TV and Movies from the 80s: Thanks for the Spiritual Enlightenment

Why are you laughing? Couldn’t it be possible that sometimes we receive spiritual teachings in the most unusual ways? Really, in my personal experience, you just never know where interesting concepts come into your lives. There is actually a theory that myths hold the same weight in our minds as historical figures; for example, Alice in Wonderland is as real to me as Joan of Arc; Superman could be as tangible to me as Jesus Christ.

Well, think about it.

Who’s to say what is real and imagined? Who is to say what really happened and what is allegory or symbology? They told me I was born in 1978, but I don’t remember. I have to take their word for it and what do I have to prove about something as real as my own birth? A couple of dusty documents and a grainy 70s photo or two. I have to trust in the information I was given to verify that I was, indeed, born in 1978. Really, it seems like a pointless thing for anyone to fabricate.

So, back to myths. These stories from the 80s below are made-up. They are fiction. In two of the cases, they are based on real archaeological facts, enhanced in some cases for entertainment. But to me, these movies and TV show taught me things about how the world works and introduced me to concepts as a child that I have become interested in investigating as an adult.

Thank you The Mysterious Cities of Gold (for teaching me about lost civilizations)

This show seems to have been put together by a Japanese/French director and animator and ran originally from 82 to 83, when I was about five years old. I remember this show very well. Interestingly for a cartoon- this one is set in the Renaissance period, 1532 to be exact. A young kid called Esteban decides to go on a journey to The New World in search of his lost father and the lost Cities of Gold.

I know, trippy, right?

The concept of searching for the Seven Cities of Gold in the New World really impressed upon me as a kid. How’s this for a theme, Wikipedia calls it ‘a mix of ancient South American history, archaeology, and science fiction’ which it certainly is. During the 39 episodes, the crew meets Incas, Mayas and Olmecs. They find amazing lost ancient technologies, such as a solar-powered spaceship called The Golden Condor. Anyone who has subsequently gone on to read Theosophy might draw some comparisons with the teachings of Blavatsky. That may be drawing a long bow, perhaps, but the concept of ancient beings having flying machines has been explored heavily in docos like Chariots of the Gods.

Thank you Back to the Future (for teaching me to think fourth dimensionally)

On to the best movie trilogy of all time (barring perhaps my next pick) there’s not a kid from the 80s who didn’t watch, love and enjoy this great series of movies. This was where I first learned to concept of space/time continuum, a pretty large concept to grasp when you’re not yet 10. Presenting it in a movie like this made the concept very clear.

Time as a linear concept is a true mindf**k when you get down to it. Is time linear? Does time exist? How to I exist and relate to this concept called ‘time’? Anyone who has gone on to study the thermodynamic arrow of time discovered by German physicist Rudolf Clausius in the 19th century may be questioning time as a linear concept too. Will a broken coffee cup eventually form back together? Are you sure?

Thank you Raiders of the Lost Ark (for sparking my interest in ancient writing and artefacts)

Many of us kids of the 80s ended up with a healthy love of archaeology thanks to sexy Harrison Ford. My 3-Unit Ancient History class in my final year was absolutely packed, but that might be because Mr Holden looked exactly like the capped and whipped hero of the movie series. As a very young child, I was introduced to the idea that our knowledge of this planet and our rules and laws all come because of what has survived from past civilizations. Information can be lost, valuable artefacts can be hidden and stolen. It happens every generation.

It also taught me that it’s important to learn how to translate documents, and to consider your sources for information: is the information you are being given about how the world works coming from a reliable source? This movie also taught me (at the tender age of about six) that there were generations beyond my own and my parents and grandparents. There were ancient peoples whose writing I couldn’t even read, and sometimes there was writing that survived so long that no one could read it at all.

So…you see what I mean? Interesting concepts can be found everywhere – even in mass-produced, heavily marketed, Hollywood produced TV shows and movies of the 80s.

Tell me: What TV shows do you love? Any that have left a lasting impression on you?