A woman in the LSBC graduate community recently shared an insight she had from the movie Divergent.
The characters in the movie are put into simulations where they face their worst fears and need to escape. The protagonist, who is “divergent,” is aware that the situations aren’t real. Everyone else is completely bought into the fearful situations; they are reality. But the divergent protagonist in those same situations knows they are a dream–they feel real, they seem real, but they aren’t real.
I know you can guess how it goes from here.
In one scene, the divergent protagonist is seemingly about to drown as she’s trapped inside a clear box that’s filling with water. When she remembers the threat is not real, she taps the wall and instantly escapes. There are apparently many scenes like this. Realize “Oh yeah, this isn’t a true threat” and poof–see a way out.
Realize you’re dreaming and poof–wake up.
Realize the monster is a shadow, the snake is a rope, and poof–you’re safe.
This is a perfect illustration of how it is for all of us. When we’re in the story, we truly believe we’re in danger. When we’re watching the story, we can remember it’s a story. There is no danger.
The amazing woman who shared this saw her own dream more clearly through this movie. She deeply saw that the feelings she had been resisting, fearing, and trying to outrun were false threats. Illusions.
There are endless threats in any story. But there are no true threats when we know it’s a story.
