Law of Attraction and the Silver Screen

July 10, 2009 by Rose-Anne Turunen
Filed under Arts, • Feature

Inspiration arises from many sources, sometimes taking the most unlikely forms. And when it comes to lessons for living, I’ve found the best insights often come from one of my greatest passions—the movies.

Movies are essentially the modern-day equivalent of storytelling, that time-honored practice long used for illustrating philosophical, spiritual and metaphysical concepts. But because motion pictures enhance their story lines with contemporary high-tech wizardry, they bring their meanings to life in ways that mere words often can’t. Their messages carry enormous impact, evoking strongly felt responses and conveying their significance with palpable degrees of substance.

This is particularly true when it comes to cinematic renditions of the principles of the law of attraction, a practice also known as conscious creation. As a lifelong movie lover, I’ve found that films of virtually all genres are capable of accomplishing this, too, including everything from comedies to dramas to science fiction and even documentaries. In fact, movies can shed profound light on many of the key concepts of this discipline, and that’s the perspective I draw upon when I look at—and write about—film. To be sure, some pictures are better than others at conveying insights on the subject, but there are many that are real gems of enlightenment.

Think of some key law of attraction concepts, and look at how many films out there provide excellent illustrations of those principles. For example, understanding what beliefs we hold and how they create the reality around us is a prime consideration for making the law of attraction process work. Moviegoers can gain insight into this by watching pictures like the metaphysical primer “What the #$*! Do We (K)now!?” (2004), the romantic comedy “Under the Tuscan Sun” (2003) and the ballet world drama “The Turning Point” (1977). Similarly, going beyond surface perceptions to see what underlying beliefs are driving our creations is important to have a clear understanding of what intents we’re putting out. This notion is explored effectively in the Woody Allen comedy “Whatever Works” (2009), the gripping psychological drama “Ordinary People” (1980), the French farce “King of Hearts” (1966), the riveting character study “A Beautiful Mind” (2001) and the heartfelt father-and-son fable “Big Fish” (2003).

Bearing these examples in mind, then, it’s easy to see how movies exemplify a whole host of law of attraction principles, including the following:

* Drawing upon the power of choice and free will in the creation of our reality, for better or worse, is examined in such films as the gut-wrenching drama “Sophie’s Choice” (1982), the edgy dark comedy “After Hours” (1985), the unconventional family drama “Housekeeping” (1987) and the futurist yarn “Brave New World” (1998).

* When our beliefs don’t pan out as we’d like, it’s time to choose new ones and embrace change to achieve more rewarding materializations, as evidenced in pictures like the offbeat drama “The Truman Show” (1998), the gender-bending comedy “All of Me” (1984), the romantic fantasy “Peggy Sue Got Married” (1986), the never-ending saga of “Groundhog Day” (1993) and the heartwarming road trip tale “Away We Go” (2009).

* Facing fears is precisely what’s called for when making changes in our beliefs and in our lives, for without the courage to do this, we’d surely stay stuck in place, a theme plumbed in the soul-searching sci-fi drama “Signs” (2002), the courageous leap of faith character study “An Unmarried Woman” (1978), the Alfred Hitchcock classic “Vertigo” (1958), the otherworldly romantic comedy “Defending Your Life” (1991), and a trio of heroic tales (all from 2005) “The Constant Gardener,” “Syriana” and “Good Night, and Good Luck.”

* Being willing to exceed our personal limitations is often crucial to achieving hoped-for aims, a proposition put to the test in envelope-pushing offerings like “What Dreams May Come” (1998), “Phenomenon” (1996), “K-PAX” (2001), “The Lathe of Heaven” (1980), “Brainstorm” (1983), “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (2004) and “Pleasantville” (1998).

* Experiencing the awesome joy and power of creation is, of course, the desired objective of this process, and the fulfillment of this goal is brilliantly depicted in titles like the gentle comedy “Being There” (1979), the Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946), the high-flying historical adventure “The Right Stuff” (1983) and the poetic, dreamy fantasy “Wings of Desire” (1987).

Consider what’s possible when the inspiration from all of the foregoing examples is combined. The satisfaction in that can be beyond measure, all because of the law of attraction, and, thankfully, movies help to effectively showcase that for us.

In future editions of this column, I’ll share my thoughts about new film releases—and, on occasion, entries from the DVD library—that examine these and other law of attraction principles. So, in the meantime, pop some popcorn, turn off your cell phone and enjoy the show!

Brent Marchant

A lifelong movie fan and longtime student of metaphysics, free-lance writer/editor Brent Marchant is the author of Get the Picture: Conscious Creation Goes to the Movies (Moment Point Press, www.momentpoint.com). His additional writing credits include contributions to beliefnet.com and to Divine Revolution and Reality Change magazines. Brent also maintains an ongoing blog about metaphysical cinema at www.getthepicturebrentmarchant.blogspot.com. He holds a B.A. in magazine journalism from Syracuse University and resides in Chicago. You can email him at brentmarchant@momentpoint.com.

About: Rose-Anne:
Rose-Anne is cofounder and Creative Director of VividLife and manager of VividLife Radio. She is a passionate documentary filmmaker, putting a voice to causes and social issues, and runs her own businesses and web sites related to food & health, and women’s issues. “I love inspiring people. I have been fortunate enough to have had the time and guidance in my life to help me find some of those answers, and it’s important to me to be able to share what I have learned on my own journey.” www.vividlife.me

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