Have you seen the movie Avatar in 3D? Did you suffer from "the Avatar effect," a feeling of depression after the movie? If so, you were truly immersed in that alternative world on the screen; basically you were watching Avatar in hypnosis. Coleridge called it "suspension of disbelief," and encouraged readers to take that attitude when reading fiction. This is the attitude that allows you to accept a world you are reading or watching a movie about, even though that world may have different rules or foundations than your own, in a way that would stretch credibility if you were experiencing it with your critical mind engaged.
This happens automatically for most of us when we're engrossed in a well written book or watching a good movie. Its responsible for the light hypnotic state that we go into during these experiences, and makes the story more impactful and emotional for us. "Suspension of disbelief" equals setting aside your critical factor, and that equals a trance, or hypnotic state. In this state, your subconscious mind has a difficult time telling the difference between reality and fantasy. Most of the time that just means that you cry, laugh, or get angry as you identify with the protagonist of the story.
Add the very realistic 3D effect of Avatar, and some people are apparently experiencing suspension of disbelief on steroids. The internet forums on Avatar, the movie, are being flooded with comments by thousands of viewers who are feeling depressed, even suicidal, because they so strongly identified with the protagonists of the movie, the Na'vi of the planet Pandora. These viewers have accepted the suggestion created by the show that our own planet, Earth, is a dying wasteland inferior to the utopia of Pandora. They come out of the movie desperately craving something better, to escape this planet, and find themselves depressed when they realize they can't actually go off-world to Pandora. On the site, Avatar Forums, the topic "Ways to cope with depression of the dream of Pandora being intangible," has over 1,000 posts. On another site, a user posted, "when I woke up in the morning after watching Avatar for the first time yesterday, the world seemed grey. It just seems so meaningless. I still don't really see any reason to keep doing things at all. I live in a dying world." Another forum user wrote, "I even contemplate suicide thinking that if I do it I will be rebirthed in a world similar to Pandora."
Why are people feeling this way from "just a movie"? To understand this, first you need to understand an accepted fact that the subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between something you imagine in hypnosis and a real event (and that when you are this immersed in a movie, you are in a hypnotic state). Many scientific studies have been done on this, all pointing to this same conclusion: events imagined in hypnosis are accepted as real, and the "memories" created are just as valid in the subconscious mind as any other experience. Granted, the reactions and experiences of these individuals writing on these forums is extreme. Chances are that these people belong to the group of highly-suggestible individuals known in hypnosis circles as "somnambulists." Still, there is a lesson in their experience for all of us, even if we aren't as deeply affected as they.
This phenomenon is very useful when applied deliberately, to bring someone out of a depressed or anxious state by seeing their lives the way they want it to be. In the case of Avatar, people are seeing their lives as inferior to the utopian world depicted on the screen, resulting in a disappointment with their current state, and in some cases, apparently, feelings of depression. I would add that the very realistic 3D effect of this movie enhances the feeling of reality on a subconscious level, creating an even stronger acceptance of this imagined reality.
What to do? Have you been affected this way? Or are you concerned that you might be, but you really want to see the show? My recommendations, if you are really concerned, are to watch the movie in traditional 2D, which will prevent the hyper-reality of the 3D effect and allow your critical factor to stay more engaged. Another way to keep your critical factor engaged is to ask questions during the movie (to yourself, don't annoy your fellow movie-goers!). Ask yourself things that question the realism or practicality of what you are seeing, like, "that could never happen could it? It defies the law of gravity!" That will help to keep you out of a hypnotic trance. Of course, it will also affect how deeply the movie affects you and possibly your enjoyment of the film.
If you have already seen the film and have a feeling of depression as a result, or if you prefer to just immerse yourself fully in the film, 3D and all, and afterward feel "the Avatar effect," then use the same phenomenon that has you bummed out to pick yourself up. Get into a light hypnotic trance, and imagine your own life, your own world, as the best it can be. Are you shooting for a specific goal in your life, such as a new job, new relationship, new career? Allow yourself to project into that wonderful future, and imagine it in complete detail. Do this a few times over the course of several days, and watch your mood and attitude improve.
Your feelings always follow your thoughts--if you think about how bad things are, then you'll feel bad. If you think about how good things are, you'll feel good. If you experience your best life scenarios in hypnosis, your mind will accept that as your reality, and you will feel and behave accordingly.
What I appreciate about this "Avatar effect" is that it illustrates this exact principle happening in ordinary life, and this can help people understand how it really can impact your feelings (and how you feel impacts how you behave, and actions equal results). And if this can happen to you unintentionally just by going to a movie, imagine how powerful this can be in your life once you harness this phenomenon with intention.
