Just as science and spirituality have no inherent conflict between them, science fiction and spirituality have no inherent incompatibilities. It is only certain scientific and spiritual ideas that are logically exclusive, not that a lack of inconsistency makes a scientific or spiritual concept true. Fiction, ironically, has acknowledged this far more consistently than many people themselves have, especially given that spirituality is not always manifested in codified religious practice--in fiction and in real life.
The most popular science fiction film series with heavily spiritual components might very well be Star Wars, with its unambiguous references to and uses of the "Force" (including appearances of Force ghosts), but other recent science fiction movies like Avatar and Prometheus have explicitly spiritual themes. While Prometheus grapples with specific metaphysical questions rather than show stereotypical supernatural entities, it is a thoroughly spiritual film. It is not just science fiction films that include supernaturalism, however, as science fiction video games also have an affinity for spirituality.
For example, the original Metroid Prime has several sections of the environment where Samus can fight Chozo ghosts, the unembodied consciousnesses of the species that once raised her. Even the 2016 reboot of Doom, the latest entry in the hyper-violent shooter franchise, features elements of spirituality--not simply because the series involves aliens referred to as demons that come from a dimension literally called Hell, but because of events like the appearance of the spirits of fallen warriors called the Night Sentinels.
In some cases, the spiritual/supernatural entities in the aforementioned movies or video games are not what the franchises they appear in are most known for, but they are part of the lore all the same. For those who do not associate supernaturalism with science fiction, each of the examples mentioned above affirms that there have already been mainstream stories that merge the two without one element contradicting the other. Examples of science fiction with supernatural aspects are not necessary to see that such a thing is not impossible, but they are still useful.
Fantasy might be openly and consistently associated with spirituality, far more so than is the case with science fiction, yet cultural ideas about scientific and supernatural concepts have not kept even very recent science fiction from overlapping with supernaturalism. In one sense, this should hardly be shocking to those who understand the basic metaphysical nature of consciousness: spirit is just another word for mind, and mind is immaterial. It is not possible for humans to escape the immaterial nature of their phenomenology, no matter how advanced technology becomes and no matter how futuristic an environment is.
I don't know if you've heard of this game, but I think it's relevant to the post. It's called The Swapper and it's an indie sci-fi puzzle game. You obtain this device which is the eponymous Swapper, and it creates clones that simultaneously mimic your movement and also allows you to swap your consciousness into those clones. The game is very philosophical and dives into the subject of consciousness/soul. There are two female scientists in the game, one holds a substance dualist and the other a strict materialistic view. Throughout the game they debate each other over your radio about their views.
ReplyDeleteI think you'd enjoy it if you haven't played! It's like if Portal and Metroid had a baby and then was raised by Christopher Nolan! haha
I hadn't heard of The Swapper until I read your comment, but that sounds like a great setup for both puzzle mechanics and themes! I'll have to check what platforms it's for, because I definitely want to play it. There are several other games I want to try out that seem to have very explicitly philosophical content as well, like The Turing Test, Rise of Insanity, Mosaic, and Subsurface Circular.
DeleteThose other games you mention sound interesting too! If I don't get around to playing all of them, maybe I'll watch some playthroughs on youtube. I might wimp out on Rise of Insanity, though. Not really a horror guy haha
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen much of Rise of Insanity, but I love stories that directly deal with perception, sanity, and the personal nature of fear. I still have to stop playing some horror games during certain parts before I'm ready to see what happens, though, even after years of exposure to horror!
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