Original subtitles

♪ I don't think that I could choose just one♪

-♪ Where did all these smart girls come from?♪

Go away! I'm taking a bath!

Dad's ten minutes away!

I know, and I'll be out! Just go blow up balloons.

♪ On the floor, in the car♪

♪ On a seat in a bar♪

♪ Wherever I go, that's where they are.♪

Ms. Swift, anything to say to all the young women?

People haven't always been there for me,

but music always has.

- Me, next! I want to next!

No. It hurts young brains. You can't do it.

- Your brain is just as young as mine, Lila. - No.

I am a mature woman.

What are you guys doing?

You had one task-- balloons. Come on.

- We're trying our best. - We have an hour left, okay?

- Oh, what was that?

Kristen!

He's here!

Coming!

Hey.

- No! - Hey! What, what...?

- We need ten minutes! - Family? Well, then I'll huff,

- and I'll puff. - Oh, girls, he just wants to see you.

- Come on.

He just wants to see you, he just wants to see you, come on.

Get the banner.

Oh, I'm sorry I've been away so long.

We've been fine.

- Oh, my God!

You look beautiful.

Thanks. I've been outside more.

Oh, my God! Daughters!

- Come here! Come here, oh.

Daddy!

Tell us how much you've missed us. Okay.

Here we go.

What we need around here is discipline.

- Discipline.

Oh.

I need sex.

Oh, yeah?

Well, we'd better get down to it, then.

Yes.

No, no, no, no, no, lights on.

- I want to see what I'm doing.

Okay.

- Oh, what's wrong? - No, it's nothing. I, um...

I leaned against the stove. I-I burned myself.

- What? Where? - On my stomach.

- Ow. Let me see. - No, no, no, it's really nothing.

Hey, hey, let me see.

What the heck? What? The stove did that?

Yeah. I was making pancakes.

I'll be right back.

- It's been a long, long time. - Yeah.

Have you forgotten how to do it?

- I may need a few lessons.

I put my hand here, I think?

- Ah, do it a little lower. - Oh.

- Oh! - Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot.

Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no. Do that again.

Kris, I don't want to hurt you.

I said, do it again.

Ow!

I don't think that's a good idea.

- Hey, hey, shh! Hey!

Hey!

The girls will hear us.

Okay?

No, no, no, hey.

I still want to. I just-- we could just take it down a notch.

What are we...?

- What is this? - Here, gags.

Why, are we kidnapping people now?

Here, this, too.

- I bought them for us.

Huh.

Hmm.

Oh, wow.

Just wow.

Mom?

It's called the M-LTS,

which stands for...

something.

It's a new neurological study

at the University of Cornell.

Oh, the Magnetic Temporoparietal Lobe Stimulator.

Yes, I guess.

It's, uh, the-the brain mapping that they're doing there.

- Oh, right, the God Helmet? - Actually, that's trademarked.

So we've been asked not to call it that.

- What is it? - Using magnetic fields

to probe regions of the brain.

The Vatican's Pontificia Accademia

delle Scienze has asked us to investigate it.

- Why? - It induces

spiritual visions in subjects.

Supposedly ten percent of the subjects

convert to Christianity.

The Holy See wants an analysis

to see if these results are legitimate and

warrant further examination.

Or whether this should be dismissed as a hoax.

- What kind of hoax? - I don't know.

But that's where you three come in.

Just write up a report.

This one should be easy.

The Low-Intensity Magnetic Temporoparietal Lobe Stimulator.

What are you researching?

Beta-amyloid plaque and tau proteins in the brain.

Oh, for neurodegenerative disease.

You're with the Vatican?

No, I'm... with them.

So you're mapping the brain?

Uh, yes. It's not a study

of the neurological basis for religion.

That's just an artifact

of stimulating the plenary gland and the parietal cortex.

How many people have had spiritual experiences

- while wearing it? - Around 30%.

The Vatican people

said you wanted to interview some of them?

We do.

Um...

I was walking down a road in the snow.

And I felt someone walking beside me.

So I looked toward it, but there was no one there.

And I felt a hand on my shoulder.

A man's hand.

And I heard a whisper.

"You're going the wrong way.

Turn around."

Toward?

I don't know.

But I felt something I never felt before.

Joy.

And I hate using that word-- it sounds so religious-y.

Is that a word?

I put it on and immediately I was

in this white sphere thing.

And I was floating past the planets and the sun.

And one person was walking towards me.

He offered his hand and he said he was Keith Moon.

The drummer?

Yeah. I don't know why.

But he was in Heaven and he said,

"I didn't run over my chauffeur."

