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Free Gift | Nothing to Buy
Compiled by Kia Kiso-Brennan | Convos about Conscious Media | a Conscious Media Visionaries production
What is Conscious Media you ask? It's not the easiest thing to describe, but you know it when you see it.
In Episode 1, I deliberately don't hand you a definition, because it is hard to pin down. I walk through how some people and companies in this ecosystem define it: Gaia, Mindvalley, the Shift Network, Next Level Soul, and Oprah and more. None of their definitions are wrong. They're all drawing a slightly different map of the same territory.
Mine, the one I've used for years: entertainment that creates awareness and has a positive impact. Media that represents the best of humanity and reveals solutions for what we want to change. Media that meets you where you are, and takes you a little farther down the continuum.
Conscious media is either something you're familiar with or something you've never heard of before, but once that connection is made for you, the value of it is pretty clear. You’ll get hooked. But it’s a good kind of drug.
If you've cried while watching the reality show “Love on the Spectrum” or felt something shift while watching the Pixar movie “Inside Out,” congratulations, you've been consuming conscious media.
But don’t take my word for it.
Understand why you should care (the science section below). Get more conscious about what you’re choosing (start with the recommendations on this page).
Watch consciously. And then notice what happens.
—Kia
HOW TO USE THIS GIFT
Finding media that's life-affirming, creates awareness, and has a positive impact is often hard to do. You need to know what some good selections are.
Part 1: The titles. Hand-picked recommendations of fifty films, series, documentaries and podcasts, mapped into eight regions, each with a reason it's there.
To make good media decisions, you need to understand why it is important to know how media affects you and your world.
Part 2: The science. Six decades of peer-reviewed research on what media actually does to your body and your attention.
That’s why this gift was made for you.
In Episode 1 “What is Conscious Media? You Know It When You See It,” I named over 40 titles across some of the thematic regions of the conscious media map. I’ve put them in one place for you. Every film, series, documentary, and podcast recommended.
The list started with Episode 1 but grows regularly with the Picks of the Week.
Of course, this is not an exhaustive list. However, this is a good start.
Your watchlist begins here with two choices…
Groundhog Day 1993 · Film
A cynical weatherman relives the same day until he finally learns why.
A deeply loved spiritual film disguised as a mainstream comedy.
P.S. Starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. Written by Danny Rubin, my college screenwriting instructor.
Mission: Joy – Finding Happiness in Troubled Times 2021 · Documentary
His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu spend five days together, mostly laughing.
Two men with every excuse to be bitter, choosing the opposite.
P.S. I did a Pick of the Week on this one. youtube.com/shorts/-EpECe8i464
Soul 2020 · Film
The Pixar favorite. A jazz musician dies the day he finally gets his big break, and gets creative to return in time for his gig.
For the day you are not sure your ordinary life counts.
P.S. I did a Pick of the Week on this one. OK for kids. youtube.com/shorts/seP6YgxEPks
Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago 2013 · Documentary
Six strangers walk the 500-mile Camino de Santiago and are changed by it.
Funny, tender, and it just might make you want to book a flight.
P.S. My dear friend Lydia Smith directed this one. I did a whole Pick of the Week on it. youtube.com/shorts/6zcAWtrp0i4
Forrest Gump 1994 · Film
A simple man drifts through decades of American history and never stops loving.
Watch it again for what it says about being underestimated and living life without an ego.
P.S. Won Best Picture.
It's a Wonderful Life 1946 · Film
A discouraged man is shown what the world would be without him.
The beloved, original story showing that small, unglamorous choices are the ones that count.
P.S. It underperformed on release. Took decades to become the thing it is. OK for kids.
Soul Surfer 2011 · Film
A teen surfer loses her arm to a shark and finds her way back to the water.
A true story about faith that doesn't flinch when life gets hard.
P.S. Bethany Hamilton did her own surfing in the film. OK for kids.
Whale Rider 2002 · Film
A Maori girl claims a leadership role tradition says is not hers.
Quiet, fierce, and it will get you right in the chest.
P.S. Keisha Castle-Hughes was thirteen and got an Oscar nomination. OK for kids.
Love on the Spectrum 2019 · TV Series
Autistic adults navigate dating and connection with disarming honesty.
