The Psychology of Film

25min

1,000 P

Estimated of points

Deep Movies

Currently Not Accepting New Students

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Movies can be a great way to learn about human psychology. They can also aid in our own emotional healing and awaken us to new spiritual dimensions of reality.

This lesson is designed for those who want to go deep with movie watching. After choosing a film to focus on, and watching the film, the lesson will focus on understanding the deeper dimensions of the film, what it teaches us about human psychology, emotional healing, and/or spiritual awakening.

In conjunction with discussion, each lesson will focus on teaching important vocabulary and psychological principles/ideas in order to unlock the deeper meaning within the movie.

This is an opportunity to enjoy watching a movie, to practice English, to learn about psychology, to heal emotionally, and to awaken spiritually.

Movies that I currently teach about include:

The Perks of Being a Wallflower: A coming-of-age teen movie that clearly demonstrate the inner workings of PTSD and what it means to be a “wallflower.” A movie about healing from PTSD. (Key ideas: PTSD, emotional dissociation/suppression, catharsis, depression.)

Inception: A multidimensional movie that is as rich psychologically as it is philosophically. What is the difference between a dream and reality? What does it mean to forgive? These are some of the key ideas addressed through this movie. Take a journey through the complex world of Inception and marvel at the amazing architecture of this film masterpiece. (Key ideas: projection, subconscious, unconscious, catharsis, forgiveness.)

The Martian: When you’re stuck on Mars, how do you survive? It might come down to attitude and finding a way to stay positive. A movie that ultimately teaches the interconnectivity of humanity. (Key ideas: positive psychology.)

Mud: A coming-of-age movie that demonstrates the powerful, if distorted perception of adolescence with regards to human relationships. Mud teaches many profound ideas related to psychology and the meaning of masculinity. (Key ideas: idealization, romanticism.)

Arrival: A powerful movie that is more than just about extra-terrestrials visiting planet earth. Arrival is ultimately about the way language influences our perception of the world, and how it colors how we are in our relationships with both humans and non-humans alike. Could empathy and the ability to understand each others’ languages be the key to saving humanity? A good question for any language student. Arrival also teaches the profound meaning of non-linear time perception, and what it means to embrace a life that inevitably entails both joy and pain. (Key ideas: empathy, empath, non-zero sum game, non-linear, Sapir-Whorf hypothesis.)

Lars and the Real Girl: A powerful movie about self-healing from preverbal trauma and social anxiety. Lars is a love-shy adult male on a journey to overcome his anxieties related to human intimacy and sexuality. This movie is great for teaching some of the basic principles of attachment psychology. (Key ideas: self-healing, catharsis, attachment psychology, preverbal trauma.)

Departures: A sweet Japanese movie that asks us to look at the place of death and work in our lives. Could it be that understanding the significance of death can be the means to understanding the meaning of life altogether? This movie also teaches us that the dignity in work may not always be about the work itself, but what our relationship to our work is. (Key ideas: stages of grieving, death, dignity.)

After the Rain (2018): A sweet Japanese movie about an unlikely relationship between a young teenage girl and her boss. The protagonists in this story are both at pivotal turning points in their lives and are destined to help each other in unanticipated ways. A movie about following your heart’s longing and dreams, it is also a movie about a healing relationship, and the unexpected gifts within unconventional relationships or even unrequited love. (Key ideas: dual relationships, professional/personal boundaries, healing relationships, unrequited love, idealization.)

The Truman Show: A movie about the emptiness and superficiality of modern society and culture, with its focus on social media, reality TV, and endless entertainment. The Truman Show ultimately teaches us that we can find deeper meaning in life, but we have to search for it first and being willing to take a risk in the process. The Truman Show is ultimately about the human search for Truth, meaning, and true love. (Key ideas: commodification, authenticity.)

The Little Prince (2015): Based on the famous short story, The Little Prince teaches the meaning of “seeing with the heart,” or seeing with the innocence and “wonder-full” eyes of a child, even as an adult.

