Like millions of people around the world, I recently saw the new James Cameron film Avatar. While I was blown away by the visual beauty, the out-of-this world effects, and the revolutionary technology of the movie, it was the deeper message of Avatar that had the biggest impact on me.
As someone who sometimes arrogantly criticizes “mainstream” culture for being too shallow or not “getting it,” I was both humbled and inspired watching this film – knowing that its direct and indirect messages of awareness and interconnectedness are not only being shown to millions all over the world, but that there is an intense hunger and desire for them (as evidenced by its record-breaking success).
As a culture we are waking up on so many levels. With all that is going on in our country and our world these days, many of us are asking deeper, more meaningful questions about life, work, money, relationships, peace, our planet, and so much more. Many of these important issues were addressed directly and profoundly in Avatar. When I left the theatre, not only did I feel that I’d just seen an incredible movie, I felt as though my life had been impacted and altered in a positive way.
The film is a wake-up call – reminding us of the dangers of greed, unconsciousness, disconnection, insensitivity, violence, and arrogance, both globally and personally. It’s also a bold call for each of us to re-connect with that which is most sacred to us, to focus on what truly matters, and to remember how connected we are to each other, all living beings, and the environment in which we live.
Three of the most important messages we can take away from Avatar and use in our own life, work, and relationships are:
1) Honor the sacred – A central theme of the film is the way in which the Na’vi (the native species of the moon Pandora where the story takes place) honor the sacredness of their land – specifically Hometree (where they live) and the Tree of Souls (where they worship). They have a deep sense of reverence for these important places and for all of Pandora.
How well do you honor your own space? How much reverence do you hold for where you live, where you work, where you eat, the planet, and more? So often we forget that the “sacredness” of any place is more about how we relate to it, than about the space itself. We have the ability to bring a sense of sacredness to anywhere we are, at any time.
2) Connect with Spirit – The Na’vi worship a mother goddess called Eywa. Eywa is the center of the Na’vi’s universe and their reverence for her is displayed in a beautiful and palpable way throughout the film. In all that the Na’vi do, there is a direct connection back to their relationship with Eywa. There are breathtaking scenes in the film showing large groups of Na’vi chanting and praying around the Tree of Souls – as a way to honor, connect with, and access Eywa’s power, wisdom, and love.
How consciously do you connect with Spirit in your own life? We often get so busy that we don’t take the time to connect with Spirit in a deliberate and meaningful way in our daily lives. We also sometimes get too caught up in the external – thinking we have to go to a specific service or gathering, practice a particular form of prayer or meditation, or do something else externally in order to tap into our connection to Spirit. While any of these practices can be important, none of them are necessary – we can connect with Spirit at any time, in any place, and for any reason.
3) Remember our interconnectedness – The way the Na’vi live in harmony with their land and all living creators is one of the most profound and awe-inspiring elements of Avatar. There is a deep respect and appreciation for all living creators and for all elements of nature that the Na’vi truly embody. A great example of this is how the Na’vi warriors bond with their Banshees (the four-winged creatures they fly around on). Once they bond – which they do both physically and energetically – they are bonded for life and work together as one. The first few scenes in the film where we see the Na’vi warriors connect with their Banshees literally took my breath away and had a visceral impact on me as I sat in the theater.
How consciously interconnected do you feel towards other people, living creatures, and our planet in your daily life? It’s so easy for us to get caught up in the illusion of separateness – we think, talk, and are reminded of all the ways in which we are different, disconnected, and isolated from one another, living creators, and the earth all the time. However, most of us have had experiences in our lives where we’ve felt a deep sense of interconnectedness – not just with people we know and love, but with all of life. In those moments, we’ve seen, felt, and touched the depth of our true nature. When we consciously tap into this, we remember that at the deepest level – we are all one.
Avatar is a film that not only broke new ground in film making technology, visual effects, and box-office success – it’s a movie that challenges us in a personal way to remember who we really are and why we’re truly here.
Have you seen Avatar yet? What did you think? Whether or not you’ve seen the film, how can you bring more interconnection, spirit, and sacredness into your life, work, and relationships? Share your thoughts, action ideas, insights, and more on my blog below.
Julie Williams says
I absolutely loved and enjoyed the movie. My husband and I even sat thru the credits, we didn’t want it to end!
I am so very appreciative of your article! It is true that so many people are not in touch.
Thank you, as always, for your insight.
Wilton Macbeth Eversley says
I do not have to watch Avatar to make any connection with nature nor with other humans like myself. I worship One God who created all things. Who is Spirit. He told us that we should not have or worship any other god but him. We should not worship the stars, moon, sun things on the earth under the earth. This movie., teaches evolution in a subtle way.