You will fall in love with every single person in it.
Inspired to Ride 2015 · Documentary
Riders race self-supported across America on the first Trans Am Bike Race.
Endurance as a spiritual practice, one pedal stroke at a time.
P.S. I co-produced this one.
CODA 2021 · Film
The only hearing member of a Deaf family chases her own voice.
Proof that conscious media does not have to be a documentary.
P.S. Won Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay.
The Tree of Life 2011 · Film
A Texas family and the origins of the cosmos, held in the same frame.
Less a plot than a prayer; let it wash over you.
P.S. Like all of Terrence Malick’s films it is not a half-attention film. Turn off your cell phone and settle in.
Wonder 2017 · Film
A boy with a facial difference starts school and teaches everyone to look at things differently.
Choosing kindness feels good and uplevels the world.
P.S. Based on R.J. Palacio's novel, the one that started the Choose Kind movement.
Baraka 1992 · Documentary
A dialogue-free showcase of diverse global cultures and natural wonders through stunning 70mm cinematography, slow motion, and time-lapse techniques.
You'll feel so connected to your planet through the good, the bad, the ugly of life.
P.S. The title means blessing. Watch it on the biggest screen you can find.
Between the Mountain and the Sky 2025 · Documentary
Filmed over twenty years around the world. The powerful true story of how one woman's heart opened wide enough to hold fifty children and change their lives forever.
Your heart grows because of Maggie Doyne's willingness to risk pain by loving again and again.
P.S. Executive produced by the Duplass Brothers, and an Oscar contender.
Groundhog Day 1993 · Film
A cynical weatherman relives the same day until he finally learns why.
A deeply loved spiritual film disguised as a mainstream comedy.
P.S. Starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. Written by Danny Rubin, my college screenwriting instructor.
The Mindfulness Movie 2013 · Documentary
A tour of the science and practice of paying attention on purpose.
A gentle on-ramp to why slowing down actually changes you.
P.S. Gives you eight practical, foundational mindful lessons.
The Secret 2006 · Documentary
Teachers lay out the law of attraction and the power of belief.
Love it or argue with it, it started a lot of conversations.
P.S. Rev. Michael Beckwith, Jack Canfield, Neale Donald Walsch and Lisa Nichols are all in it. It launched a worldwide phenomenon.
Aware: Glimpses of Consciousness 2021 · Documentary
Researchers and contemplatives probe the mystery of consciousness itself.
Where hard science and deep practice actually meet.
The Matrix 1999 · Film
A hacker wakes up when he learns his world is a simulation.
The action movie that smuggled in a philosophy seminar.
P.S. Won four Oscars. Some people call it a documentary.
Soul 2020 · Film
The Pixar favorite. A jazz musician dies the day he finally gets his big break, and gets creative to return in time for his gig.
For the day you are not sure your ordinary life counts.
P.S. I did a whole Pick of the Week on this one. youtube.com/shorts/seP6YgxEPks
“If my thoughts create my reality, does our entertainment collectively create our world?”
From Episode 1
Inside Out 2015 · Film
A girl's core emotions steer her through a hard move, from inside her head.
The best explanation of feelings ever made, for any age.
P.S. Pixar movie. Won Best Animated Feature. OK for kids.
Peaceful Warrior 2006 · Film
Dan, a college student and a world-champion gymnast, is disturbed and wants to add some meaning to his life. A chance encounter leads him to discover an enlightened way ahead.
One instruction that sticks: take out the trash of the mind.
P.S. Nick Nolte as Socrates. Based on Dan Millman's book.
Eat, Pray, Love 2010 · Film
A woman leaves her life to find pleasure, devotion, and balance abroad.
Permission to go looking for yourself, plus really good pasta.
P.S. Based on Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir, which Oprah gave two entire episodes to.
My Dinner with Andre 1981 · Film
Two old friends meet for dinner; as one tells anecdotes detailing his experiences, the other notices their differing worldviews.
Just two people and a table, and somehow it is riveting.
P.S. Wallace Shawn and André Gregory, playing versions of themselves.
Ted Lasso 2020 · TV Series
An American coaches an English football club on relentless optimism.
Decency and belief played as a strategy instead of a weakness.
