The Archetypal Influences of Film: Revelations from the Collective Unconscious and Interdimensional Realities
Humanity is faced with serious decisions. Will it follow the dangerous path toward transhumanism, or will we commit to the unfolding of a greater intention: the discovery of a more meaningful power, purpose, and truth within each one of us, the call to Individuation? Carl G. Jung discovered unifying themes, regardless of whether they came from a hidden tribe in the Amazon, African desert, or a major world religion and called it the Collective Unconscious. He named specific Archetypes manifesting from this realm. This Archetypal journey is Alchemical in nature as described in ancient writings by early Alchemists and Mystics. Mystics have always pointed toward an inner process leading us to spiritual individuation and unity. Ultimately, this is a psychospiritual quest. Along this journey we can be motivated by archetypal influences of compassion and fierceness. As we assimilate these initiatory qualities, we come nearer to the knowing of the authentic spiritual power within us. Many modern movies and television series are doing a better job of illustrating this journey than most religious traditions. The battle between good and evil (what benefits compared to what destroys or prevents consciousness and related development) is real as are the images and stories of interdimensional realities expanding our understanding of new possibilities. They manifest via media and entertainment forms. The themes and messages are influential at both conscious and unconscious levels, preparing people for the end of an old paradigm and the beginning of the next. The threat of Transhumanism is addressed in this article as it moves humanity away from the work of individuation (Carl Jung) and Self-Actualization (Abraham Maslow). The emphasis toward wholeness includes love and human feeling. Transhumanism, focused on efficiency through artificial intelligence, is a threat to the path of becoming an authentic, courageous and compassionate human being. Thus, movies and series depicting superheroes, aliens, portals, and alternative realities are rapidly increasing at a time when many people have lost direction. This article supports their messages.
The Archetypal Influences of Film:
Revelations from the Collective Unconscious, and Interdimensional Realities
©2023 Sharon G. Mijares
Transformational Energies
Tumultuous changes are all around us. These changes are challenging old political, religious, psychological, and social paradigms. Long held patriarchal ideologies are being challenged as hardliners desperately attempt to reinforce outdated influences and oppose any changes to the power positions they hold. At the same time, we are seeing new perspectives—new understanding about how the universe manifests—although lacking a vision and means for integrating and grounding them. Thus, this outdated era is ending with a collision and a bang.
Humanity is seriously divided, with many trying to hold on to the old status quo, while others are more concerned with contributing to a world that is more equitable, while considering the human impact on future generations. Deep instinctual forces are being triggered, for better and for worse. This is obvious in increasing violence against whoever is deemed to be the other. representing unnamed and projected fear. This challenge and related changes call for wisdom, discernment, creativity, and caring. Sadly, there are a lot of people lacking in these qualities. Thus, we need to resolve unlearned lessons from the past while opening our hearts and reason to creative change. Transformation is inevitable, but what direction will it take?
The Collective Unconscious Comes to the Rescue
The mythological stories of the past are also being retold in new ways. In that they manifest from deeper levels of consciousness, for example, what Carl Jung named as the Collective Unconscious (Jung, 1959), based on universally shared motifs. The unconscious does not operate on rational or sequential models. Instead, it produces symbols, metaphors, and other non-ordinary expressions. A desiccated rationality will not create the needful guidance because the elements leading to psychospiritual awakening reside in the mythological and mystical domains. These realms assist with the mystical journey of spiritual realization. The journey within is the way, but we have forgotten the process. Yet the deeper realms of the collective unconscious continue to pursue and guide us toward greater discoveries. Guiding myths remind us of the human capacity for sensing and feeling (Kingsley, 2021; Jung, 2009) as these qualities can take us into deeper understanding, enabling spiritual realization. This is why we need to listen to the messages appearing as metaphors in movies, and television series.
This article will discuss some significant media influences. As a dedicated fan of Marvel and DC heroes, I will relate a few of their dominant mindscapes while noting the messages coming through some other media plots. Some stories are more intense as they focus on the battle of good vs. evil. Many films also support the relevance of human feelings and human unity, and then there are increasing films introducing us to quantum leaps in understanding a variety of realms.
