The Human Experience Movie Analysis

In the movie, The Human Experience, Abraham Maslow’s and James Fowler’s beliefs play a major role in describing the three experiences that the characters chose to live out. The characters Cliff, Jeff, Michael, and Matthew join each other on three different encounters to experience life in other people’s shoes. The encounters were homelessness, caring for physically and mentally handicapped children, and visited Ghanaians with HIV AIDS and leprosy. Each character learned lessons and were humbled immensely by their experiences.

Cliff and Jeff were the only ones of the group to experience homelessness. They went to New York CIty and lived out of cardboard boxes and talked to other homeless individuals. According to Maslow, the people were obviously in need of their physiological needs (food, drink, rest, warmth) especially living in the winter in New York City. Also, they were lacking their safety needs such as security while living with other homeless people and being exposed to the elements. Though lacking materials, they didn’t lose faith or hope that better days would come.

According to Fowler, some of these people would be in his sixth stage of faith: universalizing faith where they believe all things happen for a reason and they don’t question God. Cliff and Jeff learned that homeless people are still people and shouldn’t be treated as inferior.
Again, Cliff and Jeff were the two who went on the trip with the surfers in Peru.

They visited and helped care for kids who were abused and neglected growing up and as a result were physically and mentally traumatized. They created a bond that wouldn’t have been created if Cliff and Jeff were uncomfortable while interacting with the kids. They embraced the experience and were fortunate for what they had. The children lacked Maslow’s physiological needs, security needs, and love and belonging needs. They weren’t part of a family and growing up, they didn’t have food or water or a place to sleep. According to Fowler, the children would be in stage 1 where they didn’t know about their faith and were too young to establish beliefs. The two characters learned that however a person looks on the outside doesn’t affect their personality and may have a special story that needs to be

heard.
Cliff and Jeff joined Michael and Matt on a trip to Ghana. There they went to a HIV AIDS colony and a leper colony. These people were seriously ill and affected mentally by HIV AIDS and leprosy. The people affected by HIV AIDS were sad and down on themselves that they were in that position. The lepers didn’t let their condition hurt them spiritually; they remained faithfully devoted and happy. According to Maslow, the people lacked love and belonging needs, security needs, and esteem needs. They lacked a family, as well as support and love from others. According to Fowler, the people would be in either stage 4,5, or 6 where they formed their own beliefs and faith. The whole group learned to be fortunate for their good health and Matt, especially, reconnected with the disease that killed his mother.
The cast of characters in the documentary all set out on these experiences to find out something on their own. Maslow’s and Fowler’s ideas defined the people they encountered. Each person who set out on the journey felt something different in terms of what they learned for himself.