Hollywood Treatment
FIND YOURSELF
Movie Synopsis
A Hollywood Treatment of One of J. Thomas Devins’ Books
Opening Scene
Tom Devins (age 55) learns that his wife has terminal Alzheimer’s disease. He resigns his executive position to become her caregiver. In Molly’s eight year death ordeal he studies the workings of the mind-brain complex and death in general. He writes books that key off of a Tibetan Buddhist mystical death tradition called rainbow body. It is where bodies of accomplished meditation masters vanish into thin air at death. With two trips to Tibet he speaks with authority.
Scene Two
Devins is presenting his book in a Manhattan nook book store. He explains the connection between Christian resurrection, Shroud of Turin and Tibetan rainbow body. There was no first Easter Sunday miracle. Resurrection, like rainbow body, is the natural way the human body is designed to exit the planet. There was no first Easter Sunday miracle.
Scene Three
Doctor Emily Green, a quantum physicist, learns of the book. She explains to her physics class how resurrection and rainbow body are explainable using atomic science. The explanation is epic for it elevates atomic science and the power of the mind to centrality in human experience in contradiction to stubborn orthodox religion and classic science.
Scene Four
Jessica Turner is a documentary film maker. Intrigued by Devins’ book, she and Devins go to Tibet and film monks in meditation at the rainbow body school located at the Dzogchen Monastery. (Yes, there is a school in Tibet that teaches how to die without leaving a corpse behind.) While filming they learn of a rainbow body incident in progress at a nearby monastery. They film the rainbow body incident; a human body vanishing into nothingness.
Scene Five
Alarmed with declining membership and shrinking donations, Catholic leadership files a cease and desist order in Federal Court to stop the hemorrhaging. Devins counters with a class action lawsuit for fraud, accusing the Church of preaching miracle resurrection knowing full well that it is natural, then passing a collection plate.
Scene Six
The legal battle gains global attention. Devins explains on national TV the far reaching implications of a natural resurrection and rainbow body. The Bible verse, “to dust you shall return” needs to be appended to read “but only if you so choose.” Death is truly an illusion.
Scene Seven
Courtroom drama. The Church, seeking to preserve tradition, argues the importance of faith and belief. Devins’ attorneys argue that belief needs to follow truth. The Church counters, Devins’ approach is ripping society apart, a social revolution is in the makes. He must be contained. After closing arguments, the jury retires to deliberate.
Scene Eight
The jury returns in short order. The foreman reads the verdict…”We the jury find…..” The screen goes dark. After a few seconds a web address appears:
www.howwouldyouvote.com
The web page is simple. Check a box. Follow tradition or truth? The results are tabulated and made available to the Church to use it its reform program.
Grand Finale
The credits roll as country star Brad Paisley sings:
When you find yourself
In some far off place
And it causes you
To rethink some things
You start to sense
That slowly you’re becoming someone else
And then you find yourself