Let’s begin by delving into some significant metaphoric points coming from Zack Snyder’s Justice League (Snyder, 2021). The Justice League is a DC film and follows the Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice (Snyder, 2016) film occurring before it. In summary, because of evil influences Batman believes Superman is dangerous for humanity and thus joins in successful efforts to kill him. In the following Justice League film, superheroes unite to bring back Superman from the dead in order to save the world from the dark forces seeking to destroy it. The following is a brief conversation between the evil Darkseid and his disciple Steppenwolf:
Darkseid: “Steppenwolf, have you begun the conquest?”
Steppenwolf responds by describing what he has seen: “This world is divided. They are a primitive species, unevolved and at war with one another—too separate to be one.”
Does this sound familiar? Listen to the metaphors in the following plot.
Darkseid has the opening for his plan of destruction, including the captivity of Earth and its inhabitants because of the human inability to unite. In the narrative, this had also been a problem with the Amazons, Atlanteans, and a group of Humans although they had united to fight off the evil control at an earlier time to protect the “Mother boxes,” three boxes containing individual sources of immense power. As the first battle ended, the boxes had been rescued and stored individually in the care of the Amazons, the Atlanteans, and the Humans. Now itf is even worse as the evil forces have returned to find and claim the three Mother Boxes. They believe that “anti-life” is to be found on earth.
Therefore, Wonder Woman representing the Amazons, Aquaman, a mix of human and ancient Atlantean, the Flash, and Victor Stone (a human cyborg), are joining Batman in a fight to save humanity. They find their unity is not strong enough against the dark forces. They needed to rescue and retrieve Superman from the dead. When they do so, Superman is enraged, unfeeling, and unwilling to join them. Lois Lane shows up and it is his love for her that reminds him who he is. Love is the ultimate healer. Then the age-old battle between good and evil begins, but It is love and compassion that fuels their heroism and leads to the saving of humanity.
These stories go beyond mere entertainment as they challenge patriarchal religious, social, and political influences, clearly noting that the evil the superheroes are fighting is evidenced in the world wherever greed and the quest for loveless power manifests. (All we need to do is watch the daily news to understand how this appears.)
Superheroes easily travel through portals into other dimensions and multiverses, touching on new scientific discoveries in the field of quantum studies as myth and science unite. The majority of human beings are missing or ignoring the message that life is inherent with the capacity for transformation.
The Threat: Transhumanism
Although the dominant culture, consisting of white males and the women influenced by them, are attempting to enforce old, outdated (patriarchal) modes for living, as noted earlier, change is inevitable. For example, the guru and hierarchical religious ideals are changing. Organized religious ideals and related patterns are going to disappear. Young people and spiritually awakened older generations are refusing to adhere to these outdated paradigms, favoring more diverse and egalitarian ways of living. It is predictable that the patriarchal era will no longer be able to function and maintain its control as new ways of understanding concerning our place in the universe are entering and influencing consciousness (Päs, 2023). But what is taking its place? Humanity is faced with serious choices at this time; do we choose to align ourselves with the old organizational structures or will we open to new transpersonal ways of understanding the universe and our place within it or do we forfeit what makes us human (our senses and our feelings) by entering the transhuman paradigm?
In response, archetypal forces are manifesting in other forms of technological communications–with the potential to lead toward greater Individuation. According to Carl Jung the dominant Archetypes of the Collective Unconscious include the Shadow, Anima (feminine), Animus (masculine), Divine Child, Hero, Warrior and other Archetypes leading to the emergence of the Self as part of the Individuation process (Jung, 1959). This can also be considered an alchemical process as such forces can be integrated leading to the journey of becoming more profoundly human (Maslow, 1993). Jung pointed out Shadow influences in cultural behaviors; the dark side within individual human beings and related groups (for example, political and religious).
Notably, Shadow energies are increasing at this time of great change. We are moving into considerable scientific development and space exploration, but the need to be attuned to our own hearts is a bottom line for healthy and balanced human development. Too many people choose to live a rather mundane life focusing on excitement and entertainment, failing to see and engage in deepening human endeavors. Thus, they are opening the doors to an alternative reality that may have little use for the ways of human sapiens. This is popularly called transhumanism, a controversial belief or theory that humanity can evolve beyond physical and mental limitations, through advanced science and technology means (Transhumanism).
