As humans, stories are one of our most powerful forms of communication. We love stories! They help us to understand important ideas and make sense of the world around us. Everything we go through in our lives is a story, every dream we have is a story, and there’s a story behind every achievement and every failure. That’s why it makes sense that we love movies since they perfectly embody interesting stories. Some of us watch movies to get inspired or motivated, others – to find a sense of relief from our daily stress, to have a mind-twisting experience, or to even feel empathy by letting them touch our hearts. It’s not a secret that the right kind of movie can even help us grow as individuals and be a powerful tool for self-reflection. Conscious movies can encourage us to question our lives, ideas, and principles, realize our infinite potential and endless possibilities, and even understand where we’re heading as a society. 

In this article, we want to share with you our list of 10 conscious movies that will definitely make you think deeply and question old paradigms.

10 Conscious Movies

#1: K-PAX (2001)

K-PAX is a  science fiction mystery film based on the eponymous 1995 novel by Gene Brewer. This is a very intriguing film because it makes you wonder about the possibility of alien life in our universe. The movie is about a psychiatric patient who claims to be an alien from the planet K-PAX, 1,000 light-years away from Earth in the Lyra constellation. During his treatment, the patient demonstrates an outlook on life that ultimately proves inspirational for his fellow patients and especially for his psychiatrist.

Where to watch:

Amazon Prime Video

#2: Peaceful Warrior (2006)

Peaceful Warrior is a 2006 drama film based on the 1980 novel Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman. This is an inspirational and triumphant movie about the power of the human spirit. The story is about a gifted young athlete, bound for Olympic gold, Dan. He has it all: trophies, talent, and all the women he wants. But after a life-changing event, Dan comes to rely on Socrates, a mysterious stranger, and Joy, an elusive young woman, to teach him the secret to overcome incredible odds and tap into new worlds of strength and understanding. 

Where to watch:

Amazon Prime Video

#3: Frequencies (2013)

Frequencies is a 2013 independent British science fiction film. This movie tells us a story about an alternate reality where frequencies determine luck, love, and destiny. A young college student Zak has to overcome science in order to love Marie, who emits a different frequency than his own. This unique drama blends science fiction and romance to create a futuristic story where love, science, and fate collide.

Where to watch:

PLEX

#4: I Origins (2014)

I Origins is a 2014 American science fiction thought-provoking drama. This movie tells us a story about a molecular biologist whose study of the human eye has far-reaching implications for humanity’s scientific and spiritual beliefs. The human eye is one of the elements of biology that makes us unique and that religions around the world have used as proof of the Divine Creator. Each of us has unique eye biometrics, and various cultures have viewed the eye as a window to the soul or even the thumbprint of a creator. I Origins is a film about how destiny and love can lead us to different revelations than we could have possibly reached without them. This movie will make you ask the question: “Which is right, science or faith, chance or destiny?”.

Where to watch: 

Amazon Prime Video

#5: The Congress (2013)

The Congress is a 2013 live-action/animated science fiction drama film, based on Stanisław Lem’s 1971 science fiction novel The Futurological Congress. This movie tells us a story about an aging actress who decides to take her final job: preserving her digital likeness for a future Hollywood. Through a deal made with her loyal agent, her alias will be controlled by the studio and will star in any film they want with no restrictions. In return, she receives healthy compensation so she can care for her ailing son and her digitized character will stay forever young. Twenty years later, under the creative vision of the studio’s head animator, the actress’s digital double rises to immortal stardom. With her contract expiring, she is invited to take part in “The Congress” convention as she makes her comeback straight into the world of future fantasy cinema. The Congress movie is a dystopian political story exploring the ideas of ageism in Hollywood and the soullessness of digital life.

Where to watch:

tubi

#6: Lion (2016)

Lion is a 2016 Australian biographical drama film based on the 2013 non-fiction book A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley. This movie is based on a true story about a five-year-old Saroo who gets lost on a train that takes him thousands of miles across India, away from home and family. Saroo must learn to survive alone in Kolkata, before ultimately being adopted by an Australian couple. Twenty-five years later, armed with only a handful of memories, his unwavering determination, and a revolutionary technology known as Google Earth, he sets out to find his lost family and finally return to his first home.

