Movie Visions

We've recently watched a film and TV drama with an odd similarity: both had instances of characters seeing or experiencing the presence of person or persons who were not actually present....or were they?

In a short, 6 episode, British TV series titled River (available via Netflix) a detective, whose female detective partner had been recently killed in action, experiences visions of her constantly. She chats to him, advises and teases him. He talks back and reacts to her, throughout the series, much to the consternation of observers.

In a DVD I picked up in a thrift store, of the 2009 movie In the Electric Mist, a sheriff detective (Tommy Lee Jones) is investigating murders in the New Orleans area, and happens across visions of Civil War soldiers in the mists of swampy surroundings. One of the figures, a General Hood, talks to him, advises him on several occasions.

This vision or hallucination theme is a fairly common trope used in TV and film drama, but it struck me as a bit weird watching the two stories in succession. There are countless movies featuring ghosts, but this is a different type of vision - a vision with purpose, a vision conjured up, we have to suspect, by one's own mind and for a specific reason.

The first film I always think of in the vision/hallucination category is in lighter vein: that old 1950 movie Harvey with James Stewart chatting to a giant bunny rabbit. That then reminds me of an episode of British comedy series Doc Martin, The Portwenn Effect (available on PBS) The doc visits a PTSD suffering park ranger, out in the middle of nowhere, who has a giant squirrel called Antony as vision pal.

Another enjoyable, rather more serious, movie with visions involved was Field of Dreams - visions of old baseball players were part of the storyline.

Anyone recall other films or TV shows in a similar vision/hallucination category ?

Visions

I'm using two current forecasts for my own Sun sign, Aquarius, by my two favourite Sun Sign astrologers, Rob Brezsny and Jonathan Cainer, as template to do a little odd-blogging (a close cousin of odd-jobbing). Here are the two forecasts with links to the relevant websites.

"My favorite places on the Moon are the Sea of Clouds, Sea of Fertility, Sea of Ingenuity, and Sea of Nectar. They're not actual bodies of water. The old astronomers who named them didn't know they were actually dark plains formed by ancient volcanic eruptions. But the great thing about the moon is that it piques our imaginations and massages our dreams as much as it speaks to our rational minds. And I encourage you to take advantage of that power now. Here's one possible way: Daydream a story about a heroic quest in which you acquire four magical boons, one each at the Sea of Clouds, Sea of Fertility, Sea of Ingenuity, and Sea of Nectar."Free Will Astrology week of 14 August - Aquarius

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"Have you heard of the legendary 'Problem Volcano'? It hides in some secret land, spewing forth endless new reasons to worry. Nor is it the only hidden geological mystery. We must not forget the infamous Fountains of Fear, or the mythical Marshes of Myopia. Are any of these places really located on Earth? Most definitely - for they are located within us and we are most certainly on this planet! To be sure of staying in safe territory now, exploit other aspects of the inner-landscape that you DO know. Head straight for the Rock of Realism and steer well clear of the Valley of Vulnerability."
Jonathan Cainer Monthly forecast for August - Aquarius

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It struck me as interesting that mythical-sounding locations were scattered about these current forecasts, I was reminded of John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" and his Slough of Despond, Doubting Castle, etc.

If I were to take Mr. Brezsny's challenge I'd have to spend at least a month writing a proper story. I'm not a natural fiction writer (in spite of what an anti-astrology reader might think!) Instead of a story, I'll offer a brief outline of the stops on an heroic journey. What was found could hardly be termed what Mr. Brezsny called "boons", but I'm an obtuse Aquarian, such things are to be expected.

Setting out from the Sea of Clouds.....Here I stayed a while, gazed into the surface of the Sea of Clouds and saw, far away, a blue sphere - beautiful, spinning slowly, serenely among myriad stars.

When I reached the Sea of Fertility and gazed into its depths I saw, with magnification, life, teeming and multiplying on a beautiful blue planet. In seconds I saw a thousand generations of live creatures pass through, as the planet's surface changed, and changed again, and again.

Soon the Sea of Ingenuity lay in my path. Here I stared deep into it and saw, magnified again, the skills and talents of the creatures of the blue planet. I watched in awe, as time swiftly flashed past, and noted that they were soon able to perform the most wondrous tasks, transforming yet again a large part of the planet's surface.

At the Sea of Nectar I rested, gazed languidly into its calm surface and saw, in horror, the creatures of the blue planet fighting for sustenance. They must surely have drained all goodness from their once fertile habitat.

At this point I began the second part of my journey, approached the Problem Volcano, gingerly drew near to look into its inferno and saw the inhabitants of the far away blue planet becoming troubled, worried, many were fighting.

I hurried on to the Fountains of Fear, where I hoped for brighter visions, but none were to come. Through a silvery mist caused by the sparkling fountains I saw a vision of the blue planet's inhabitants dejected, careworn, now fearful of what the future might hold.

Not far from the Fountains lay the Valley of Vulnerability, and from my distant vantage point there, I understood how weak and fragile are the inhabitants of the blue planet, how little defence against dangers facing them.

Glancing back I noticed a side track leading to the Marshes of Myopia, travelled there and stared across the steaming, stinking marshes eventually realising how it was that those on the blue planet had become so vulnerable. In spite of their skills and talents they had failed to look ahead, far enough into the future, or at all.

I strode away sadly but with determination towards my last venue - the Rock of Realism. A hard place in the near distance, but the only one from which it was possible to obtain a clear view of the future. What did I see? A vision yet part-formed, its completion lies in the hands of the inhabitants of the blue planet.