The Barbie Movie as Spiritual Initiation
A Video Response
One of the more fun ways to get to know yourself is to watch movies. And no, I don’t mean numbing out to a popcorn flick while you multi-task your 10+ group chats. By ‘watch movies’ I mean really take in films while paying attention to your own reactions.
What are you feeling? What thoughts are coming up? Is there a theme or storyline that grips you most? What does this tell you about yourself?
While filmmakers have their own intentions, you play as much of a role (or perhaps an even bigger one) in creating the film. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. After-all, we are co-creators of reality. We project our histories, stories, dreams and sanskaras (momentum across incarnations — taking that literally or otherwise) onto what we see.
So when you stare at a screen, what do you see staring back?
Barbie—A Big Pink Projection Screen
The movie was a lightning rod for attention and opinions.
People loved it. People hated it. It was a fun movie about dolls. It was a story of women’s liberation from patriarchal confines. It was radical left ideology being smuggled in to feminize America. People clapped. People stormed out.
How could I not want to see something that so stirred up the public psyche?
Any time art is that activating, it is dancing with the stories that already define us. We project our own narratives onto the screen. We feel relief of being understood, crushed to be left out, or infuriated to be cast as the bad guy. The distillate of our karma plays out on the screen and brings our emotions along for the ride.
If you saw Barbie, I invite you to reflect on what came up for you. If you’re curious towards your own reactions, you might get more than you’d have thought you might for watching a movie based on retail merchandise.
A Video Response
What I personally experienced was a parallel to Prince Siddhartha’s journey from the safety of his father’s palace to his ascetic life before waking his awakening as the Buddha. I saw a film that acknowledged how suffering is the catalyst for reaching higher. I saw a reminder that if you want to make someone spiritual you just need to scare them about death ;)
Reflect to yourself… What insurmountable events in life have humbled your ego? When has your worldview been shattered? What happens when we learn to view disaster as activating our deeper calling, rather than as unfair tragedy that victimizes us?
…And have fun at the movies.
Carson Kivari founded Thrive Counselling Centre—an iconic North American destination for psychotherapy and psychedelic integration services. He has studied and practiced counselling psychology since 2006, specializing in human attachment and military trauma. While he has produced content since age five, his creative goal lately is to shake people from their egos into more humility and patience towards each other.
I am Kenough.