Where to watch:

tubi

#7: Limitless

Limitless is a 2011 science-fiction thriller movie. This movie tells us a story about a struggling writer who with the help of a mysterious pill enables access to 100% of his brain’s potential. This ability helps him to become a financial wizard, but it also puts him in a new world with many dangers. The movie shows us what we could be capable of if we used our brainpower to its fullest. But also it warns us about the hidden “side effects” this ability can bring.

Where to watch:

Amazon Prime Video

#8: Inception (2010)

Inception is a 2010 science fiction action film. This movie tells us a story about a thief with the rare ability to enter people’s dreams and steal their secrets from their subconscious. His skill has made him a hot commodity in the world of corporate espionage but has also cost him everything he loves. He gets a chance at redemption when he is offered a seemingly impossible task: to plant an idea in someone’s mind. Christopher Nolan (the director of the film) surely thought through every aspect of the dream world and mastered the presentation of it on the big screen. Literally, everything the characters say about the dreams and the dream world in this movie is true.

Where to watch:

Amazon Prime Video

#9: Interstellar (2014)

Interstellar is a 2014 epic science fiction film. This movie tells us a story about Earth’s future where a global crop blight and second Dust Bowl are slowly rendering the planet uninhabitable. Professor Brand, the NASA physicist, is working on plans to save mankind by transporting Earth’s population to a new home through a wormhole. But first, Brand must send former NASA pilot Cooper and a team of researchers through the wormhole and across the galaxy to find out which of three planets could be mankind’s new home. This is a movie about transcending time through love.

Where to watch:

Amazon Prime Video

#10: Cloud Atlas (2012)

Cloud Atlas is a 2012 science fiction film based on the 2004 novel of the same name by David Mitchell. This movie is an exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present, and future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution. Cloud Atlas tells us a story about a time-shifting weave of six interlinking narratives, with diverse settings from the savagery of a Pacific Island in the 1850s to a dystopian Korea of the near future. The main topic has to do with the incarnation and human nature. This movie is touching, magical, and inspiring. 

Where to watch:

Amazon Prime Video

Are you battling anxiety or depression? Does waking up each day feel like a struggle? If so, you could be having undigested emotions weighing you down. Huh? See, trauma, abuse, or a sudden illness can make us have unpleasant emotions leading to soul loss. Unless you start your healing process, these emotions remain hidden in your subconscious, causing havoc to your life for years to come. Indeed, we can never wish away our unpleasant feelings. But we can deal with them through the art of deep listening.

What Is Deep Listening?

Deep listening is a form of mindful meditation whereby you become fully present to your inner self or those around you. Simply put, it is a spiritual practice of listening to connect. Here, you engage in quiet moments that help you awaken your buried emotions.

Similarly, you nurture a connection with anyone talking to you at that moment, sharing your goals, dreams, fears, and concerns. Hence, it entails listening to yourself or others to form a connection.

Active Listening vs. Deep Listening

Active listening refers to you choosing to be fully present in a conversation. It forms the basis of deep listening because you focus on what the other person is saying as you become an active listener. Deep listeners go a step further to connect to those non-verbal communications from the other person. More so, deep listening includes listening to our emotions to connect to them.

Why Do We Need to Practice Deep Listening?

Listening with intention helps you understand your surrounding and the people closest to you. In turn, you learn how to best respond to your emotions and those of others. This understanding is necessary when undertaking your soul loss healing process. Below are more benefits of deep listening:

#1: Develop Resistance Against Surrounding Distractions

We live in a digital age where smartphones, computers, and other smart gadgets distract us all day. These technologies make it almost impossible to maintain eye contact when talking to someone else. Likewise, they eat into our self-care time, robbing us of a chance to connect to our inner feelings. Deep listening encourages us to maintain undivided attention to our inner self or those near us.

#2: Resist the Temptation to Respond Without Deep Thought

One of the barriers to effective communication is selective listening. Here, we choose what we want to hear, then formulate responses that we think are suitable. A biased listener is always quick to offer solutions without taking into account the other person’s feelings. Likewise, if we never take time to listen to our inner self, we may judge ourselves based on the stigma surrounding our conditions.

#3: Facilitates Soul Loss Healing Process

Have you been diagnosed with a mental illness? Do you feel like you are going crazy because that is what society brands you? If so, you may find yourself hiding away from friends and family, fearing being caught off guard by their out-of-control emotions.

