Avatar the Movie: A Shamanic Journey
Just got back from seeing Avatar, the latest movie from director James Cameron. Now, Cameron is known for the great effects and plenty of action. Think of Terminator and The Abyss. I wasn’t expecting profundity, but that’s what I found tonight.
On one level Avatar is typical blockbuster, supersized with amazing animation. But it’s subtext is pure shamanic journey, from the world tree to the reverence for the universal mother, to rites of passage and animal guides.
The story takes place on a distant world called Pandora where corporate mining interest come face to face with wondrous 10-foot-tall creatures called the Na’vi. The Na’vi are highly reminiscent of Earth’s own indigenous cultures, intimately connected to the land, the animals, the energy and the ancestors. They worship a mother goddess called Eywa.
The Na’vi live in a world with trees taller than many of our skyscrapers, mountains that float and flora and fauna that shimmer with colour at night. It is Eden, but just as in our world here on Planet Earth, there are those who would put profits before people and they are willing to destroy paradise for it. To that end, the company that is so aggressively mining Pandora has the military, a thinly veiled and effective poke at the USA’s protection of corporate interests in other countries.
During the past year, I have been learning more about shamanism. For me, Avatar was familiar in that it strongly resembled a shamanic journey in non-ordinary reality.
Yeah, I know this is Hollywood and I don’t want to demean my own practice by comparing it to computer generated odysseys. On the other hand, I applaud that Cameron is bringing an important message to people who might not otherwise care to learn about shamanism. Avatar is clear — we are all connected, to each other and to our planet, whether it’s Earth or a moon called Pandora.
James Cameron said that “the Na’vi represent something that is our higher selves, or our aspirational selves, what we would like to think we are” and that even though there are good humans within the film, the humans “represent what we know to be the parts of ourselves that are trashing our world and maybe condemning ourselves to a grim future”.
I will write more about Avatar after I’ve had time to think about it more (and get some sleep) but I am inspired and still a bit in awe of this movie. For three hours I sat there in my 3D glasses, exploring a fantasy world, thinking of our own world and wondering what is going to become of us on Planet Earth if we don’t find the strength and spirit to protect our planetary home.
Tags: Avatar, Avatar the movie, earth mother, Eywa, James Cameron, military, Na'vi, Pandora, Planeet Earth, scard tree, shamanic journery, Shamanism, USA
December 22nd, 2009 at 8:14 pm
Very interesting summary. I have not seen the movie, and am not familiar with Shamanism.
I enjoyed reading this and will read it again, to get some more to ponder.
December 30th, 2009 at 5:16 am
While Cameron is justifiably proud of the groundbreaking special effects, the actual contents of the film — the story, the characters, the dialogue — are disappointingly mediocre.
January 4th, 2010 at 7:58 am
Shamanism is paganism, demonic, and shouldn’t have been converged into the film. The film itself was good, but the underlying political sentiment get’s old after a while.
I understand why people from non-us countries think like they do, they are not on our level and therefore find ways to justify their ignorance and their lack, but attacking the fundimentals of capitalism and Americas military.
Here’s a thought.. there will always be a dominant country in the world.. there will always be a dominator in the world… America is the kindest world ruler and Empire ever if there ever was a kind dominant ruling party and we do more for the suffering third world than any country, we also contribute more for the U.N. than any country, and develop more technology for quality of life than any other country.
I just wish this PROPAGANDA WAR AGAINST THE U.S.A would stop -
January 4th, 2010 at 12:36 pm
Hi, I had a similar reaction to the movie. I started a blog as my own project to learn about the Gaia hypothesis.
January 11th, 2010 at 9:32 pm
I also have practiced shamanic “journeying” and the way this has been conveyed in Avatar just filled me with wonder and joy. It also strikes a really painful contrast though when we compare the state of our human societies with this vision of harmony. What and how long will it take for the human community to come back to the original vision?
January 16th, 2010 at 3:29 am
Loved the Film,
rushed home and made an AVATAR of my own .…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXK315DEHhs
January 16th, 2010 at 6:23 pm
I have to disagree with you, Bucktoothbill. Shamanism and paganism are hardly demonic. This demonic aspect was something invented by the Church to turn people away from the old religions. The devil was not an invention of pagans; he was an icon created by the Church and has nothing to do with the Horned God celebrated by some pagans.
In terms of the propaganda war against the U.S.A., I applaud the good that is done by many people in your country but abhor the imperialistic attitudes that have led the U.S. to continually intervene in the politics of other countries, including my own. While I cannot defend Canada’s own current Harper government, I have to say that U.S. actions, particularly in Latin America, have been far from “kind”. Death squads, CIA intervention, the propping up of cruel dictatorships such as Pinochet’s regime — these are all examples of a country who feels a moral superiority that allows it to treat the world as a playground for its wealth and political maneuverings.
