Dr. Aether had seen this movie and sent a copy to me via Amazon. Thanks, Doc!
This is an unconventional film. You wouldn't want to rent this one if you're expecting a typical narrative. It essentially covers the area where science (in the form of quantum physics) meets spirituality (in the form of no specific belief set in particular). The general point is that the cutting edge of science seemingly corresponds with a belief that we are all, in effect, linked to one another as part of the universe.
Probably the most interesting single point is that we can effectively practice being happy. Forget about venting anger, because what you're actually doing is practicing to be angry, and you'll find yourself correspondingly more prone to angry behavior in the future. There is scientific evidence that supports the position that, like any conventional skill, your brain adapts to get better at whatever you do. The result is that if you practice being happy, you will get better at being happy in the future, the same as if you practiced tennis every day, your tennis skills would eventually improve.
This ties in well with my recent Buddhist reading, which takes the same position without the scientific support, and I can confirm with my own anecdotal evidence that it does in fact seem to hold up. I've never been happier, and my external circumstances haven't changed significantly.
As a piece of entertainment, well, the beginning is very slow, repeating a lot of information most people probably already know, but it picks up a little further on. There is a plot involving Marlee Matlin as a photographer who isn't very happy, though the plot seems to be there just to provide continuity for the segments with various scientists discussing the places where quantum physics and spirituality come together. Marlee has an amusing experience at a wedding (working as the photographer) that helps her to understand how she can be happier, and puts it into practice.
Yes, it sounds a little sappy, but who doesn't want to learn how to be happier? The supporting scientific information and admission that there's still so much science doesn't know (though it's interesting to see where it's pointing) keeps it from being too saccharine. For a person receptive to the nature of the information being provided (which would include me), I'd call it a 7 out of 10. For a general audience, I think they'd be bored by the first twenty minutes or so, then find the wedding scenes amusing, so call it a 5 out of 10 for general audiences.
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2 comments:
Glad you liked it. My favorite part of the movie (one that I have watched several times) is the last 10-15 minutes featuring Dr. Joe Dispenza talking about creating your day. Brilliant stuff. I've watched that last 10 minutes about 20 times trying to soak it all in.
Haven't seen it yet but it sounds interesting. As an observation its occasionally been said that Buddhism is one of the most scientific of religions. I generally agree with that since 1) Buddhism at its core Buddhism only vaguely resembles religion (particularly that as Buddh himself taught if they don't worship Buddha or another god as any westerner would understand it), and 2) the philosophy that Buddha taught is extremely practicial and fits well into real life. While I personally have always been a Christian I personally tend to think that Christ and Buddha probably could have found a lot of common ground in their teachings (which is a reason some people think that either Christ was a adaptation of Buddhist traditions or they were both based on a similar religious ideal instead of real people (yeah both ideas are pretty ubsurd but the points of similarity they come from about the two teachings are interesting).
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