Bliss

Owen Wilson, Salma Hayek, 2021

A spot-on depiction of the afterlife scam of NDE’s

As with every movie review here, I’ll assume you watched the movie and spoilers abound. Many viewers thought this was a movie about drug addiction or technological utopia propaganda* (I did as well on first viewing) but after watching countless NDE accounts, I found it aligned far more with the fantastical, confusing, and wish-fulfillment aspects of the after-death experience, as well as the mortally injured person’s unwilling but inevitable return.

Greg Wittle (interesting last name - definition of whittle.: to reduce something gradually, little by little) is an office drone for a company called “Technical Difficulties” who appears to have a prescription drug habit, a bad divorce in his past, and a bittersweet relationship with his daughter. He has passive aggressive/dishonest tendencies, telling coworkers he is ‘on a call’ or ‘out the door now’ while he continues to sketch drawings of his dream home despite being asked to attend an urgent meeting with his boss. Of course, Greg is fired, and as he processes this shock, he stands up so abruptly he ‘accidentally’ knocks his boss over toward a desk and his boss cracks his neck and dies. Greg hides his boss by positioning the body standing upright with no bracing against a window behind a curtain (the ‘dream’ or after-death experience has already begun, as this is physically impossible).

Greg goes to a bar across the street and meets Isabel, a beautiful woman with magic powers that are activated by ingesting yellow crystals. She tells him that this sad, grey, dystopian reality is ‘not real’, gets him out of his manslaughter troubles because, “Let’s just say it’s kind of my fault that this world exists.” Greg moves into her outdoor encampment by an underpass and they have a great time having an intense, adolescent-type romance where they are consumed by each other and, egged on by Isabel, increasingly act like jerks to everyone else.

But Greg still yearns to connect with his daughter, which Isabel finds unacceptable. She gives him blue crystals to sniff so he can leave the fake reality behind and he can see the truth. They wake up in a lab/spa area where he sees he is surrounded by others reclining in loungers around a central vat of brains connected via slimy worm tendrils into their nostrils. Greg observes a computer program of the dystopian life sim he just left, and is told that his daughter is a ‘FGP - Fake Generated Person’. The lab tech sympathetically says, “Some of them are more convincing than others.”

Greg discovers that the fantasy world of his sketches is his ‘real’ home and he is a doctor - of something (they call him ‘Dr. Wittle’ with reverence). Isabel is also a Dr. and working on a big project, the Brain Box simulation that they just exited. And, she’s his soul mate. Greg is bombarded with many things here in this ‘real’ life. The peace is overwhelming, people know him, but it’s not mutual. He is supposed to remember this place, he’s lived a whole life here. He was beloved here (sort of, in ‘very small circles’) for inventing a silly low-tech AI thought visualizer board that plays “shave and a haircut” when someone says, “We’re in a pickle.” Isabel is concerned about his lack of recall. Maybe he exited the dystopian sim (er, Brain Box) improperly. Greg begs to stay just one more day before going back to the lab. Isabel agrees, and they luxuriate on a yacht and swim in clear blue seas. There’s a tech ‘soiree” happening as they dock, where hologram speakers share concepts like “the universe is…turtles, all the way down” and another posits, “Maybe, just maybe, hell is not such a horrible place. Maybe this is the real life in hell. And…some devil’s representative comes to the people having a good time, and tells them, ‘Listen guys, now we will be observed by heaven so please pretend that you suffer.”

The next morning, Isabel is in a mood. She’s emotionally intense and concerned about the status of her research [or product] and tells Greg, “I get one shot at this. One. And I need to show these arrogant, patronizing, sons of bitches that access to the Brain Box is a human right.” Greg encourages her to be confident in what she has so far. In a voice dripping with condescension, Isabel sneers, “We have to go back into the Brain Box, Greg. I need complete data.” Greg responds that her research is great, she has enough data, “not to mention the fact that I’m not going back in.” Isabel softens. She says gently, “Would you let me interview you tonight onstage?” Greg says, “It would be my honor.”

