her troubles. A lighthearted film kept her from spi-raling into a more depressed mood. This is not about escapingfrom problems. Watching certain movies can help us approacha solution with less emotional involvement and obsessing. Itcreates an opening for a fresh and creative perspective.

New hypotheses in the science of evolution suggest thatearly humans may have increased their odds of survival bylearning from their mistakes. Pain plays a key role in thisprocess. And just as physical pain indicates that there is some-thing wrong in our body, emotional pain, such as worries anddepressed feelings, might indicate a need for learning from amistake we made. Instead of using these feelings as an indica-tor for a need to make improvements and focusing on findingcreative ways to resolve a problem, we often get stuck in obses-sive negative thinking, which can lead to spiraling hopeless-ness and depression. Elaine stopped this cycle early and wasable to access her creativity, which had been blocked by hernegative beliefs about herself.

Alice experienced emotional release when she watched a

sad movie. Her tears opened a door through which she saw thather suffering would not last forever. This created a break in theoverwhelming flood of emotions she had been feeling, whichallowed her natural grief and despair to start the healingprocess.

Most people say they feel better after they cry. Cryingmakes people feel better because emotional tears help rid thebody of chemicals that build up as a result of stress. Emotionaltears (produced by showing sad movies) have more protein and

“Trust in yourself. Your perceptions are often far more accurate than you are willing to believe.”

Claudia Black


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tive internal stance. This is called surrender . Our passivereceptivity experienced while watching a movie supports thisinner shift.

With our habitual, often externally oriented and logicalapproach to problems, we sometimes stand in our own way. Weforget to give the deeper layers of our soul, our intuition, moreroom to guide us; the source of our inner wisdom and creativesolutions for our problems often lie there. New possibilities canemerge; new ideas pop up as we get out of the way and let ourdeeper soul have more say in how we live. There are many toolsavailable to make this internal shift to access our inner wisdom,such as writing, drawing, praying, meditating, yoga, walks innature, hypnotherapy, psychotherapy, and many more. Watchingcertain films, especially if done with conscious awareness canserve as another important instrument for this process.

Sally’s perspective changed when she remembered amovie scene in which a character modeled an inner posture that

she wanted to adopt. This was possible because she was able tosee herself as the character. Sally already carried the capacityto own her mistakes and show vulnerability inside herself.Otherwise she would not have recognized this strength in thecharacter, Helen. But before she remembered the movie scene,Sally was unable to access this latent capacity on her own. Intimes of emotional stress we are often not aware of our assetsand the means by which we can reconnect with them.Identifying with Helen helped Sally to recall her forgotten

resource and to find the right opportunity for this capacity to beapplied.

Young Cindy learned from television and movies that fam-ily life can be different from hers with an abusive, alcoholicmother. This understanding might have played a major role inpreventing Cindy from perpetuating the dysfunctional patternwith her children in her own family. As an adult, when shefaced challenges again, Cindy continued to use films because

“The artist is the one whocommunicates myth for today.”

JosephCampbell


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Christopher Vogler points out in The Writer’s Journey thatthe ideas embedded in mythology and identified by JosephCampbell in The Hero With a Thousand Faces can be appliedto understanding almost any human problem. The stages of theHero’s Journey can be traced in all kinds of stories, not justthose that feature heroic physical action and adventure, but alsoin romance, comedy, and thrillers, etc. “The protagonist of every story is the hero of a journey, even if the path leads onlyin his own mind or into the realm of relationships.” 1

Dorothy’s voyage in The Wizard of Oz shows how filmcharacters’ stories are often similar to the Hero’s Journey. Onher quest she goes through phases of hesitation, fear, meetingmentors, becoming aware that she cannot go back, facing tests,obstacles, and crises, confronting fear, gaining new perspec-tive, and undergoing inner change. For example, she bringsback a new idea of home, a new concept of “Self.”

In The Laugh & Cry Movie Guide Cathie Glenn Sturdevantdescribes the typical plot development according to modern

rules of screenplay writing.2

The main character commits to aquest after a surprising loss of innocence, goes through a phaseof inner conflict about taking on a challenge, and reaches apoint of no return. Then the film hero acts despite fear, releasesold ideas, renews his or her commitment, acts without fear,sometimes revises plans into realistic goals, and concludes theoriginal quest by resolving it from a new perspective.

