An Analysis: The Wave, Directed by Dennis Gansel

The Wave

What made The Wave so attractive to the students? The charisma of the teacher, the excitement that comes with sudden and drastic change in an otherwise predictable class dynamic, sure. But the most fundamental reason why The Wave was so seductive has far-reaching implications about how we perceive ourselves, and how we function in the world.

Part of our egos usually contains a potent political or religious identification. Other constituents of the ego could be musician or teacher. I am a democrat, human, Christian, philosopher, environmentalist, cynic, maverick. I am a ____. There is nothing you can put in the blank that will not identify you as part of a larger group. And when a group sentiment has enough power, it can consume the members so that for each individual, the entirety of their ego is defined by the group, rather than association with many groups, or an amalgamation of beliefs, feelings, and experiences. There is one self among many bodies. Once that happens, the group has become its own organism. And that’s hat happened to the students in this film.

In a human organism it is the brain that sends signals to the body to execute tasks. But where is the command center in the group organism? Two options pop into my head, a tyrannical dictator, or the definition of the group itself. In The Wave the teacher represents the tyrannical dictator. However, the students allowed common, potent beliefs to take hold of them even when their leader was not present. The beliefs/conditioned mindset became the manipulator.

Most of the time though, we are not part of a group organism such as the one depicted in The Wave. Self definition, or ego, is usually as individually created as it can be, as we pick out what we like or agree with from what society makes available to us, define the essence of who we are with these feelings and beliefs, then defend it to the death. Of course, we are not our beliefs, we are not our feelings. What we are exactly is still a mystery, but that’s for another post. Our ego drives all of our behavior. So why does this matter?

It matters because every unkind or destructive act is a result our attachment to our ego, whether it is an ego belonging to a group organism or an individual organism. Destructive defense mechanisms that kick  in when our self concept is threatened come from a dark place within the ego, what Jungians call the “Shadow”. 

Some Buddhists might argue that the ego is a dark force overall. The point is that our attachment to our ego causes us to become defensive in order our preserve our conscious image of who we think we are, whether it is good or bad. And this defensive, behavior, coming from the Shadow aspect of the ego, is often in the form of manipulation, passive aggression, overt cruelty, or even physical abuse, towards others or oneself. Ann Shulgin paints a vivid picture of what the Shadow is. “This shadow aspect of the human psyche, while it remains unconscious, can be blamed for all wars, from tribal conflicts to battles between great nations. It causes racial prejudice. It underlies jealousy and resentment. You’re seeing the Shadow in every vampire and werewolf movie and its face is the face of a very popular figure called the devil or Satan".

When we detach from our ego, we become less defensive, and the less defensive we are, the kinder we are able to be. Hence, detachment from the ego leads to increased kindness, humility, and empathic capability.

For a clear understanding of the Shadow, how it works, and its implications, click on the link below for a riveting speech by researcher and psychedelic psychotherapist, Ann Shulgin.


Ann Shulgin on the Shadow


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