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"The Matrix": An Allegory of the Psychoanalytic Journey

Article in Academic Psychiatry · February 2004

DOI: 10.1176/[Link].28.1.71 · Source: PubMed

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 Media Column

“The Matrix”: An Allegory of the

Psychoanalytic Journey

David Mischoulon, M.D., Ph.D.

Eugene V. Beresin, M.D.

Objective: “The Matrix” has been a huge commercial and critical success and has
spawned a series of books and essays exploring the philosophical and religious themes in the
story. Methods: The authors propose is that “The Matrix” can be interpreted as an alle-
gory for an individual’s journey into spiritual and mental health, achieved by overcoming
one’s intrapsychic conflicts with the help of psychodynamic psychotherapy or psychoanaly-
sis. Results: Neo’s story parallels the journey undertaken by the individual who chooses to
enter psychotherapy and illustrates several themes of analytic psychotherapy, its benefits,
and liabilities. Conclusion: The movie may therefore serve as a teaching tool for psychiat-
ric residents about the goals, functions, and intricacies of psychodynamic psychotherapy.
(Academic Psychiatry 2004; 28:71–77)

D uring a medication management session, a pa-

tient who one of the authors (D.M.) had been
following for 1 year mentioned some interpersonal
patients—about the goals and functions of psycho-
dynamic psychotherapy. The first installment of “The
Matrix” trilogy has been a huge commercial and criti-
difficulties that he was having, and asked whether he cal success and has spawned a series of books and
might benefit from insight-oriented psychotherapy. essays exploring the philosophical and religious
The patient had undergone psychotherapy before, themes in the story (1–5). Yet none of these have
but had not succeeded in accomplishing his thera- delved into another perspective that may be relevant
peutic goal, which was to overcome issues relating to to the movie’s appeal. We propose that “The Matrix”
his parents and his upbringing. It was suggested to can be interpreted as an allegory for a man’s journey
the patient that one possible reason for his lack of into spiritual and mental health, with the help of psy-
success was that the therapeutic technique might not chodynamic psychotherapy or psychoanalysis.
have been optimally suited for his needs. The patient This paper will explore similarities between “The
then asked: “What is the ‘optimal’ therapy really sup- Matrix” and psychotherapy. We will focus primarily
posed to do?”
The doctor responded by quoting “The Matrix,” Dr. Mischoulon is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Har-
a movie the patient enjoyed: “It’s like taking the red vard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, and Assistant in
Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massa-
pill. Do you want to see how deep the rabbit hole chusetts. Dr. Beresin is Director of the Child and Adolescent Psy-
goes?” The patient understood the analogy. After fur- chiatry Residency Training Program at Massachusetts General
ther discussion, he acknowledged his ambivalence Hospital/McLean Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Beresin
is also Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Co-Director of Men-
about therapy and said that he would give the matter tal Health and Media at Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mas-
more thought. sachusetts, and serves as Media Column Editor for Academic Psy-
This exchange between doctor and patient sug- chiatry. Address correspondence to Dr. Mischoulon, WAC-812,
15 Parkman St., Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
gested that “The Matrix” might be a suitable tool for 02114; dmischoulon@[Link] (E-mail).
educating psychiatric residents—and perhaps some Copyright 䉷 2004 Academic Psychiatry.

Academic Psychiatry, 28:1, Spring 2004 71

MEDIA COLUMN

on psychodynamic, or insight-oriented therapy, fore represent the impact of the environment on the
which is based on psychoanalytic principles and is individual and conflicts with the satisfaction of in-
most clearly relevant to “The Matrix.” The journey of stinctual needs. Being implanted may also be consis-
Neo, the film’s protagonist, will parallel the journey tent with resistance to change. Literally and figura-
undertaken by the individual who chooses to enter tively, Neo’s resistance (the “bug”) must be overcome
psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapies. and removed if he is to succeed in his therapeutic
journey.
“The Matrix” as Therapeutic Journey:
Neo the Analysand Morpheus as Psychoanalyst / Psychotherapist

