No VR Goggles Needed: Transforming reality with hypnotherapy and mindfulness

In the Tron series of films one of the main characters, Kevin Flynn, explores many Buddhist-inspired concepts like mindfulness meditation, the pursuit of enlightenment, the consequences of seeking perfection, and non-attachment. These concepts are, in my opinion, in direct competition with what we are taught in Western society.

Flynn’s original drive to create the perfect program appeals to our Western sensibilities of dedication to work and perfectionism, but eventually we see that his drive is his undoing as he misses out on the lives of loved ones left behind in the real world. He also comes to understand that perfection is an impossibility – after all, what is perfection? And the pursuit of perfection can actually cause great harm rather than the intended ideal outcome. Fortunately, Flynn turns to Buddhist concepts and practices, even if not expressly identified as such, to come to terms with what has happened to him and his world.

The Tron films are a great teacher about the price we pay for escapism and what tools can be used to help us live a more content life. Flynn escapes to virtual reality, only to dive deep into Buddhist practices in order to cope with the awareness that he most likely will never see another human again. We don’t need to escape into VR to learn how to cope, despite what mainstream media wants us to believe these days.

Meditation, like self-hypnosis, is a great self-care tool to help us cope with day-to-day struggles. 

There are many published articles reminding us that mindfulness meditation, even for 5-10 minutes a day, can help our mental and emotional state.  And I already shared a link to the NIH funded research project that shows the benefits of hypnotherapy in this blog post. When we practice these mindful tools on a regular basis, we can transform our lives by changing our inner worlds and our perception. No VR goggles needed!

In my online live workshop, I often get asked if meditation, hypnosis, and hypnotherapy are all the same things. They might look similar on the outside – you sit or lie down, close your eyes and rest your body. Then what is the difference?

• Meditation is when you focus your attention on a single object, like your breathing, a sound, sensations in the body, or a specific phrase or mantra, to train your mind. It is a mind-body practice that helps you learn to observe your feelings and thoughts without judgement to create a sense of calm.

• Hypnosis is self-hypnosis. It is a natural state of mind that you take yourself into in order to achieve a goal, such as relaxation, sleep, changing a behaviors or perception of thoughts.  Relaxation or visualizations are used to bypass the critical conscious mind (often referred to as the inner critic or monkey mind) to allow for suggestions and visualizations that can help a person change their life by changing their thoughts. In this relaxed metal state, you are not unconscious, and you cannot be hypnotized against your will or made to do anything you don’t want to do. As an example, this is why hypnotherapy is about 80% effective in helping folks quit smoking.

• Hypnotherapy is when a hypnotherapist helps a client by guiding them and teaching them techniques to focus their attention so they can relax and experience the benefits of being in the hypnotic mental state.  A client benefits from their hypnotherapist’s life experience, knowledge, coaching, listening skills, and creative techniques designed to help clients reach their goals by listening to their own bodies and inner intuition.

Flynn could have just as easily had a self-hypnosis practice as a meditation practice, but then he wouldn’t have needed a cool Jedi-inspired robe or minimalists’ home decor (unless he wanted to 😉)

"I'm here because you are here."

~ Kevin Flynn in Tron: Ares

One of the main aspects of Flynn’s character is his pursuit of enlightenment as a spiritual and philosophical journey.

By living in the alternate reality of the computer world, Flynn focuses on achieving profound awareness, spiritual awakening, and a state of deep inner peace. Flynn practices meditation to understand his own true nature. Being one of the programs’ creators and stuck inside the computer world, Flynn must learn to let go of attachments and eventually perceive reality more clearly.

The path to enlightenment is not about becoming someone else, but about a shift in consciousness that can be integrated into everyday life. We are fortunate that we are not forced into this shift by being stuck inside a computer, and this journey can be enjoyable if we see it as a practice.

You will notice that I refer to this as a path and a practice. Buddha taught us this a long time ago and I think this is one of the key elements that make it different from Western ways of life. We are constantly told that we need a quick fix, a pill or a distraction to feel better, when in fact, what we need is a practice that leads to better self-awareness and compassion. Since I started to study Buddhism and mindfulness techniques about 15 years ago, I have been aware that I need to develop a practice that will help me. When I discovered hypnotherapy, I realized the connection between it and the Buddhist mindfulness teachings and the idea that both are a practice to be maintained and revisited over time.

" The thing about perfection is that it is unknowable, it's impossible, but it’s also right in front of us, all the time."

~ Kevin Flynn in Tron: Legacy

Striving for perfection can lead to loneliness, isolation, and unhappiness with life. In the films, Flynn pursues the creation of perfect computer programs, and this desire is what leaves him alone and isolated in an out-of-date electronic world.  

A client was just telling me this week about a dream they had of being stuck inside the alternate virtual world that is currently being sold to us via VR goggles. The fear that others might not present themselves as they truly are in reality makes it easier to deceive others, especially children, thus creating an ethical dilemma. The benefits of this new virtual reality are vast, but the unregulated dangerous disasters that may come of it are too staggering to ignore. The Tron films might start to open our eyes and shed some light on this dichotomy as AI starts to play a bigger role in our lives. Do we want to improve our reality – or do we want to escape it?

Tron: Ares certainly taught us about the attachment to impermanence.

When the programmer tries to bring their programs into the real world for harmful purposes, the programs disintegrate after a matter of minutes. Watching these programs fall apart in the real world is a wonderful lesson about the impermanence of life.

Seeing the program creator in the film resist this impermanence is a lesson in non-attachment. He also uses this impermanence as an escape from consequences… perhaps the real appeal to virtual realities.

I have only begun to scratch the surface of these topics by introducing the parallels between a popcorn film about AI and meaningful Buddhist concepts. My goal is to spark meaningful thought about why we do what we do in our reality and to think about what the potential consequences might be and introduce you to my chosen tools that help me and my clients change our perception of the world one thought at a time.

Mel Sharpe

Hypnotherapist & Coach

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