Avatar is making people suicidal

[brandotron]

From CNN:

James Cameron's completely immersive spectacle "Avatar" may have been a little too real for some fans who say they have experienced depression and suicidal thoughts after seeing the film because they long to enjoy the beauty of the alien world Pandora.

On the fan forum site "Avatar Forums," a topic thread entitled "Ways to cope with the depression of the dream of Pandora being intangible," has received more than 1,000 posts from people experiencing depression and fans trying to help them cope. The topic became so popular last month that forum administrator Philippe Baghdassarian had to create a second thread so people could continue to post their confused feelings about the movie.

"I wasn't depressed myself. In fact the movie made me happy ," Baghdassarian said. "But I can understand why it made people depressed. The movie was so beautiful and it showed something we don't have here on Earth. I think people saw we could be living in a completely different world and that caused them to be depressed."

A post by a user called Elequin expresses an almost obsessive relationship with the film.

"That's all I have been doing as of late, searching the Internet for more info about 'Avatar.' I guess that helps. It's so hard I can't force myself to think that it's just a movie, and to get over it, that living like the Na'vi will never happen. I think I need a rebound movie," Elequin posted.

A user named Mike wrote on the fan Web site "Naviblue" that he contemplated suicide after seeing the movie.
Video: Depressed after 'Avatar'?
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"Ever since I went to see 'Avatar' I have been depressed. Watching the wonderful world of Pandora and all the Na'vi made me want to be one of them. I can't stop thinking about all the things that happened in the film and all of the tears and shivers I got from it," Mike posted. "I even contemplate suicide thinking that if I do it I will be rebirthed in a world similar to Pandora and the everything is the same as in 'Avatar.' "

Other fans have expressed feelings of disgust with the human race and disengagement with reality.

Cameron's movie, which has pulled in more than $1.4 billion in worldwide box office sales and could be on track to be the highest grossing film of all time, is set in the future when the Earth's resources have been pillaged by the human race. A greedy corporation is trying to mine the rare mineral unobtainium from the planet Pandora, which is inhabited by a peace-loving race of 10-foot tall, blue-skinned natives called the Na'vi.

In their race to mine for Pandora's resources, the humans clash with the Na'vi, leading to casualties on both sides. The world of Pandora is reminiscent of a prehistoric fantasyland, filled with dinosaur-like creatures mixed with the kinds of fauna you may find in the deep reaches of the ocean. Compared with life on Earth, Pandora is a beautiful, glowing utopia.

Ivar Hill posts to the "Avatar" forum page under the name Eltu. He wrote about his post-"Avatar" depression after he first saw the film earlier this month.

"When I woke up this morning after watching Avatar for the first time yesterday, the world seemed ... gray. It was like my whole life, everything I've done and worked for, lost its meaning," Hill wrote on the forum. "It just seems so ... meaningless. I still don't really see any reason to keep ... doing things at all. I live in a dying world."

Reached via e-mail in Sweden where he is studying game design, Hill, 17, explained that his feelings of despair made him desperately want to escape reality.

"One can say my depression was twofold: I was depressed because I really wanted to live in Pandora, which seemed like such a perfect place, but I was also depressed and disgusted with the sight of our world, what we have done to Earth. I so much wanted to escape reality," Hill said.

Cameron's special effects masterpiece is very lifelike, and the 3-D performance capture and CGI effects essentially allow the viewer to enter the alien world of Pandora for the movie's 2½-hour running time, which only lends to the separation anxiety some individuals experience when they depart the movie theater.

"Virtual life is not real life and it never will be, but this is the pinnacle of what we can build in a virtual presentation so far," said Dr. Stephan Quentzel, psychiatrist and Medical Director for the Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York. "It has taken the best of our technology to create this virtual world and real life will never be as utopian as it seems onscreen. It makes real life seem more imperfect."

Fans of the movie may find actor Stephen Lang, who plays the villainous Col. Miles Quaritch in the film, an enemy of the Na'vi people and their sacred ground, an unlikely sympathizer. But Lang says he can understand the connection people are feeling with the movie.

"Pandora is a pristine world and there is the synergy between all of the creatures of the planet and I think that strikes a deep chord within people that has a wishfulness and a wistfulness to it," Lang said. "James Cameron had the technical resources to go along with this incredibly fertile imagination of his and his dream is built out of the same things that other peoples' dreams are made of."

The bright side is that for Hill and others like him -- who became dissatisfied with their own lives and with our imperfect world after enjoying the fictional creation of James Cameron -- becoming a part of a community of like-minded people on an online forum has helped them emerge from the darkness.

"After discussing on the forums for a while now, my depression is beginning to fade away. Having taken a part in many discussions concerning all this has really, really helped me," Hill said. "Before, I had lost the reason to keep on living -- but now it feels like these feelings are gradually being replaced with others."

Quentzel said creating relationships with others is one of the keys to human happiness, and that even if those connections are occurring online they are better than nothing.

"Obviously there is community building in these forums," Quentzel said. "It may be technologically different from other community building, but it serves the same purpose."

Within the fan community, suggestions for battling feelings of depression after seeing the movie include things like playing "Avatar" video games or downloading the movie soundtrack, in addition to encouraging members to relate to other people outside the virtual realm and to seek out positive and constructive activities.

[PQ]

And for this guy...............

