Film Review: Mindwalk

Film Review: Mindwalk

If a good movie is one that makes you think, Mindwalk must be superb. However, I haven't even read the book it was based on and I can say that the book must have been better. The actors are laughable, and the physicists' accent changes with each new scene. Furthermore, the transitions to each scene are as smooth as sandpaper. The purpose of this movie wasn't, and with good reason, to be glamorous though. As many of our "Hollywood" movies are. The fast action, sex, blood, money crazed movies that we all love. The fact that Mindwalk was based on a book also gives some explanation to the choppy scenes, as many omissions were probably made. Financing played a role in the actors chosen for the movie, a kind of ironic humor if you think about it in context to what the entire movie is about. All of this in mind, and the fact that it was a lengthy 2+ hours; it could never be a blockbuster hit. I, on the contrary, enjoyed it. Some of the issues raised are those that many of us think about often, or maybe I am just hoping that I'm not the only one.

As one of the many business majors, the idea of my job being meaningless, or al least not a significant "benefit" to society has crossed my mind. I am in college to compete in our materialistic society for the highest paying job. In other words, I'm in it for the money. Perhaps the "crisis of perception" is something for me to think about, maybe even more than others. I know my reasons aren't in line with the value system I like to portray I have and live by. Yet, I still compromise them; giving myself the excuse that I am doing it all for my future family, or something like that.

The "crisis of perception" is in my life, and everyone's. For instance success for most comes from an education. However that success isn't associated with the knowledge, but with the money you make as a result. The physicist used the "crisis of perception" example as an explanation of how to fix everything wrong with the world. Explaining that focusing on one piece can't work, and that everything is "interconnected". She uses the example of a person with gallstones. A western medicine physician would take the gall bladder out. However the physicist explained that whatever issue caused the gallstones, perhaps stress, will cause the person to get sick again. Perhaps that person was the one pursuing a career for money, and not passion or knowledge and therefore they weren't truly happy in their career. Not to say I don't have a passion for business, I love the thrill of it and the competition. I love the fact that I can change careers on a whim, and that there will always be a job for me. But, the question I give to myself is, would I still pick this profession if money were not a factor? I think society is becoming aware of the fact that we need to look at the "whole picture" though. Especially in regards to health care. With the rising number of Naturopaths, Herbalists, Reflexologies, Massage Therapists, Acupuncturists, or practitioners

in Aruveda techniques. All alternative practices based on holistic healing and the idea that the mind, body, and spirit are one and must be treated together.

We are still, despite rising awareness, stuck in the mode of what is called "mechanistic thinking" by the physicist. She credits Descartes for the start of this thinking; and Isaac Newton for giving it life. Using the clock as an example and how we have replaced many of the old parts with more technological replacements. The clock is not the same as it once was, neither is society. This thinking has expired and it is hurting us now. We need a new way of looking at life in order to adapt.

A way of thinking that the physicist thinks would better suit people now is "ecological thinking". People have to get a firmer grasp of reality and realize that every problem is related to another problem, and another, and so on. She mentions a personal empowerment of knowledge, and if I am interpreting her meaning of this correctly, not too many people embrace this