And...

- that was it? - Yep.

And... everything changed

after that.

I didn't feel so depressed anymore.

Uh...

It...

It was, um...

...beautiful.

No words can describe-- it was...

So, what do you think?

I think they're a lot more persuasive

than I thought they'd be.

And their visions stayed with them.

I mean, they're still talking about joy and God.

Why are we here?

What do you mean?

Well, what does the Church want from this?

My guess is, they're studying the varieties

of religious experiences.

Or are they trying to convert people using technology?

I doubt that.

Spirituality is more than just a triggering of a few synapses.

But these people were changed.

That woman-- her vision changed her life.

No, getting treatment for her depression saved her life.

So you're saying her vision had nothing to do with it?

No, I'm saying her vision was collateral.

The helmet stimulated her frontal lobe

and alleviated her depression on a physiological level.

Or the vision came first and the physiological effect second.

Mm, Doctor?

How else do we describe the miracle of coming out

of depression, except with religious language?

Our vocabulary for the sublime is entirely

informed by spirituality.

Father?

Okay. I'm ready.

For?

The next session. Who's up first?

The archdiocese said you wanted to be subjects.

Well, I'm ready.

Nice of the bishop to mention that to us.

- If you don't want to do it... No.

I do. Ready.

Ben, are you serious?

I want to see God.

Who wouldn't want to see God? Let's do it.

So, what is this, a Faraday cage?

- It's my modification. - Oh.

It shields out EMF emissions.

- You sure you want to go through with this, Ben? - Are you kidding me?

A chance to see God and Keith Moon?

Come on, how could I pass that up, right?

- How's the fit? - Good.

It's not supposed to be too heavy,

- or you'll be too aware of it. - Uh-huh.

Okay.

Here we go.

Count back from 40, please.

40...

39... 38...

37... 36...

35... 34...

33...

How long does it take?

Just a few seconds.

- Will you know when or if he has a vision? - Maybe.

- From his, uh, EEG.

It mimics REM sleep.

Huh.

Something wrong?

- What's wrong? - I don't know.

We may just have one electrode loose.

- Let me... adjust. - Ben, are you okay?

Yeah. Great.

Just having a nice sleep.

So no visions of Hell?

No, not yet, but...

But what?

But I'm in my head.

And that's why I'm seeing you.

You're seeing me now because you rejected

everything I was for.

Are you kidding me, Mom?

- You wanted me to be a scientist. - No.

I wanted you to understand science.

But not reject Allah.

I didn't reject Allah.

Allah rejected me.

I don't want to talk about this.

Why are you here?

Take my hand?

Why?

What a son. Stop being so contrary.

Take my hand.

Where are we now?

In Vijapur, where you were born.

Wow.

Oh, I haven't been here

since I was six years old.

It looks poor.

When did you become so contentious?

You're right.

Let me hear your prayers.

Hmm?

See, was that so hard?

Are you in Heaven, Mom?

I think I'm supposed to see God here.

Yes, Heaven.

- But you can't see God. - Why not?

- Because you don't believe. - Okay, if I saw, I might believe.

No, you won't. I know you-- you're stubborn.

- I always said that. - You made me stubborn.

Who's that?

One of the prostitutes from the neighborhood.

Oh, yeah.

They came out at 10:00.

Do you remember what I said to you?

No.

No, yeah. The feet?

That's right.

Look down at her feet.

It's a ghost.

Mom-Mom, Mom. What is-- what is it, Mom?

- What is that? - I can't help you.

Mom. Mom, what do you mean?

Hey, give yourself a few seconds.

- You okay? What happened?

- What'd you see? - I couldn't get away from...

I couldn't get away...

You couldn't get away from what?

Ben?

Could be a vestigial reaction

from being stuck in that basement.

I thought the helmet only provoked positive reactions.

For the most significant sampling, yes.

As we've, uh,

expanded our data collection, we're starting to see

some participants experience...

counter-positive reactions.

- Like what? - Grief, sadness,

darkness, uh, meaninglessness.

So some see Heaven.

Others see Hell?

It's not a word that I would use.

Oops.

We should talk.

I'm here.

Go ahead.

You recognize that?

A hand?

That you splashed with your "holy water."

That's right.

During your "exorcism."

But it wasn't holy water.

It was ammonia.

Huh.

Yeah, "huh."

Ammonia like this.

Here, let me show you.

Put out your hand.

Sure.

How come I've never heard of you?

Because I'm a nun.

Do you know what's black and white and red all over?

A decapitated nun.

Your move.

Well, now that we've established that your little...

holy water magic trick was just ammonia

and that God has no power on this Earth...