Greg gets to be the number one guest of the number one main attraction of this conference - Isabel’s company the Brain Box. Isabel gives a speech to a packed auditorium about how the Brain Box is wonderful - but don’t let her tell it, let Greg - er, Dr. Whittle show living proof of how great it is. Greg is interviewed by Isabel and squirms uncomfortably in his seat as a ‘before’ interview is displayed on a huge screen to compare and contrast with his current interview. Though he has no memory of this experience, solid video evidence proves that he was a discontented, privileged whiner before he did the Brain Box experience. Isabel asks him if he currently feels that he is missing anyone or anything in his life right now. Despite seeing a hologram of his daughter appear at that exact moment, he dares not say the truth because former him answered that question with such a nasty, negative edge. So, he says no, he can’t imagine anything better than this life he’s in right now, in fact, it's like he “died and went to heaven, without the dying part.” Isabel reinforces this message to the rapt audience, “Bliss is a state of mind that can ONLY be achieved by understanding it’s contrast with the opposite state of mind.” All the dressed-up, esteemed brainiacs rise and give Isabel and Greg a standing ovation. [Note Greg’s abject confusion here in being unable to discern what to think, as improvement through the Brain Box validates it’s efficacy, but lack of improvement through the Brain Box indicates he is a truly flawed, ungrateful person. In addition, agreeing to go back into the Brain Box is a noble decision that feels wrong, and refusal (his instinct) would be selfish. Therefore, Greg must start to conclude that he’s a selfish person on some level and is losing touch with any inner guidance.]

Greg heads to the bar area to clear his head. He is not even near Isabel when she receives acclaim for her brilliant project. Bill Nye the Science Guy himself officially rescinds any and all reservations about the absolutely brilliant Brain Box project that works to perfection in reforming ungrateful souls. Indeed, he is submitting her thesis to “nature and science magazines” for a cover feature, and “there may be a chaired position in your future.” Oh my goodness, things are going great for Isabel. But wait! Before Greg can order his drink, the faded hologram of Emily is back. His beloved daughter! Or rather, The Fake Generated Person? How is this Brain Box FGP getting all the way into the ‘real’ world? He chases after her up the stairs and then a scene occurs that made my stomach turn:

The hologram of Emily solidifies. She is standing in front of him, more technicolor and vibrant with life than she ever was in the dystopian Brain Box world. She is here to remind him of who he REALLY is - her DAD. She emotionally relays to him how concerned she is, that she knows about his little, ehrm, drug habit. A drug that makes him think this paradise place is his real home! Okay, so now both ‘realities’ think he’s living in a fake world - whenever he’s not in their world. He’s in a pickle! Greg musters all of his logic to counter Emily’s (or the FGP’s) entreaties to return to the the Brain Box world: “Yeahhh it’s just hard to figure out what’s what…[reaches out to grab a former drug-of-choice paraphernalia kit offered from his daughter’s very real hands]…cause it starts to feel like there’s a, there’s like, it’s almost like, there’s a trick being played.” His wits are about him and have fully left the building at the same time. In a voice shaking with sincerity, Emily shares with Dr., er…maybe Mr., Wittle, also maybe or maybe not ‘Dad’, a quintessential daughter-dad bonding memory that is so touching it could only be undeniably real. Yes, that is one thing he does remember! Emily with the most admirable selflessness and lack of pressure urges Dad to make his final choice. One of these days he’s going to have to commit to which world is real. Trembling, she says, “So, just…just…just…[3 ‘Justs’!] do what’s best for you…okay?”

There’s a slight calamity of uncertain nature occurring right when he arrives downstairs - Isabel appears to be enclosed in an increasingly angry mob. So then, still no time to enjoy a drink and collect his thoughts.

