5 Must Watch Spiritual Movies to Further Deepen Your Awareness
A list of movies/documentaries that will expand your consciousness
What is spirituality?
Spirituality is a broad term and can have a different meaning for each and every one of us. For me, personally, spirituality is a feeling that there is something greater than me, something beyond my limited human understanding. The belief I am merely playing a small part in the Divine Consciousness’s plan.
It also means being more heart-oriented, delving deep into concepts such as love, gratitude, altruism, empathy, kindness, service to others.
It’s a journey of healing and understanding the Ego is not be let in the driver’s seat of one’s life. A process of going within. Acknowledging the mystery of life. And the multiple layers of reality.
I absolutely love a movie I am so entranced by, that I immerse myself with my whole being in it. A movie that causes me to question societal norms and beliefs. Which causes a mind shift. And makes me reconsider the way I see or do things. The way I behave in relation to others.
Has that ever happened to you? To watch something that makes you question your relationship to the Universe? That makes you want to become a better person?
If you like these kinds of movies/documentaries, then keep reading.
This is the list I compiled with my all-time 5 favorite spiritual films/documentaries:
1. Awake: The Life of Yoganada (2014)
“Compelling…enough to make a modern soul look inwards.”
— The New York Times
Awake: The Life of Yogananda, is a documentary based on the life of Paramahansa Yogananda, a Hindu Swami who brought Kriya Yoga to the West in 1920. You have most likely heard of his book, ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’, which is said to have been one of Steve Jobs’ favorites.
The documentary, which took 3 years to get done, consists of archived footage of Yogananda’s life. According to the Self-Realization Fellowship website, ‘by evoking the journey of the soul as it pushes its way through the oppression of the human ego and delusion of the material world, the film creates an experiential immersion into the unseen realms.’
It provides a very realistic perspective of the challenges Yogananda had to overcome to share his practices in the West and to pass on his legacy. I highly recommend it if you want to get a more comprehensive synopsis of Yogananda’s life. You will definitely feel more enriched after watching it.
2. The Celestine Prophecy (2006)
“The universe is energy, energy that responds to our expectations.”
―James Redfield
This movie is a screen adaptation of the book with the same title, The Celestine Prophecy, written by James Redfield in 1993. The adventure-tale begins with the disappearance of an ancient Peruvian manuscript which is believed to contain the 9 insights the human race must grasp to enter the era of spiritual awareness. The Celestine Prophecy is actually the first book in the series, followed by The Tenth Insight: Holding the Vision, The Secret of Shambhala: In Search of the Eleventh Insight, and The Twelfth Insight: The Hour of Decision.
Some people say they prefer reading the book over watching the movie. Indeed, the book goes more in-depth, but the movie is pretty good as well. Of course, in only an hour and a half, it couldn’t possibly pick up on all the aspects presented in the book. In my opinion, a series adaptation of the book would have worked better to distill the essence of the insights on a more profound level.
Anyways, both the book and movie are captivating and give you the opportunity for self-reflection. It’s up to you which one you want to go for. Or choose both, as I did. Meditating upon the insights it’s the best approach to further deepen your awareness.
3. I Origins (2014)
“When the Big Bang happened, all the atoms in the universe were all smashed together into one little dot that exploded outward, so my atoms and your atoms were certainly together then and… who knows, probably smashed together several times in the last 13.7 billion years, so my atoms have known your atoms and they’ve always known your atoms. My atoms have always loved your atoms.”
―Ian, I Origins
I Origins is a refreshingly different movie. The plot is very well-written, its leitmotif being the neverending battle between science and spirituality. Unquestionably, a thought-provoking film. The main focus is on the eyes and them being the window to the soul. I don’t want to spoil it for you so I am only going to say this: a molecular biologist and his lab partner make an unexpected discovery. A discovery that gives the chance to the viewer to question the possibility of an afterlife, or at the very least, the existence of a spiritual dimension.
I watched it a while ago but it really stuck with me. I really enjoyed the intelligent premise and the leaps from science to spirituality.
If you watch it, you’ll most likely go down the rabbit hole of interpretations. Do we leave in a world in which religion and spirituality can give us a deeper understanding of who we are and whether reincarnation is possible?
4. Astral City: A Spiritual Journey (2010)
“Though nobody can go back and make a new beginning… Anyone can start over and make a new ending.”
― Chico Xavier
Based on the book Nosso Lar written by medium Chico Xavier in 1944, the movie tells us the story of a successful doctor who lived a materialistic life and did not care to enrich his spiritual life allowing selfishness, pride, and self-centeredness to take over his moral values.
It enables us to get a glimpse of the spirit world that awaits us after we leave our physical bodies. It makes us question the relationships we have with others and the Egoic based decisions we make.
I felt a mix of emotions whilst watching this film. It made me think it’s so easy to get lost in the rat race of everyday life and forget the things that truly matter.
It’s a good reminder of the illusory nature of the material world. It’ll provide you lots of food for thought.
5. The Shift — Ambition to Meaning (2009)
“You get to a place where you begin to be guided by something greater than yourself. You stop fighting and striving (indeed the need to expend this type of energy is often a strong indicator that you are not in flow and where you are meant to be) and instead, surrender to your higher purpose and be guided from there, allowing things to happen, trusting in source, focusing on your why and letting go of the how…”
― Wayne W. Dyer
The Shift is pursuing different storylines of people who are experiencing inner turmoil due to not following their true life purpose. Wayne Walter Dyer, also known as the father of motivation and one of the most beloved people in the self-improvement community, is part of the movie. The Shift is heartwarming, humorous, and engaging. Not to mention the scenery is breathtaking.
After watching it, I personally felt much lighter. I resonated with those characters’ inner turmoil and realized I had to make a shift if I wanted to follow my path. Made me become aware I was pursuing goals that were not mine but societally imposed. The insight itself felt very liberating.
It will definitely make you think about your life purpose and whether or not you’re following it. And how that impacts you and your loved ones.
Final thoughts
Watching a movie that makes you question the nature of things is an amazing way to broaden your understandings and allow your spirituality to further deepen.
A spiritual movie touches your soul and at the end of it, you are in a different state of consciousness than you were when you first started watching it.
You might even feel positively charged to implement a change in your life. Or in your attitude towards others.
Let me know if you’ve watched any of these movies and the way they have impacted you.
I would also love to hear what spiritual movies/documentaries you recommend!
