I know I am awfully late in having seen 'Inception' for the first time on Saturday night, but, I saw it. For the first time. On Saturday night. Excellent film, definitely worth watching again. I made the mistake of returning it rather than watching it with my wife (I just rented it while I washed clothes at my parents' house). She expressed no interest when I described the plot to her, so I just figured...why bother? Unfortunately, when 'The Other Guys' had too many dirty jokes and she (and I) wanted to stop watching (though in my case it was just because I thought they went past funny and just went to either stupid or strange or disgusting), we were lacking in entertainment awesomeness.
Preamble aside, I couldn't help thinking of the interesting themes explored in this film. Especially the thought that an idea, once it is formed in your head, be it consciously or unconsciously, it can be either profound, or disastrous. But once it's there, it just...spreads like wildfire until it consumes you, if it's an idea that's powerful enough. It makes me think...was the idea that I was in a cult already there, long before I started doubting/questioning/researching? Did I already believe I was in a dream? Did I think perhaps that...metaphorically speaking, the top SHOULD stop spinning?
'Inception' also made me think about the flip side, about...why people are able to be controlled by the WT Society in the first place. I'm certainly not suggesting that the Society has used inception, except...that's exactly I'm suggesting. Not so much by entering people's dreams as done in that movie, but...isn't it quite evident, for those of us now in the 'conscious class' and ex-JWs, that ideas were indeed implanted into our minds without us being consciously aware of them? But for us, perhaps our minds were aware that a foreign idea, an idea not originally ours, was present, and although some of us might've taken longer than others to respond, to expel those ideas, we did indeed respond. For us, the Society's brand of inception failed. What they wanted us to do was something we knew was not what WE really wanted to do.
I guess you could say that we failed to "make the truth our own". Ha ha. And that expression really is a very significant one, isn't it? Make the truth your own. Be a true believer. Don't have your own ideas when it comes to spirituality, Biblical understandings, conduct, dress, grooming, personal decisions. Eliminate any notion of your own ideas about anything important--and even things that aren't so important.
And how did they do it? They came to your literal door, in many cases, appearing to be your friend, trying to protect you from evil forces that were intruding on your mind. You trusted them, and led them to your deepest secrets, told them everything they needed to know. Then they replaced your ideas and your plans with their ideas and their plans. And...it wasn't until you woke up that you realized you were dreaming. Did you remember how you got to where you were? Well, in this case, of course you did, as it wasn't a dream in that sense.
Some people stayed in the dream to wake up those who were still sleeping. Knowing that it wasn't real, yet staying in it for the sake of others, that must be horrible. To know that the top should stop spinning, yet it doesn't. But unlike in a dream, you're not even the one who gets to build the world you live in. The Society builds your home, and the road you travel on can change at any second without any real explanation.
And...some people can't deal with knowing that it's not real. Waking up for them...is too much, sometimes...they feel that they need to die in order to wake up. Metaphorically, I think that's true. I know I died before I woke up about this religion. And...it is addictive, in its own way. If you've been there forever, it's easier to dream. Hard to know that you will grow old and die, like everyone else.
Wow. There are some interesting parallels. Man, I love that movie! I think it was an excellent cast and...such a mind-bending experience. Anyone else see the parallels? I am curious, since you folks seem awfully brainy and all, to hear your thoughts.
--sd-7
P.S. The top did not stop spinning, in my opinion. He just imagined that he escaped. No top can spin for that long....no way. I'd be curious to see what Christopher Nolan would do if he ever revisited this story, though. I hear they're going to do a video game, but probably not another film anytime soon. Neat...