Every once in a while, a movie is made that challenges all of the industry standards. Most of these movies don’t hold up, but occasionally, a few of them do. Waking Life is one of these movies. Exhibiting anything but traditional film making, it is a rotoscope animation, depicting what it means to exist on this earth. It is about a man trapped between 2 realms: the waking world, and the dreaming world. He is not entirely sure which realm he is in, and seeks to find the meaning of his existence. A highly recommended movie, which is a deep philosophical study of consciousness and existentialism.
What does it mean to be alive? Does it mean to be breathing? To be consciously aware of your existence? Most people live their lives as a slave to time, not knowing that it is an illusion, and the only moment we have is now. What does it mean to dream? Is it an exploration into the depths of your subconscious mind? Or is it a plane of existence, created by God, personally for you? I believe that it is an altered state of consciousness, where we can seek the highest level of guidance/advice. It is also a way to communicate with higher beings. In Waking Life, the main character communicates with dream characters, who all voice their opinion on what life is. Some are optimistic, some are extremely pessimistic, violent, or corrupt. Some are enthusiastic about life, while others are depressed and suicidal. All of these dream characters can represent the types of people in the waking world. Some of us are happier than others, some of us are violent, and some of us are more neutral. Regardless of our personality type, we all wonder why we are here, and what our dreams really are.
What happens after we die? Are we sent into a never-ending dream world? Are we dreaming right now? The answers to these questions can be debated endlessly. When I was younger, I always thought about life, why we existed, and what the meaning to living was. Now, I realize that I can spend my entire life pondering the meaning of existence. But what is the point? I could be on my deathbed, looking back on a life filled with lost time, and missed opportunities. Now, I choose to focus on how I can improve the little time I have on earth, and making the most positive contribution to humanity. I also choose to have fun every day, and savor in life’s little joys. After all, why would God make these joys available to us, if he didn’t want us to experience them?
