Na'vi spiritual or religious experiences and ethics?

[paris]

1. [top] Religious experience (sometimes known as a spiritual experience, sacred experience, or mystical experience) is a subjective experience where an individual reports contact with a transcendent reality, an encounter or union with the divine.

im doing an essay about the avatar culture and religion, and i need the spiritual experiences, ethics

please help

[ScottWashburn]

Well, as I said in another thread, I can't consider the Na'vi's relationship to Eywa to be religious since she is a real entity that resides in the network of Pandoran life and not some 'transcendant' or 'divine' being. Their relationship with her is certainly spiritual, but it's still not a religion.

[Scott]

The Na'vi pray to Eywa. It's not a religion like a human based one, but to the Na'vi, Eywa is more than an 'entity' because they worship her.

[Emil]

I can pray to Eywa if I want to, whether she's real or not. People pray to Jesus, but is there really proof that he existed. For all we know the Bible was just a book made up by some random guy who was bored.

[Regenweald]

I think that when the Na'vi are doing the swaying about thing, that they are getting in tune with Eywa...sort of like vibrating the web of which both the Na'vi and Eywa are part of. Not sure if that is worship or more of a kinship thing though.

[_Omaticaya_]

I believe the Na'vi are very faithful people, and rely on their deity, Eywa, with all their heart and respect her. She is in every living thing but also is an actual entity that can think and decide. She keeps the balance of life.

[MeTheGuy]

I can pray to Eywa if I want to, whether she's real or not. People pray to Jesus, but is there really proof that he existed. For all we know the Bible was just a book made up by some random guy who was bored.

You have freedom of religion in this country yes. But comparing the real life Jesus to a goddess in a made up story is funny. Avatar affected us all in many ways which is why why we come here to share our thoughts, feelings, etc. But, we do know it is just a movie. A really, really great movie. It's my favorite movie, but it is made up. The bible is 66 books and was not written by some random guy who was bored. It is a known fact it was written by several men, over 30 men to be more precise over a period of 1500 years. That fact, is accepted not only by Christians but by everyone who cares to separate reality from fiction.

Eywa, a concept (or unseen character) made up by James Cameron is heavily influenced by the God of the bible. In the same way in everything and is the source of life for everything. All knowing and caring, life itself.

My point being: your post was really just a reason to bash Jesus and the bible. Stick with discussing Avatar.

[allrock123]

First of all we all know Avatar is a fantasy film thats a given but its a fantasy film running on top of some very real heartfelt spiritual examples James cameron did an enormous amout of cultural research in creating the film he wanted examples we can relate to and connect with at a deep level, How deep ? would probbly depend on how you relate to the film haviing been lucky enougth to relate strongly and experence "real" Life change after seeing the film and then questioning WHY ? did this happen good god its not real, but underneath it realy cross conects with very real world issues and its called a mirror story for a reason . Avatar uses very advanced 3D presentation , well done 3D scenes place the viewer "IN" the enviroment instead of watching a picture on a screen on the wall , As expected this causes our perseption to switch from "watching a movie" to "Experencing a world"
Avatar also uses like most modern films Advanced positonal Audio that can place sounds in a space around the viewer this adds to the equation on how we experence the film the fact the charters use motion capture face emotions greatly helps us beleave as well .but its not just "technoligy" that makes people deeply relate, The underlying story must be there as well or its just a cool looking image and intresting sounds Avatar at its roots is a very heartfelt film it employs deeply sacred examples presented with great respect for underlying cultures it came from , it uses sacred primal sounds like the heart beat of the Navi Avatar when jake first sees him suspended in fluid in the lab the use of the breath in sound and use of drums long conected to the heart by Native peoples, A great deal of work went into thinking how people would relate to what they heard and saw some even say it might be posable for people to have a past life experence triggered by such examples, who knows, All I can say is people have experenced profound sadness
and many ask why , some connect with the films fantasy and try and excape, "Bad idea" as they get caught in a loop and suffer depression and the sence that our "Real" world is dull and gray, Most others relate to what they saw and deeply connect to very real issues in the world today , some feel sadness for how we treat the world and our great disrespect for treatment of Indigenous cultures in the past and even today in some cases it's is powerfull enough for a person to make real life changes and that is simply amasing , Avatar is one of few films that can make that claim of positve real change in the world much respect for those that created it, Just for intrest look into the "origins" of the unmindfull word "Avatard" its a label and its intresting where it came from.look for real world change a good example would be the Dongria Kondh tribe in india awareness from avatar in part and peoples voices made a huge change in there lives and saved there home here the video below is such example I realy wish they could help themselves and not need rescue by an "aid agency"
Irayo (thank you)

[transcend]

i believe in Eywa.. really i think the general concept ties many religious traditions together with a lot of science as well.. it joins east and west.. religious traditions are not just stories and legends, the great religions result from mystical experiences.. all people with mystical experiences talks about the oneness of all things.. and often how psychic phenomena is real and so are miracles


the movie avatar certainly speaks about political and environmental issues and shows how they are really the same thing..

[transcend]

usual disclaimer.. but alot of other people are thinking about this too..