Psychological Analysis of "The Butterfly Effect"
Memory, Therapy, Depression and Therapy in the Butterfly Effect
Psychology 155-22
Professor Perno
Hao Lam
November 20, 2012
Abstract
This paper revolves around the four main psychological aspects of the 2004 movie The Butterfly Effect which are memory retrieval in Evan, trauma in the characters, depression, and Evan's therapy. In memory we will look through the protagonist's, Evan, past and how he represses his memory and retrieves them back as adult. In trauma we will look at the different events Evan's friend Lenny experiences and how it affects his life and gives him traumatic disorders. Next, we will examine depressive symptoms in the character Kayleigh. Finally, we will look at the different treatments Evan's therapist uses on him and his reasons why. I will reveal each of the role these four aspects play and relate them to the characters and the movie.
Memory, Trauma, Depression and Therapy in The Butterfly Effect In the movie The Butterfly Effect a boy named Evan develops a unknown hereditary disease where he blacks out during very traumatic events. These blackouts eventually fade away when we moves away and he never experiences them again. One day, in college he reads an old journal from his childhood and all the old memories hit him like a brick. Within days he discovers he is able to actually go back in time and change those past traumatic events, which results in a series altered realities. In these different realities, not only do the events change, but Evan and his friends develop totally new idenities This movie mainly revolves around Evan's memory, trauma and depression in some of the characters, and the therapy used to try to treat Evan's illness. In that brief summary alone you are able to see that Evan's memory is a large part of this movie. Throughout the movies Evan goes through periods of memory repressions where he gets these uncontrollable blackouts, usually under times of heavy stress and
Psychology 155-22
Professor Perno
Hao Lam
November 20, 2012
Abstract
This paper revolves around the four main psychological aspects of the 2004 movie The Butterfly Effect which are memory retrieval in Evan, trauma in the characters, depression, and Evan's therapy. In memory we will look through the protagonist's, Evan, past and how he represses his memory and retrieves them back as adult. In trauma we will look at the different events Evan's friend Lenny experiences and how it affects his life and gives him traumatic disorders. Next, we will examine depressive symptoms in the character Kayleigh. Finally, we will look at the different treatments Evan's therapist uses on him and his reasons why. I will reveal each of the role these four aspects play and relate them to the characters and the movie.
Memory, Trauma, Depression and Therapy in The Butterfly Effect In the movie The Butterfly Effect a boy named Evan develops a unknown hereditary disease where he blacks out during very traumatic events. These blackouts eventually fade away when we moves away and he never experiences them again. One day, in college he reads an old journal from his childhood and all the old memories hit him like a brick. Within days he discovers he is able to actually go back in time and change those past traumatic events, which results in a series altered realities. In these different realities, not only do the events change, but Evan and his friends develop totally new idenities This movie mainly revolves around Evan's memory, trauma and depression in some of the characters, and the therapy used to try to treat Evan's illness. In that brief summary alone you are able to see that Evan's memory is a large part of this movie. Throughout the movies Evan goes through periods of memory repressions where he gets these uncontrollable blackouts, usually under times of heavy stress and