And that Jesus could never really survive

his fall from the parapet.

Perhaps we should discuss your future.

My future?

I don't think you have anything to offer there.

Oh, you might be surprised.

God gives you His reward in Heaven.

But on this Earth...

your ass is mine.

You know where to find me.

Oh, my spiritual advisor, how are you?

What are you doing here?

I've been having the most enlightening conversation.

I think the Church is too hard on its nuns.

I think they're sexy.

Sister?

- Are you all right? - Yes.

I-I saw Leland.

We were talking.

He talks quite a bit.

- Did he hurt you? - No.

But we have to talk.

Father, I need you to leave.

We need to work harder on your meditations.

Why?

Our enemy has become more aggressive.

We need to prepare.

What are you talking about?

Mom loved you.

Yeah, but she was disappointed in me, wasn't she?

She was disappointed in everyone who wasn't her.

She always had unrealistic expectations for us...

But when I dropped out of college, she...

Ben, what is this about?

Nothing, she-- I just had a dream about her...

You're always the one telling me to ignore my dreams.

Can I go to sleep now?

She was disappointed that I ignored Shahada, right?

Ben, let it go.

When she died...

did she say anything?

-I'm not doing this. Good night. - Karima...

So, last night?

Yeah, you dirty rat.

Can I say, Kris, you've changed.

In what way?

Come on, the masks, the gags,

the, um, the burns.

I mean, what is going on?

Don't you remember when we were climbing,

the things we used to say?

We're never gonna turn into some boring suburban couple?

- Yeah. - So I haven't changed.

I just changed back.

Hey, could we get another cashier here?!

- There's a line! - Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.

- Kris, it's okay. - No, Andy.

This is who we were. We didn't give a fuck.

Yeah, sure, but we can't go through life that way.

Sure, we can. I can.

So I was putting the masks back in the closet,

and, uh, I found a shoebox...

Yeah. I'm getting... - Hey, hey, hey, hey, buddy?

- Line's back there. - Uh, I just got a couple of things.

No, you don't. You got more than us.

Guys, can we just not sweat this, okay?

I'm here. Slow your roll.

He wants us to slow our roll?

Excuse me.

You get to the back of the line right now.

Or what?

Seriously, what? What are you gonna do?

Uh-huh.

Show me your car, I'll show you mine.

Okay, it's... you know what, tiger?

Let it go, let it go, let it go, hey, hey.

It's okay. Karma will get him.

Yeah, that's right. Karma.

Think I forgot something anyway.

Next.

Oh, my God, it's over, bitch!

We won't need a bag.

Thank you. Andy?

It was just black.

When you put the helmet on me, that's all I saw.

I don't know if it was for an hour

or for five minutes, but...

I didn't think it was working on me.

And then I felt something.

What?

A mouth.

Like an animal.

It clamped down on my hand, and...

I screamed out.

I thought maybe it was something

on the chair that cut into me, but...

then it started dragging me.

And I...

Do you need a minute?

Mm-mm, no.

It dropped me into a pool of tar.

And when I looked up, I saw this...

massive thing with wings.

About ten stories tall.

And it was covered with...

naked people...

stuck to it, screaming.

There are no physical consequences.

And any psychological aftereffects?

These are the, uh, post-experiment evaluations.

Feel free to go through them.

The subjects occasionally experience residual nightmares,

but, uh, otherwise they're fine.

Even who we just interviewed?

Yes.

So, do either of you want to go?

- Or are you done? - Yeah, I'll go.

Kristen, we just spoke to someone who saw Hell.

Then it's a good thing I don't believe in it.

This is a simple conductive adhesive for the electrodes.

Okay.

Huh. Uh... wait.

What's wrong?

For some reason it's not registering you.

Because I don't have a soul?

Let me go first, Kristen.

Why?

I thought you weren't going to do this at all.

I-I changed my mind.

I'm fine, David.

No, I-I want to.

Please.

47... 46...

Maybe David shouldn't do this.

45...

No, it's just a neurological experiment.

He'll be fine.

42... 41...

40...

39... 38...

37... 36...

35...

Don't.

Kristen.

Kristen Bouchard.

I take it you got my gift basket.

I told you to stay away.

But you didn't mean it.

You love attention from men,

especially with all these months alone.

I told you to stay away,

or I would kill you.

You come into my house to threaten me?

No, the threat was already made.

I'm here to deliver on it.

Well, I'm sure the police will be thrilled to hear about this.

Hold on, you're okay, David.

Hold on.

You're okay, David.

- Let me just detach this. - What was that?

What was that? What the hell...?