Humanity, as we have known it, is seriously threatened by this movement toward Transhumanism (Dazai & Keene, 2022; Fukuyama, 2004; Roszak,1994). Many are participating in small ways without even realizing what they are doing. For example, let’s examine what is happening with the tendency to send messages via text. It’s quicker so many people don’t take the time to make voice calls, allowing for more genuine connections as we hear voices and their inflections (created by a felt connection). Instead, the caller using text just goes for the points or questions to be made. Saving time with a quick text is more important than human connection and related feelings. We miss a lot by not hearing the actual voice and its inflections. These are the most minimum of the signs indicating how simple communications are threatened by even minor technological developments. Although this movement is quickly intensifying, its influences have been noted for several decades. The late Theodore Roszak referred to this as “technocracy” in his books The Making of the Counter Culture (1969), Where the Wasteland Ends (1972) and The cult of information: A neo-luddite treatise on high tech, artificial intelligence, and the true art of thinking (1994). We are choosing efficiency over felt human connection. In a following section I will discuss two recent alien series that focus on this choice of efficiency versus a more authentic human connection within ourselves and others. It illustrates how some television series and films are depicting this imbalance, while emphasizing new ways of understanding what it means to be a human being.
Will we follow a path toward Transhumanism, or will we awaken to the possibilities within the authentic human being? Given the rapidly increasing technologies and related AI, we may be too late to halt its progression. But we can choose a more balanced path forward.
Some readers may wonder what Transhumanism means. According to Brittanica. Transhumanism is a philosophical and scientific movement that advocates the use of current and emerging technologies—such as genetic engineering, cryonics, artificial intelligence (AI), and nanotechnology to augment human capabilities and improve the human condition. Transhumanists envision a future in which the responsible application of such technologies enables humans to slow, reverse, or eliminate the aging process, to achieve corresponding increases in human life spans, and to enhance human cognitive and sensory capacities. The movement proposes that humans with augmented capabilities will evolve into an enhanced species that transcends humanity—the “posthuman.” (para. 1
There are beliefs that humans will obtain advanced capacities beyond homo sapiens. This was the core storyline in Marvel’s X-Men (2020) and related titles, beginning in 2000, and they all portray the threats coming alongside the movement toward transhumanism.
More recently there is concern that such advancements could eradicate human sapiens considering them unnecessary. The choices leading to human well being looms (Anderson & Rainey, 2023). The radical owner of Twitter and Tesla, Elon Musk, has been noting his fear that AI could destroy civilization (Barrabi, 2023).
Let’s examine more archetypal and warning themes in film. Transhumanism is highlighted by character Peter Isherwell (enacted by Mark Rylance) in the 2021 Netflix film, Don’t look Up. The film used the metaphor of a comet colliding with earth as a means of encouraging more attention to increasing environmental challenges. (Despite its relevance and entertainment value, it did not have high ratings.) Kate Dibiasky (played by Jennifer Lawrence), a Ph.D. Candidate astronomy student discovered a comet that is on a collision course with earth. She takes the data to her professor Dr. Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio) who does the math and determines that the collision will take place in six months. They take this knowledge to the U.S. President, who, although indifferent, brings in Isherwell, a billionaire CEO heading a tech company going by the name of BASH as a consultant. Isherwell was one of President Janie Orlean’s (played by Merle Streep) top donors. His role was to come up with a way to break up the comet before it hit the earth. It failed.
But Isherwell had also developed a way to leave earth for another universe as the comet was approaching its collision with the earth. Of course, this is for those with enough money for a space on his spaceship. There’s no evidence of human emotion within Isherwell. It’s all mental as he calculates ways to resolve problems with his technologies. He never expresses felt concerns for humanity or life on earth.