January 19th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Mr. Slavens: It must be nice living in the relative safety behind the protection of the US. I mean, you get to enjoy the benefits and shelter of our imperialism and not have to ante up any of the real cost of protection. If we were out of the way, do you not think you’d be vulnerable? As to cruel regimes in Central America, I think you’d better go back and do some independent research of what really occurred there and what the options were. You sound like the victim of some university professor. By the way, if you get brain cancer and have to wait for treatment in Canada, you’d better hurry on down before Obama and the rest of his socialists make our system look just like yours.
January 19th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
I’d hardly call Obama a socialist but just as a side note, if you get brain cancer in Canada you can get treatment within three weeks and it’s free. And gee, thanks for protecting us Canadians. We didn’t ask for it but just to show our thanks we decided to help you out in Afghanistan and sell you lots of oil and electricity at dirt cheap prices. Just being a good neighbour because we share a continent (even though our place is a big bigger).
January 19th, 2010 at 9:14 pm
…Obama is a fascist, not really a socialist. He takes over private industry and pretends it’s still a private enterprise. You’re welcome for the protection; you don’t even realize you have it. Why would you ask for it? That would show some sort of need. Afghanistan? Don’t want your help…don’t want to be there. Afghanistan is known as “The Soviet’s Vietnam.” Been there, done that. Personally don’t see much point in propping up another puppet, Karzai, like you’re fond of saying we Americans are so wont to do. Keep your oil and electricity. Send a message to our Congress that America has to use its own resources rather than refusing to do on our own soil what we want you to do on yours. Oh, but that might seriously hurt your economy, wouldn’t it? Selling us that dirt cheap energy. What, are you guys stupid? Raise the prices if we’re taking advantage of you. And free treatment for brain cancer? How do you swing that? The hospitals, doctors, equipment, drugs, insurance, administration, and therapy are all free? How do you guys do that? Amazing. We don’t have anything free in America…somebody always has to pay — even for the freeloaders who don’t. Finally, I’m really glad you’re bigger — that’s important. I’ll bet you drive a really big truck too.
February 10th, 2010 at 4:04 pm
Have seen Avatar three times on Imax and people ‘fly biten savages’. A very common idea I encounter from people is how can mankingd ever get back to its original hunter-gatherer roots, its connection with nature, ie how can we get back to the ‘Garden of Eden’. The answer is that we can’t. Meanwhile all the trauma of human existence, and the wars, greed and intoloerance of nations will continue. Or if there is ever a return to this more ideal past, it will be many centuries or more from now, when mankind is reduced to a tiny fraction of its present population, however that might happen.
February 10th, 2010 at 4:16 pm
Made a major typo error in previous post, so lets try again…
I have seen Avatar three times on Imax and I feel it is one of the most visually stunning films of all time. I have extensive experience in shamanism and I do agree that this film tells the story of the ‘hero’s journey’ , involving new realms, entity encounters, experiencing new ways of being, spiritual/personal transformation; all of which are aspects of shamanism. Those would would say that shamanism is ‘demonic’ are depicting the same sort of ignorance as shown by certain characters in the film would would label the Na’vi people as ‘fly bitten savages’.
A very common idea I encounter from people is how can mankind ever get back to its original hunter-gatherer roots, its connection with nature, ie how can we get back to the ‘Garden of Eden’. The answer is that we can’t. Meanwhile the trauma of human existence, and all the greed, wars and intolerance of nations will continue. If there is ever a return to this more ideal past, it will be many centuries or more from now, when mankind is reduced to a tiny fraction of its present size, however that might happen.
February 10th, 2010 at 4:24 pm
By the way, the ‘intolerance of nations’ I mentioned in my previous post is being demonstrated above by Jim Brigleb and kerry slavens.
When two human beings are preoccupied with ‘getting the last word in’ and have deviated completely from the original thread of the web page, then don’t be surprised when mankind stays stuck in its present dire situtaion. If people behave like this on a small scale, then nobody should be surprised when populations on a large scale behave the way they do.
February 12th, 2010 at 12:20 pm
Avatar was a great movie, I just watched it a few day ago. I don’t usually go to the theather because I get nervious around a lot people but I think I’ll give this one a shot because people are saying that it’s even better on the big screen, I think it might be in 3D. Anyway the movie Avatar get two thumbs up from me, I watch all of my movies at voobymovies,com if anyone was wondering and it’s free
February 13th, 2010 at 11:52 pm
Hi Mopz, I actually recognize and agree with what you are saying and that’s why I stopped commenting. I do not want to war with my neighbour.
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:47 am
Thanks for the article! There was also to be a vision quest where jake gets to meet his animal totem: the TORUK
and thanks to MMAKANSAS (BUT were not in kansas anymore!) for the humor…USA kindly world ruler…
YOu can all see a US flag behind Quarich in the briefing scene: its made up of the window slats and the over head monitor.….USA UBER ALLES