alienation as defined by:
3. Psychiatry a state in which a person's feelings are inhibited so that eventually both the self and the external world seem unreal
Film : Paprika
The film “Paprika” is set in the near future, where a team of scientists have invented a new form of psychotherapy called dream therapy, in order that the user can view their dreams to understand their subconscious. This powerful and potentially dangerous technology comes in the form of a small device called a DC mini, which the scientists discover has been mysteriously stolen. They are alarmed by this discovery because the person in possession of the DC mini has the ability to enter and manipulate the dreams of whomever they wish.
One of the characters, Detective Konakawa Toshimi, is experiencing anxiety and attempting to establish the route of his problems by exploring his dreams through the aid of the main character, Paprika. Toshimi feels frustration throughout the film, trying to understand the significance of the occurrences in his dreams which are incomplete and confusing. The situation becomes further complicated because of the chaos which is caused by the stolen DC mini, since many people’s dreams and have started to mix together with reality, creating an extremely chaotic situation. At a certain point, Toshimi cannot believe that anything that he sees is real, and he feels alienated as a result of his unexplained feelings of anxiety. It is not until the end of the film that he finally understands the meaning of his dream, and is able to feel at peace again.
The premise of “Paprika” presents a manipulated reality in which the consciousness of each of the characters is threatened. Characters like Toshimi, are made to feel anxious and alienated from reality because of the fear that they could lose all sense of it and become lost in a dream world forever.