Why Psychiatrists Should Read (and Watch) the Lord of the Rings

Abstract

Stories have, throughout all of time, given human beings an opportunity to contrast our own experiences and thoughts with a character’s. To imagine another’s situation, empathize with it, and then learn of their struggles or achievements, is an excellent opportunity for us to grow. It is transformative. These meaningful messages should be examined, rather than simply dismissed. Medicine has learned much from examining animals, nature, and history. Is it outlandish to consider the possibility that examination of Middle Earth, Hobbits and Elves, could be equally useful? When we consider psychiatric illness or distress, we are examining many very complicated processes happening within an individual’s mind. Similarly, when we read or watch a well-done novel or film, the impact can be very far from fictitious. We experience the story with the characters, often reciprocating their emotions and deliberating on their decisions. To chalk this experience up as “fake” would be a disservice. After all, the effects of the physical world and a person’s imagination can have comparable reverberations throughout the psyche. Stories have considerable impact on our psychological health, and the insight that we extract from them can improve overall emotional wellbeing. The Lord of the Rings is a classic and brilliantly depicted narrative. Despite many characters being of different species, they teach very tangible human lessons. This article will explore some of these lessons, all the while considering their influence and importance in life, whether psychiatrically beneficial or destructive. Specifically, six lessons will be discussed.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Landon L. Van Dell

Landon L. Van Dell, MD is a US Navy psychiatrist, currently working at Naval Medical Center San Diego. He works with the psychiatry residency program and Naval Special Warfare.

David A. Nissan

David A. Nissan, MD is a US Navy psychiatrist. He is currently the psychiatry residency program director at Naval Medical Center San Diego.

Samuel C. Collier

Samuel C. Collier, DO is a US Navy psychiatrist. He currently works with the US Marine Corps in Beaufort, South Carolina.