Final Fantasy: Spirits Within

Dear Readers,

Image Link

One of my favorite animated movies is Final Fantasy: Spirits Within. This movie has some very interesting concepts that I would like to talk about. First, that Earth itself has a spirit called Gaia.

Screen frame of spiritual earth from the LDS video Creation

Though the name of Gaia may not be accurate, but as a word "gaia" could be a word for a planetary spirit. The scriptures do say that everything was created spiritually before they were physically created (Moses 3:5), thus it is not a reach to say that the Earth it self was made spiritually and thus has a spirit or gaia.

Gaia in the movie image link

Now this is where the the movie becomes more false and yet more interesting. The concept that all living spirits on the Earth are pieces of the Earth's gaia sent out or produced to enable the gaia to experience, learn, and grow. It is true that part of our purpose in this life to to experience, learn and grow but the Earth is not learning vicariously through us. It is also true that our physically bodies are taken from the Earth and thus have the part of the Earth's gaia bonded with that matter. Now, exactly what that means when we are resurrected and receive permanent physical bodies I do not know, but I like to think that while in mortality we are simply borrowing our bodies from the Earth, and if we treat our bodies with respect and use them righteously, then it is more likely that the Earth will be please with us keeping them in the hereafter.

I have made some assumptions on this subject, but let me clarify, the Earth has a will, personality and a gender, female (Job 12:8, Jeremiah 4:28, Isaiah 24:4-6, Luke 19:40).

alien gaia from the movie image link

Anyway, that is our relationship with Earth's gaia, both in the movie and in reality. But is that all the plot of the movie? No. See, there is a crisis taking place. A meteor fell from the sky and now there are beings called phantoms wandering around killing people. As it turns out, this meteor is what is left of an alien planet. Its gaia is still producing spirits, but these spirits are all full of rage because of the hatred experienced by the inhabitants in their final days of war.

humanoid phantom from the movie image link

Now these phantoms are generally invisible, unless certain kinds of energy is added to them. Some are the humanoids.

large phantom from the movie image link

Yet there are also other animals, creatures equivalent to elephants.

flying phantom from the movie image link

And even flying serpents.

humanoid phantom removing the spirit from a living body image link

Again, there are some interesting concepts here. Not only do these phantoms exist and pass through solid objects, but they devour other spirits as well. That spirit can interact with other spirit and even have a hunger or craving. Even to the point of forcefully removing a spirit from a living body.

phantom matter inside of a human image link

Also, a major aspect of the movie is that humans can create technology that influences these phantoms.

barrier city image link

Shields that they cannot pass through.

Zeus Cannon image link

Even weapons that can hurt them like a laser.

Simply put, this movie involves the ideas of not only there being more to life, but that there are things we can do, in our behavior and thoughts, that can hurt the world and have a lasting effect.

I hope that you have enjoyed this post.

Love,
Jacobugoth