with her boyfriend. At this point in our session Sue said she felt
flooded with awe and gratitude about her understanding and a
renewed love for her boyfriend. Following our session, they
became closer, and she started to become more proactive in
finding another job.Guidelines
Choose a movie that seems that it might touch you or that did
touch you when you saw it the first time. If you want to focus
on a specific aspect of yourself or your life, find a film in the
appropriate category in the Film Indexat the end of this book.
A movie experience can be used for healing and growth
even if you only use some of my suggestions or none at all. You
might find your own way to watch with conscious awareness.
Just allowing yourself to become absorbed in sections of the
film or the entire movie and reflecting about your responses
afterwards can be very beneficial.
You may benefit greatly by applying the following sugges-
tions:^5
In preparation for each viewing session, sit comfortably.
Let your attention move effortlessly, without strain, first to
your body then to your breath. Follow your breath in a watch-
ful way for a while. Notice any tension or holding. To release
tension you may experiment with “breathing into” any part of
your body that feels strained.
Your gentle attention helps you to become more present.
Experience yourself without inner criticizing or comment. If
you notice yourself judging or thinking of things from the past
or future, simply return to your experience in the present
moment.
As soon as you are calm and centered, start watching the
movie. Pay attention to the story andto yourself. Do not con-
tinue to create a particular state, such as relaxation but rather
be a compassionate witness of what is. Observe especially how
the movie’s images, ideas, conversations, and characters affect“Anything unconscious
dissolves when you shine
the light of consciousness
on it.”
Eckhart Tolle52 E-Motion Picture Magic