These similarities justify the assumption that the patternsof many movie plots are born out of the aspect of the collective

unconscious that is reflected in our mythology. The viewer ishooked into the same pool of consciousness as the screen-writer. Both tap into the following wisdom: The antidote forthe ache lies in ceasing the resistance to our calling, finding thecourage to face our worst fears, and consequently expandingour possibilities. Especially when we go through life changes,the movies with these kinds of typical screenplays can help usaccess our courage to release the hurt that is stuck in the pastand the fear and angst projected into the future. We follow the

“The Hero’s Journey isnot an invention, but an observation. It is a recog-nition of a beautiful design, a set of principles that govern the conduct of life and the world of sto-rytelling the way physics and chemistry govern the physical world.”

Christopher Vogler


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characters’ process of letting go and learn to move into thepresent moment where we can take action with clarity.

For these film stories to be effective, they do not need tomatch our specific life circumstances. Our mind translates theallegoric messages from the movie into the appropriate guid-ance for our situation. The transformative power of symbolsand metaphors has long been utilized in psychotherapy. Depthpsychotherapy assumes that the unconscious communicates itscontent primarily in symbols. Other therapeutic approaches,like hypnotherapy for example, developed methods that impactthe unconscious through metaphors and allegoric teaching talesbecause it is believed that they address the unconscious andbypass the conscious mind. Imagery that is stimulated throughthe symbolism seen in films increases feelings that otherwisehave not been experienced in this way. With certain movies thisprocess engages insight and creative problem solving by cir-cumventing obsessive thought patterns.

Effects of the Cinematic Medium Itself Movies affect us not only through the story they are telling.They also elicit emotions by stimulating our senses: sightthrough visual images and hearing through music and othersounds. Directors use visual effects, spatial relations, timing,sound effects, and music to prompt the emotions of the audi-ence in a particular direction, thus widening the range of theirperception.

If you are intrigued by the emotional effect of moviesthrough sensory input, try an experiment that psychophysiol-ogy researchers have performed in a more precise fashion.Rent a movie that has affected you emotionally in the past. Itmight have made you feel joyful, openhearted, inspired, scared,or sad. As you watch the movie, notice which scenes affect youstrongly. If one of these scenes has minimal or no dialog butintense music, stop and rewind the tape to the beginning of thesequence, take a ten minute break, and watch it again, this time

“It may be much easier tounderstand how to resolvea movie character’s dilemma than your opwn situation. Then you can evaluate how those solu-tions might aply to your challenge.”

Cathie GlennSturdevant


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with no sound. Afterwards watch it one more time with thesound turned on. Compare how this film sequence impacts youdifferently with and without music. Most likely you will findthe difference in emotional impact amazing.

Charles Tart explains that music can stimulate the mid-brain, the seat of emotional response, which encourages accessto feelings. 3 Hearing certain kinds of music, our inner controlis loosened and a greater range of sensitivity to feelings ismade possible. Therefore the score plays a significant role inhow movies affect us, especially when they are utilized forcatharsis (see The Cathartic Way , above).

Carol A. Bush emphasizes in Healing Imagery & Musicthat music expresses universal themes and imagery and con-nects us with our deeper self. “It enters the brain spreading outin the corpus callosum where memory is stored. From there itcan stimulate the capacity of recall, loosening a flood of psy-chologically significant images or related memories.” 4 In theprocess of self-discovery through movies, the score contributes

to the process of gaining access to psychological material thathas not been fully conscious (see The Evocative Way , above).Music brings increased dimensionality to movies; it helps

to carry our experience along, encouraging the unfolding of dynamic material. In most films music is used to intensify theimpression of the visual image by providing a parallel illustra-tion of the same idea. Referring to plays, Aristotle said thatmusic produces emotional dispositions like those evoked underreal conditions. In movies, music enhances their capacity to

draw us into the action and therefore enables us to identify withthe characters more than acting alone can do. When we choosecertain films, this supports our process of assimilating mes-sages that guide us in our healing and personal growth (see ThePrescriptive Way , above).

Unlike any other medium, music, together with the emo-tional capacity of the visual channel, affords the possibility of manipulation. Since we want to be “manipulated” into becom-ing healthy and whole, our choice of movie is a big factor when

“Music is the shorthand of emotion. Emotions, which let themselves be described in words with such difficulty, are directlyconveyed. . . in music, and in its power and significance.”