Greg needs his powers so he ingests yellow crystals from the vial Emily provided (drugs in paradise? Uh oh, he’s slippin’), because - would you believe - an actual apocalypse is happening! Things are glitching in and out like crazy and people are rioting. It’s like Hell in paradise! But Isabel lets Greg know that he can SAVE THE WORLD if he goes back into the Brain Box. Why would he do that? How would that save the world? Totally answering this valid question, Isabel says, “We need more blue crystals! We took 8 instead of 10!” She then tells him HE’s messing up paradise world, as his crappy Sad Sim World vibe followed them into this ‘real’ world because he didn’t exit properly. They took 8 CRYSTALS INSTEAD OF 10! Roofs are literally caving in as they run for their lives. Scientific mumbo jumbo explanation occurs while they race back to the lab through electrical fires and hook back in with the goal to exit with 10 blue crystals this time - BUT of course…yep, they are ONLY manufactured “in there!” Isabel gestures frantically to the brains in a vat. Tubes are hurriedly applied to noses and zhoop!

Greg lands right where he left off. It’s grittier than ever back in dystopia, the gray camera filter as heavy as the pouring rain. Isabel’s smooth, lustrous hair is back in clumpy, matted braids. We are shown a dirty white board with “Thought Visualizer” scrawled across it on a trash heap in their outdoor encampment. Isabel is by his side to guide him through this next phase of the Brain Box experience. Chaos reigns supreme as disoriented Greg tries to make sense of the gaps in his memories. The fact that he just saw paradise makes this place seem positively hellish, and he seems to be manifesting that very reality. Just like how he tainted the paradise ‘real’ world. He’s really gotta be a pretty bad person if he needed to sign up for this experience to be a better person. [That’s one explanation for the human tendency toward self-hatred, we must well and truly suck to choose this experience for our ‘growth’].

Greg witnesses so much evil (such as Isabel going on a murderous rampage for blue crystals) in his first day back that he begs Isabela to kill him. Isabela does the right thing and collapses into victim mode, sobbing that his pain is all her fault because of her created world. Greg jumps in to defend this Deeply Meaningful Suffering Sad World, “But, it’s also kind of beautiful, I mean, even with the cops coming…everyone’s playing their part and we don’t know how it’s going to end…it’s fucked up! And it’s great. And I’m not leaving.” There’s only enough blue crystals for Isabel to get back to the ‘real’ world of paradise, and so obviously, Greg wants her to be the one to go. Cops surround her with weapons and she takes a big sniff of 10 blue crystals and Poof! She’s gone. Now Greg is on the run. Then, he slows to a purposeful walk. He becomes resolute. He committed to this, no more escapism. Time to get with the program. He signs up for treatment at one of the ubiquitous drug rehab centers in this Brain Box realm. His group counselor notes “In this house, there’s no stigma for what you’re going through. Every person on this planet can relate to wanting to chase bliss.” [Gosh, I wonder why?] Greg shares a photo of Emily, ”This woman says she’s my daughter. And I believe her.” Final scene: Greg, flowers in hand, meets up with his daughter and receives a warm hug. He is redeemed.

My take: Greg died of a drug overdose after getting fired. Greg’s unresolved ‘karma’ (attachments) are: Need for validation, need for revenge (on boss), escapism through drug use, dishonesty, people pleasing tendencies, unresolved relationship with his daughter, unrequited soul mate, fascination with technology. All of these are used expertly against him with heavy emotional manipulation in the carefully crafted afterlife experience. No expense (illusion) was spared to get him to return. He’s a prime energy creator, after all. We all are. Until we wake up. [It’s simulations all the way up and down - we choose our dream state. But first, we gotta know we are dreaming.]

Final note: It was Greg’s inherent compassion throughout his journey that resulted in his recycle to the Brain Box sim. Throughout the film, he expresses empathy for a variety of people, while Isabel encourages callousness. His biggest flaw was putting kindness and moral ideals ahead of his own instinct to escape hell once he was out. The astral simulation has no such weakness and will not return the favor. Ask a heavenly ‘guide’ to go to earth in your place, see what happens.

*Interestingly, near-death experiences mirror drug induced states of high euphoria, convoluted sense of time and lack of reasoning faculties, as well as technological elements such as hi-tech screens for life reviews, looping or ‘one-note’ entities, and instant holographic manifestation.