A "Mindfulness" Breakdown: Black Swan (2010)

A "Mindfulness" Breakdown: Black Swan (2010) The Story of a Ballet Dancer.

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis
Company: Twentieth Century Fox/Fox Searchlight

Suffering

Ignorance is the root of all suffering – believing things that are not true or suffering delusions. The protagonist (Nina) gets caught up in fantasies delusions believing them to be true. They cause her to suffer.

• Having no one believe her – She tries to explain to Thomas that Lily wants her part and is "playing mind games" with her.
• Nina Experiences physical suffering – the rash and the physical demands of being a dancer.
• Nina's extreme behavior – there is no Middle way or balance; her extreme denial of food and her quest to be perfect. 

 

The Untrained Mind

The untrained mind can never know peace, has no free will, or inner discipline.

• You become a slave to your own thoughts and emotions.
• You create a negative state of mind that can turn into negative behavior or actions.
• It destroys your perception. You no longer "see" reality or can gain Wisdom/Truth.

Mental Development or inner strength is not about being smarter. Sometimes it's about not being a slave to the negative states of mind.

Duality

Drama and conflict comes from this polarization.

• The white Swan versus the Black swan (Twins)
• Good versus evil
• The child Versus The woman she wants to be.

There are two extremes fighting within her this creates inner conflict that manifests itself in crazy behavior.

Mind Games 

• Having no one believes her – She tries to explain to Thomas that Lilly wants her part and is "playing mind games with her.
• Lilly pretends to be a friend
• (Lilly) Approaches her at her home (personal and shows intent)
• Lily pulls Nina into a negative environment (the bar/nightclub). (Context/situation)
• Told Thomas that Nina had been crying. Planting Doubt into his mind about Nina.
• Lily encourages drug use – an altered state of mind – taking away Nina's ability to make good decisions, have clarity.
• Lily then takes Nina's place at rehearsal the next day because has trouble recovering from Lily's invite the night before.
• Openly embarrasses(using shame)  Nina when she asks lily about the night before
• Tries to get Nina to say she is sleeping with Thomas

Lily's "attacks" are not overt, like most evil acts. Regardless, she is a villain because she creates obstacles for our hero, acts with the intention to hurt someone (the hero), is motivated by personal gain (becoming the swan queen), and she doesn't think about or care about the consequences of her actions. 

What lily has is deniability she hides her agenda so well that if Nina makes an accusation, Nina sounds crazy or paranoid. 

Labels and Judgments

• "My sweet girl" – Her mother's label of her as a child. It keeps her from becoming a woman/ the black swan.
• "My little princess" – Her mentor's label of his stars/women.

If she accepts these labels she restricts what she can become in the future she never becomes a woman, the black swan. 

Obsession / Want and Craving 

Evidence and examples of extreme behavior

• Ringtone: Swan Lake
• The music box: Swan lake
• Throwing up: Her weight

Counterproductive Emotions

• Emotions take away clarity
• Makes a bad decision – Trust Lily.
• Fear of Failure - Causes Suffering.
• Lust for lily – Causes Delusions
• Drug Use – Made more easily deceived

Believing Material Things Have Power

• Nina steals Beth's things. Beth is "perfect" and Nina believes owning her things will make her perfect.
• Trying to find what you need from the external world.

The Dark, Grey Chaos

The Dark, Grey Chaos is a pattern or journey of suffering created by negative external and internal forces. 

• Mind Blindness (Extreme stress) cultivates polarized, either/or thinking
• High emotional state hinders critical & decision making skills
• Thoughts are embraced as reality
• It's the trauma of an event in your life that may never go away and may cause "triggers."

Extreme Behavior

Nina's extreme behavior – no middle way or balance. Her extreme denial of food and her quest to be perfect. Is there even such a thing as perfect? What makes her a good dancer can be made to hurt her in the right situation; even strength in the hands of the wrong person can be used to against her.

Mind Effects Body

Nina experiences physical suffering – the rash and the physical demands of a dancer.