Spiritism and the Occult
In Popular Culture
Film, TV and the Occult


Despite being little known by the population at large; many works or art contain allusions to facts, circumstances and concepts that are perfect examples of spiritist beliefs:

Films


• Ghost, with Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze was perhaps one of the earliest depictions of an after-life moderately similar to Spiritist teaching. It was highly popular among Brazilian Spiritists too. Swayze plays the role of a man that is killed by a petty thief, leaving his wife (Moore). He, as a ghost, makes contact with a "psychic" played by Whoopi Goldberg and manages to help his wife before finally leaving earth.


• The Sixth Sense, starring Haley Joel Osment and Bruce Willis, is perhaps the better known film approaching the thematic of Spiritism. Cole Sear (Osment's role) is an infant medium facing the disbelief of everyone.


• Shutter, depicts a passably accurate situation of obsession, complete with physical manifestations and materialization of a spirit.


• The Others, (2001) depicts what happens to spirits who do not realize that they are actually in spirit form, resembling Spiritist doctrine.


• Passengers (2008) with Anne Hathaway and Patrick Wilson. Very similar to "The Sixth Sense" in spiritist themes.


• Sole Survivor, a 1970 TV-film starring Vince Edwards and Richard Basehart, begins with a B-25 bomber crashing in the Libyan desert during WW2 and all crew members onboard dying. Decades later, the wreck is spotted and an Air Force team is sent to investigate the crash site. The spirits of the dead bomber crew, unaware of their disincarnate condition, are still there, waiting for a salvage expedition to find them. The behavior of the dead in this story is in accord with Kardecist teachings and Spiritist theory.


• Yesterday's Children, based on a true story. A Mother's haunting dreams lead her to another place, another time, and a mysterious past... her own. Her past life and memories...children left...based on Jenny Cockle´s book.

Television


• Medium, a medium helps a District Attorney solve crimes.


• Ghost Whisperer, a medium helps spirits with 'unfinished business' 'cross over'.


• Paranormal Investigations, a scientific team investigates paranormal activity.


• Charmed, three young witches who battle evil demons, ghosts and other creatures.


• Crossings, host Jonathan Edwards contacts spirits of dead relatives and friends.

Films and television is so entertaining; most of us watch more of it than we should. Today, more than ever before, its easy to become curious about programs that have to to with the occult. Almost without realizing it, we get "hooked" on programs and movies that portray the demonic dark side. Let's build a new awareness of what we watch so that as Christians we will have the wisdom to discriminate between watching programs and movies that are pleasing to God.