Leo Tolstoy


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we use the prescriptive way . By selecting the appropriate filmswe can learn to improve ourselves.

This assumption is supported not only by psychology butalso by theories of learning and creativity. Research aboutaccelerated learning indicates that acquisition and retention areenhanced when, in addition to the use of stories and metaphors,multiple senses are engaged during the learning process.Teaching methods that draw from this are demonstrated inmovies like Dead Poet’s Society (1989) and more recently,Pay It Forward (2000) . These films portray teachers whobelieve that the way to teach their students is by attachingmeaning to the material; by creating an environment or situa-tion where students will experience what is being taught onmany levels, rather than just reading or hearing about it.

Movies can provide a similar learning environment.Elaine, Alice, and Hal experienced a shift in their awareness bywatching a certain film after efforts to solve their problemscognitively had failed.

Howard Gardner suggests that we have multiple “intelli-gences.” 5 The more of these intelligences we access, the fasterwe learn, because by doing so we employ different methods of information processing. Sturdevant hypothesizes that watchingmovies can engage most of these intelligences: 6

The film’s plot engages our logical intelligenceScript dialogue engages the linguistic intelligencePictures, colors, and symbols on the screen engage thevisual-spatial intelligenceSounds and music engage our musical intelligenceStorytelling engages the interpersonal intelligenceMovement engages the kinesthetic intelligenceSelf-reflection or inner guidance, as demonstratedespecially in inspirational films, engages the intrapsy-chic intelligence

The viewer accesses the last three intelligences not directly butthrough identification with the characters.

“As the mind explores the symbol, it is led to ideas that lie beyond the graspof reason.”

Carl GustavJung


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The above demonstrates how movies speak to us on a vari-ety of psychological and physiological channels; and the effectis synergistic, all of which further elevates cinema’s potentialfor healing and transformation. Film characters often modelstrength, courage, and other positive qualities, helping usthrough life’s difficult times. Movies also connect with us on amythological level, spurring us to live from our deepest, wisestself. Many of us naturally find that certain films jog us out of unhealthy patterns of emotion and thought. If specific movierecommendations and some guiding exercises are added, thiseffect can be utilized and significantly enhanced.


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up the original unease the activity might have had soon disap-pears. Now, instead of relieving the static, it only adds to it.

The only effective way to address this low-level unease isto bring it into the light of our conscious minds. But when firstattempting to do so, we might encounter a strong inner resist-ance and negativity. These reactions manifest in various ways:impatience, fierce anger, depression, resentment, despair.

At first glance, these forms of negativity make no sense;they seem an irrational response to the possibility of letting goof the unease in one’s life. After all, what possible good couldbe coming from that low-level discontent or nervousness? Butpsychologists and mystics who have probed the origins of suchresistance have found that there is a certain “logic” to it: anunwise part of us believes that such negativity can manipulatereality into delivering whatever it is that it identifies as bring-ing happiness.

For example, a man might equate financial wealth withhappiness. He also believes that the only way to get wealth is

to strive for it constantly. In order to maintain his motivation,he must vigilantly remind himself that his current status isextremely unsatisfying. Momentary feelings of happiness aretherefore viewed as a threat to his larger goal of attainingmoney. The flip side of that logic is that a little unhappinessnow will bring him a larger happiness later. And anything thatchallenges his belief in the value of his current unhappinessmust be resisted.

We often find ourselves in similar situations, regardless of

our particular object of desire. The end result is the same: whenwe first try to bring our low-level unease (or static) into thelight of consciousness, the resistance we often encounter canusually be traced to our perceived need to hang on to our exist-ing beliefs about what will bring us happiness.

Your resistance to increasing your awareness might alsotake the form of doubts like this: by only focusing on the qual-ities of my awareness instead of taking some kind of action,I’m really just avoiding resolving my problems.

“Unhealthy motives and emotions erupt most during moments of

mindlessness.” Eckhart Tolle

Watching Movies With Conscious Awareness 35

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Perhaps a more realistic appraisal of this dilemma is thatby being fully present to our experience, we increase the effec-tiveness of any potential action we might eventually take. Byincreasing our conscious awareness we will be less likely toreact to a given situation based on past conditioning. Should areal need arise to take action, we will be more likely to respondfrom a place of clarity and wisdom.