Importantly, the question arises, how can we embrace being posthuman when we’ve never even become fully human? Some of the films and series I’m going to describe deal with this split. As a feminist, I am also more concerned with all of humanity and not just myself. What is the purpose of all our spiritual and psychological development? Have we worked to understand inner and outer psychospiritual development—simply to discard it in favor of machines, robotics, and increasing technologies? Or would our energies be better spent by focusing on discovering and following the path of becoming more fully human? This same question was raised by Roszak in The Making of a Counter Culture. A focus on appreciation and cultivation of authentic human feeling and our relationship with one another is the larger need.
The Influential Collective Unconscious: Beyond the rational mind
Carl Jung defined the Collective Unconscious and its influence on the path of Individuation (a Western model for what is often called “Enlightenment” in Eastern spiritual traditions). Jung also noted archetypal instinctual patterns within social groups. Concerning these collective patterns, Jung noted in Part One of The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious” (1959) that.
A group experience takes place on a lower level of consciousness than the experience of an individual. This is due to the fact that, when many people gather together to share one common emotion, the total psyche emerging from the group is below the level of the individual psyche. If it is a very large group, the collective psyche will be more like the psyche of an animal, which is the reason why the ethical attitude of large organizations is always doubtful. The psychology of a large crowd inevitably sinks to the level of mob psychology.
This psychology of the mob means that if you have a so-called collective experience as a member of a group, it takes place on a lower level of consciousness than if you had the experience by yourself alone. Observing themes in modern media is a safe way to explore creating some distance, while intuiting what is being represented in the storyline.
Jung began his inner journey in search of answers as he observed the strong destructive Shadow forces taking place in WW2. And this applies now as much as it did at that time. Jung was also a mystic (Kingsley, 2021); his efforts were focused on knowing the authentic essence within himself and contributing this to humanity.
Religions and spiritual traditions have always utilized metaphor and story to impact deeper ways of knowing. But these stories are changing, and providing more useful meaning within our own lives in the modern cultures in which we live. Stories (both old and new) can impact the journey of Individuation and its relationship to the Collective Unconscious, preparing humanity for expanded awareness and change.
Modern forms of media and storytelling, namely movies and serials on television and various internet applications, are highlighting some of these bottom lines. Many programs also highlight inter-dimensional influences.
Interdimensional Influences
There are stories of Aliens taking human form, including intergalactic and quantum travel. Moving throughout multiverses is also becoming a common theme. This suggests some synchronicity with quantum discoveries. Not only are these stories entertaining (and we need this amidst the tragedies in the daily news), but they are suggestive of shifting modes of consciousness. Even if ordinary people and massive groups of television addicts don’t understand the depth within some of these stories, these stories are still (hopefully) embedding their impressions in unseen levels.
One of my favorite examples is The Man Who Fell to Earth (available via the Showtime app or Amazon Prime), especially its focus on efficiency vs. human feeling. According to the original ad,
An alien (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor) crashes deep into the oilfields of NM with a mission: he must find the brilliant scientist Justin Falls (Naomi Harris), the one woman on earth who can help save his species. Even as he struggles to adapt to our world and to become more “human,” her faith in humanity couldn’t be lower. An unlikely duo, together they discover that in order to save his world, Anthea, they must work together to save ours.
Overall, the story is about co-creating a new form of energy to save both Anthea and Earth from inevitable death. They are struggling to do this amidst threats from large corporations and the CIA. The end of episode six has a theme that relates to the intention of this article. The alien (now known as Faraday) from the dying planet Anthea. is considered more advanced than humans. He can transmit communication across the galaxies. In episode six, Faraday is transmitting his experiences to his wife on Anthea. He begins by questioning the value of human beings. The following represents an archetypal theme of relevance. Faraday is transmitting the message to his wife that the Anthean god is “efficiency” and asks, but “for what purpose?” He has found that the human god appears to be one of “seeking meaning” and notes an ultimate value of “finding meaning in the moment.” He is slowly integrating human feeling. This storyline contrasts with transhumanism with its focus on the superiority of mind and technologies. Faraday is discovering a greater purpose than simply being efficient.