K-PAX: The power of K-PAX is in the mysterious interrelation between psychology and spirituality. Is Prot, the main character of the story, really an alien from out space? Is he a savior? Or he is merely the symptom of a psychological disorder? (Or could it somehow be BOTH?!) K-PAX is a fascinating mystery movie that teaches much about the nature of human psychology and its mysterious interplay with cosmic mysteries and questions. (Key ideas: psychic possession, delusion, self-healing.)

A Beautiful Mind: A beautiful movie about a beautiful mind. This movie is about schizophrenia, delusions, and hallucinations, but it is also about self-healing. Based on a true story. (Key ideas: schizophrenia, delusions, self-healing.)

Ordinary People: A beautiful classic movie about a family healing and grieving after the death of one son, and another’s suicide attempt. This movie teaches a lot about the power of counseling and is great for learning about some psychological counseling techniques and theories. Ultimately, this is a powerful film that demonstrates the power of healing and human relationships, family dynamics, and how we are all both ordinary and extraordinary. Beneath the surface of life, we all have deeper emotions and feelings, if only we can have the courage to embrace them. Learning to live and being alive ultimately means embracing both the joy and pain of life. (Key ideas: depression, suicide, family dynamics, gestalt therapy, healing, emotional catharsis.)

Dead Man Walking: A powerful film about the meaning of love and forgiveness. Even the most sinister among us are not beyond redemption. While the themes of this movie include some pertaining to religion, its themes of love and forgiveness are universal.

Contact: A beautiful film that raises some profound questions about the connection between science, religion, and spirituality. Ultimately, Contact asks us to look deeply at what it means to be human, what our place is within the universe, and the meaning of transcendent mystical experience.

Won’t You Be My Neighbor: A movie about an inspirational figure (Fred Rogers) and his far-reaching impact. This movie demonstrates the meaning of kindness and its influential power.

Interstellar: Does science have the last say on human life? Or is there a power both within and beyond science that is deeper? Could love be a power that has more impact than even the laws of science? Interstellar is a profound journey that calls us to look at our place within the larger cosmic order.

Lion: A profound true story that demonstrates the power of human connection and familial bonds.

Transcendent Man: Technology is developing at a rapid rate and changing human life in unexpected ways? What does the future hold for artificial intelligence and nano-technology? Are we heading towards an ultimate spiritual-technological event that will reshape humanity and life as we know it? Transcendent Man asks these questions and more by looking at the life and work of the famous inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil.

Inside Out: Although human emotions can seem very messy and complicated, they are ultimately simple in their workings. This movie demonstrates the peculiar simplicity of human psychology with regards to emotions in a touching way. It demonstrates in simple terms the relationship between joy and sadness and their primacy within emotional life. Good for all ages.

Her: Artificial Intelligence is bound to shape human relationships in unexpected ways. But will it make us less human? Less dependent on real human interaction for connection? Or will there be something positive about human-AI relationships? Her is a deep look at what it means to be human within a world of increasing and rapid technological advancement.

Into the Wild: A spiritual and psychological classic, Into the Wild is an adventure that takes us on the real life journey of Christopher McCandless. Both inspiring and tragic, Into the Wild looks at both the spiritual and psychological motivations of McCandless, providing a story of both psychological healing and spiritual awakening. Ultimately, the movie asks us to look at the contrast between finding happiness through spirituality and solitude vs. in human relationships. A story about love, humanity, and ultimately forgiveness.

Hachi: A true story about loyalty and human-animal bonding. Touching and inspiring.

Project X (1987): Based on real experiments, Project X is about the power of human-animal bonding and raises important questions about animal rights, ethics, and welfare. (Key ideas: animal rights, animal ethics, animal welfare.)

* Most movies are suitiable for both adolescents and adults.

I currently teach the psychology of film and have a master's degree in counseling psychology, and a bachelor's degree in philosophy.

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