Even though recurring negative emotions can containimportant messages, most changes that we make in our life cir-cumstances, though they might be helpful, are ultimately onlycosmetic unless they arise from a change in our level of con-sciousness. Most of us have had the experience of moving to adifferent place or trading one relationship for another only tofind that nothing has really changed in how we feel aboutthings.

Many of us live in an impaired and painful state of con-sciousness. The great religions speak of this state as a dream,illusion, or maya in which, according to Buddhism,

Christianity, and Islam, our minds are veiled. St. Paul claimed,“A veil lies over their mind,” while Islam multiplied themetaphor to seventy-thousand veils.

Philosophers, poets, and psychologists have had similarideas. Plato suggested figuratively that we live in a cave, mis-taking shadow for reality. William Blake saw man as peeringthrough “narrow chinks in his cavern,” and Charles Tart offeredthat we live in a “consensus trance” that is “a much more per-vasive, powerful, and artificial state than ordinary hypnosis,

and it is all too trancelike.” The metaphors differ, but the mes-sage is the same. 1

The experience of watching movies can be seen as ametaphor for this trance or illusionary state. Becoming con-sciously aware in the present moment helps us to wake up. Thisis like remembering that we are watching a film even as we aredeeply absorbed in the story. Sensing our arms as they touchthe seat in a movie theater might make us conscious that we are

just watching images on a screen in front of us.

“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”

Teihard deChardin


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Movie Preview: Changing LanesTwo hotheads become locked in escalating rounds of

retaliation when a morning rush hour fender bendercauses both to miss crucial court deadlines. As he isrushing off to court from the accident, attorney Gavinhands the other man his card and says “Better luck nexttime!” then accidentally drops a signed form that meansmillions to his firm. A moment later, after Gavin refusesto give him a ride, Doyle, the other driver in the acci-dent who is a recovering alcoholic, finds the attorney’sform. When Gavin shows up at court without it, the judge gives him until the end of the day to produceit or his firm forfeits the money.

Meanwhile, Doyle wants to convince his ex-wife notto move with his children to Oregon. He hopes that bykeeping his family nearby he might save his failingmarriage. To accomplish that, he needs to prove to adivorce judge that he is solvent and stable and plans todo so by showing him that the bank has approved hishome loan. But because of a flat tire caused by theaccident he shows up twenty minutes late and finds thecase has been decided without him. Blaming Gavin, hetakes out his rage by taunting him with a page faxedfrom the form that he found. Gavin retaliates by gettinga hacker friend to artificially ruin Doyle’s credit rating.A spiraling series of attacks and counterattacks

eventually leads both men to see that their worstenemy is their own anger.

Gavin and Doyle keep trying to demonstrate their individ-ual power by acting out their anger at the other person. For onewhole day they do not have the awareness or the inner con-tainer that would help them with their destructive emotions.

In this film we see two men hit an emotional bottom. Butthey learn from their experience. By the end of the day, each


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man’s own anger scares him more than the other person. Afterreacting only to the actions of the other in unconscious waysfor a long time, both became aware of themselves, their ownbehavior, and the subsequent consequences. This enabled bothmen to start taking responsibility for their actions, developempathy for the other, and find inner peace again.

A client of mine, a young woman named Nancy, came tosee me to work on her sudden outbreaks of anger. She wasafraid that her uncontrolled outbursts might damage her mar-riage. First Nancy learned different ways of managing heranger, but rage would sometimes well up in her so suddenlyand strongly that she felt overtaken and out of control.

Things became more manageable when she learned tobecome consciously aware of the very first onset of ragetoward her husband, Rob. Exploring the possible origins of heranger also led to enlightening insights. But Nancy’s real break-through happened after I asked her to watch the videoChanging Lanes. I instructed her to watch the movie while

simultaneously applying the concept of conscious awareness.Her husband watched the film with her.In our next session Nancy told me that at first she com-

pletely identified with Doyle and his anger when Gavin said:“Better luck next time!” She started yelling at Gavin on the tel-evision. ”How can you do this!” She almost got into anotherfight with her husband who had a more removed perspectiveand questioned Doyle’s response to the insult. Nancy felt angryabout the indifference she thought she had perceived in Rob. In

her already upset state she could not objectively hear what hesaid. She understood him to say something like “So what?” inresponse to Gavin’s “Better luck next time!” But rather than getinto a fight with Rob, she remembered my suggestion aboutconscious awareness and noticed what had just happenedinside her. They turned off the video and talked.