Along a similar line, in the comedy-drama, Resident Alien, the alien has come to destroy life on earth because of humanity’s aggressive nature. His ship crashes and he’s stuck on earth, while he relocates the ship’s missing parts. He takes over the human body of a local doctor and ends up having to practice medicine in the local town, attempting to hide his true identity. He bases all on reason and exceptional intelligence but finds himself taking on human “feelings.” He is struggling with the fact that the longer he is here on Earth, he finds himself becoming increasingly human through the development of human feelings. In one of the ending episodes of Season Two, the Alien has decided to protect an alien baby from a prior alien arrival by sending it back to their planet after fixing his ship. He is observing a young Muslim girl hugging the alien baby as the baby calls her “mommy.” The Alien is amazed that she, a human being, can care about something so different from herself. This adds another felt realization.
Both television series are about Aliens with advanced technologies, depicting advanced intelligence, a focus within Transhumanism, but both series depict the transformative value of human feeling as well as the good worth recognizing in much of humanity. Both aliens find themselves experiencing increasing love for others.
Interestingly, the Resident Alien series also suggests there are aliens manifesting in human forms throughout the planet. Interestingly, this is something that many people experience when ingesting the Amazonian psychedelic brew, Ayahuasca, often encountering internalized aliens within themselves or guiding them when journeying. One can experience deep feelings while seeing other beings and having otherworldly visions. It can be experienced when taking this plant medicine. This is creating another shift in human consciousness.
Alien and Interdimensional Connections through Psychedelic Plant Medicines
Increasing numbers of people are awakening to interdimensional communication through the use of N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) “an endogenous serotonergic psychedelic capable of producing radical shifts in conscious experience” (Michael, Luke, & Robinson, 2021, Abstract), and for others it is experienced with the Amazonian Ayahuasca brew, which contains DMT as well. The following story represents a personal experience with this alternative reality. Experiences of alien presences is not uncommon.
I ingested Ayahuasca for the second time in Ecuador several years ago. In my dreaming state, I saw two tall Alien beings; their coloring was silvery green. I was on a gurney being wheeled into a small medical examination room. There was a large square machine above my head. As it was lowering, I knew intuitively from them that its purpose was to take me out of my ordinary mental state, and it most certainly did. In the following years, when ingesting Ayahuasca I began to not only see Aliens, but also encountered myself having an Alien form in another dimension; perhaps this could be called a parallel universe. It was quite odd and although the ordinary mind was confused (wondering was this hallucination or insight), regardless. it encouraged an openness to alternative realities with alternative identities. Such stories are increasing through the ingestion of these plant medicines, and it can also be stimulated by archetypal messages coming through modern media.
Stories about the Multiverse and Parallel Universes
In 2001 a Jet Li film, The One, had Li experiencing interdimensional travel through parallel universes with the intention to destroy other versions of himself. Absorbing their energies to become The One (the ultimate version of himself). There is a lot of aggression and obvious ego in the plot, but perhaps it hints at a dark side of the ideal of Individuation.
As noted earlier the theme of interdimensional travel and moving through portals is growing in films. It has been seen as a possible way for intergalactic travel, namely UFOs (Robinson, 2020).
The 2020 film Tenet portrays people literally fighting for their causes in parallel universes. Viewers see them alongside one another. Sci-fi Marvel films, for example, (2021) Spiderman: No way home, and (2018) Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse and Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse (2023) all reflect multiple universes. Doctor Strange (2016) depicts portals for traveling into other dimensions. In fact, a major challenge given to Dr. Strange is learning how to create a portal in order to save himself from freezing in a parallel universe. Interestingly, the story also challenges religious ideals by suggesting that evil is the desire for eternal life. The following edition, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) goes beyond the portals used in the first Dr. Strange film by clearly portraying multiple universes. These films strongly depict imagery between dimensions, portals, suggesting the age-old battle between good and evil (often depicted as dark sorcery) is found throughout the multiverses and interdimensional realms.
