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Cinema therapy -

Cinema therapy exists and is a form of overcoming mental health issues. In a sense, it can help someone deal with negative thoughts.

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Coping mechanisms -

As we know, a lot of mental health is about having coping mechanisms to deal with rough times. Cinema therapy can actually be used to change negative thoughts, bad habits and help people deal with life.

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Movies that mirror our struggles -

The idea is to choose a movie that mirrors our struggles and mental state so that what we’re watching can inform us on how to overcome our challenges.

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Maybe it's addiction -

For example, if you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, you might want to watch the 1994 film ‘When a Man Loves a Woman’ with Andy Garcia and Meg Ryan.

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Making sense of our lives -

It doesn’t only apply to people in difficult situations. Movies can help everyone make sense of their own lives and parts of themselves. For example, an aspiring musician may gain insight by watching 2014’s ‘Whiplash.’

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Laughing is outrageously healthy -

For example, comedies make us laugh, and 15 minutes of laughing is just as good as somebody exercising, according to cardiologist Dr. Michael Miller of the University of Maryland.

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Laughing and stress -

Laughing improves well-being by decreasing the hormones that are related to stress.

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Comedy movies and blood pressure -

According to the study by the University of Maryland, comedies caused blood vessels to dilate by 22%, lowering blood pressure and reducing stress.

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Sad movies and brain chemistry -

Sad movies are good for us, too. They have a positive effect on our brain chemistry. Sad movies can boost endorphins, a chemical associated with pain tolerance.

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Horror films and immunity -

Here's an intriguing bit of information: watching horror films can increase your white blood cell count, which is what is mainly responsible for your immunity to disease.

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Escapism -

Watching movies, like reading a book, is a form of escapism. Escapism is anything we do that distracts us from reality. It’s how we relieve stress.

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A shared experience -

Movies are a very social thing. It’s an enjoyable way in which two people can share a story or an experience at the same time. Often people can do the same with books, but more often than not people tend to read them at separate times.

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Movies bring people together -

Watching movies in this sense brings people together. Really, what’s better than snuggling up with loved ones and watching a great film?

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They're inspirational -

Movies can inspire us to be better people. They can inspire us to be better in our relationships, to be the hero of our own story, or to work harder to achieve our dreams.

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Their messages can be long lasting -

We all have that favorite quote from a movie that helps us through the hard times, which means that the film’s message has an impact on us.

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They're informative -

Movies keep us informed about the world around us. Even if they’re usually dramatized and characters may be fictional, those characters are often based on elements of reality.

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Movies can be incredibly insightful - For example, even though Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater never existed on the Titanic, the themes in 'Titanic' (1997) that explore love and the boundaries that class and wealth can create between people is relevant in many contexts in real life.

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Children learn to speak from watching films -

It may not be as good for children as reading a book in terms of learning new vocabulary, but it’s not entirely useless. Often, young children learn a language partially from watching cartoons.

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Children also learn valuable life lessons from films -

That’s not all that children (and adults) learn from watching films: they can also learn valuable life lessons. For example, Disney movies are packed with insightful messages (and some not so great ones in the past).

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Virtually everyone learns from documentaries -

We can also learn about real-life issues and stories by watching documentaries. In a sense, movies keep us informed. How many people learn about Hitler largely through watching documentaries?

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A new perspective -

Movies, fictional or otherwise, can give us a perspective on things that we may otherwise never really get. Movies make us think and wonder and question the fabric of society.

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Fantasy films and creativity -

Fantasy films spark creativity in children. It’s been shown that when children watch movies like those from the ‘Harry Potter’ series, they are more likely to have creative ideas.

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The applications of creativity are endless -

As we all know, being creative isn’t only useful in our careers, but it’s what aids problem solving, which is probably one of the most valuable skills we can learn in our lives.

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Movies can be interpreted subjectively -

Movies are a form of art just as much as music or a painting is. It can mean something different for each individual.

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They incorporate many different art forms -

Movies require the expert skills of sound designers, costume designers, writers, producers, actors, and much more. Essentially we are soaking in almost all forms of art when we watch a film.

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To question the benefits of movies is to question the validity of art -

If there’s anything that we have learned from the pandemic it’s that lessons don’t need to be lived to be learned. We can learn them from movies, music, books, and more. To question the validity of movies is essentially to question the necessity of art.

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Movies say what words, music, and paintings cannot -

Art exists to teach us what life can’t and words cannot say. Going to the cinema isn’t for everyone, but virtually everyone likes to snuggle up on the couch now and again. The good news is that it can be good for us if we approach it in the right way.

Sources: (Breo Box) (Change Your Mind Change Your Life)

See also: The benefits of crying

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