However, did you know that a bit of deep listening practice can unearth the unresolved emotions behind mental illness? 

A person who understands the root cause of their mental conditions can practice self-care and have self-compassion for healthy living because shadow emotions are never permanent. Mindful meditation allows you to change your emotional triggers, hence, facilitate the soul loss healing process. 

Deep Listening Must Be Intentional

Now, anyone can practice deep listening at any time or place. However, did you know that not everyone can listen without bias or aiming to be a problem solver? Yes, deep listening is not easy. It takes time and practice to develop the skills.

The Techniques

Now that we have an idea of what deep listening is all about, here are some top deep listening techniques you can start practicing today:

#1: Heart-Gut Centering

Are you making a life-changing decision? Find a quiet place at home or outdoors. Set up your mat or pillows to sit comfortably. Place one hand on your stomach and the other against your chest. Concentrate on listening to your inner voice. What do you hear?

The head, heart, and gut are the centers of our decision-making. The head is our rational brain, the heart is the emotional brain, and the gut is the intuitive brain. There are lots of instances where we follow our gut feelings or heart feelings. These are the times where logical thinking using our brain may not be adequate in assessing emotions.

Listening to your heart and gut allows you to be a rational thinker who weighs your feelings and emotions. In turn, you avoid cognitive dissonance, a state of inner conflict that can lead to anxiety and depression. 

#2: Listening to the Surrounding Voices

When was the last time you were still and listened to voices all around you? It may be the whistling trees in your backyard, a shaky door, a ticking clock, or the sound of your breathing. Whatever you get to hear, allowing yourself to connect to your surrounding gets you into a mindful state. This awareness state refreshes your mind, expands your thought process, and renews your wisdom and intelligence.

#3: Journal Your Thoughts

Are you feeling lonely, depressed, or in a crisis? Put what you are feeling in writing. Conscious writing is an excellent way to practice deep listening. You use pen and paper as an avenue for your creative energy and ideas to flow. Doing so gives you mental clarity, regaining a sense of sanity when overwhelmed with emotions.

Here are some tips to get you started:

• Use a pen and paper instead of your smartphone or notebook. Journaling your thought this way is real and tangible.
• Write it as it is, immediately the thought pops in your head. Do not overthink.
• Maintain a dream journal.  Capture what you remember from your dreams, then reflect on it.
• Grammatical errors are allowed. What matters is getting your thoughts on paper.
• Read aloud what you have written. It will give you a chance to hear your thoughts and voice your unspoken pain and trauma.

Conclusion

Deep listening is necessary if you want to develop mindful thinking and grow your emotional intelligence. These two aspects ensure you stay in tune with your inner self and be more susceptible to non-verbal communications from others. That way, you live in the present, embrace your uniqueness, and cut yourself some slack, especially when undergoing a challenging emotional experience. 

An empath is someone with the unique ability to mirror the feelings of another person even without undergoing their circumstances. In its purest form, it means being able to be in another person’s shoes emotionally or having that extra dose of empathy within you.  Being an empath is not easy, and sometimes it takes a toll on you. The good thing is that when you know what type of empath you are, you can use your gift in a healthy way and create a lasting positive impact on people and the environment around you. Or you can even build a fulfilling career!

You see, empathy is a true gift when you know how to use it. You can heal, guide, protect and deeply understand the lives of the people, animals, and the environments around you. Or, maybe you can predict events and even save lives?

The key is to know exactly what type of empath you are and how to open up your potential so that you can be helpful and, at the same time, protected from negative energies you could be picking up.

Types of Empath

There are many empath types that deal with different aspects with empathy with their own specifics and unique expressions. In this article, we decided to focus on the 6 most common types that represent the most common expressions of empathy.

You may ask, “Why label ourselves when we can all just be called ‘an empath’?” Well, you see, being an empath can have its many positives and benefits, but it can also weigh us down heavily with confusion, disorientation, and anxiety. That is why it makes sense to put a name to what we individually experience to better understand ourselves, and identify others who share the same abilities as us. By understanding who you are, what gifts you possess, and where you stand in life, you will be able to understand your life purpose much better.

Take the quiz below to find out what type of empath you are and what special gifts you brought to this world!

Quiz: What Type Of Empath Are You?