The 2023 Oscar’s best film, Everything Everywhere All at Once, depicts a mother and wife who feels like a failure. She discovers numerous other existences throughout numerous multiverses. Her husband and daughter have lives and differing personalities within them as well. At one point the husband is asking her for a divorce as “he doesn’t like this version of her.” She finds power in other existences, learns what needs to be changed within herself, integrates it, and the family unit is saved. All of these films and more are exploring alternative realities to the ones that have held us captive and limited our perception of what’s possible. People watch them for entertainment, but consciousness is reacting at various levels. Perhaps there is more than what we have been led to believe in life. It also goes along with development in physics. For example, Rick Robinson (2020) explains that
As cosmologist Lisa Randall told Smithsonian, parallel universes may in fact exist in other dimensions, separated from our own familiar surroundings by distances vastly smaller than the size of an atomic nucleus. But as Randall cautions, “It’s not just a carbon copy of our universe, which a lot of people think of when they hear that phrase.”
The particular corners of the multiverse that Randall is exploring may interact with our own universe only through gravity. Such a universe probably does not have bad guy versions of Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock, but its existence, and “leakage” between universes, could help explain some basic facts about our own universe, such as why gravity is so much weaker than other basic forces of nature, like magnetism. (para. 7 & 8)
Such films are presenting alternative realities to the one we have clung to, but something else is needed. Our concepts of life in this universe are shifting. Can we listen to and integrate these messages with the intention of becoming more fully human, the best version of ourselves.
Becoming More Fully Human
The Marvel’s Avenger series, especially The Age of Ultron and Endgames, includes an emphasis on superheroes expressing ordinary human responses to grief, loss, and trauma. It suggests that being a superhero includes human feelings of despair as well as courage. This is a valuable combination of qualities given an overemphasis on victim psychology (Mijares et al, 2020). This is weakening humanity and a greater emphasis on Individuation (Jung) and Self-Actualization (Maslow) is needed. I find The Wheel of Time (Jordan & Sanderson, 2021) to be a valuable tool in learning to psychologically hold dark and intense portrayals of good and evil without turning aside. As I explained to a friend, how can you remain centered in catastrophes manifesting on a regular basis in this world if you can’t even remain present with it on screen. I suggest it be a spiritual practice. Given the intensity of two seasons of a lot of intense drama, it offers some very good learning. One can learn to see the goodness occurring in the midst of all the darkness. We need this learning as spiritual bypass is simply not going to be very effective in the midst of all the coming changes. Jung is famous for the following quote, “One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.” He also noted how people go out of their way to avoid this.
We are experiencing increasing threats of environmental catastrophes, nuclear war, and other calamities as movies and media series about other realities are increasing. Narratives about the multiverse and parallel universes are increasing. As noted earlier, the Alien characters in the two series, The Man who Fell to Earth and Resident Alien demonstrate superior intelligence akin to ideals in AI. The takeaway in these series is that the Aliens’ encounter with human beings and human feelings begins to change them as they experience feelings, especially those related to caring about others. Throughout his own inner work, Jung allowed sensations (a neurological bridge to feelings) to guide him ever deeper on the path to Individuation—the emergence of the Authentic Self (Jung, 2009, Kingsley, 2021).
This is what is important. It represents a deeper awakening from mental domination to a felt experience of inner and outer life. It balances the inevitable movement of the Transhumanism paradigm. It also has a message for all of us who have been dominated by “reason” with a diminished meaningful felt connection, both with ourselves and with others. These stories emphasize and lead towards the understanding that our saving grace is through our deep human capacity for feelings, especially those of caring, as they are leading us toward greater unity on the path of Individuation.
Our ideas about the universe we live in are changing. Yes, much of this article is based on fantasy sci fi, but much is also supported by science (Randall, 2011). Also, I’m suggesting that what is called fantasy may be rising from the Collective Unconscious, motivating humanity into new ways of understanding our world and its relationship to the larger universe. As we free ourselves from outdated and dominating patriarchal patterns, these images are rising from the Collective Unconscious to support needed transformation. The Archetypes of the Collective Unconscious enable eventual Individuation and the manifestation of the Self (Jung, 2009, 1959).
Minds are being opened to alternative realities. Most human beings have been trapped in limited space and thought. On the negative side television, especially reality tv, social media, and movies diminishes thought rather than expanding it. Most of humanity has not sought out or discovered the liminal transitional places available to human consciousness. Abraham Maslow’s theories of Self Actualization included what he called “peak experiences” (Maslow, 1993), and his theory of transcendence. This is something entirely different from transhumanism, whereupon humanity relegates its psychological (and inherent spiritual) control to technological development, with a large influence on artificial intelligence (AI). Maslow advised that.