Neo, a.k.a. Thomas Anderson, is a software engineer Buddhist philosophy states that when the student is
who works for a large, world-class urban firm. He is ready, the master appears. This proverb is especially
handsome, good-natured, intelligent, and success- relevant in the psychotherapy arena because the pa-
ful—the embodiment of the American dream of the tient must be ready for therapy in order to work pro-
cyber-age. ductively with a therapist (10). Early in the story, Trin-
But Neo is unhappy. He does not enjoy his job, ity hacks into Neo’s computer and instructs him to
which requires him to labor in a sterile “Dilbert-like” “wake up,” signifying that Morpheus—who repre-
cubicle, and his boss reprimands him for his frequent sents the analyst/therapist—has determined that
lateness to work. He lives alone in a tiny apartment Neo is ready to begin the therapeutic journey. Trinity
and has no girlfriend and few friends, except for makes reference to Morpheus “finding her” when she
some acquaintances with whom he shares pirated became ready to learn. This could represent the ther-
software. He spends the night surfing the Internet apist “finding” the true inner self and inner conflict
and committing hacker crimes, for which he is under (and helping the patient to do so) through psycho-
government surveillance. As Neo will learn, his er- therapy. Neo’s awakening and agreeing to “follow
ratic behavior stems from a feeling that he is living a the white rabbit” (one of several references to Alice
falsehood and that “there’s something wrong with in Wonderland suggests that he has attained this state
the world.” of readiness for the psychotherapeutic journey.
Patients who choose to enter psychoanalysis or When we first meet Morpheus, he stands tall and
psychoanalytically oriented therapies often fit this dignified, his eyes hidden behind a pair of mirrored
particular mold. They tend to be intelligent, edu- sunglasses that reflect Neo’s face. This suggests that,
cated, and affluent individuals who feel that some- as proposed by Winnicott and Kohut (8,11,12), Mor-
thing in their life is “not quite right.” The acronym pheus will serve a mirroring function and reflect
YAVIS, a slang expression for Young, Attractive, Ver- Neo’s true self back to him. As a master computer
bal, Intelligent, and Successful (6), represents, accord- hacker, Morpheus is an interesting symbolization of
ing to psychoanalytic lore, the “ideal” patient for psy- the therapist. Through probing, he may reveal the pa-
choanalysis and describes Neo perfectly. His tient’s inner conflicts that are amenable to modifica-
dissatisfaction with life leads him to accept Trinity’s tion, a function akin to breaking into a computer sys-
offer of an introduction to Morpheus, a legendary tem and reprogramming it.
hacker who claims to possess the answer to Neo’s Morpheus invites Neo to sit down for their initial
question about what is wrong with the world. “session,” as if to determine whether therapy work is
In the analytic framework, it can be said that feasible between the patient and therapist (10, 13).
Neo’s problem stems from a conflict between his be- “All I’m offering is the truth, nothing more,” Mor-
lief and the perception of his senses. Since the world pheus says. “No one can be told what the Matrix is.
is not what it appears to be, his ego is unable to pro- You have to see it for yourself.” Here, Morpheus is
vide its executive function, which is to mediate the summarizing the function of the analytic therapist.
satisfaction of his instinctual needs (both libidinal By using a variety of therapeutic interventions—such
and aggressive) and those of the external world and as interpretation, confrontation, clarification, and oth-
the superego (7–9). The tracking “bug” that the ers (9, 10)—Morpheus will guide Neo so that Neo can
agents have implanted inside Neo’s body may there- figure out for himself who he really is.

