3-D - the power of virtual reality

I just watched Avatar in 3-D last night with hubby. I was grinning in the first half an hour as i was plunged into a world of fantasy, captivated by the sci-fi story which has all the right elements of love and betrayal, intrigue and conspiracy, loyalty and sacrifice. Of course, the special effects and animation enhanced my whole experience.

The 3-D glasses sometimes got in the way, but minimally:

• I was slightly light-headed when i first put on the glasses because of the weight, but this lasted less than ten minutes.
• The 3-D glasses dropped a few times throughout the movie as they were just hoisted upon my own glasses on a tiny groove.

It was cool, the way i was immersed into the movie with weapons pointing at me, seeds floating around me, and people walking in my direction.

However, hubby and i were disturbed by the nuances of nature worship that permeated in this fantasy world of Omaticaya People. Idyllic and idealistic, the natural world has a corresponding spiritual realm which keeps it in balance. The deity worshipped has no values, and does not judge good and evil, or take sides. These would be absorbed by the naive child or unsuspecting viewer. Even the more discerning among us, whether believer or unbeliever, might ponder over or reflect upon the

It has been reported that many viewers became depressed after watching Avatar because they were so impressed by the perfect fantasy world, their own reality paled in comparison. This attests to the power of media, the impact that the visual virtual reality has on the human mind and imagination.

The word Avatar itself has a 'spiritual' origin. Various dictionaries concur with the following definitions:

1. Hindu Mythology. the descent of a deity to the earth in an incarnate form or some manifest shape; the incarnation of a god (my addition: Hindus see Jesus as an example of an avatar.)
2. an embodiment or personification, as of a principle, attitude, or view of life.
3. Computers. a graphical image that represents a person, as on the Internet.

Definitions 1 and 3 are portrayed in the movie.

The transfer of the life essence from one being to another is an example of incarnation. So beautifully depicted in the guise of true love transcending all odds, even the boundary of the physical body, this philosophy of life or religious belief is subtly introduced into the viewer's consciousness towards the end of the movie.