Shintoism In Spirited Away

There are many regions that entail the belief of a spirit transcending into a place of serenity. One religion that focuses on transcending is Shintoism. Shintoism is a religion of Japanese origin that devotes its belief in spirits of natural forces. This is expressed by the meaning of Shinto, which means “the way of Kami.” A kami is a divine being or spirit in the religion such as the Emperor who was believed to be a sun goddess. In the movie, Spirited Away, Shintoism is expressed by Chihiro finds purity through the use of liminal process. Liminal Process are the steps needed to allow an individual to pass the threshold of the Earthly world to the Spiritual realm. These steps are similar to the way an alcoholic would reach sobriety.

To find

sobriety or enlightenment of one’s true self the problem must first be addressed. In shintoism, the basis of this religion is to conquer impurity. In my opinion, impurity is the contamination of something pure or innocent. Shintoism believes that impurity is anything that separates people from the Kami usually through the act of sinning or pollution. Pollution refers to anything beyond the human control that causes disaster, death, and error. In the movie, Chihiro would be the definition of impurity. The audience is introduced to the 10 year old girl moving away from her home to a new place. In this movement or transformation she can be described as spoiled, stubborn, immature, and obnoxious. This can be supported by quote, “ I finally get a bouquet and it’s a goodbye present. That’s depressing.” This symbolizes t hat she was not excited or has not accepted the transition showing her impurity. Chihiro’s situation also applies to an alcoholic. Furthermore, an alcoholic is as impure as Chihiro. An alcoholic is selfish, greedy, can be obnoxious in a drunken state, and their addiction exceeds the safety of themselves and others. This can be expressed as the saying, “I can quit or stop anytime I want.”
After the problem is addressed one must go through the technique of liminal process to reach sobriety or purity.

Liminal process is a human process from one level to another used to reach an outcome. Liminal process includes the call to experience, separation, margin, reaggregation, and routinization and dissolution. These steps can be seen in Spirited Away, as Chihiro goes on a quest to save her parents after they became pigs due to their impurity and greed. This can also be represented as the stages an alcoholic goes through to reach sobriety. The call to experience is when the individual feels a call from greater forces to move or transition. This can be expressed when Chihiro and her parents wander in the amusement park. The parents decide to gorge themselves with food. Chihiro finds this to be a horrible idea, saying, “Guys don't take the food! We’re gonna get in trouble!” This shows her beginning of maturity and awareness as an instinct tells her not to do as her parents are doing. This can compare to an alcoholic as their call to experience could be a family coming together to tell the alcoholic of how their abuse has affected them. This is a way to bring awareness to the individual by outside forces. Next, is separation. Separation is when an individual most abandon those around them or their environment like Chihiro. Chihiro meets Haku, who seems to be a spiritual guardian or exemplar as he hands her food when she realizes she is disappearing because she has been

in contact with the spiritual realm. So, to save her parents Chihiro must cross a wooden bridge while holding her breath so she will not be identified. Yet, she was unable to successfully cross due to her astonishment of the spiritual realm. This is supported by quote, “ A human! You’re in trouble!” She is crossing from the Earthy, impure world to the spiritual pure realm. This can relate to an alcoholic as they go into a rehabilitation center. They are holding their breath as they take a step forward. The alcoholic is afraid and filled with a sense of wonder and isolation as they must take this journey on their own. Following separation is margin. Margin is the connection or fellowship of a group of individuals that relate to push for a greater life. This is represented in Spirited Away as Chihiro decides to go to Yubaba’s twin, Zeniba to apologize for Haku as he stole from her. So, she decides to take a trip to save him. However, she does not go alone. Chihiro goes on this venture to save Haku with No-Face, the hamster which once was Yubaba’s baby, and the bird who was once her servant. The quote used to show her drive and realization that she is moving toward a goal of purity is, “ I’ll be back, Haku. You can’t die.” This shows her growth from immaturity and selfishness to attentiveness. The next phase in liminal process is reaggregation. Reaggregation is when and individual is able to form a lifestyle. This can be supported when Chihiro is tested by Yubaba to tell her which two pigs were her parents. After her quest Chihiro was tested one last time. However, this challenge wasn't difficult for her because she has matured, she has come to understanding the spiritual realm and has appreciated it. This is supported by quote, “ There must be some mistake! None of these pigs are my parents!” Chihiro was confidant and had that awareness to know the truth. Reaggregation can be present in an alcoholic’s life. An example of this would be the alcoholic attending meetings every week. It has become part of their life and just like Chihiro they are showing growth and pushing toward purity.
The last phase in liminal process is routinization and dissolution.

This can also be seen as the ending to the journey of Chihiro and the alcoholic. In the terms of Chihiro, she matured from her immaturity and selfishness to become pure and gain a sense of true self as well as maturity. In the case if an alcoholic this phase would be a relapse. The experience just didn't correlate to their addiction or compulsion. So, the individual goes back to

drinking.
In conclusion, Shintoism is expressed in the movie, Spirited Away through Chihiro, a ten year old, spoiled immature girl who reaches purity. The transition of impurity to purity can also be seen through an alcoholic as they attempt to reach sobriety. Through these two examples the crucial method of liminal process is applied. The call to experience, separation, margin, reaggregation, and routinization and dissolution can be seen in both cases. These cases prove that Shintoism can be applied to any area of life whether in the spiritual realm or the physical.