72 Academic Psychiatry, 28:1, Spring 2004

 MISCHOULON AND BERESIN

Alliance in the therapy setting and “turn” the therapist into

whatever is at the heart of the conflict—a parent, a
The beginning of therapy involves the establishment lover, a friend, and so on. The therapist must then
of a therapeutic alliance (10). Neo will have to trust clarify, confront, and interpret the transference to
that Morpheus will do right by him, just as a patient help the patient modify his defenses (if unhealthy)
who enters therapy must have a reservoir of trust to and resolve the conflict. We will observe the manifes-
give to the therapist (14). But this is difficult for Neo tation of transference with Neo and with Morpheus’
because he is not a trusting person by nature. At the other crewmembers.
end of the first “session,” Morpheus offers Neo the The most common transference reactions that oc-
choice between taking a blue pill or a red pill. The cur toward Morpheus seem to be of the “paternal”
blue pill will erase Neo’s memory of his encounter and “idealizing” types (8,10,12,19). Morpheus’ fol-
with Morpheus. The red pill, on the other hand, will lowers see him as a father figure. Tank even says to
enable Neo to learn about the Matrix (i.e., the com- Morpheus, “You’re more than a leader to us. You’re
puter program that contains the illusory world in our father.” Neo never mentions his own parents
which humans have been living for two centuries). from his Matrix “life,” but his lonely existence sug-
In the therapeutic context, the Matrix may rep- gests no familial attachments and, perhaps conflicted
resent our societal set of beliefs, values, and ideals or repressed memories of his “virtual” childhood.
that may or may not be healthy for society, as well as Upon being removed from the Matrix, he realizes that
social norms into which we are indoctrinated and are he is, for practical purposes, an orphan who has been
not especially conducive to individual development. adopted into a new family. Neo’s indoctrination into
Psychotherapy may help individuals master this con- the crew may represent the child’s adopting a new
flict between individuality and social norms. Like- family as a defense against rageful destruction of his
wise, the Matrix may represent a blend of our own biological parents or a search for a missing—and ide-
fantasies about ourselves and the world, from which alized—parent (8, 9, 12).
we need to be freed. This is suggestive of Freud’s The crewmembers of the Nebuchadnezzar, par-
view of psychoanalysis as a tool for obtaining free- ticularly Trinity, appear to have total faith in Mor-
dom from illusion or fantasy (8, 13). pheus. In the psychotherapy setting, this could be
Like the patient who is considering psychother- called an “idealizing transference” (9, 12, 19). Self-
apy, Neo must weigh the dangers of the path to self- psychological theorists consider this transference not
knowledge. Insight is not easy to obtain (10). Therapy only good, but necessary (8, 9, 12). On the other hand,
can be difficult and at times very painful (10, 13). some object relations theorists such as Kernberg posit
Neo opts for the red pill (i.e., to abandon the imagi- that the idealizing transference should not be per-
nary world of the Matrix and see “how deep the rab- mitted and is interpreted as a distortion of reality, a
bit hole goes”). Morpheus has succeeded in estab- fantasy of an all-good object that can never truly exist
lishing the treatment alliance, and Neo will begin the (8, 9).
psychotherapeutic journey. Appropriately, Neo’s The idealizing transference may result in disap-
exit out of the Matrix begins with his “melding” pointment and letdown when the patient realizes that
with a mirror, which, like Morpheus’ glasses, sug- the therapist is imperfect. Therapeutic undoing and
gests a reflection of Neo’s soon-to-be-discovered regression may follow (9). On the other hand, this
true self (8, 11, 12). disappointment—particularly when empathic failure
on the therapist’s part occurs and is addressed in the
Transference and Countertransference therapy—can also lead to new intrapsychic mecha-
nisms of adaptation for the patient (8, 10, 12). Neo
Psychoanalytic theory proposes that “transference” and the crewmembers will eventually have to come
to the therapist must occur as one of the requisites of to terms with Morpheus’ limitations as a leader and
successful treatment (10, 15– 17). Defensive structures in the process develop their own resources and
derive from early conflict, and these conflicts are re- strengths so that their mission can succeed.
played in adult life (8, 9, 15, 18). Thus, the patient Cypher’s conflict with his crewmates illustrates
who experiences transference will reenact his conflict the dilemma of the therapy patient who questions the