P.S. Jason Sudeikis. It won Outstanding Comedy Series two years running.
Heroes 2006 · TV Series
Ordinary people discover extraordinary abilities and a shared destiny.
Makes you wonder what you would do if you woke up with some extra-extra.
P.S. The first season is the one.
What the Bleep Do We Know!? 2004 · Documentary
A woman's world unravels as scientists explain quantum reality.
A foundational conscious media movie that got a lot of people asking bigger questions.
P.S. Where a lot of people first met Dr. Joe Dispenza.
Ghost 1990 · Film
A murdered man lingers to protect the woman he loves.
Grief, love, and the veil being thinner than we think.
P.S. Starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, and Whoopi Goldberg.
What Dreams May Come 1998 · Film
A man dies and goes searching for his wife through the afterlife.
A gorgeous, aching meditation on love outlasting death.
P.S. Starring Robin Williams. Produced by Stephen Simon, the founder of Spiritual Cinema Circle.
Somewhere in Time 1980 · Film
A playwright wills himself back in time to find a woman from a photograph.
Pure romantic longing, for when you want to feel everything.
P.S. Also produced by Stephen Simon. Starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. You'll never be able to hear the name Richard the same again.
Waking Life 2001 · Film
A young man drifts through a dream, talking with everyone he meets.
Feels exactly like the lucid dream it is about.
P.S. You are not required to finish it in one sitting.
Wolf’s Message 2025 · Documentary
After Wolf's accidental death, his parents enlist the help of a renowned, evidence-based medium to answer their unanswered questions.
It will make the skeptic reconsider perhaps.
P.S. I selected this as the recipient of the 2025 ILLUMINATE Film Festival’s Director Award.
My Old Ass 2024 · Film
A teenager meets her thirty-nine-year-old self and gets one warning.
Funny and wise about the decisions you make and the time you can't get back.
P.S. A favorite conscious media film of the filmmakers of “Awake: the Life of Yogananda.”
Touch 2012 · TV Series
A mute boy sees the hidden numbers connecting everyone on earth.
We are more woven together than we know.
P.S. Created by Tim Kring, starring Kiefer Sutherland.
The Good Place 2016 · TV Series
A woman lands in the afterlife by mistake and has to earn her place.
Moral philosophy that is genuinely, forkin' hilarious.
P.S. Do not read anything about it first. Starring Kristen Bell and Ted Danson.
The Telepathy Tapes 2024 · Podcast
Explores the profound abilities of non-speakers with autism, individuals who have long been misunderstood and underestimated.
It brings the receipts, and it is much harder to dismiss than you would expect.
P.S. Check it out! Episode 10 is killer.
“There’s no wrong place to be on [the spectrum of media you watch]. This is not a ladder to be better at the top, for the better people.”
From Episode 1
May I Be Frank? 2010 · Documentary
Frank Ferrante who is 54, weighs 290 pounds, has a lifetime of drug and alcohol abuse behind him, and has Hepatitis C decides to unflinchingly change himself all while cameras are rolling.
Watching someone actually change, in real time, is its own medicine.
P.S. It was my first Pick of the Week. youtube.com/shorts/F-QlW-P89Wk
Source 2024 · Documentary
Scientists conduct an in-depth study on the attendees of a week-long deep meditation training retreat.
Dr. Joe Dispenza's work put to the test by people trying to disprove it.
P.S. It's a good selection for Dr. Joe fans or people who are OK with a singular point of view.
Heal 2017 · Documentary
An exploration of how thoughts, beliefs and emotions shape the body's ability to heal.
The body-mind connection, made concrete and hopeful.
P.S. Produced by Adam Schomer. Premiered at the ILLUMINATE Film Festival, June 2017.
Rescued Hearts 2025 · Documentary
Exploring the miracles, mystery, and science of healing with horses.
Investigates the experiences around the increasingly popular equine therapy world.
P.S. The support of the community around this film is inspiring to see.
Fantastic Fungi 2019 · Documentary
A journey into the vast, intelligent network of yeasts, mildews, molds, and mushrooms.
Gorgeous, and it will quietly rearrange how you think about being alive.
P.S. If you think it sounds boring, it's not. Narrated by Brie Larson. OK for kids.
