The 2004 romantic fantasy film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, details the ways that people can meditate on their memories in order to better find their life purpose.
The film begins with Joel Barrish (Jim Carrey) writing in his notebook and trying to sort out his emotions, thoughts and future. He meets Clementine Kruczynski and the two strike up a romance – only to slowly realize that they have already been involved in the past.
The trick is that there is a special kind of technology that both of the lovers employed to forget about the other person, so that they no longer have to suffer the pain of their memories and feelings.
Much of the movie takes place in Joel's mind as he explores it, trying to figure out how to best preserve the romantic moments he shared with Clementine while learning from the ones that so troubled him. The journey highlights the need to meditate on the past, rather than trying to erase it completely.
The story writers, Michael Gondry, Charlie Kaufman and Pierre Bismuth, received the 2004 Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and the film itself was met with very positive acclaim. Some critics even called it "the best film of the decade."