Dan Rosenberger says
Below is a short (OK not so short) post I wrote the night I saw Avatar:
As I watched Avatar this evening my eyes actually welled up. Not because of any Hollywood agenda (real or perceived), rather because it showed a clear example of mankind’s cruelty and greedy nature when left unchecked.
I thought of how many lives were destroyed over the course of human history because one group of people chose to dominate another group, because of a piece of land, or shiny rocks in the ground, or oil or water or just a better view.
Over thousands of years we have subjugated each other physically, emotionally and when one group (or even a single person) has the ability to dominate another, we do it seemingly without pause.
I thought of the Red Cloud wars of South Dakota and Montana, where Native Americans were driven out of their homeland because settlers found some yellow rocks and felt that they were more deserving than their fellow man.
Europeans, and later Americans profited for centuries from enslaving people from another continent deemed less than human, due to their appetite for cheap labor.
Human hands were responsible for the brutal destruction of millions of their fellow man as a final solution to people considered undesirable.
We vilify one group; label another as savages all to justify our selfish natures. We do it within our society; how else do we justify the division between our classes. How can one neighborhood enjoy literal opulence, while 5 miles away their fellow citizens are suffering in squalor?
This is not a criticism of one race or ethnic group; we are all equally capable of abusing our brothers and sisters. Richard Twiss references this when discussing the mistreatment of Native Americans when he said, I’m not sure had the situation been reversed, we (Native Americans) wouldn’t have acted the same way.” – I apologize if I didn’t get the text exactly right, I moved recently and cannot find my copy of “One Church, Many Tribes”.
Neither is this a cry for the redistribution of wealth nor am I espousing the evil of capitalism; the former does not work and the latter is still the best system man has ever devised.
That is the problem though; the best system of our making still falls woefully short. What is the answer then? When will one man treat another man with compassion and dignity? When will peace come to our world?
I have studied human history and the human condition all my life and I am convinced, beyond any doubt, the only way for imperfect people to treat one another with any modicum of decency is by divine power; a moral force outside of our control and independent of our thoughts.
Only when we recognize our own sinful nature, our moral shortcomings can we possibly have the respect and empathy for another person or people group to allow them to live unfettered and without fear.
Can this power be discovered anywhere but at the cross of Christ? Can we truly recognize our sin apart from seeing the brutal torture He endured for no other reason than to redeem those He loved?
Unless I see myself as responsible for His need to suffer, I cannot truly have a healthy view of my fellow man. I am always prone to see myself in a more favorable light.
Only the cross, only His blood and the victory of an empty tomb can empower us to see our fellow man with a healthy and realistic perspective.
The day will come when this sinful nature is no longer the dominant force in our lives; when we no longer endure the struggle the apostle Paul wrote about two thousand years ago:
“I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do–this I keep on doing. “ – Romans 7:18-19
He asks and answers the obvious question a few lines later:
“What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God–through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” – Romans 7:24-8:2
No one wants to believe they are evil, but those holocaust guards, the otherwise decent folks who cheated, killed and enslaved other human beings were often decent, God-fearing people in many ways.
Rich Mullins once said “We’re all afraid of werewolves; not of being killed by one, but becoming one.”
That is why I can say and I hope you can as well “Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Heidi Howes says
Mike,
This is an amazing summary of what I took from the profound story as well. It is so imperative that we find these things and bring them to the center of our lives again as a cultural whole. Thank you for expressing it so well!
Sincerely,
Heidi Howes
GC says
While I agree with and appreciate to a large extent, your sentiments about AVATAR, I also would be remiss if I were not to mention my sentiments about the use of violence.
Did James Cameron really need to infuse that much footage of guns, firepower and massacre in this movie? Do we need to project the old paradigm of violence and destruction in the year 2154?
Yes, I get that perhaps the motivation of including this part of the storyline was part of making a statement of ‘let’s stop the violence now … before we see more destruction” and how devastating these actions are and all the visual and moral meanings to this end.
However, my soul and conscious did not need nor was it expanded by the visuals and the noise of all this destruction. In fact, it was peacefully absorbing the natural beauty of could be! All the things you cited including inter and intra -connectedness and empowerment.
I’m not exactly sure that I needed to be jolted out of this energy by firepower – which seemed to go on way too long.
Perhaps it was mainly a marketing strategy … In the words of my 12 year old son, “Mom, James Cameron was being very clever!” “With the beauty he was able to capture the females audience and with the violence, the male audience~~!!!” “He wanted to make another blockbuster; don’t you see that?”
“Yes, son, unfortunately, I do.”