Having just seen on the screen almost exactly what sheexperienced inside, it was much easier for Nancy to step back and reflect on what happened as her anger rose in her.

“We live in a consensus

trance that is a much more pervasive, powerful,and artificial state than ordinary hypnosis.”

Charles Tart


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Normally, when she would feel herself being drawn into herrage, it was impossible to take this conscious internal stepback. Now, with the support of the distancing effect of themovie, plus her effort to become more aware of her emotionalresponses, Nancy suddenly saw how she had been caught in avery familiar pattern. She was surprised how absurd her previ-ous reaction looked to her now and clearly recognized theprocess in which she tended to fall into blind rages over andover in her life.

Being “blinded” in this way, at first Nancy had not beenable to understand Rob’s perspective when he made the com-ment on the movie character’s behavior. But after her break-through, she told me, “I really get it now. When I’m angry I donot hear what he really says.” With more conscious awarenessher perspective opened up to a more objective view of what hesaid. Now she understood what Rob really meant and that hewas including both characters’ perspective. From this newangle she thought that his comments just reflected his way of

seeing things in general, which now seemed acceptable to her.Nancy told me she felt as if she had awakened from a baddream. For the first time, she understood on a deep level howthis blinding mechanism had completely distorted her perspec-tive of reality and how it robbed her of her capacity to seethings objectively. After they talked, she and Rob finishedwatching the rest of the movie. Nancy said she had a muchclearer perspective during this part of the film and enjoyed itmuch more than before.

Nancy also mentioned another benefit of this process. Themovie provided a voice for her to communicate something shewas unable to explain before. Previously, Rob never took seri-ously her efforts to work on her rage in therapy. Now, duringtheir discussion, he saw Nancy struggling and conquering her“demon” right in front of him. Afterwards she had even beenable to explain the process she had just gone through. It helpedthat both of them witnessed the movie characters acting outtheir anger so destructively for a big part of the movie. Rob

“Much human suffering stems from destructiveemotions, as hatred breeds violence or craving breeds addiction.”

The Dalai Lama


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actually saw “two” movies: Changing Lanes and Nancy’sprocess. He was able see the difference in Nancy’s efforts aswell as her level of awareness. Rob became very impressedwith the progress she had made in her inner work.

In our session I suggested she ask Rob to remind her of theawakening process she had gone through while watchingChanging Lanes. I told her to have Rob mention the characterDoyle’s name in a lighthearted or humorous way whenever hesaw her falling into anger or rage. This would help her tune into the same process in a split second and bring back the aware-ness she had gained that previous night. Nancy agreed andthought that this also might be fun for both of them.

Weeks later Nancy told me she had experienced only onesmall episode of rage, which ended almost immediately whenRob followed my suggestion. As she was able to become cen-tered and rational again, Nancy now could address moreclearly the real reason for her anger. Rob was able to listencalmly and hear what she had to say.

Why Watch Movies withConscious Awareness?It would be ideal if we were able to be consciously aware in oureveryday life. If you have tried it, you might have noticed thatit is not an easy task. As Nancy’s example and the movieChanging Lan es demonstrate, unconscious patterns and reac-tions tend to take over easily. We might get angry, frustrated, or

fall into despair in response to something our boss or friendsays or even just to a critical thought we had on our own. If wefail in constantly reminding ourselves to “step back” and look at the situation with more awareness, we may remain caught inone of these patterns for a long time.

To enhance your conscious awareness and ability to bepresent, mindfulness meditation or other forms of meditationcan be a helpful reminder. I have practiced different kinds of meditation and similar practices over the years. Despite this

“When anger arises it biases our perception and cognition, and there is a refractory period during the anger when you don’t even have access to your own intelligence.”

Alan Wallace


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of his plays, he invented several techniques to ensure that hisaudience maintained a level of aesthetic distance. One of thesetechniques was to have an actor walk across the stage during anemotionally wrenching scene holding a sign that commentedon the action and reminded the audience that it was only watch-ing an illusion.

In some movies a similar effect is used, as in Equus (1977)or Wit (2001) in which the main characters address the audiencefrom the screen. It focuses the attention back on us, the viewer.

As we watch any movie, we have the opportunity toincrease our aesthetic distance and consequently our consciousawareness. Reminding ourselves that we are watching ascreenplay engages our observing perspective and thereforehelps us to move our attention to our inner world.

