Religion in What Dreams May Come True - Essay Example

As traditional religions became more unreliable in solving societal problems, human being began to look into ways to satisfy their spiritual needs and as a result new modern religions emerged. These emerging religions sought to fill the important gaps left out by the traditional religions and as a result they have continued to attract significant following in the modern world. These emerging religions promised to reconcile the concepts between reason and spirituality in a bid to assist man to acquire a better understand of his existence with regard to purpose and as a result give meaning to millions who were living lives full of questions and doubts. These religions based their teachings on psychoanalytical postulations of human beings urging followers that the answers to their questions were to be found in no other place other than within. The 1998 film starring Robin Williams called “What Dreams May Come” clearly brings into perspective some of the postulations that have been used by emerging religions and the reason for the sudden popularity of those religions among the masses. There are questions that even in this age of technological advancements human beings have not been able to answer particularly the ones that pertain to his essence as a being and whether the earthly existence is by chance, or it is a journey with a purpose and a particular destination. The paper looks at how the film “What Dreams May Come True” manages to bring about some key characteristics in the teachings of New Thought Religions. The Power of the Mind. The concept of the power of the mind is clearly found in the teachings of Ernest Homes who postulated that human beings had the power to control their destiny through the power of their minds. Holmes outlines that the first greatest discovery that human being ever made was that ‘He could think” (Holmes 24). Holmes goes on to outline that the power of the human mind is evident in how man has utilized the resources nature has provided for him to come up with great inventions. New Thought religions proposes on the power of the mind and is perhaps the source of the concept of the power of positive thinking. In the film “What Dreams May Come” the producer manages to bring about the concept of the power of thought through the family of Dr. Christopher. After the death of his children and going through emotional distress, Dr. Chris is also involved in car accident and finds himself in heaven. In heaven Dr. Chris manages to realize that the reality of what he sees is actually a creation of his mind. For instance, as a result of the immense love Dr. Chris had for his wife he is able to create a Jacaranda tree just infront of him while in heaven. On the other hand Dr. Chris learns that because his wife committed suicide, the wife will not be able to go to heaven because she will most likely create a life of suffering and negative emotions that will condemn her to eternal suffering (Williams). The examples from the film outline the perceptions that New Thought Religion has for the power of human mind and the ability of human beings not only to control their own thoughts but also to influence the thoughts of other loved ones. In essence, human beings just like Dr. Chris only need to learn how to tap and utilize the power of the mind and life will be much easier and bearable. Idealism. The concept of idealism implies that our reality is just but construct of our own minds. According to Neusner, one of the core beliefs of New Thought Religions is the concept of idealism and that we start to become more productive once we become conscious of the persons that we are (284). In the film we actually see Dr. Chris and his wife Annie not being able to utilize their potentials during their lifetimes and are taught how to use them only after they die. After Dr. Chris is involved in an accident, he decides to stay back on earth and try to communicate and at least console his rather traumatized wife. By staying behind Dr. Chris does not know that that there are a lot of things he is missing in the place he is supposed to go which is in heaven. Once in heaven Dr. Chris has to undergo training by Albert of how to become more productive and by realizing who he is and his potential. After Annie dies Dr. Chris is greived that they will not be able to reunite because Annie is condemned to spend her time in hell due to her lack of realization of her potential. However, Dr. Chris is told that he has the capacity to change the life of Annie if at all he can find his way into Annie’s way of thinking and actually influence her way of thinking to adopt more pleasant and productive thoughts. In essence, both Dr. Chris and Annie realize that they have the potential not only to change their lives but also the lives of their loved ones and this aspect brings out the concept of idealism. Monism. According to Bächli, Monism is a concept that is based on the belief that all things are united together by God. Monism is one of the primary doctrines on New Thought Religions. In essence, New Thought Religions outlines that as human beings we are all connected and united by a single supreme being. In the film we realize that although the members of Dr. Chris’ family fies at different times they are eventually united together with each one of them constructing their individual realities through their imaginations. The mentioning of the concept of heaven implies that at one time all human beings will be re-united with their loved ones and friends. The examples from the film show that there is a strong connection between the postulations of New Thought Religions and how human beings percieve the world or rather would want the world to be. The fear of death has continued to haunt human beings with no generation being able to find conclusive answers as to what happens after death. The concept of monism actually creates a sense of relief by promising humsn beings that there is life after death. However, some religions such as Christianity warn followers that lest they live moral lives here on earth they risk being taken to hell. New Thought Religion came with the answer and outlines that where you go after you die is only a construct of the mind. Traditional religions also provided laws for followers and warned that if they did not follow the rules they will be punished. These provisions nurture fear and consequently rebellion. However, New Thought Religion informs people that they can change their lives through the power of their minds. In essence, New Thought Religion has gained popularity because it has been able to connect spirituality with reality much more than the traditional religions. Works Cited Bächli, Andreas. Monism. Frankfurt: Verlag, 2003. Print. Holmes, Ernest. The Science of Mind. New York: Wilder Publications, 2010. Print. Neusner, Jacob. World Religions in America: An Introduction. Wesminster: John Knox Press, 2010. Print. What Dreams May Come. Dir. Vincent Ward. Perf. Robin Williams. 1998. Film. Read More