New Consciousness Review Spring 2016 | Page 37

CONSCIOUS CINEMA As conscious beings imbued with free will, we innately possess the ability to select which probabilities we experience. This power to choose our destiny is a birthright, one of the qualities that make us intrinsically human. It’s a precious gift to be cherished, used judiciously and never taken for granted. What’s more, it’s always available to us, whether or not we opt to exercise it, a circumstance that effectively renders expressions like “I had no choice in the matter” to the trash heap of flimsy excuses. In a conscious creation/law of attraction context, choice is most crucial when it comes to the beliefs we embrace, for they provide the juice that make the process work. And the beliefs we choose are fueled to a great degree by the intent backing them. Intent helps frame and/or nuance the beliefs we employ in the manifestation process, giving them the color and character that shape the forms of the outcomes that eventually spring forth from them. a variety of movie genres and narratives. One of the most fundamental choice-related questions we face is what to do when assessing multiple options, a conundrum posed to a fiercely independent young woman in “Far From the Madding Crowd” (2015). When the wealthy mistress of a 19th Century English estate (Carey Mulligan) must address the advances of a trio of would-be suitors (Michael Sheen, Matthias Schoenaerts, Tom Sturridge), she finds her power of choice to be a valuable ally in making a decision, as well as in balancing her desires for independence and companionship. Considering the power associated with our beliefs and intents, it’s important that we make use of it carefully. In light of that, it’s something about which we could likely benefit from some inspiration. And, as in so many other ways, this is where the examples set in film can prove so incredibly valuable. Using the power of choice to deliberately exercise our independence also comes in handy when pressed by others to conform. This theme is revealed in several films, such as the quirky domestic comedy, “Housekeeping” (1987). When a free-spirited woman full of wanderlust (Christine Lahti) is asked to settle down and care for her two orphaned nieces (Sara Walker, Andrea Burchill) in a small Northwestern town in the 1950s, the temptation to eschew expectations and live her own life proves quite strong. But, given her obligations, what is she to do? Under these circumstances,