A spiritual awakening can happen gradually or spontaneously. Either way, it is a moment of enlightenment and can be an incredible experience!
If you’re interested in exploring this idea of a deep spiritual awakening, there are many great moviewatcher to watch that will help you on your journey. We’ve rounded up five of our favorites below!
1. The Matrix Trilogy
The Matrix Trilogy, which consists of the original 1999 film and its sequels, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, is one of the most ambitious movies ever made. It pioneered breathtaking “bullet-time” action sequences inspired by Asian martial arts and upped the ante for cinematic visual effects and plot complexity.
The plot of the trilogy revolves around a dystopian future where artificially intelligent machines have overtaken humans. The film’s protagonist, Neo (Keanu Reeves), learns that he is part of a vast virtual reality world called the Matrix. He also begins to understand his role in this Matrix and finds himself in a relationship with the machine-like Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss).
In addition to Trinity, The Matrix Trilogy includes Morpheus, a mysterious figure from the past who has become a godlike power behind Neo’s life. He possesses the ability to read and write the Matrix’s programming and is protected by an elite group of Exiles.
Another major character is The Architect, who designed every version of the Matrix. He created the utopian version of the Matrix that humanity supposedly rejected and then went on to build each subsequent iteration. He explains that 99% of the human population accepted this false sense of choice, but there were always a few Anomalies who refused to follow it.
The Wachowskis’ zeal for verbose philosophical waffling makes Reloaded and Revolutions a bit difficult to follow, but they still manage to tell a genuinely intriguing story. The new ‘chosen one’ narrative adds some interesting depth, and the film’s final confrontation between Neo and Agent Smith is a satisfying fight scene, even though it takes too long. The movie also boasts a strong cast, including Jada Pinkett Smith and Nona Gaye.
2. The Power of One
Among the many deep spiritual movies available, one that is particularly inspiring and relevant to today’s world is the Power of One. Based on the novel by Bryce Courtenay, this film tells the story of an English boy who grows up in South Africa during apartheid.
The film stars Stephen Dorff, John Gielgud, Morgan Freeman, and Armin Mueller-Stahl. It was directed by John G. Avildsen, and loosely adapted from the 1989 novel by Courtenay.
In The Power of One, Peekay, a young boy raised in South Africa, undergoes a transformation. He becomes a peacemaker and a leader in the fight against racial bigotry and violence. He also learns about spirituality from three different elders.
This is a very inspirational movie that explores the concept of interconnectedness and how karma affects us all. It is also a great example of how we can live with a sense of purpose and be proud of ourselves.
It also teaches us about the importance of compassion and forgiveness. These are the keys to achieving spiritual evolution.
Another deep spiritual movie is the Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield, which was adapted from his bestselling book. The film centers around a wanderer named “the wanderer” who discovers a manuscript that contains nine key insights into life and spiritual living.
This is a very powerful movie that shows how a person can be awakened to a higher level of consciousness, but still experience confusion. It shows the importance of being open to receive guidance from the spirit and trusting in the process.
3. The Power of Forgiveness
One of the most powerful spiritual practices a person can master is forgiveness. Forgiveness enables a person to release long-held resentment and to move through painful emotions, such as anger and grief, in a way that allows life to flow again.
In his film The Power of Forgiveness, filmmaker Martin Doblmeier examines the role forgiveness plays in alleviating anger and grief as well as the physical, mental, and spiritual benefits that come with the practice. He explains how a growing number of writers, social activists, clergy, and even research scientists around the world are dusting off this ancient religious concept and using it in new ways.
He shares stories from people whose lives have been changed by the power of forgiveness. From a woman who had to forgive the nuns who took her child; from a murderer who was able to let go of his anger and resentment for the murdered boy’s father; to a Buddhist monk who brings together enemies in unusual retreats that often prompt forgiveness, this film offers an eye-opening examination of how forgiveness can change lives.
Doblmeier interviews world-leading experts on the religious, moral and medical aspects of forgiveness including Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Laureate; Rev. Lyndon Harris, who has created a Garden of Forgiveness near Ground Zero; and Everett Worthington, author of more than 38 books on forgiveness and marriage, and professor emeritus at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Forgiveness is a spiritual discipline that is often difficult to master. Forgiving doesn’t erase a painful memory, but instead looks upon it with compassion and opens the door to healing and love. Forgiveness can transform the resentment and hurt in your life, freeing you from it so you may live your own unique and authentic spiritual path.
4. The Peaceful Warrior
If you’re looking for a deep spiritual movie, look no further than Peaceful Warrior. Directed by Victor Salva and based on Dan Millman’s best-selling autobiographical novel Way of the Peaceful Warrior, this is a true story about a young man who finds his inner strength and courage after a serious injury.
In the midst of his glory days as a world-champion gymnast, Dan (Scott Mechlowicz) breaks his leg and is left injured and frustrated. He begins a new life at a gas station, where he meets Socrates, a mysterious old man (Nick Nolte), who claims to be a “peaceful warrior.”
As Dan struggles to heal and move on with his life, Socrates helps him understand that there are many paths to happiness, not just one path. Socrates teaches Dan to find his true self and not to focus on the things he thinks will bring him happiness, such as winning an Olympic gold medal.
Even though the movie has some flaws, it’s a good story that can inspire you to reach for your own inner strength and wisdom. It’s a well-made movie that takes its time to show you the deeper truths of life without making it feel like a preachy or overbearing movie.
The film also does a good job of keeping the main character’s journey believable and realistic, which is crucial for this type of movie. It’s a true story about someone who found his true self through a difficult time and it really makes you want to cheer him on.
If you want a deep spiritual movie that isn’t a religious tract, look no further than Peaceful Warrior. It’s a beautiful and inspiring movie that will leave you feeling uplifted and inspired.
5. The Embrace of the Serpent
A psychedelic, black-and-white journey into the Amazon rainforest, The Embrace of the Serpent is a lyrical and compelling piece of work. Unlike a lot of films that chart the poisonous effects of white colonialism on indigenous peoples and their environments, it does so with an unusually invigorating perspective–like a reverse-angle Heart of Darkness.
Throughout the film, we see two journeys taken thirty years apart by an indigenous shaman named Karamakate (played by Nilbio Torres) in search of the sacred plant Yakruna. One journey he takes as a young man with German ethnographer Theo in 1909, the other as an old man with American botanist Evan in 1940.
Both of these expeditions seek out the Yakruna plant, reputed to have powerful healing powers and psychotropic properties, but each is guided by Karamakate in a very different way. When Theo and Evan are accompanied by Karamakate, their goal is to help the native people learn how to preserve the Yakruna plant, which they believe will save them from extinction.
The journeys of these two men are not just physical, but spiritual, too: Each seeks to reclaim his past by preserving the knowledge of his people, which was destroyed by invading “civilized” Colombian rubber barons. But the journeys also involve the shaman’s struggle to hold on to his own beliefs in the face of overwhelming change and uncertainty.
Guerra, who is known for his work on The Last of the Mohicans and Dead Man, combines these elements in this powerful, resonant tale. His commitment to thesis is there throughout, but it’s not always enough to keep the film on track. There are a few digressions, and sometimes the movie seems to veer off in a new direction every 15 minutes or so. But there’s also a lot of good storytelling to be had here, and it’s worth seeing even if you’re not particularly engrossed in mystical mysticism.