Having seen that there are other possible
interpretations, does your first interpretation still
feel like the most valid one? Are you still as certain
of it as you were after the first “screening?” Is it
possible that all you actually saw were your parents
criticizing you? And if that behavior could have a
number of valid meanings, does it not seem logical
that no one meaning is inherently right? And if this
is the case, is it not also logical to conclude that the
only place that meaning ever existed was as a belief
in your mind. Allowing for other possible inter-
pretations can open a door to a different story
about yourself and your parents, and thus a different
inner movie.
This process can be used to look at any negative
belief you hold about yourself and your life circum-
stances. If you do the following exercises, you will
discover that these principles hold true. Review any
event in your life. You may discover that there are a
number of possible meanings, perhaps indicating
that your belief has no definite or inherent meaning.
Exercise 3: Playing a Different Inner Movie
Even if it seems that you were already able to let
go of your undesired inner movie (your negative
belief and the undesired feeling and behavior
associated with it after the first two steps), make
sure you do not skip this third step. Here you are
asked to select a real movie in which one or several
characters model the behavior or attitude you want
to internalize. Focus specifically on this aspect of
the film. Watch it with an open mind and with
conscious awareness. Compare the way the characters
behave and the beliefs those actions imply to the
one you identified in Exercise 1. By watching these
Using Movies to Release Negative Beliefs 73