"The Matrix": An allegory of the psychoanalytic journey.
OBJECTIVE
"The Matrix" has been a huge commercial and critical success and has spawned a series of books and essays exploring the philosophical and religious themes in the story.


METHODS
The authors propose is that "The Matrix" can be interpreted as an allegory for an individual's journey into spiritual and mental health, achieved by overcoming one's intrapsychic conflicts with the help of psychodynamic psychotherapy or psychoanalysis.


RESULTS
Neo's story parallels the journey undertaken by the individual who chooses to enter psychotherapy and illustrates several themes of analytic psychotherapy, its benefits, and liabilities.


CONCLUSIONS
The movie may therefore serve as a teaching tool for psychiatric residents about the goals, functions, and intricacies of psychodynamic psychotherapy.
Mischoulon
David
D
Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA. dmischoulon@partners.org
Beresin
Eugene V
EV
D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D004501:Education, Medical; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health; D009040:Motion Pictures; D010684:Philosophy; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000592:standards; D011573:Psychoanalytic Interpretation; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D012067:Religion; D029181:Spirituality