in Total Recall, was Quaid trapped in his dream vacation?
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Gonna watch it again because of this thread.
The concept behind this film, Total Recall, is very much a part of African philosophical tradition. In the Ifa tradition of the Yoruba of Nigeria, it is believed that the spirit to be incarnated on earth actually chooses the circumstances and destiny of their life prior to being born. One forgets as soon as we enter this world. On our way to this world we encounter the On'ibode "The Gate Keeper" to whom we must answer some questions before passing through the womb:
ONIHODE: Where are you going?
PERSON: I am going into the world?
ONIBODE: What are you going to do?
PERSON: I am going to be born to a man named X, of a woman named Y, in the town of Z. I shall be an only son. I shall grow up to be handsome and in favour with everybody; everything I touch will prosper; when I am twenty-five, my father will die and when I am fifty, my mother will die. I shall build a large house and possess a large prosperous farm; and be the father of a large family thorough my twenty wives; When I am sixty years old, two of my children will have a quarrel and one will be killed. At the age of ninety, I shall be ill for a short while and then die peacefully in my house, to be mourned by all and to be accorded a grand burial.
ONIBODE: To! (it is sealed)
This raises many questions in regards to the concept of free will, judgement, purpose and divination. There are many internal contradictions in Ifa that must be reconciled. One being the claim that except for the day you were born and the day you die, everything else in-between can change. This is, however, contradicted by the saying:
ori buruku ko gbo oshe
"A bad ori cannot be rectified with soap" (by washing)
A-yan-mo 'o gb' ogun
"That which is affixed to one cannot be rectified with medicine"
Igi t' Olorun gbin, Ko s' eni t' o le fa a tu
"The tree which Olorun plants, None can uproot it."
Therefore, once a matter of a person's destiny is settled in Heaven, that is the end of it. One will argue that this only applies to "major" aspects of one's life. But every instance, every minute action contributes to the future. What seems like a small action can have major implications for the future. So how then do you distinguish between a minor and a major event? (Answer not needed btw)
OAN;
This theme and these questions are also present in the movie The Matrix Reloaded in the scene where Neo meets the Oracle for the second time. In this scene Neo asks some questions about "choice" and why he came "here." The Oracle offers Neo a piece of candy and he replies, "You already know if I'm going to take it?" Oracle: "I wouldn't be much of an oracle if I didn't." Neo: But if you already know, how can I make a choice?" And here is where we are brought to the theme of this conversation. Here the Oracle expands the discourse and provides a suggestion for the contradiction:
Oracle:
"Because you didn't come here to make the choice, you've already made it. You're here to try to understand why you made it."
ONIHODE: Where are you going?
PERSON: I am going into the world?
ONIBODE: What are you going to do?
PERSON: I am going to be born to a man named X, of a woman named Y, in the town of Z. I shall be an only son. I shall grow up to be handsome and in favour with everybody; everything I touch will prosper; when I am twenty-five, my father will die and when I am fifty, my mother will die. I shall build a large house and possess a large prosperous farm; and be the father of a large family thorough my twenty wives; When I am sixty years old, two of my children will have a quarrel and one will be killed. At the age of ninety, I shall be ill for a short while and then die peacefully in my house, to be mourned by all and to be accorded a grand burial.
ONIBODE: To! (it is sealed)
This raises many questions in regards to the concept of free will, judgement, purpose and divination. There are many internal contradictions in Ifa that must be reconciled. One being the claim that except for the day you were born and the day you die, everything else in-between can change. This is, however, contradicted by the saying:
ori buruku ko gbo oshe
"A bad ori cannot be rectified with soap" (by washing)
A-yan-mo 'o gb' ogun
"That which is affixed to one cannot be rectified with medicine"
Igi t' Olorun gbin, Ko s' eni t' o le fa a tu
"The tree which Olorun plants, None can uproot it."
Therefore, once a matter of a person's destiny is settled in Heaven, that is the end of it. One will argue that this only applies to "major" aspects of one's life. But every instance, every minute action contributes to the future. What seems like a small action can have major implications for the future. So how then do you distinguish between a minor and a major event? (Answer not needed btw)
OAN;
This theme and these questions are also present in the movie The Matrix Reloaded in the scene where Neo meets the Oracle for the second time. In this scene Neo asks some questions about "choice" and why he came "here." The Oracle offers Neo a piece of candy and he replies, "You already know if I'm going to take it?" Oracle: "I wouldn't be much of an oracle if I didn't." Neo: But if you already know, how can I make a choice?" And here is where we are brought to the theme of this conversation. Here the Oracle expands the discourse and provides a suggestion for the contradiction:
Oracle:
"Because you didn't come here to make the choice, you've already made it. You're here to try to understand why you made it."
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the running idea for the dream is that the moment he starts to nod off, hes still in the chair. everything before that is reality
