MovieChat Forums > Flatliners (1990) Discussion > Obvious explanation for the visions: GUI...

Obvious explanation for the visions: GUILT and hallucinations

posted 8 years ago by al666940-3
7 replies | jump to latest

SPOILERS

Even the kid Billie whom apparently attacks Nelson.

They all stemmed from their respective guilts, and that's when upon addressing them and solving the conflict, the visions stopped.

And it didn't matter whether the person involved/affected was alive or dead. It only mattered that the haunted person FELT relieved.

So they were all hallucinating, plain and simple. No ghosts were attacking them in any way.

As for Nelson being attacked, the movie clearly shows it was his own doing. In the truck when "attacked", LabRassio clearly sees him struggling alone and with his eyes closed (clearly not fully conscious, as in a dream or a trance), and when he intervenes and shakes him awake and wrestles the ice axe from his hands, it's obvious there's no invisible force at play (otherwise LaBrassio would have felt it or even been attacked himself).

[–] ryansassy1 8 years ago

Possibly, except that doesn't adequately explain Rachel's experience. It was different in that her father asked HER for forgiveness, leading me to believe that at least in her case, it was the actual ghost of her father who was haunting her.

She felt guilt for believing all these years that she had caused her father's death. But her vision eventually proved to her that she was in fact innocent, and that it was her father who needed her forgiveness. In terms of the storytelling in this film, I believe that this points to the father being a real ghost reaching out to Rachel so that he could move on in the afterlife.

The other "ghosts" are indeed better explained as manifestations of Joe's, David's, and Nelson's guilt.
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[–] al666940-3 8 years ago

"I believe that this points to the father being a real ghost reaching out to Rachel so that he could move on in the afterlife. "

If that was true he would have been hounded her before the experiment, yet he NEVER showed up until then.

That alone proves he was also only in her head.

[–] rabbyt1 7 years ago

If that was true he would have been hounded her before the experiment, yet he NEVER showed up until then.

I tend to agree this was all in their heads. But if you do believe in the afterlife and all that, you might believe her dying momentarily opened up a door (if you will) to where her father could now communicate with her.

IDK, I'm just shocked her mom screamed at her that her father's death was her fault...

[–] averagejoeman2013 7 years ago

If you are talking about a truly technical explanation, that would be possible but its not supported from a historical point of view. Tens of thousands of documented NDE and not a one has had manifestations occurring in this reality upon returning afterwards. If you had a movie about a single event, then it could be dismissed as an anamoly or a hallucination. But if you had four anomalies at 100% occurrence within the test group then their experiences were more likely only visible to said individuals.

Nelson's attack did show Billie wasn't visible but earlier attacks occurred without weapons and Nelson wasn't striking himself.

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[–] al666940-3 7 years ago

"but earlier attacks occurred without weapons and Nelson wasn't striking himself."

How do you know? We saw what Nelson saw, not what an outside observer would see.

It's the same principle from Fight Club: whenever the narrator and "Tyler" were fighting, we all saw what the narrator saw, but then it's revealed what we saw was indeed only in his head (since he did strike himself every time).

Same here.

Nelson is clearly asleep or in trance when Kevin Bacon interrupts the "attack" (his eyes were closed and at first not responding to Bacon's calling him).

[–] IcingOnTheCake 7 years ago

Why though only feel guilty, or to the degree, afterwards? Julia Roberts' character seemed to already have an issue yet wasn't having visions until after she flatlined.

I don't know if there is anything to it or not. I feel belief of any afterlife is to each their own. I believe that what some experience as visions may be the brain losing oxygen. Not everything immediately stops. That doesn't mean I disbelieve there isn't something else out there. I don't believe it yet can be proven or disproven scientifically, at least yet anyway.

[–] holly61 (898) 4 years ago

No. It was well established to be supernatural at least with the ''Billy'' ghost. Maybe not so much with Julia Roberts character's father, which was probably just influenced by grief.