Rehabilitating the mind: Avatar (2009), Inception (2010) and the science fiction imagining of lucid dreaming in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder in the U.S. military

Abstract

Transcultural psychiatry has increased awareness of alternative approaches to mental health and wellbeing, influencing developments in Western psychotherapeutic treatments. In this article, I look at the recent interest in alternative therapies by the U.S. military, which has explored the possibilities of lucid dreaming in order to help soldiers cope with the adverse mental and emotional effects of combat—commonly referred to as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this context of concerns about effective rehabilitation and the cost of veteran care, I examine the popular science fiction films Avatar and Inception, which have been discussed in the media as illustrations of the potential use of lucid dreaming and digitally created virtual worlds to “heal” the minds of soldiers affected by modern warfare. In these media portrayals, psychology and science fiction come together to envision and promote human-machine fantasies of the endlessly salvageable and, therefore ultimately, invincible American soldier.

“Other psychotherapies”: Healing interactions across time, geography, and culture

“…The articles by Smith and by Lee and Kirmayer in this issue both reflect on the place-specific conditions of therapies, hinting at the potential disparities in provision that this may entail. For example, in reference to PTSD, Smith (2020) notes that it is “America’s endlessly warring culture” that has provided the context and motivation for developing alternative workable treatments for mental health problems associated with modern warfare. However, whilst the imagining of such therapies offers transformative potential, their availability on the ground is almost always limited.…”

“…Finally, as illustrated by Smith’s (2020) article on the popular imaginaries of science fiction film, psychotherapeutic practices are also a reflection of subcultures. To discuss ‘subcultural psychotherapy’ is to recognize the otherness that lies within the high-income countries of the Global North.…”