I want to believe.

[taketimetoshine]

I always wonder how many people who watch horror/fantasy/science-fiction type movies/tv shows that feature mythical creatures actually believe in them? How many Walking Dead fans believe in zombies, how many X-Files fans believe in aliens, how many True Blood or Twilight fans believe in vampires, how many Teen Wolf fans believe in werewolves, how many Supernatural fans believe in... well... everything LOL

It was actually Supernatural that made me wonder this. I've been re-watching some of the earlier episodes, a lot of the Monster Of The Week/Salt 'n' Burn episodes, the not myth-arc ones, the standalones. I know a lot of them were based on real myths, on urban legends and it made me think about beliefs.

I'm not sure how the link happened in my brain. Don't get me wrong, mythology is a subject that fascinates me, the stories that shape a culture have such an importance and you can learn so much from people based on what they believe in.

It's just the link between culture and mythology and popular culture. So much of the urban fantasy genre is based on the old stories which I find interesting, to be honest. I guess it's the sociologist in me!

It also makes me wonder how the belief system of the viewer affects their enjoyment of the show. Whether a belief in... say ghosts increases or decreases the enjoyment of an episode about ghosts etc. I know I personally don't believe in most of the mythology of these shows. I don't believe in aliens or vampires or zombies or werewolves or ghosts. I do however believe in God and the Angels, in Heaven and Hell, but I'm able to separate my beliefs from the story shown on Supernatural, it doesn't have any effect on what I believe in but I do find I enjoy the earlier seasons more... however I also recognise that the quality of the show has decreased in recent years so I don't know whether its that or the ongoing religious-based myth that's caused that.

Comments

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

I'm an empiricist. If I experience something, I acknowledge it as part of a universe that often is stranger than we can imagine. The breadth of my experience is considerably wider than average when it comes to weird things.

I'm also given to extrapolating likely extensions from observed examples. We're on a planet teeming with life, that life digs into astoundingly hostile places, the sky is full of stars, and average things happen far more often than rare things. Thus it seems very plausible that the universe has a lot more life in it elsewhere. Said life is probably not visiting Earth ... but that's still theoretically possible.

Many myths have a grain of truth in them; they are often exaggerated or aspected stories about things that actually do happen. Occasionally things that we're pretty sure don't exist, or are extinct, turn up anyhow. That doesn't mean it's a good idea to be gullible -- but it's also not a good idea to annoy cobras because you're certain that spitting cobras are "just a myth." That leads to white people running screaming out of the bush while brown people laugh their asses off.

A sensible scientist or adventurer will therefore research widely, take prudent precautions, observe alertly, and keep an open mind. If someone says it's raining frogs, don't jump to the conclusion it's true just because you think it would be cool. But if actual amphibians fall from the sky, don't stand there like a dumbass insisting that it's impossible; open your umbrella.

>>Whether a belief in... say ghosts increases or decreases the enjoyment of an episode about ghosts etc.<<

It can, partly because the details are often wrong, but also because the depictions are almost always negative. If you actually know ghosts who are decent people, seeing psychotic portrayals all over mainstream entertainment can start to feel like "God dammit, they killed the black guy first AGAIN!"

On the other hoof, that can lead to writing things that have not already been written a zillion times. See my poetic series Monster House for an example of that. On the science fiction side, "Defaced" tackles the issue of xenophobia directly.

[siliconsara]

As a member to a fandom based on the "Ancient Astronaut" theory, I can say that some people (but, a very few) do want to believe in such fantastical things to further their own dreams and wants. There's nothing wrong with that, methinks; just don't want them to impose their beliefs onto others in debate, it's like watching religious folks debate against atheists: no one wins and everyone goes in circles.

[biting_moopie]

If the Enchanted Wood and the Faraway Tree (from the Enid Blyton series) don't exist somewhere in the multiverse, then there is no point to anything.


I enjoy shows and books about the supernatural but generally don't believe in the 'evil' side of things. As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing out there that matches human beings when it comes to vicious cruelty.

I do, however, believe in a Higher Power - God, angels and heaven, for want of better terms. I just don't believe in a hell or demons or evil spirits, etc.

It also makes me wonder how the belief system of the viewer affects their enjoyment of the show.

Good question! For me, it depends on how in depth the show gets. I still enjoy Supernatural but the religious aspect does get in the way a little. For example, I couldn't really accept Dean in hell because I kept thinking "there is no hell!". I had to keep reminding myself that it was a tv show. I was slightly annoyed with the apocalypse episode where we saw different gods - that was so interesting and it would have been fun to weave all the different faiths together. But it was just one episode and it was basically that the current Christian version of things is the official one.

However, I do enjoy the portrayal of angels as slick, efficient beings with their own agendas, and I love how they're always wearing suits. The one who's currently giving Castiel orders (I think it Rachel?) is fascinating.

I would say that when Supernatural tackled the subjects of God and heaven was when they lost me a little. I was actually a bit bored at times. Not because it conflicted with my own beliefs or anything like that. It was because they're such broad subjects that I felt were beyond the scope of the show. I also found the portrayal of all the little heavens claustrophobic (that's the closest I can come to explaining it) and was thinking "that's it? Really?". I again had to remind myself it was just a tv show.

My favourite tv portrayal/discussion of heaven is in Buffy, when she's brought back from the dead. She only briefly mentions heaven and much of the season focuses on how difficult it is to be among the living again. It was so dark and painful, but somehow more realistic? Argh, I don't know how to explain it. But basically, Buffy did a better job addressing the afterlife, in my opinion.

But I also enjoyed the earlier seasons of Supernatural more because it was about a variety of beings. However, without the heaven and hell storyline, we wouldn't have had Crowley and Mark Sheppard is my favourite.

LOL damn this got long. Enjoy my rambling thoughts!

Yes...

[ysabetwordsmith]

The Buffy rendition was brilliantly done.

Another favorite: "Gandalf ... yes, that's what they used to call me." Because going back to a life you've left behind is like trying to find your place in a book you stopped partway through reading, years ago, without a bookmark.

[vicwithacam]

I believe in some things from Supernatural such as ghosts, demons, and angels. I only believe in things I see; demons and ghosts possessed my aunts home a few years back before I was even into Supernatural things. I woke up to a shadow standing near my air matress and a guitar playing by itself from a wall feet away from me. No wires, no family was awake, it was just me in the room.
As for angels I have been in a religion for years so I was more or less brought into the belief of them- but I hope to God they exist.