What happened, what happened? What-what did you see?

Just...

What did you see, David?

You.

Me? Doing what?

Killing LeRoux.

Was that Heaven or Hell?

You took an ax, you went to his house...

...and you killed him.

Wow, that seems... unlikely.

That's what I saw.

I got to go.

Why?

I, uh, I have an, uh...

...an appointment.

He knew.

He saw me do it.

- Thi-This is your priest friend? - Yes.

So, we're testing this brain-mapping device,

and he saw me go to LeRoux's house

- and kill him. - Well,

he obviously sensed your guilt and intuited the rest.

No, the details were too specific.

He... knew about the ice ax, LeRoux's house.

But he knows you-you were a climber,

so an ice ax makes sense, and he probably

saw LeRoux's house on the news.

Kristen.

I think you should consider going to him

and telling him the truth about LeRoux.

What? Why?

Well, not for religious reasons

but for pragmatic ones.

The placebo effect of confessing,

of coming clean to someone you consider an authority--

moral authority-- will alleviate your psychosomatic symptoms.

Does that make sense?

I think it does.

I'll be right there.

I thought I tied that.

Oh, hey, Kristen, come on in.

You can help me with this.

Kristen!

Are you all right?

What?

What happened?

You were screaming.

I was?

Uh, wh-when-when did I put this on?

When did you go?

Go where?

Uh, your session with-with the, with the helmet--

- wh-when did you do it? - I haven't.

We were thinking tomorrow.

Didn't I start to put this on,

and then y-you said you wanted to go first?

- No. - Is that what you saw--

David putting the helmet on?

Yeah.

And I saw him having a vision, too.

What vision?

Uh...

Well, nothing. I mean, I-I-I-I, I don't remember,

but we talked afterwards, after the vision,

and then I had an emergency therapy session,

and then I went to your room and Leland was there...

None of that happened?

No, you've-- you haven't left.

You-You've been here.

You okay?

Yeah, I... I got to go.

I, uh, I-I did this once before.

What do you mean?

Uh, we're testing a brain-mapping device,

and I saw myself sitting across from you

in an emergency session.

Really? - Yeah.

How'd that go?

Well, I told you that my friend David

saw me hurting LeRoux.

He saw you?

In my vision, in the session.

Yeah, that's your, your guilt coming out.

That's what you said in my vision, too.

Did I have any advice in your vision?

Yes, you told me that I should go to David

and confess to him for the placebo effect

of alleviating my guilt.

- Really? - Yeah.

Well, that's not my advice, but I think it's interesting

that that's what you think my advice would be.

You might have to unpack that for me.

I feel like I'm in a house of mirrors here.

You speak of David quite often in our sessions.

Yeah, well, we work together. So?

Well, your husband is back

from nearly two months away, you haven't mentioned him once.

Meaning?

Reflect on what you want your life to be.

In this moment.

If it's your husband, it's your husband.

If it's David, it's David.

Why is it a guy at all?

Yeah, you're right.

Um, could be what they represent.

the responsibilities of home.

the freedom of work.

There's another option.

David's becoming a priest,

so therefore it's unobtainable attraction.

True... or it's a challenge.

How so?

He doesn't become a priest, then he's not unobtainable.

Hey, I need a moment.

Okay.

Can I come in?

Huh.

This is nice.

Kristen asked me to stay here.

Hey, did I say anything?

It was in the "huh." It was a very expressive "huh."

Okay, how about you and I pretend we're complete strangers

and we don't have any history, without any baggage?

Can we do that?

Sure.

You start.

Okay.

Um... so, listen, Kristen has changed.

In what way?

In every way.

She beat up someone for cutting in line at a supermarket.

Really?

Sheryl, that's not a good thing.

She's more aggressive,

she's more dismissive, she's more...

she's more angry.

Maybe she should be.

You know I go away because that is our business, right?

And if our business goes under,

then we can't pay for the mortgage here.

You were only supposed to be gone

- for a few weeks. - Right,

and then the world economy changed.

- Right, yeah. - Right?

Because climbing is a luxury item,

- and we had ten people drop out. - Uh-huh, uh-huh.

I didn't go away for my own pleasure.

Yeah, there are reasons for everything,

but I am back here because Kristen is overwhelmed.

She's working, she's being a mom,

and you're wondering why she's changed.

Because she's had to adapt.

- Okay, so this is my fault? - Yeah.

You thought I'd say differently, right?

But I won't.

Yes, it's your fault.

What?

No, that's... that's not right.

- Sheryl? - Huh?

Are you okay?

Yeah.

Uh...