"One can say my depression was twofold: I was depressed because I really wanted to live in Pandora, which seemed like such a perfect place, but I was also depressed and disgusted with the sight of our world, what we have done to Earth. I so much wanted to escape reality,"

One word.

MATRIX...........lmao


And a double

no........triple

Within the fan community, suggestions for battling feelings of depression after seeing the movie include things like playing "Avatar" video games or downloading the movie soundtrack, in addition to encouraging members to relate to other people outside the virtual realm and to seek out positive and constructive activities.

[Xanthos]

Wow...
- X

[CamaroSpike23]

but yet after watching the first two terminator movies, no one attempted suicide after facing the bleak outlook of humanity....




idiots


honestly.... no, you dont want to know my honest feelings about these people.
let them kill themselves.

[DarthNacho08]

I heard about this on the radio this morning, it made my day, I was laughing so hard
I love this movie too, but not to the point that life is worthless without pandora being a real thing

[brandotron]

It's funny that in the movie, Pandora was a wild and dangerous place and it was considered impossible for humans (even highly trained Marines) to last one night there.

These people that are sad Pandora isn't real should move to Costa Rica or Australia. Beautiful places with plenty of things that want to kill you.

[CJ Man]

What losers

[Brokinarrow]

Wow. I mean, I can see being disappointed with the way things are, and knowing that we won't be visiting any alien planets within our lifetime... But depression? Maybe if they feel that strongly about us ruining the planet they should go do something about it (as hippy as this may sound, go save the rainforests. stupid loggers are killing our CO2 scrubbers for cryin out loud!!)

[PQ]

I was suicidal after wanting to visit 'Insectopia' after I watched Antz.

[Brokinarrow]

Originally Posted by brandotron

It's funny that in the movie, Pandora was a wild and dangerous place and it was considered impossible for humans (even highly trained Marines) to last one night there.

These people that are sad Pandora isn't real should move to Costa Rica or Australia. Beautiful places with plenty of things that want to kill you.

good point! Not exactly a hospitable planet (moon, whatever), can't even breath the same air as them.

[brandotron]

Originally Posted by CJ Man

it made me suicidal just watching the piece of crap movie for ALMOST 3 HOURS.

Your opinion is wrong

Originally Posted by Brokinarrow

Wow. I mean, I can see being disappointed with the way things are, and knowing that we won't be visiting any alien planets within our lifetime... But depression? Maybe if they feel that strongly about us ruining the planet they should go do something about it (as hippy as this may sound, go save the rainforests. stupid loggers are killing our CO2 scrubbers for cryin out loud!!)

Good point. These people should be proactive and see this as an inspiration to ACT. Go volunteer at a wildlife rescue, go clean up the shoreline, go make a difference...

...or sit at home and be sad that you don't live with 10 foot naked cat ladies.

[Brokinarrow]

Originally Posted by brandotron

Your opinion is wrong


Good point. These people should be proactive and see this as an inspiration to ACT. Go volunteer at a wildlife rescue, go clean up the shoreline, go make a difference...

...or sit at home and be sad that you don't live with 10 foot naked cat ladies.

i'm still laughing at this lol

[lee]

pandora is not real?

[DarthNacho08]

The Main Naked Cat Lady was pretty hot, i'd do her..................... lol

[Brokinarrow]

Originally Posted by DarthNacho08

The Main Naked Cat Lady was pretty hot, i'd do her..................... lol

Yeah, but if you try it without your own avatar you run the risk of getting crushed

[CamaroSpike23]

Originally Posted by brandotron

...or sit at home and be sad that you don't live with 10 foot naked cat ladies.

I'm kinda sad over that....:(

Originally Posted by Brokinarrow

Yeah, but if you try it without your own avatar you run the risk of getting crushed

death by snu snu

[Hirtz]

Maybe we need to hit the reset button and try this life thing again

[DarthNacho08]

Originally Posted by CamaroSpike23

I'm kinda sad over that....:(











death by snu snu

lol

[DarthNacho08]

Originally Posted by Brokinarrow

Yeah, but if you try it without your own avatar you run the risk of getting crushed

i'd take that risk, just gotta make sure i'm on top

[Brokinarrow]

Originally Posted by CamaroSpike23

death by snu snu

dangit man I had to stifle my laughter on that one, people at work are starting to look at me funny!!

Originally Posted by DarthNacho08

i'd take that risk, just gotta make sure i'm on top

I figured you might say something like that

[CynAgain]

Originally Posted by PQ

And for this guy...............

One word.

MATRIX...........lmao


And a double

no........triple

Originally Posted by CamaroSpike23

but yet after watching the first two terminator movies, no one attempted suicide after facing the bleak outlook of humanity....




idiots


honestly.... no, you dont want to know my honest feelings about these people.

I don't know, there could be something to it. You know that scene in T2 where's she holding on the fence watching herself at the playground and the nuke hits. I had nightmares.

I would bet someone did

[Iwantone2]

at the risk of being chased by somebody, i'm going to post the one-page script of Avatar that my buddy emailed me:

[CynAgain]

[brandotron]

Originally Posted by Iwantone2

at the risk of being chased by somebody, i'm going to post the one-page script of Avatar that my buddy emailed me:

I thought it was more like Dances with Wolves meets Ferngully

[Kalenn]

lolwut?