It was a mainstream movie … with mainstream objectives. I’m wondering whether this movie would have been more to my visual and conscious liking had it been more of an independent movie production.
Kevin says
I had to go see it twice; because so much was going on I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss anything. One thing that I did not notice the first time I saw the movie was when they all sat around the tree of souls they were in fact connected to the roots of the tree that extended out to each of the Na-vi.
The movie was very profound with its message of togetherness and caring for all living life, and I’m looking forward towards the pre or sequel.
Jim Ross says
To deepen your connection to the film I hugely recommend seeing it in IMAX 3D before it leaves the theatres. The otherworldly, depth effects that James Cameron created are 1000% more effective in this format over the 3D on the conventional screen. Run to see it again…for the first time. Smiles,
Jim
Janet says
Oh, to be blessed with a means of physically connecting to our God and to our planet… Instead, we have to connect with our mind, spiritually. Not through any religion or dogma or through politics, but through love – loving ourselves, loving each other, loving all life and loving our surroundings. The key is love and respect and honor.
We have been charged with cherishing and nurturing our planet, not with dominating and controlling it. More men have been killed in the name of God, than for any other reason followed closely by greed and the ‘need’ for power! We continue to overpopulate, pollute and basically destroy our world. Where will it stop? Will we eventually render this world inhospitable and uninhabitable? Or, will we one day experience a world wide awakening? To banish fear and greed and a self-serving desire for power?
I’d like to teach the world to sing, in perfect harmony…
Paula says
Avatar is amazing. I left the theatre inspired by all the incredible images and messages of interconnectedness, but also a bit sad that the conflict was resolved with only conventional battle drama. The film itself is so cutting-edge, new paradigm, and I would have loved to have seen that extended into the conflict resolution. Where was the diplomacy, or simple negotiation illustrated? Avatar beautifully mirrors so much of the epic history of our world, and is an excellent reminder that an appreciation for the sacredness of all life that lives in each of our hearts is paramount.
Sheryl Schlameuss Berger says
Mike – I just saw Avatar myself this past weekend and am still thinking about this amazing film! This was not merely a movie — it was a cinematographic experience of stunning visual special effects! The 3D aspect, as well as surround sound added a complete depth of feel!
I think you are right on-target with the messages of this film, particularly the interconnectedness of the Navi with each other and their environment. That is a parallel to our lives today, reminding us to remember our sense of connection to each other and our Mother (Earth) which we are depleting.
I recall one line of the movie where it was stated (perhaps by Sully, I don’t recall) that “Our Mother has no green anymore” referring to the state of Earth in the 22nd century, and what will happen if we do not take enough ecological actions to save our planet.
Another significant parallel is the idea of the Earth people exploring and exploiting a new geographical region for the sake of financial gain. The region is plundered, destroyed and the people are forced to leave their home and their beautiful land. Gee, where else did that take place — perhaps with the Native Americans several hundred years ago! So I think this movie also parallels that period of history, and it’s not a time period to be proud of. With all the native references and sacred ceremonies as well as reverence toward nature there are strong similarities.
I enjoyed your review, Mike — sounds like an interesting assignment for you, a little bit different from your regular posts!
Holly Stiel says
Hi Mike,
I love what you wrote about Avatar.
Here is my take on Avatar. I wrote it as a Service Moment
Holly Stiel
I See You
For many years I have been teaching the concept that all customers wear a giant sign on them that says ME. In my classes I explain that what customers are really saying without actually saying it, is pay attention to me, let me know you care about me, listen to me, respect me, acknowledge me, remember me, in essence see me with your heart, soul and intelligence not just with your eyes.. There is such a desperate need “out there” that paying attention to these human needs actually make the business needs infinitely easier to master because there is no greater human need then to believe that you have really been deeply seen. All this is to preface the thrill I felt while watching the three D phenomenon, Avatar and realizing that a worldwide audience was not only hearing the message but actually getting and understanding it. The standard greeting in Pandora, the fictional planet where Avatar takes place is “ I see you ” James Cameron has summed it all up into three simple words. .. The gift of being seen by another person is what everyone is not only craving but what everyone deserves. As a service provider, if you could satisfy this deep human need by imagining that the standard greeting in your place of business was “I see you” what would you do differently? How would you behave? What would the results of the service provided be if each of us took the extra moment to stop and really see people. We would no longer have “Fronts”, #’s or transactions. We would have connection and relationships, resulting in loyalty and repeat business which is of course, the ultimate goal of every service business. Because you subscribe to Service Moments I thank you for “seeing me” and because you are reading this…
I definitely see you.