Academic Psychiatry, 28:1, Spring 2004 73

MEDIA COLUMN

value of therapy and of the therapist. Cynical and raise fantasies of killing off the libidinal object before
bitter, Cypher reminds his crewmates that they have the loss of omnipotence (8, 9, 21). This is a classic
been eating tasteless food and living a dreary exis- expression of the depressive position, a pre-oedipal
tence since leaving the Matrix, which may represent fantasy and fear first described by Melanie Klein (22)
the arduous journey of psychotherapy. Morpheus’ and elaborated by Winnicott et al. (8). The defensive
promise of the truth, and implicitly, of a better life posture here is to use a primitive method of reaction
(analogous to therapeutic success) has not been ful- formation (i.e., the transformation of an unacceptable
filled for Cypher. impulse into its opposite) (8, 9) and save the parent
Therapeutic progress can indeed take a long time (or therapist) who the child hates and wishes to kill.
(9), and patients often become dissatisfied when they In Neo’s case, both of these elements may coexist.
do not see results soon enough. The de-idealization He may harbor an unconscious wish to kill Morpheus
that follows and the negative transference with en- in order to achieve omnipotence—for example, by be-
suing disappointment and rage may result in a posi- coming the new leader of the crew. Or, more likely,
tive or a negative therapeutic experience, depending he may want to rescue the benevolent parental figure
on how the patient and analyst manage it. If worked that he has found and could not bear to lose.
through, therapeutic progress can occur. If not, the
patient may terminate treatment prematurely. In Cy- Resistance
pher’s case, his dissatisfaction results in “premature
termination,” as seen when he chooses to betray his Resistance is a common obstacle to therapeutic pro-
crewmates. gress and represents the patient’s struggle to counter
Countertransference reactions are defined as the change and preserve the current defensive structure
emotional reaction of the therapist to the patient, used to repress and deny primitive impulses, as re-
which may be based on the therapist’s prior relation- vealed in the underlying conflict (9, 15, 18). In such
ships (9, 10, 18, 20). Morpheus appears to have com- cases, the patient resists the therapy, sometimes by
plete faith in Neo’s potential. He believes that Neo is “acting out” (16) in the therapy by not showing up
“the One” (i.e. the man who was prophesized to come for appointments, not paying the therapist’s bills, or
back to free humanity), much like a therapist may failing to apply what he or she learns in the therapy
want to believe in a patient who he finds especially sessions (9, 10, 18).
likeable or may see as the ideal child he never had. Neo the “analysand” demonstrates resistance
Morpheus also appears to see himself as having res- throughout the story. He reacts with denial and rage
cued Neo and the others from the Matrix, with the when he learns that the world in which he has lived—
ultimate goal of rescuing all of mankind. This may in the Matrix—was an illusion. When Morpheus ex-
illustrate the rescue fantasy, a countertransference re- plains that Neo is “the One,” Neo remains skeptical,
action in which a therapist desires to rescue a patient even as he progresses in his training. Morpheus must
from a difficult situation (13, 18). constantly challenge Neo’s mistaken views and as-
Patients may develop rescue fantasies toward the sumptions so that he may break free of them and
therapist if, for example, the therapist becomes ill. In overcome the perceptual manifestations of his con-
such cases, a patient may reach out to the therapist flicts in therapy, as represented by the war against the
in order to help him or her. This situation occurs artificial intelligence (AI).
when the Agents capture Morpheus. Rather than eu- Patients may fear having to give up old, dys-
thanizing Morpheus’ body, Neo chooses to try to save functional—but familiar and comfortable—patterns
him, even though he has been warned that his own of interacting with the world (10). Such patients may
life may be lost in the process. This might represent discontinue treatment if their defensive patterns are
a rescue fantasy taken to an extreme when a patient too strongly ingrained. Morpheus points out that it is
develops an intense, idealizing transference to the preferable to recruit people out of the Matrix during
therapist. childhood, because children have a better chance of
Alternatively, Neo’s attempt to save Morpheus “letting go,” before the false cognitions become too
may allude to the life and death struggle of the dyadic strongly set in the mind. This alludes to Freud’s po-
relationship and how a child’s destructive rage may sition (now abandoned by most analysts) that ad-

