Audiences experience 'Avatar' blues

Audiences experience 'Avatar' blues

www.cnn.com

(CNN) -- James Cameron's completely immersive spectacle "Avatar" may have been a little too real for some fans who say they have experienced depression and suicidal thoughts after seeing the film because they long to enjoy the beauty of the alien world Pandora.

On the fan forum site "Avatar Forums," a topic thread entitled "Ways to cope with the depression of the dream of Pandora being intangible," has received more than 1,000 posts from people experiencing depression and fans trying to help them cope.

(visit the link for the full news article)

This is actually a fascinating story IMHO, and pretty telling (if actually true) of what many see that our world has become, and what many wish were different.

Personally, I found this film to be one of the most incredible, epic things I have ever seen.

But people becoming suicidal after viewing it? I wonder how much of this story is accurate, and how much of it is being 'spun' due to the popularity that this alien-themed film, which portrays a race of beings in a positive manner, and US in a negative one?

I certainly would not mind living in such a world with such beings, and I get the sense that this film is resonating on some sort of level with our civilization like that, as it may go on to be the highest grossing epic of all time. It is impacting people quite strongly and on a massive scale.

To me, this signals that the world at large, the people, (not the few up in positions of power dictating to the rest of us) WANT such a way of living, like our ancestors once lived---In peace and harmony with each other and their planet.

I wonder if a news story such as this is sort of done as a 'smear piece' of sorts to keep the positivity (and possibility)that people are taking away from this monumental event?

www.cnn.com
(visit the link for the full news article)


[edit on 12-1-2010 by DimensionalDetective]

What it tells me is many of those people have mental issues and live meager lives.

Before coming more in-tune with our creator and his creation, I used to
occasionally become depressed and entertained suicidal thoughts. The
key is to not rely on man and his creations for your satisfaction.

reply to post by DimensionalDetective

But people becoming suicidal after viewing it?

Fortunately, the wonder that is the internet is already providing us with an abundance of Na'vi porn, so these poor lost souls need not despair any longer.

reply to post by DimensionalDetective


I thought I was crazy but apparently others reacted strongly to this film too. I felt kinda the opposite after I left the theater, while I definitely did want to experience Pandora I was awestruck by how real the movie makes it for you. It really is THAT immersive. I find it weird that people were depressed or suicidal though, I had the opposite reaction.

This is really important though. Entertainment is becoming so interactive and realistic that it won't take long until we're all hooked up to Matrix fantasy machines enjoying video games and living our lives within a virtual reality. Or are we already in a virtual reality

As entertainment becomes more and more compelling people are going to lose touch with reality more frequently. The thing that I find tempting about fully immersive virtual reality is the idea of living multiple lifetimes. Time doesn't have to work like it does outside the machine, so the possibility of living multiple emotionally fulfilling lifetimes all before breakfast could be feasible. Sort of like the dreams we have that leave us in an emotional fog all day - fantasy can be very moving.





[edit on 11-1-2010 by Titen-Sxull]

Maybe there is something to this story about our world. How people get up before sunrise, commute thru traffic for an hour, work in small cubicle under artifical light, have their fast food lunch then go home to watch t.v.
You might not, others may. You see how busy life is, living in concrete and notice the clear blue sky and feedom of flying in the movie. Then go back to cubicle living and watching t.v.

You know, our own planet is pretty beautiful if you go outside.

Just sayin'.

I must admit that it was a bit of a bummer having to leave Pandora at the end of the movie. It was a beautiful place with an uncomplicated culture... but I was over it after a few minutes.

I think people just yearn for a life that is far less complicated.

I guess the phenomena is similar to that of reading a really good book where you feel kind of sad to read the final page and say goodbye to the characters. It's just a testament to the brilliance of the authors... or in Avatars case, James Cameron.

However, people wanting to commit suicide etc is taking it all a little bit too far. At the end of the day, it's just a movie!

IRM

That's just sad. it's like watching pokemon and wanting to live in happy pokemon land. These people need to get a life.

[edit on 11-1-2010 by SuperSlovak]

OK, let me get this straight. People are becoming suicidal over a movie. So their reality sucks that badly. Or maybe there are evil subliminal messages in the film itself. Wow, a whole new conspiracy theory. You heard it here first.

Well people who feel depressed after the movie have missed the point entirely.

Pandora isn't supposed to some kind of "dream" that you can only achieve in your imagination; it's a representation of what we and our Earth can become if we accept the same values of spirituality and community life presented in the film.

I myself felt inspired to help change this world after seeing the movie; people who feel depressed about it are probably people who feel that there is no hope for change. They need to start looking around and realizing that the potential for change is everywhere- they simply need to rise up and grasp it.

[edit on 11/1/1010 by Monts]

reply to post by Monts


I would star you ten times if I could. That is what I took from it as well. Being Native American, I felt a great connection to this movie and how my ancestors once lived---In total harmony and equilibrium with their ecosystem and all of life. And completely FREE, not a bunch of debt slaves. What was once done can be done again IMHO. We have been led to believe that this planet is one of scarcity, and that we need to depend on technology and this modernized society in order to survive, but this is complete BS imho. This world is one of natural abundance, all that needs to be done is to RE-LEARN how to live off of it, the way our ancestors did. Not by being dependent on this current slave system. I think we may SEE many returning back to the ways of old and relearning to live off the land and in nature. If by nothing else other than necessity.

Don't mean to burst anyone's bubble, but ATS needs to regulate these media ads (posts). Either that, or make a pound of flesh from them. Seriously, what the fudge is the conspiracy about watching some movie and feeling depressed. Like you need to watch a movie to feel depressed these days.

reply to post by InertiaZero


Exactly! I guess these people must live in cities where they only interact with computers and square rooms. This film is waking people up, and it sounds like it's shaking them from a nightmare. But the real nightmare is the drag of a meaningless job with little or no awareness of the wonders of the natural world. We evolved in the beauty of nature, and are supposed to interact with it and enjoy it.

I found the film wonderful and uplifting. However I can imagine how someone could watch it and evaluate their life and be sad to find all the wonders of Earth that they've been ignoring.

But to actually want to go to PANDORA? And be depressed about it? That just means they're WAY too out of touch with reality. In middle school I really wanted to go to Hogwarts and do magic, and would daydream a lot about what life would be like if that stuff was real. But it was just a story. Fiction.

reply to post by SphinxMontreal


Well, it is in the Breaking Alternative News forum, is that not what the story is?

Back on topic....guess I need to put this movie on the "must rent when it comes out" list, must be special if people are reacting this way!

reply to post by Signals


Nah... it wont be the same on DVD. You have to experience it in Stereoscopic 3D on the big screen to fully appreciate what the film has to offer.

IRM

This is not actually a new phenomena (the movie not withstanding). One school of psychological thought considers the nature instinct ("biophillia") to be in us all. An innate desire to be close to life, animals, and flora. I certainly know I have it, I am never quite as at peace as I am in the wild. I imagine it comes from the fact that we are in fact animals, and subconsciously understand that cubicles and concrete are not our natural habitat. For many, interactions w/ nature is a requirement for mental health. Which makes sane conservation even more critical for humanity and future generations. There simply is no cathedral in the world, no matter how grand or shiny, that can compare to a grove of Redwoods or Yosemite Valley.

Check out the wikipedia entry for more details:
en.wikipedia.org...

Unfortunately these people need professional help.
happines comes from within. and no one can give it to you.

I think it just resonates with peoples instinctive reaction to the modern materialistic lifestyle. It seems that these people aren't longing for Pandora, but rather a simpler, more natural, more fulfilling life, one lived for other people and more in tune with nature and less about how big your house and TV are....