ARTICLES

Movies and Meditation:

Understanding the Hidden Spiritual Impact

A Three-Part Series by Dr. Andrew David Edited and Arranged by Easter Prince

Introduction

Modern entertainment has become a dominant force in our daily lives, yet few Christians

understand its profound spiritual implications. What appears to be innocent relaxation may actually be a form of meditation that shapes our hearts and minds in ways contrary to Christ's teachings. This study examines how movie watching functions as a meditative practice and its impact on our spiritual health

Background: The Nature of the Heart 

Scripture teaches us that the heart is the center of our being, influencing everything we think, feel, and do. Proverbs 4:23 declares, "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life" (NKJV). Many believers remain unaware of how entertainment directly influences this vital spiritual center. Understanding the heart's function is crucial to recognizing why movie watching can become a spiritual trap.

How Movies Function as Meditation 

The Power of Moving Visuals

Movies utilize dynamic, moving visuals that continuously stimulate our senses and capture our attention. This visual stimulation primes our minds, making us more receptive to the messages being conveyed. Unlike static images, moving pictures bypass our conscious defenses and speak directly to our subconscious. 

Emotional Manipulation Through Music 

Background music in films is specifically designed to elicit emotional responses within viewers. These manufactured emotions become intertwined with the visual information, creating powerful memories. Without our awareness, these emotional experiences become written on our hearts. The combination of sight and sound creates a meditation-like state where we absorb content uncritically. 

Appeal to the Flesh 

Movies deliberately appeal to our fleshly desires because it's the path of least resistance. This sensual reality appears realistic and convincing, drawing us into its false narrative. However, the entire world system built on flesh represents an illusion constructed on deception. Jesus declared, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6, NKJV), establishing that only God and His kingdom represent true reality. 

The Antichrist Spirit in Entertainment

Hero-Villain Narratives

Most movies follow a predictable pattern: hero versus villain, culminating in the villain's destruction. As viewers, we emotionally invest in seeing the villain punished or killed. We find ourselves thinking, "Kill him! Shoot him!" and feeling satisfied when justice appears to be served. This response reveals the spirit of antichrist working within us, directly opposing Christ's commands.

Contrast with Christ's Teachings

Jesus clearly commanded us to "love your enemies" and "do good to those who hate you" (Luke 6:27, NKJV). Matthew 5:44 instructs us to "pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you" (NKJV). Can we see the stark contradiction between these commands and our entertainment-driven responses? Movies systematically strengthen our flesh while only God's Word strengthens our spirit.

The Hidden Poison and Its Effects

Spiritual Contamination

What feels like relaxing entertainment actually loads our hearts with spiritual poison. This contamination influences how we respond to real-life situations, particularly in our closest relationships. Instead of walking in love, mercy, and forgiveness, we subtly desire punishment for those who wrong us. This represents the antichrist spirit operating in our minds, corrupting our Christ-like responses.

Biblical Response to Conflict

Colossians 3:12-14 provides the proper framework for handling interpersonal conflicts. "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering" (NKJV). We must bear "with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another" (NKJV). "Even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do" (NKJV). "But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection" (NKJV).

The Impossibility of Dual Nature

We cannot put on Christ's character when our hearts are already saturated with sensual reality. Unknowingly, we replay the dramas we've consumed through entertainment in our daily lives. This creates a cycle where fictional narratives shape our real-world responses.

Physical Manifestations of Spiritual Contamination

The Heart-Body Connection

Scripture reveals that all disease originates from heart conditions. Jesus taught that "what

comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a man" (Matthew 15:18, NKJV). Cancer, heart disease, and other ailments await those whose hearts are loaded with sensual reality. Movies serve as primary contributors to this spiritual and physical contamination.

Personal Revelation

Through divine revelation, it became clear that even small movie clips were corrupting the heart and causing physical issues. The Lord revealed how bitterness fed by entertainment was poisoning the spiritual center. This understanding demonstrates how spending time with the Lord provides practical wisdom for daily living.

Life Lessons and Practical Application

Recognizing the Deception

We must understand that what appears innocent is actually spiritually deadly. Entertainment's primary danger lies in its deceptive nature – it promises relaxation while delivering poison. Wisdom calls us to discern between true rest and counterfeit peace.

The Path to Freedom

Meditation on our union with Christ empowers us to walk away from seemingly innocent but deadly influences. Christ's strength enables us to choose spiritual health over temporary entertainment. True freedom comes through aligning our hearts with God's reality rather than the world's illusions.

Alternative Activities

Instead of consuming entertainment, engage in activities that build rather than destroy. Consider hobbies like painting or model making that refresh without contaminating. These activities provide genuine relaxation while protecting your spiritual health. Creative pursuits engage your mind constructively rather than passively absorbing harmful content.

Daily Life Application

Transforming Evening Routines

When returning from exhausting work, choose activities that restore rather than contaminate.

Replace movie watching with pursuits that engage your creativity and refresh your spirit. Use

this time to connect with God through prayer, worship, or studying His Word.

Family Relationships

Protect your marriage and family relationships by keeping your heart pure from entertainment's

influence. Choose responses based on Christ's love rather than reactions shaped by fictional narratives. Practice forgiveness, mercy, and kindness as your default responses to conflict.

How has entertainment influenced your responses to family conflicts?

Warning and Call to Action

The Ultimate Choice

Remember this truth: As you sit down to watch a movie, you are consuming poison that will eventually manifest in your body as cancer or heart disease. Wisdom is speaking to those who have ears to hear. Why choose suffering when you can avoid it through wise decisions?

Learning from Experience

Some have learned these truths through painful experience – listen to their warnings. Don't wait for physical manifestation to recognize spiritual contamination. Choose prevention over cure by protecting your heart from the beginning.

What will you choose: temporary entertainment or eternal spiritual health?

Conclusion and To-Do List

Immediate Actions

Conduct a spiritual inventory of your entertainment consumption habits. Identify specific movies, shows, or content that have influenced your responses to conflict. Choose one creative hobby to replace entertainment time this week. Memorize Colossians 3:12-14 and practice applying it in daily relationships.

Weekly Practices

Dedicate previous entertainment time to prayer, worship, or Bible study. Evaluate your heart responses to determine entertainment's influence. Practice responding to irritations with Christ- like character rather than flesh-driven reactions.

Long-term Commitment

Develop a lifestyle that prioritizes spiritual health over temporary pleasure. Regularly examine your heart's condition and protect it from worldly contamination. Share this understanding with fellow believers who may be unknowingly consuming spiritual poison. 

Final Challenge

Will you choose the narrow path of spiritual wisdom or continue walking the broad road of

entertainment-driven living? Remember: Your physical and spiritual health depend on the choices you make today about what enters your heart.

The choice is yours – choose life, choose Christ, choose wisely.