74 Academic Psychiatry, 28:1, Spring 2004

 MISCHOULON AND BERESIN

vanced age may be an obstacle to psychoanalysis (8, rest of his training can proceed. The reason for this
10, 23). A similar argument has been made in defense meeting is unclear. Morpheus seems to have no doubt
of child/adolescent psychoanalysis and psychother- that Neo is “the One.” As mentioned earlier, this may
apy (9, 24). represent countertransference or the therapist’s hope
Cypher can be said to embody therapeutic resis- for the ultimate success of his patient. But Morpheus
tance taken to an extreme. Despite once having be- has failed before in his quest for “the One.” (NOTE:
lieved in Morpheus, he eventually rejects him. He in the original screenplay (27) Morpheus trained five
acts out by striking a deal with Agent Smith, agreeing candidates before Neo, and they died in their at-
to betray Morpheus in exchange for being replaced tempts to defeat the Agents). The visit to the Oracle
in the world of the Matrix. Cypher is symbolically may represent Morpheus’ need to reassure himself
choosing to leave therapy and regress to his former, that he is doing the right thing for Neo, just as a ther-
“unanalyzed” state. His choosing the sensual but apist may question his or her own ability and choose
purely illusory delights of the Matrix such as good to consult a senior colleague (28). Morpheus may also
food and wine may represent an escape from the re- be hoping that encouragement from the Oracle might
ality principle, which involves the delay of immedi- help Neo to have more faith in his own potential—
ate gratification (7–9), and a return to the pleasure that is, she might help him to “identify strengths”
principle, which is governed by the id (7–9) and (18).
drives the individual to avoid pain and seek primi- The Oracle, in the psychoanalytic tradition (8, 10,
tive pleasure without thought of any negative con- 14), does not reveal much to Neo, at least not with
sequences (7–9). Similarly, Cypher’s regression may regard to the question he and Morpheus press: is Neo
symbolize the patient’s turning to drugs and alcohol, “the One?” She warns Neo of the challenges and di-
another form of acting out, or even trading his ther- lemmas he will have to face, but does not tell him
apist for a psychopharmacologist and the implied whether or not he is “the One.” Only Neo specifically
promise of a new “pill” that will make him better suggests that he is not, and the Oracle neither agrees
quickly and without effort on his part. nor disagrees with him. Again in the analytic tradi-
Finally, Cypher invokes the theme of the Oedipal tion, the consultant may believe that she is serving
conflict (8, 25). He has a romantic interest in Trinity, the interests of the patient by allowing him to reach
who is the Nebuchadnezzar’s second in command, a his own conclusions, rather than by supplying him
maternal figure to complement Morpheus’ paternal with all the answers.
figure (though Morpheus and Trinity are not roman-
tically involved). Cypher tries to woo Trinity and con-
vince her that Morpheus has deceived them, but Trin- Working Through
ity rejects his advances. Cypher’s desire to kill
Morpheus may originate from an unconscious hope Psychotherapy typically involves many successes
that Trinity, the motherly object of his desire, will then and failures along the way to resolving the conflicts
become his own. In the end, Cypher is defeated and that underlie the neurosis (29). Resolving the conflict
pays the ultimate price for his therapeutic resistance. is referred to as “working through” (8, 10, 29). Once
having entered psychoanalysis, it can be said that the
Consultation patient’s mind changes—expands. After learning the
truth about the Matrix, Neo wakes up prone in his
In the course of psychotherapy there are times when bed, with Morpheus sitting by him. Their respective
the treatment may come to an impasse. In such cases, positions suggest an analyst watching over the pa-
the therapist may consult with a more experienced tient on the couch. Neo asks, “I can’t go back, can I?”.
colleague in order to clarify the source of the problem Morpheus tells Neo that he can not return to the Ma-
and identify potential solutions to the impasse (26). trix, but in the analytic tradition, he immediately fol-
The meeting with the Oracle would appear to repre- lows the answer with a more important question: “If
sent such a process. you could, would you really want to?” Like the pa-
After Neo has progressed to a certain degree, tient who gains insight can not go back to being ex-
Morpheus takes him to meet the Oracle before the actly the way he was before entering therapy, Neo

