As a child, I was fascinated by mythology, both traditional and modern. I enjoyed reading Greek myths and Marvel comic books. I was swept up into movies, especially the blockbusters of the 1980s, e.g., Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Superman and Batman.
Pop culture, for many people, dominates free time. How to stay engaged and entertained? Many of us watch TV shows & movies, read books, or listen to music. Some people discuss and debate likes and dislikes, and reviews and ratings are everywhere. We watch and re-watch, read and re-read, or listen and re-listen. And algorithms throw more and more curated material at us, according to our past consumption behavior.
Exploring meditation has brought to mind some questions related to all of this content, especially in this modern age of on-demand viewing and consumption. Are we reinforcing thoughts about heroic journeys and characters overcoming past hardships that take us out of the present moment? Is even the idea of a main character too focused on the “self” and the ego? How can we enjoy these forms of entertainment as simply entertainment, and not as aspirational ideals or philosophies on how to live our lives? I think as a young person who dreamed of writing stories and making movies, I did base some of my life on myth-making and the hero’s journey.
I want to learn from those with more experience in mindfulness and meditation studies. I want to look at examples from pop culture, and apply a different lens to them, a mindful perspective. With an open mind, and hopefully not too much judgment, I’d like to examine the takeaways that a person might pull from these stories, and see if they can be adjusted or reinterpreted in some way.
Themes, character arcs, even lines of dialogue, are all interesting places to go in this project. I hope a few find this interesting, and even more, I hope I can learn from the wisdom of others along the way.