Is the Federated Church the cure for Avatar Depression Syndrome?

After I saw Avatar the first time, I spoke about it at church, saying that one of the unexpected reactions I had to the movie, was that it made me think of the Federated Church, in a fond way.

This confused people, because it's a movie about giant blue skinned aliens in outer space.

Nevertheless, my comment  stimulated a few conversations with people that normally don't interact with me.  Some kids and Moms told me how much they loved the movie, and how their sons also felt compelled to see it several times.  An older retired military man said he had found the movie somewhat offensive in its depiction of the main villain as a mercenary military for hire (I agreed). It was briefly mentioned in the movie that the military had conducted many previous worthwhile missions, but there is no doubt one of the two biggest villains in the picture is a military man. However, the biggest hero in the picture is also a military man.

When church members asked me, I explained my comment about Avatar, by saying that the reason I dragged myself to a real movie theater to see the film, instead of waiting for the DVD, was that I had read that a significant group of viewers were developing "Avatar Depression Syndrome."  A movie that makes people depressed?? Count me in !!! What was I thinking??? LOL.

Apparently some viewers who have seen the movie many times, end up feeling depressed that our own world is not as beautiful and interconnected as the movie's imaginary alien world and people.

In the movie, on the alien world of Pandora, the invading humans gradually discover that all living things on the planet are literally interconnected, with a biological network. The alien race called the Nav'i have a little feathery connector on their tail, that they can use to literally plug themselves into both individual creatures, that they ride or fly, and also into a larger global network. This biological connectedness gives rise to a super planetary consciousness and deity called Eywa.

In one on-line forum titled "You Know You're an Avatar Fan If..." one fan wrote "...you wish that upon death, heaven will be Pandora..." Link here .

Anyway, some people in our earthly audience see this amazing imaginary interconnectedness, depicted in stunningly realistic 3D glowing technicolor, and then the lights come on, and they feel permanently isolated and shut off from their own relatively drab industrial world.  And they get depressed and wish they could go back and live in the movie. You can read Audiences Experience Avatar Blues here .

When I read that the movie was affecting people this way, it was a clue to me that something was going on that was larger than just an epic sci-fi blockbuster.  So I went to see it on the big screen, knowing I might walk away stricken with Avatar Depression Syndrome. But instead I thought about the Federated Church. And I immediately wanted to see the movie again, and go to church.

Remember how some kids saw Star Wars twenty and thirty times when it first came out, and later George Lucas admitted he had used mythic elements from the work of Joseph Campbell? This was later described more explicitly in Campbell and Bill Moyers series The Power of Myth .

So I went to see Avatar, and instead of finding myself feeling disconnected and yearning for the connectedness of the Navi, I realized that the Federated Church was providing that sense of connection and spirituality and wisdom for me, that was expressed in such an other-worldly exotic way in the movie.

The planet Pandora has this sacred place called the Tree of Souls, which is this weeping willow type tree with long glowing white leaves.  When the Nav'i die, their conscousness is stored in the Tree of Souls and the living Nav'i can plug their tails into the tree to communicate with them.

Well, when I look out at the Federated Church congregation from my seat in the back of the choir loft, I see a lot of glowing white hair, in the choir and in the congregation.  So the Tree of Souls also reminded me of all the white haired members of the congregation that store all the wisdom and memory of the church.  The Navi can plug into their tree to reach the planet's gaia goddess figure Eywa.  And I feel like I am trying to plug in and access god, through all the white hairs in the church congregation as well... my own Tree of Souls right here in Orleans Massachusetts!

Another thing that reminded me of the Federated Church, is that when the Navi pray, they all put their hands on each others shoulders and sing.  During flu season our choir was making a prayer circle by resting our hands on each other's shoulders, instead of holding hands. So that also reminded me of the Nav'i.

So, some of the reasons Avatar reminded me of the church were pretty superficial:  white hair of congregation= white leaves of Tree of Souls.  Na'vi pray with hands on shoulders=choir making circle with hands on shoulders because of fears of swine flu.

Then there are some other paths the movie may lead you down-- the parallel of the avatar Jake Sully sent from the heavens to Pandora in the local race's body, teaching them how to save themselves, killed by his own people, and finally resurrected, is an interesting "compare and contrast" with the story of Jesus.

And Oprah's latest spiritual guru, Eckhart Tolle, was recently written up in a USAToday story with the comment "Avatar's basic message of reality as pervaded by a field of intelligence struck Tolle as "a very important spiritual idea brought forward in a way that people could enjoy."


Reality pervaded by a field of intelligence ?? Is that God? What do you think? You can watch part of the new Avatar trailer below (click the triangle in the lower left corner). It's somewhat cropped... so if you want to see it in widescreen you can go to the official site here

Official Avatar Movie