The Great Before

Appreciation of "Soul", the Pixar Movie

Another heartwarming, inspiring movie from Pixar. "Soul" has all the right moves. Endearing characters. Bitter-sweet nuggets of life. Aspirations. Finding Purpose. All neatly tied up in a mesmerising animated story for teens and beyond.

Move over "Heaven" and "Hell"

The movie introduces two zones:

• The "Great Beyond": This where a "departed" soul rises and merges with the Universal Energy.
• The "Great Before": A magical place where new or recycled souls are prepared for life.

The "Great Before" is an interesting concept. Here, the souls get personalities, idiosyncrasies and interests before they are "Reborn". Looks like, Soul follows Indian Philosophy with cycles of birth-death-rebirth.

The souls are given training in become "You". The "Aham" or "Ego". They are allowed to enter earth after they identify a "Spark". A Passion, a Purpose. That's when they get an "Earth Pass".

The Spark!

The Soul number 22 is residing in the Great Before for ages as she is not able to find a passion. A reason to be alive.

She accidentally enters the body of our protagonist, Joe Gardner. She realizes that she loves pizza, a lollipop, taking a nice long walk, listening to jazz, helping a child... generally living life. She was all along trying to find a particular "Interest" and missing out on a variety of little things.

Enjoying every moment, is reason enough to live!

Souls also come here when they are "zoned".

When someone is lost in the moment or one tunes out from a daily humdrum task... One enters the "Zone". These zoned souls also come to the "Great Before".

'The zone is enjoyable. But when that joy becomes an obsession, one becomes disconnected from life.'- quote by Moonwind, a character in the movie. 

Most people return back after experiencing an exclusive out-of-the-world feeling. But, lost souls can reside here permanently, while their bodies go through the motions in real life. Like machines!

Being happy, not knowing it!

Many struggle for achieving their dream. Joe Gardner achieves what he had always wanted. A night of song. A moment of glory, where he plays the piano in a concert. But after getting there, he feels lost.

What now? What next?

Happiness is always that elusive future moment. This is explained in the movie with a charming story of a little fish. He swims up to this older fish, and says, “I’m trying to find this thing they call the ocean. “The ocean?” Says the older fish. “That’s what you’re in right now.” “This?” Says the young fish. “This is water. What I want is the ocean.”

The message: 

Live in the moment. Relish every nanosecond.

Stop Chasing. Start Living!

Enjoy.