But no matter what we do, some part of us may be fooled,especially once our attention has been pulled into the movie.As we identify with a character, we might begin to feel his orher emotions. When we see a couple fighting on the screen we

might feel the anger or frustration of one or possibly even bothantagonists. Or, if somebody dies in the movie, we might feelthe grief of the character that survives.

This tug-of-war combination of emotional involvementand observing perspective while watching a movie is an idealtool for learning to increase conscious awareness. Even thoughthe movie images are outside ourselves, as we respond to thememotionally, we can see how they reflect our inner world.

Through the imagery of films we can discover ourselves

because the unconscious communicates its content to our con-scious mind mostly in symbolic images. By studying films andour reactions to them we can learn about imbalances in the waywe relate to various circumstances and people.

Where does this process lead?As you watch a film with conscious awareness, you learn tobecome aware of and consequently diminish your identifications


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with psychological problems. That in turn can help to removewhatever blockages you might have that are preventing mentaland emotional clarity. You learn to relate to the content of themind instead of from it, which allows a whole new dimensionof participation in life itself. You learn about the mind’s gamesand projections so you can let go of them. Problems are mind-made and do not survive when you are fully aware in the pres-ence of the moment. Your life opens up to more peacefulness,light, inner freedom, and creativity.

Sometimes it is not possible to deeply understand andimmediately let go right away of your emotional reaction.Often it can take a long period of practicing before you under-stand your mind’s games. In the meantime watching a moviewith conscious awareness helps you learn to tolerate undesiredemotions in a safe environment. During such practice you nolonger need to suppress your feelings. Likewise, you no longerneed to act them out in destructive ways against yourself orothers. In the safety of an illusory movie experience, you

slowly develop a strength that will be very valuable later onwhen the same emotion is triggered in your real life. Think of it in the same sense as practicing a martial art or training yourmuscles in a gym so that you are strong enough when you haveto defend yourself physically in the world.

I call this psychological strengthening process creating a“larger inner container” for your undesired emotions so thatyou can hold them consciously. The more you learn to be ableto tolerate unwanted feelings while watching a movie, the less

you feel compelled to suppress them or act out against yourself or others in your real life. Instead, you become strong enoughto not resist them. And the more you practice, the more confi-dent you will be.

Such practice allows you to stay centered and clear despitea rising unwanted emotion such as anger or frustration. You donot need to yell at anybody or drink alcohol to “drown yourfeelings.” If you just feel your undesired emotions consciouslywithout suppressing them or acting them out, they will either

“You can’t heal what you can’t feel.John Bradshaw


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dissolve or help you to take appropriate action, depending onwhat’s needed in a specific situation. The benefits are a lifelived fully and spontaneously because you are no longer pre-occupied defending and managing things in a reactive way.Joy, ease, and contentment can enter your life again. How longthis process takes depends on the intensity of your undesiredemotions and the strength of your inner container before youstarted this process.

Watching a movie with conscious awareness can also helpyou regain access to certain values, virtues, or capacities inyour everyday life with which you had lost touch. This processcan provide an opportunity for you to become aware of yourinner wisdom or higher self. You might reconnect with themost mature and healthy parts of yourself. You may noticesome inner expansion or an intuitive, positive “aha” experiencewith new deep insights. You might leave a movie theater withan exiting new inspiration or an unexpected solution to a prob-lem with which you have struggled. As a result of all these

processes, you may find it easier to be increasingly acceptingand compassionate with yourself and others.

How do we watch movies consciously?Let’s first look at the connection between conscious awarenessand inner wisdom. When you experience a movie, or anythingelse in your life with conscious awareness, you increase yourcapacity to access your inner wisdom. Inner wisdom is more

than knowledge. Whereas knowledge is simply acquired infor-mation, wisdom requires understanding on a deep level.“Knowledge informs us, wisdom transforms us.” 3

Since our rational mind is only a small part of the portal toyour inner wisdom, I suggest a process in which you watch andlisten with your whole body, not simply your mind. Bodyawareness helps you to access inner wisdom through a feltsense rather than through mental perceptions. This approach isderived from body-focused psychotherapy such as Somatic

“The more moments wedecide to stay put and feel what’s here, the more theconfidence that we can handle whatever is going on grows.”

