Wake up, Neo…

 

The Matrix has you…

As you can probably tell, the Matrix trilogy has greatly influenced the design of this site. If you have not watched them, I suggest you do before reading any further.

The trilogy is steeped in truth, possibly more than even the Wachowski’s realise. “How can this be?” you may ask. The answer is fairly straight forward. The majority of the ideas for the films were taken from various existing religious doctrines and philosophical ideas. These allegories came into being and, what’s more, continue to exist, because they are representative of some hidden human subconscious mechanism. All good stories are.

Consider Aesop’s fables. These simple stories, told by a slave, have persisted for nearly 3000 years. I’m sure there were many other story tellers around at the time, some possibly in a professional capacity, yet, they are not nearly so well known, if not forgotten completely. So why do Aesop’s fables continue to be popular even today? It’s because the are representative of some psychological question or they teach an important moral lesson in a way that can be remembered.

Stories can sometimes convey an idea far better than an explanation. Sometimes the language doesn’t exist to offer an explanation. Sometimes, the subject is too sensitive or taboo, to be referred to directly. People don’t like to be told of flaws in their character, but they will listen to a story that highlights that flaw. In essence, their ego will not accept that it is wrong. However, if the message can be slipped past the conscious mind to the, more accepting, subconscious, it is far more likely to have the effect of making the person change their ways.

The Matrix is a complex conglomeration of  various religious, spiritual and social ideas, transferring their underlying messages into itself. As such, it creates a very powerful story that feeds the subconscious desire to understand and improve itself without upsetting the ego.

Although, the original transcript differs hugely from what actually made it to celluloid, the point is that they are good story tellers. The story is inspired. We can all tell when something is “right”, our only difficulty is getting it there. Very often we give up. Good story tellers will keep weaving their tale until it feels “right”… and that is the art, the art to everything.