Semiotics of Healing and Recovery †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Semiotics of Healing and Recovery. Answer: Introduction: Cult is a practice where individuals believe in a supernatural being and do things that are considered strange or unreligious management. In the United States, it is estimated that about twenty million people have been involved in a cult at some point of their lives (Snow 5). There are godly and satanic cults. In Anabelle, 2014, the cult was symbolized when cult members invaded homes and murdered the Higgins and performed a ritual on a doll. The ritual led to the demon possession. The demon tormented Johns family until Evelyne gave up her soul. The movie can be used to understand the psychology of cults and how it is able to influence people. Exorcism occurs when a demon is evicted from a person who was possessed. Demon possession occurs after the performance of religious rituals (Alter 400). In the film, Father Perez is not able to perform exorcism since the demon overpowers him. However, the film raises the question of how exorcism can be performed and whether it is real. In the Bible, Jesus performed miracles which involved exorcism. Presently, the Roman Catholic church still practices exorcism. Further, research could reveal more about its practices. Psychological horror is usually used in films and it relies on the emotional state of a person to frighten them. It can be realized by the use of frightening images and sounds. In addition, it involves characters that are emotionally unstable and paranormal activities. For example, in Annabelle, Mia is often seen trying to fight off the demon which has possessed the doll. Similarly, in the latest, Anabelle movie that was released this year the demon possesses Janice and it injures her when she tries to escape. The movie can be used to explore how psychological horror is used to frighten people and why it is effective. The movie can also be used to demonstrate how movies have evolved over the years. The first Annabelle movie management was released in 2014 and there is a new one which premiered this year. A comparison of the two movies can reveal different advancements that have been made in relation to sound and images used. For instance, the new film does not focus so much on the doll as was the case in the earlier one. Anabelle is a horror movie that premiered in 2014. In the movie, John buys a doll for his pregnant wife Mia to add to her doll collection (Leonetti, John et al.). Afterward, the Higgins who are their neighbors are murdered in a home invasion by their daughter and her boyfriend who are cult members. Later, the family is tormented by the doll which is possessed by a demon. The second series was released in 2017 and it explained why Higgins daughter murdered the parents. Both films are characterized by paranormal scenes and demonic possession. This movie can be used as a basis to explore more on cults, exorcism, psychological horror and the evolution of horror films. Works cited Alter, Joseph S. "Spirits and Exorcism: On the Semiotics of Healing and Recovery."Ethos 42.4 (2014): 399-414.Wiley-Blackwell. Web. 28 Sept. 2017. doi:10.1111/etho.12061. Leonetti, John. "Annabelle (2014)."Imdb. Web. 28 Sept. 2017, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3322940/. Snow, Robert L.Deadly Cults. Westport, Conn., Praeger, 2003.