Steve Ryals says
Hey Mike,
Great piece. My Wife JoAnn and I have now seen Avatar three times, twice in 3D and most recently on IMAX 3D. We’d see it again in a heartbeat!
The bit I want to add to the conversation has to do with the “I see you” greeting. Right towards the end, when Ney’tiri (Na’tiri?) is cradling Sully (in his human body) in her huge hands and and declares, “I see you.” She “knows” him (his essence) even though she has never seen his human body before.
This idea, that we can “see” the animating force (God/Goddess, Spirit et. al.) in each other (Namaste) is a basic premise of many spiritual traditions. The notion that we could “see” this great truth in other species is such a joyous transpersonal insight that tears come each time I deeply consider the possibility.
One of the great joys of Challenge Day is the opportunity to engage in deep eye-gazing, to understand that the eyes are truly windows into the soul. That we can transcend our stories and “see” each other beyond our bodies (including our personalities and male/female dance) is one of the great gifts of the embodied life.
Peter says
Mike thanks you for your amazing review, it’s spot on and I just wanted to share something I had been moved to write about Avatar also.
Oneness of the creator.
Oneness of mankind .
Oneness of faith.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bah%C3%A1‘%C3%AD_teachings#Unity
I have seen Avatar, six times! six times I have gone back to see this movies, am I insane? or is just the 3D and mind blowing CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) tying a knot in my heart and brain. It floats in my mind like a glimpse of paradise lost, beckoning me to find it. I see magic in this simple well trodden tail where the Navi have a simplistic undivided spirituality that leaves them totally united with their surroundings and the various animals of their world including themselves. This coupled with the outstanding realism pulls on my heart strings with a longing that I know cannot be equaled in my real world, but wait lets engage some imagination, dream a little or a lot and see what might be, if only. Imagine “The Oneness of Mankind” a united humanity, free from the ravages of war, “The Elimination of Prejudice of All Kinds” and “The Equality of Women and Men”. Imagine “The Essential Harmony of Science and Religion” where the application of science would be for the benefit of mankind and his environment. Imagine the earth filled with hearts and souls linked and united in the glory of “The Oneness of Mankind”, “The Oneness of Religion” and its effect on the earth our mother. Knowledge arts and sciences taught to all “Universal Compulsory Education”, is this our Pandora, a real tangible vision of what could be. Well according to Baha’ullah its our destiny, waiting for us to just mirror forth spiritual attributes to reflect our noble promised future, just waiting for us to cast aside the veils that have hindered and stopped such a noble cause from fruition. So maybe Avatar plucks my heart strings as a fantasy based on a deep down longing that every person has imprinted on the very fabric of their being, One Country, One World, One Race, but wait its just a movie and dreams are for fools? it could never happen, we don’t have a living neural network like Pandora, this may be true, but think maybe not a natural built system, but a man made system. Consider since the invention of Morse Code in 1844 in just over 160 years the mind boggles as the World Wide Web streams out like roots to all parts and places of our globe, and each single individual can connect millions, billions of others at near the speed of light. So is this a fools dream? or from a prison in ‘Akka did Baha’ullah call out to our hearts to fulfill our destiny and James Cameron’s Avatar just by chance happened upon a hidden dream deep down in soul of each and everyone of us just waiting to be released from the prison of our hearts and minds. As you can tell I am a Baha’i, but I don’t know how else we could reach Pandora on planet earth.
Jak Plihal says
Great post, Mike. Deep and beautiful.
I direct my reply to Dan Rosenberger’s post above. I feel his words and agree with so much of what he says — and yet am compelled to ask him to take a deep look at (his) use of the word ‘only’ above.
An imperative in healing our shared past and empowering a bright future is to address the shadow that fundamentalism casts upon our future. Most obvious in religion, fundamentalism is equally damaging in any arena of critical thinking. The belief that anything is the ‘only way’ marks the place where thinking ends, and only fear based connection can grow.
Sophie Haas says
This is now more relevant than ever.
Bill Freeman says
Avatar also reminds me of the old testament story of the Elohim,
who also created hybrids to work the planet, especially mines. Their conquests, plundering and war between each other caused genocide amongst their creations.
Elyon being the head of the Elohim ‘sky council’
and YHWH being one of the Elohim. El-Shadday also referring to the El of the mountains or plains. These Elohim seemed to be in competition with one another.
The Roman gods are almost a comic book retelling
of the Elohim gods on Earth. The old testament has nothing to do with the god Paul describes in the new testament.
The Sumerian tale of creation also echos this theme. In fact it is echoed in all ancient cultures on the planet. Beings who descended from the sky, created us, taught us, used us, and then disappeared.
-Bill Freeman