This is a simple conductive adhesive for the electrodes.

- You're sure about this? - I think it's important

for all of us to give a thorough assessment.

You know, I've been getting a lot of requests

from the Mormons to try it.

They think it's a direct line to God.

Well, if it's good enough for the Mormons...

Okay.

Count back from...

50... 49...

48... 47...

46... 45...

44...

38...

So what do you think?

I'm an atheist, I saw my dead mother.

You're an agnostic, you saw David have a vision.

David is a believer.

What does he see?

31...

I don't know.

29...

28... 27... 26...

25... 24... 23...

Three... two...

one.

Should I start over again?

Did you get anything?

Not a thing.

Okay, I'm coming in to detach you.

Well, that's appropriate.

We get visions, the visionary gets nothing.

I made a mistake.

We were investigating a technology

that supposedly gives nonbelievers a glimpse of God.

It magnetically prods certain areas of the brain.

I tried it.

I wanted to see whether it could challenge my ideas of visions.

And...?

I saw nothing.

Not God... or Hell.

Because your visions are not coming

from regions of your brain.

They're coming from God.

Now I can't see anything.

I've tried for hours... meditating.

Nothing's coming.

Technology can rewire the brain.

My guess is that you've lost everything you've gained.

Now start over.

And you'd better do it quickly

because Mr. Townsend is coming after us

and we need your abilities to know how to protect ourselves.

And, David,

don't use technology to rewire your brain again.

It's not a toy.

So...

...what are your findings?

After much deliberation,

we do not recommend the technology for further research

at the Vatican.

- Why? - Yeah,

- wh-why? - At the minimum

the device reduces spirituality

to the stimulation of synapses.

It can also rewire the brain's receptivity to the work

of the Holy Spirit.

Last, a significant percentage of the participants

are seeing visions of Hell.

And is that a bad thing?

Excuse me?

Fear of Hell can lead people to God.

Is their faith less legitimate?

But is that the kind of faith we want to promote?

Who are we to judge what brings someone into the fold?

It sounds like the helmet's ability to help people

directly envision the realities of our faith

could be an asset for the Church.

But the harm could undoubtedly outweigh any potential benefits.

What's the evidence of this harm?

- Well, you... None.

There's no concrete evidence to support that claim.

Furthermore, the helmet offers the unique ability

to help people suffering from neurological conditions,

such as depression.

That's a miracle in itself-- religious or not--

and if people want to attribute

those qualities to God, then, hey, lucky you.

I-I saw my dead mom,

and my experience may not classify

as, uh, harm in the empirical sense, but it felt real

and I've been having trouble sleeping ever since.

Yeah, but that's from your preexisting night terrors.

I mean, we can't condemn the technology

- for any preexisting... - Okay.

The question is a simple one.

Should this technology be sent on

to the Pontificia Accademia delle Scienze

for further examination?

- No. - Yeah, absolutely. - Maybe.

Okay, this is helpful, thank you.

Leave your research with me, and I'll make a decision.

Please, God...

Babe, can we talk?

Okay.

So... here's my suggestion.

We sell the climbing business, and I take a job at REI.

You quit your job at the Catholic Church,

and, uh, we just focus more on home.

We move Sheryl out of the garage,

you take it back as an office.

You always wanted to, uh, write that book on criminal defense.

You've got a job offer from REI?

No, I mean, not yet.

Uh, but I know people who work there.

On the sales floor?

No, in the corporate offices.

I'm talking about a nine-to-five job.

This is something I should've done ten years ago.

Why would I quit my job?

Kristen.

You have changed.

And I think it's directly connected

to the burden of carrying this family...

...and this job.

There is something in it that is making you...

...different.

It's making me tougher.

It's making me more self-sufficient.

You beat up a man at the supermarket.

We're wearing animal masks to have sex now.

Okay, this is what I suggest.

You try to get a job at REI,

and when you do, fine, then we'll sell the business

and then we can talk,

but this job-- my job-- is not the problem.

It supplies our health care.

It's our lifesaver.

That's mine.

Well, I didn't know what they were until Laura saw them...

Laura saw them?

She came into the room when I was looking.

And she said that they were maps to kill people.

Mm, no, they're not, they're not. It's...

Then what are they?

It-It's just... it's from therapy.

It's a way to deal with anger.

When people piss me off, I draw where they live.

It's-it's meaningless, it-it's nothing.

Your children don't know that.

I need to talk to Laura.

Not now, not-- tomorrow.

- She's okay.

She's fine.

I explained to her that... parents don't mean things.

They pretend.

It's okay.

We'll be okay.

We'll be good.

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