Winged Migration 2001 · Documentary
Migrating birds followed across continents, filmed from inside the flock.
You forget you aren’t flying with them.
P.S. OK for kids.
Common Ground 2023 · Documentary
Farmers and scientists make the case that regenerative soil can heal the planet.
How we steward our precious soil might hold the big solutions we are looking for. Hope you can dig it. Literally.
P.S. The follow-up to Kiss the Ground, with Jason Momoa, Woody Harrelson and Laura Dern.
The Big Blue 1988 · Film
Two childhood friends become rival free divers chasing the deep.
The beauty of the stillness of the ocean and of living your passion.
P.S. There are two cuts, and they end differently. Highest film rated by David R. Hawkins on his Map of Consciousness.
Mile... Mile & a Half 2013 · Documentary
A group of artists hike the John Muir Trail each capturing it from their own point of view. 219 miles in 25 days.
It will make you want to go outside and absorb the power of nature.
P.S. I co-produced this one. Audience Award Winner at Dances with Films. P.S. OK for kids.
You Can Heal Your Life 2007 · Documentary
Louise Hay's teachings on self-worth, forgiveness, and healing.
To hear, in her own words, the ideas that took the mind-body healing movement to the next level.
P.S. A good companion to her list of spiritual meanings of diseases.
Dying to Know: Ram Dass & Timothy Leary 2014 · Documentary
Icons of '60s counterculture, Harvard psychologists Timothy Leary and Ram Dass became estranged until an illness inspired their fascinating reunion.
For a behind-the-scenes look at how two radical deep thinkers approach life and death.
P.S. Narrated by Robert Redford.
Spiritual Liberation 2008 · Documentary
Take an intimate walk with Michael Bernard Beckwith, founder and director of Agape International Spiritual Center, and witness how he lives his own teachings.
Get a deep dive into "The Rev's" teachings after his debut in "The Secret."
P.S. I produced it. Oprah recommended it to her audience, and it features music by apl.de.ap of the Black Eyed Peas.
Awake: the Life of Yogananda 2014 · Documentary
The story of mystic Paramahansa Yogananda illuminates his key role in bringing yoga and meditation to the modern Western world, inspiring millions.
He is the reason there is a yoga studio down the street from your home.
P.S. A great companion to the famous book "Autobiography of a Yogi."
Mission: Joy – Finding Happiness in Troubled Times 2021 · Documentary
His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu spend five days together, mostly laughing.
Two men with every excuse to be bitter, choosing the opposite.
P.S. I did a Pick of the Week on this one. youtube.com/shorts/-EpECe8i464
“Watch intentionally and notice what happens.”
From Episode 1
In Episode 2 "What Are You Turning On? The Science of How Media Affects Us”, I cover the science and research of how media affects us.
Below is every study I referenced, organized by topic, with the key finding and a link to the source.
Save this page, share it, come back to it. This is the research that greatly influenced and improved how I watch what I watch.
STUDY
The Mobile Internet Study
75% of participants who blocked mobile internet on their smartphones for two weeks reported improved well-being. 68% reported improved mental health. Nearly 60% showed improvements in sustained attention. The attention gain was equivalent to reversing about 10 years of age-related decline.
Castelo, N., Kushlev, K., Ward, A., Esterman, M., & Reiner, P. (2025). Blocking mobile internet on smartphones improves sustained attention, mental health, and subjective well-being. PNAS Nexus, 4(2).
Read the paperTHEORY
Cultivation Theory
People who watch large quantities of television develop a worldview shaped by what they see on screen. Heavy viewers of violent content are more likely to believe the world is more hostile and dangerous than it actually is. The effect is small but consistent across decades of research, and it holds even when controlling for age, gender, education, and reading habits.
Gerbner, G., & Gross, L. (1976). Living with Television: The Violence Profile. Journal of Communication, 26(2), 172-194.
Read the paperTHEORY
Mean World Syndrome
A specific effect of cultivation: heavy consumers of violence-related media develop increased levels of fear, anxiety, pessimism, distrust, and a heightened sense of insecurity. Viewers do not need to believe what they're watching is real. The cumulative weight of violent imagery over time shifts how they perceive the world.
