Well, it scared Cootie and me, anyway. We don’t frighten easily by any means, but we had to watch an hour of Family Guy after the movie ended just so we could calm down enough to go to bed.
I can see the other side, too. It’s understandable to me how someone could not buy the central premise of Insidious and think it was just ridiculous. I bought the idea, obviously, and more than that, I think it is a movie that bears discussion from a spiritual vantage point, particularly for Pagan households. We’re more into that scene than most Christians, I’m pretty sure.
Okay.
Now that it’s just you and me, let’s talk about Walking. That’s what I call it. Sure, you can call it Astral Projection, if you want to get all uppity. The movie calls it Traveling, and that’s fine, too. It’s something I’m sure all of us have tried at some point, to varying levels of success. The little boy in Insidious is a really good Walker; in fact, he has no idea he is doing it. The kid is a Dreamwalker. He is projecting while he’s asleep. The crux of the movie concerns what happens when he wanders too far out (the movie calls this realm The Further, and I can’t think of a better name) and can’t get back to his body. He falls into a coma which the doctors can find no physical cause for. It’s a scary concept. The little boy’s body lies in a bed, hooked up to medical machinery, while all about him, malevolent hungry spirits wait for that connection to break so they can take over. Imagine everyone in your coven/grove/temple suddenly lining up at a bar after a particularly hot and sweaty Ritual. Yeah, that kind of energy.
I’m always looking for lessons that we can learn from popular culture, particularly the movies that we create, and Insidious winds up being a cautionary tale that we Pagans should talk about. Here’s your short-form Insidious workbook.
1) Are you talking to your children about their Dreamlife? Listen carefully to the details they spill. If it sounds like they’re Walking, don’t be afraid to push the issue. Have them draw pictures of their Dreamcycles and the things they see, the people they talk to. Watch them while they sleep and use your own Intuition to ascertain what’s happening. If it turns out they are Dreamwalking, instruct them in proper techniques. If you’re not certain what those are, find out.
2) Don’t Travel alone. If this is something you’re experimenting with, remember some very basic safety tips. Keep Traveling a controlled situation. Have someone watch over you, ready to call you back if need be. If you’re using the Silver Cord technique, don’t let go. And don’t give in to the temptation to go out too far. It’s easy to get lost out there.
3) Don’t give in to Fear. The ability to Travel is fantastic, and there is much to be learned out there. But like anything, if you freak out while you’re doing, you’re not going to get the maximum benefit from the activity. Be cool. Remember where you are and how to get back. But having a spaz attack while you’re out of your body is the kind of shit behavior that gets you unwanted attention.
Insidious can be a fantastic jumping-off point for discussions between you and your children, you and your partner or you and your peers. Give it a watch, not just because it is a damned good flick, but because, with the right eyes, you can learn something from it.
Be Excellent to Each Other!
X
4 Responses to “What Pagans can learn from INSIDIOUS (**Mild Spoilers**)”
llufcirclecootie
July 16th, 2011 at 6:41 pm | edit
Hahahahahahahahahaholyshit. Yeah. This movie does a fantastic job of capturing that dream-like nightmarish quality that it needed to pull off the concept. I’ve met some creepy entities before, but nothing(thankfully) that scares me like the fuckers in this movie. And reading your post makes me think… what the fuck WOULD I DO? I mean, really? What would one do if they met up with that Tiny Tim lovin’ Darth Maul lookin’ mother fucker while out Walking? Or WORSE the black veil wearing she-Devil. I mean, aside from the obvious (piss themselves). I love how, when faced with the noseless dude at the red door Josh pulled from his Power and pushed the guy with what would be, in body, super human strength. But I think it is a good lead in to discussions about shielding & Guardians too.
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BGTNJeff
July 16th, 2011 at 6:45 pm | edit
Yeah! This would be an excellent starting point for a Guardian discussion, not to mention Wards and Markers.
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Mander
July 16th, 2011 at 8:12 pm | edit
While watching this movie, I thought about all of the times I have woken up from a dream that seemed very real…or just feeling wiped out. Or, sometimes I have even gotten a “floaty feeling” while falling asleep. I don’t like it.
There have even been times when I felt like I entered someone else’s dream. Strange, eh?
I am a person that very much needs to be in control of her physical and mental self (with the exception of the occasional tipsy moments)…now, is Walking something that I would consider with a VERY experienced person watching over me? Possibly. At the same time, I feel like I may be turning myself into a human Ouji board (not cool) so, I would only do this with people that I trust 110% and only after taking several protective measures.
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llufcirclecootie
July 17th, 2011 at 1:19 am | edit
Yeah, exactly.
The thing for me though, is that I know that even with someone I know & trust watching over me I know that it’s not guaranteed I’ll come back even then. I mean, fuck. Look what happened to Josh. I think that going with a Spiritual Guardian would be more useful in such instances. That and being mindful… like X said, don’t wander too far away. I’ve never had much luck at willful Walking. It’s a sporadic & spontaneous thing. I never really know what triggers it or why. Like you, with the floaty feeling… I usually end up waking myself up with reason, you know, when you become cognizant of the fact that you are dreaming or that what you are doing can’t possibly be real? I do it all the time & it pisses me off. lol!