of his plays, he invented several techniques to ensure that his
audience maintained a level of aesthetic distance. One of these
techniques was to have an actor walk across the stage during an
emotionally wrenching scene holding a sign that commented
on the action and reminded the audience that it was only watch-
ing an illusion.
In some movies a similar effect is used, as in Equus (1977)
or Wit (2001)in which the main characters address the audience
from the screen. It focuses the attention back on us, the viewer.
As we watch any movie, we have the opportunity to
increase our aesthetic distance and consequently our conscious
awareness. Reminding ourselves that we are watching a
screenplay engages our observing perspective and therefore
helps us to move our attention to our inner world.
But no matter what we do, some part of us may be fooled,
especially once our attention has been pulled into the movie.
As we identify with a character, we might begin to feel his or
her emotions. When we see a couple fighting on the screen we
might feel the anger or frustration of one or possibly even both
antagonists. Or, if somebody dies in the movie, we might feel
the grief of the character that survives.
This tug-of-war combination of emotional involvement
and observing perspective while watching a movie is an ideal
tool for learning to increase conscious awareness. Even though
the movie images are outside ourselves, as we respond to them
emotionally, we can see how they reflect our inner world.
Through the imagery of films we can discover ourselves
because the unconscious communicates its content to our con-
scious mind mostly in symbolic images. By studying films and
our reactions to them we can learn about imbalances in the way
we relate to various circumstances and people.
Where does this process lead?
As you watch a film with conscious awareness, you learn to
become aware of and consequently diminish your identifications
Watching Movies With Conscious Awareness 43