Stephanie Gammage

Power of the Mind

Film to discuss:

Sphere. Directed by Barry Levinson, 1998.

Arc or state of the future:

Alternative-There is another world living in the future parallel to the present world and time.

Dimension of the future:

Deep future-maybe 2043-advanced technology

Relevant course objectives:

Objective 2-The future is written because the spacecraft is the result of where technology will be in about 50 years, and there is nothing that can change this outcome.

Objective 7-The alternative for the future human race is extensive space travel which produces time travel. From this sphere, the mind is capable of anything.

Video Clip:

This scene is after the blow-up of the spacecraft, and the only three survivors are in a decompression chamber. They are discussing what explanation to give for what happened, and now what to do with the power they still have from the sphere. They can't change the future because of their mind power to forget.

Question:

How do you think the world would adapt if people had that much power within their minds?

Do you think we could change our future to make it better instead of worse with this power?

Sources:

Crichton, Michael. Sphere. New York: Ballantine Books, 1987.

http://www.crichton-official.com/filmsmain.htm

http://www.sphere-themovie.com

Sphere. Barry Levinson. Baltimore Pictures, 1998.