The Collective Unconscious and the Importance of Ego (Serial Experiments: Lain) - Carter Jobe

I just finished watching the short series Serial Experiments: Lain and was inspired to write this blog about the many spiritual inuendos that touched me throughout this experience, along with elements I found relevant to this class.

There is an underlying element of the Jungian collective unconscious throughout the show, and it is represented by the Wired, a mix between the internet, a higher reality like a heaven, and a connection between all people and the world around them. The antagonist, "God", aims to deplete everyone's ego and superego along with their bodies, diminishing everyone into a digitized version of the collective unconscious. Humanity would become one, and there would be no sin or differences. Certain characters throughout the show commit themselves to this idea and rid themselves of their burdens to become a part of the wired. 

Lain herself is compelled to do the same at one point. In the climax of the show, Lain claims that we don't need our bodies, to which her close friend didn't verbally respond at all. She simply kneeled down and softly touched Lain's cheek. This moment sent shivers down my spine, as it represents human connection, something that could not be possible if everyone were simply the collective unconscious.

While the ego and superego might be imperfect, where our sins and differences come from, they are what fuel humanity, love, art, and everything that makes us beautiful and unique.