Transcendence refers to the very highest and most inclusive or holistic levels of human consciousness, behaving and relating, as ends rather than means, to oneself, to significant others, to human beings in general, to other species, to nature, and to the cosmos. (Maslow, 1971, p. 269)
Conclusions
Few people seek out transcendence. Nor do they recognize the themes illustrated in this article. Instead, a majority of people simply seek out excitement in entertainment venues. Yet, as I point out in the beginning, if they watch media such as described above, they are being influenced in subliminal ways despite this seeming ignorance. Awakening to alternative realities can initiate peak experiences. The stories I have depicted are seen as positive because they take viewers beyond confined spaces, presenting expanded perspectives that will enable us to move into a new age with greater human development rather than what the Transhumanists are envisioning.
I’d like to end with a scene in Justice League as the film is ending. As noted, each of the Superheroes has his or her personal history with trauma and grief, but they are not trapped by their experience. This is part of who each one is. The camera slowly shows each Superhero in turn as these words are spoken and flash on the screen.
The world is broken; unexchangeable.
But the world is not fixed in the past—only the future.
The Not Yet—The Now.
The Now is you!
Take your place among the brave ones. The ones that were, that are, that are yet to be.
It’s time you stand to fight, discover, heal, love, win.
The time is now!
And it is an understatement that “the time is now.” The New York Times published an article on the threats of Artificial Intelligence (Metz, 2023). Geoffrey Hinton, the creator of the foundation for A.I. systems quit his job at Google to inform the world of the dangers of A.I. gone wild. In his words, “Generative A.I. can already be a tool for misinformation. Soon, it will be a risk to jobs. Somewhere down the line, tech’s biggest worriers say, it could be a risk to humanity.” Over 1000 technology leaders “have signed an open letter calling for a six-month moratorium on the development of new systems because A.I. technologies pose ‘profound risks to society and humanity,” thus supporting the premises within this article. Hinton warns of the dangers if it gets in the hands of the wrong players: these are those persons motivated by power and greed. Technological developments need to go hand in hand with human caring.
But growing A.I. technologies are just one of the many threats facing us at this time, We need the courage to develop those human capacities noted at the end of the Justice League film and fight for what we love and believe in. The two Alien series, The Man Who Fell to Earth and Resident Alien, re-emphasize the opening of our feelings—the door to authenticity.
It is our felt senses that can take us deeper into becoming Fully Human (Kingsley, 2021). I am referring to a deeper reality within us that can create a healthier outer reality as it influences us and our behaviors with ourselves, with others, and within the world. It is inevitable that humanity is expanding its technologies and enhancing understanding of differing realities. At the same time, we need to explore the connection with a deeper purpose hidden in our souls.
According to Jung in the Red Book (2009, p. 348), “Not your thinking, but your essence is differentiation. Therefore, you must not strive for what you consider distinctiveness, but for your own essence.” We are not led to this essence by reason, but by sensing and following our deepest feelings. This inner essence, our intrinsic nature, determines our character and leads toward Self-Realization. This essence is the emanation of the Divine within each one of us, waiting to be discovered. As we open to expanded realities, what do we want to take with us from our inner ones? The ideal is to illuminate our deeper realities and let them carry us into the emerging new age. If humanity is expanding its reach into space to explore other galaxies and other possibilities, let’s make it rich. We bring ourselves, our humanity into new expanded ways of being.
Thus, the films and app series noted in this article are significant if we listen deeply as we engage with them. There are also many more stories. They are appearing rapidly to guide us as we are on the verge of an incredible expansion in human understanding. How we integrate these changes is important. The stories can influence humanity toward a greater consciousness than one dominated by reason and a limited and inflexible ego state. Instead, humanity can enter a deeper journey through a felt inner and outer engagement with life in all of its dimensions beyond what we have only seen in our imagination as depicted in myth. It is all a matter of choice!
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