Academic Psychiatry, 28:1, Spring 2004 75

MEDIA COLUMN

realizes that he can never return to his old world and the bullets are real only if he views them as such.
must attempt to work through his conflict. Returning to the patient mentioned at the start of this
Much of Neo’s training focuses on martial arts. paper, this scene also proved instructive. He asked
Morpheus trains Neo inside a “Construct,” a small- whether therapy would allow him to confront his
scale replica of the “Matrix” used for instructional parents effectively. Paraphrasing Morpheus, the doc-
purposes. This “Construct” is suggestive of the ther- tor responded: “If your therapy succeeds, you won’t
apist’s “holding environment” (30), where the patient have to.”
can face his own weaknesses and strengths in a safe
and nonthreatening setting. The emphasis on fighting Completing the Analysis
techniques may represent therapeutic confrontation,
literally and figuratively, as well as the breaking Psychoanalysis must eventually reach its natural
down of old, unhealthy defenses and the building of completion or termination. Like the psychotherapy
new, healthier ones (8–10, 18). patient, Neo must also complete his own “therapy.”
Morpheus uses physical combat to confront In his case, therapeutic success is measured by his
Neo’s misconceptions about the physical world so ability to successfully confront the Agents, who may
that he may eventually achieve superhuman abilities be said to embody Neo’s conflict.
and transcend the “rules” of the Matrix (e.g., stop- After he is killed, Neo returns to life when Trinity
ping bullets, learning to fly). Here, Morpheus seems expresses her love for him. This “rebirth” alludes to
to be drawing on Beck’s cognitive theory, which chal- Freud’s idea that that capacity for love (as well as for
lenges the patient’s mistaken assumptions and cog- work) is vital for the achievement of mental health
nitions about himself and the world (9,31), and is also and maturity (32, 33). By accepting Trinity’s love, Neo
consistent with the psychoanalytic tradition. Mor- accomplishes his last therapeutic goal and is now
pheus could therefore be considered an “eclectic” fully equipped for his final confrontation with the
therapist who draws on several schools of thought Agents. Neo’s moment of epiphany is presented in a
and applies them as needed into an individually tai- simple and elegant manner: when he faces the
lored program for his patients. This certainly reflects Agents, he no longer sees their human facades, but
the current state of psychotherapy, as most therapists rather their underlying computer codes. Neo has
presently use cognitive restructuring in their work, fully understood the nature of his conflict and can
and few therapists work on the basis of a single the- now overcome it. He effortlessly stops the bullets and
ory. destroys Agent Smith.
The patient’s defenses—both mature and imma- However, as the movie’s last scene suggests, com-
ture—often emerge in the therapy and may hinder pleting one’s analysis is only the beginning: “I didn’t
therapeutic progress (10). At times, Neo will resort to come here to tell you how this is going to end,” Neo
phallic and narcissistic defenses, as seen when he says. “I came here to tell you how it’s going to begin.”
plans to rescue Morpheus. His proposed strategy? Neo must now apply what he learned, as he prepares
“Guns. Lots of guns.” But in the end, Neo must aban- to lead Morpheus’ crew into the all-out war against
don his primitive defenses and defeat the agents the artificial intelligence that enslaved humanity.
without any weapons except his own mind. Neo’s Neo, the successful analysand, has come full circle.
initial misconceptions about his training and abilities
parallel some of the common misconceptions patients CONCLUSION
have about psychotherapy. He asks Morpheus,
“What are you trying to tell me, that I can dodge bul- “The Matrix” could be said to represent the psycho-
lets?” Morpheus responds, “When you’re ready, you analytic/psychotherapeutic journey into self and the
won’t have to.” overcoming of one’s conflicts under the guidance of
This exchange reflects the analytic notion that the the psychoanalyst/psychotherapist. We propose that
overcoming of our conflicts frees us from the need to this movie may serve as a teaching tool for psychi-
act them out. Neo would like to be able to dodge the atric residents who may appreciate an allegorical
bullets from the Agents (the bullets representing a dramatization of the benefits, liabilities, and intrica-
direct threat from his conflict), but he will learn that cies of psychodynamically oriented psychotherapies.

76 Academic Psychiatry, 28:1, Spring 2004

 MISCHOULON AND BERESIN

In addition, the movie may serve as a discussion ve- The authors thank Alisabet J. Clain, M.S., for her re-
hicle for psychiatrists and patients with a philosoph- view of an early draft of this column and for her sugges-
ical bent, who are considering the long and arduous tions and encouragement.
journey of psychotherapy, but do not know what it
may involve or what it’s really supposed to do.

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