HAPI Guide Summer 2017 | Page 38

CONSCIOUS CINEMA else. That being the case, there’s actually no way we can effectively separate ourselves from the rest of our reality. Awareness of this innate quality of existence is cru- cial to our understanding of our place within it and how it essentially comes into being. According to the conscious creation process, the means by which we manifest the reality we experience through the power of our thoughts, beliefs and intents, we em- ploy these materialization tools to bring about the existence around us – all of it – from the sky above us to the ground beneath us and everything in be- tween. And, because of that, this means that ev- erything that’s part of our world is effectively con- nected to everything else, something we can’t get away from, no matter how much we might try. pactful narratives and powerful visuals to get our attention and make us aware of the things that re- ally matter in life, like the fact that we’re all funda- mentally linked to our existence, to its component parts and to one another. This intrinsic sense of connection is undeniable, even if not always recognized. Whether one con- sults the metaphysical writings of authors like Jane Roberts or explores the scientific principles of disciplines like quantum physics, it’s nevertheless present in all such cases. There’s a universality to this concept, regardless of the lens through which we view it. So, in light of the foregoing, how is it we often be- lieve that there’s some kind of separation between us, others and everything within our purview? Per- haps it’s because of our presence within physical existence, a state of being made up of distinct, dis- crete components that appear apart from one an- other. Given the persistence and prevalence of this trait, we’ve somehow convinced ourselves that we’re just as separate from those other elements of our reality as we perceive them to be from one an- other. But, as the above discussion makes appar- ent, this is an illusion, a notion made “real” by the same sorts of manifesting tools – our beliefs – that bring the rest of our existence into being. Yet somehow, despite this misconception, we still eventually manage to return to an awareness of our innate sense of connection. So maybe all we need to put ourselves into such a mindset on an ongoing basis is a little reminding of this princi- ple. And one of the best ways to address this is by way of example, specifically the examples set in the movies, which frequently provide us with im- 38 | HAPI Guide A number of documentaries are particularly effec- tive at this, such as “I Am” (2010), director Tom Shadyac’s radical departure into a style of film- making far different from the silly comedies for which he’s best known. Through a number of seg- ments exploring various aspects of the concept of connectedness, and why we desperately need to recognize and employ it in the creation of a new and more sustainable world, the filmmaker pres- ents a series of compelling arguments for how we should make use of this notion as a guiding princi- ple in our lives. To gain a full appreciation of our intrinsic entan- glement, it may help to see it displayed in all its aesthetic glory (and despair). That’s the objective of the gorgeously photographed documentary