Tara Bach


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Experiencing , developed by Peter Levine and Focusing , devel-oped by Eugene Gendlin. If at any time you are finding it hardto get in touch with your body as a whole, it is usually easierto focus first on your breathing.

Our awareness of our physical reactions, especially ourbreath, is an important vehicle to increasing awareness. Thereason is that even when our mind has become disconnectedfrom our authentic experience, our breath usually remainslocked into it. Sometimes, when we attempt to mask our feel-ings, our breath can sometimes give them away despite our bestefforts to hide them. Perhaps this is nature’s way of ensuring acertain degree of emotional transparency between the creaturesof the world. Ironically, even when our breath, or some otherbody-language sign, broadcasts our true feelings for all to seedespite our best efforts to hide them, often we are the only onesfooled by the deception.

Tapping this potential key to greater awareness is a tech-nique you can learn. A good place to begin is to find out what

happened to your authentic feelings and why your body is stillconnected to them. The problem usually begins during infancy.Most young children quickly learn that it can be dangerous toexpress their full range of emotions. As they learn to hide unde-sired feelings from their parents, siblings, and the rest of theworld, they also hide them from themselves. Gradually, theystifle their own awareness of their true state of being and learnto distrust themselves.

Gaining awareness of our physical reactions, especially

our breath can reveal buried experiences. One sign of neuro-sis is that we “forgo self-awareness for self-consciousness.”When self-conscious we project our minds outward towardothers’ reactions to us. As we increase our awareness, weregain fresh, uncontaminated, whole sight. For example, aswe notice a tension or an expansion in our chest, how ourbreaths vary, or other reactions to movie scenes and theirmessages, they show us our biases and pinpoint the way toour healing. 4

“All neurosis is a substi-tute for unfelt legitimate pain.”

Carl GustavJung


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As you become aware of a physical sensation that is trig-gered by emotions during a movie experience, you increaseyour capacity to tolerate unwanted emotions without needingto suppress them, to numb out, act out, or release them in otherunhealthy ways. You do not need to resist these feelings anymore because you experienced them as just another energy inyour body. Without resistance your emotions can run theircourse and do not get unnecessarily stronger. This can be seenas a desensitization process.

Imagine that one of your recurrent undesired emotionscenters on situations in which it appears you are failing toachieve a certain set goal. As you watch a film in which a char-acter faces a similar situation, you might just notice some anx-iety combined with increased tension in your stomach or fasterbreath as you identify with the character.

As you practice the exercise at the end of this chapter, youwill most likely notice that it becomes increasingly easier foryou to stay with your authentic feelings and sensations in a

conscious way. Your “container” will have grown larger andstronger. The next time you encounter a situation in which youappear to be failing at something, you will be able to use thesame process you practiced when watching a movie.

As you are able to be more centered and clear, yourresponses will become more and more appropriate. You will beless likely to respond in an unconscious reactive mode, or tonot respond at all due to suppressed feelings. In the exampleabove, you might be less likely to numb your fear in addictive

behavior such as alcohol abuse, overeating, or overworkingbecause you will not feel so unbearably anxious anymore.Instead of avoiding the feared challenge, you can develop thecourage to face it because your anxiety no longer overwhelmsor paralyzes you. You will “feel the fear and do it anyway” asthe title of a popular book says. Eventually the fear will dissi-pate, and you will feel strong enough to take on the challengesthat previously prevented you from achieving your goal. Thiswill make you more successful in life.

“We know that the mind can be reprogrammed, but conditioned patterns of perception tend to persist in the absence of self-awareness and conscious intention to change.”

Frances Vaughan


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While the desensitization process I just described is forundesired emotions, a similar approach can help you increaseand learn about your desired emotions as well. With suchincreased awareness, you will experience positive emotionsmore intensely as you watch a film. Most people go to themovies to enjoy themselves. Now you will enjoy your movieexperience even more. While watching a movie with consciousawareness, you will become sensitized to desired emotions.This helps you understand how to increase the frequency andintensity of these feelings in your real life.

The following examples show how a positive movie expe-rience made me more determined to bring the same positivequalities into my life that I felt while viewing a film.

I first discovered how amazingly helpful it is to watch amovie with conscious awareness when I saw Il Postino or ThePostman.

Movie Preview: Il Postino (The Postman) (1994)Mario’s undiscovered talents and passionate heart

never h

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