If you haven’t seen The Sixth Sense, the 1999 epic, watch it first. If you’ve seen it or don’t mind spoilers, read on. Its two great spiritual lessons are priceless.
Malcolm, the psychologist, is shot by Vincent, a disgruntled patient. Months later, Malcolm starts treating a new patient, Cole, a boy with debilitating fears. Cole is legitimately afraid because he can see dead people who are scary and sometimes hurt him. Cole explains to Malcolm that the dead people don’t know that they are dead. They just see what they want to see.
Later in their therapy, Malcolm suggests to Cole that the dead people reach out to him because they want to be heard. Instead of running from them, Cole starts to listen to them. When he does this, the scary dead people become gentle. Cole is able to sooth them and sometimes transmit important messages to the living. Cole becomes empowered in a way that radiates out in all areas of his life. His fear is replaced with joy.
This is an elegant description of the human experience.
Our lives are full of thoughts. Thoughts are like the dead people. When we don’t listen to them, they torture us with a variety of negative emotions. When we listen to them, we become powerful and joyful. That’s the first spiritual instruction.
Meanwhile, Malcolm, the therapist, is having a rough time with his wife, Anna. She doesn’t talk to him. She starts to get close to a coworker who is obviously interested in her. Malcolm loves Anna. Anna watches the video of their wedding over and over. Malcolm doesn’t understand.
The recently empowered Cole suggests to Malcolm that he talk to Anna while she’s sleeping. Malcolm does this and, still in her sleep, Anna replies, “Malcolm, why did you leave me?”
When Malcolm starts to protest, he sees a wedding ring drop to the floor. It’s his wedding ring that she was holding in her sleep. Malcolm realizes that he was in fact killed by the disgruntled patient months ago and that he is one of the dead people who has been talking with Cole. Seeing this, he can now move on, free.
This is another clear description of the human experience.
We are all like Malcolm. We tend to think our experience is reality. It’s not. Our experience is a reflection of our perspective. We see what we want to see. When we realize this, as Malcolm does in the final scene, we can become free. This is the second spiritual instruction.
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