The Midnight Gospel
If you want to rethink your entire life- and potentially have an existential crisis- The Midnight Gospel on Netflix is exactly what you’re looking for! There have been almost no TV shows that have discussed spirituality, philosophy, and existence in such a casual way, and it is so important to be open to new perspectives.
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Each of the eight episodes is a new animation that features the main character, Clancey, traveling to a new planet to interview a random creature for his “space-cast”. The narration is from Duncan Trussell’s podcast: Duncan Trussell’s Family Hour. Each episode features a new interview with a new person in which they speak about their experiences with life, philosophy, spirituality, and death.
The Midnight Gospel allows us to hear many different philosophies about human existence, which opens us up to new perspectives. Oftentimes, it is easy for us to become caught up in our own beliefs and we do not think outside of what we believe. It is so important to just listen and learn from the people around us.
Sometimes the knowledge and guidance we need can come from the people around us.
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Death is a very difficult and sensitive topic to discuss, and an overwhelming fear for many of us. The majority of the time, the topic of death is talked about in a depressing or fearful way, making something inevitable seem intimidating and terrifying. The Midnight Gospel speaks very openly about death, but it is talked about in a positive way.
The concept of leaving our bodies is seen as something beautiful, and something the characters have accepted. The characters do not fear their end, but instead, they accept it and appreciate the beauty of an afterlife. Trusell’s mother, Deneen Fendig says “Death opens your heart. It breaks your heart open. Our hearts have been closed because we’ve closed them. We’ve defended ourselves against pain.”
In Trusell’s interview with Anne Lamott, she says "Through love, all pain will turn to medicine.’ And Jesus says, ‘Everything I can do, you can do. You're just in a process. It's contraction and release and breath and peace, You contract and you constrict and then you release... and you breathe. And it's what heaven will be like."
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The show also provides insight into finding our direction in life. The characters talk a lot about being conscious of where and to whom we direct our energy towards. Our energy should not be wasted on the past, but instead just on the present and where we want to be in the future. In Trusell’s interview with Damian Echols, he says “Whatever we fasten our energy on, that is the direction our energy is going to flow in- that's what meditation does. It prevents you from dispersing the energy you are trying to build up” Echols also adds that “By complaining about things, you are giving it energy. Instead focus on what you want moving forward”
This is advice that has been incredibly valuable to me, as it is very easy to waste our energy on people, places, and feelings that do not provide us with positivity or support. Our thoughts hold energy, and so the way in which we focus our thoughts determines our mindset and the way in which we perceive the world.
Lastly, the show talks about life and the importance of finding our own personal direction. It has always been difficult for me to find advice that truly resonates with me when it comes to evaluating my life and embracing change. The Midnight Gospel’s positive and inspiring approach to life makes the difficult process of growing up something that is beautiful. In Trusell’s interview with Jason Louv, he states “The fundamental nature of everything is change”.
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This same idea is talked about again in another interview with Trudy Goodman, where she says that “when we set an intention, somehow the world seems to magically come to meet us”.
If you are interested in philosophy, spirituality, and meditation; or even just opening up to different perspectives on life, The Midnight Gospel is perfect for you. Duncan Trusell reminds us that there is magic all around us in the world and we can find it within ourselves and the people around us. Opening up conversations about the human experience is incredibly important, and it can be done in something as simple as an animated TV show.
Strike out,
Emily Braunstein
Saint Augustine