Gerbner, G. (1980). The "Mainstreaming" of America: Violence Profile No. 11. Journal of Communication, 30(3), 10-29. See also: Shrum, L.J. (2017). Cultivation Theory: Effects and Underlying Processes. The International Encyclopedia of Media Effects, Wiley-Blackwell.
Read the paperSTUDY
Media Exposure and the Boston Marathon Bombings
People who consumed six or more hours of daily bombing-related media coverage showed higher acute stress than people who were physically present at the bombing. Media exposure predicted stress levels more strongly than direct exposure to the event itself.
Holman, E.A., Garfin, D.R., & Silver, R.C. (2014). Media's role in broadcasting acute stress following the Boston Marathon bombings. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(1), 93-98.
Read the paperTHEORY
Narrative Transportation Theory
When people are absorbed in a story, they adopt attitudes and beliefs consistent with the narrative and engage less critically with the content. The more transported you are, the more the story reshapes how you see things.
Green, M.C., & Brock, T.C. (2000). The Role of Transportation in the Persuasiveness of Public Narratives. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(5), 701-721.
Read the abstractTHEORY
Stories Reshape Who You Are
A comprehensive review of 24 years of subsequent research showed that narrative transportation shapes not just what you believe, but who you are. Stories reshape your self-concept, increase your ability to understand others, and can reduce your critical evaluation of the content itself.
Green, M.C., & Appel, M. (2024). Narrative Transportation: How Stories Shape How We See Ourselves and the World. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, Vol. 70, 1-82.
Read the paper"Your brain doesn't know the difference between watching something happen and having it happen to you."
From Episode 2
Research
Embodied Simulation and Cinema
When you watch someone perform an action on screen, your brain's motor system activates as if you're doing it yourself. Your body responds to on-screen events as though they are real. The mechanism is automatic and unconscious.
Gallese, V., & Guerra, M. (2012). Embodying Movies: Embodied Simulation and Film Studies. Cinema: Journal of Philosophy and the Moving Image, Vol. 3, 183-210.
Read the paperBOOK
Your Brain on Movies
Commercial cinema drives the strongest brain signals of any stimulus neuroscientists have tested. Your brain evolved to understand the real world, and it largely treats what it sees on screen as if it were real. Designed, edited media produces a measurably stronger neural response than raw, unedited footage of the same reality.
Zacks, J.M. (2014). Flicker: Your Brain on Movies. Oxford University Press.
Read the bookSTUDY
Cortisol and Media Consumption
Media consumption raises cortisol under some conditions and lowers it under others. The direction depends on the content. Calm, soothing content measurably lowers cortisol. Stressful and violent content drives physiological stress up. Heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing all respond whether the threat is in the room or on screen.
Nabi, R.L., Prestin, A., & So, J. (2016). Could Watching TV Be Good for You? Health Communication, 31(11), 1345-1355.
Read the abstractRieger, D., & Bente, G. (2018). Watching down cortisol levels? Studies in Communication and Media, 7(2), 233-254.
Read the abstractMeta-Analysis
Prosocial Media: 106 Studies, 22,000+ Participants
Across two major meta-analyses spanning nearly four decades, consuming prosocial content (stories about generosity, cooperation, and people helping each other) measurably increases prosocial behaviors. People who played prosocial video games were more than twice as likely to intervene when someone was being harassed. The effect holds across TV, film, music, and video games, for both children and adults.
Mares, M.-L., & Woodard, E.H. (2005). Positive Effects of Television on Children's Social Interactions: A Meta-Analysis. Media Psychology, 7(3), 301-322.
Read the abstractCoyne, S.M., et al. (2018). A Meta-Analysis of Prosocial Media on Prosocial Behavior, Aggression, and Empathic Concern. Developmental Psychology, 54(2), 331-347.
Read the paperStudy
Emotional Contagion
Emotional states transfer from one person to another automatically and unconsciously. The mechanism is primitive and does not require face-to-face contact. People "catch" emotions from media without knowing it is happening.
Hatfield, E., Cacioppo, J.T., & Rapson, R.L. (1993). Emotional Contagion. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2(3), 96-100.
Read the paperStudy
The Facebook Experiment
Facebook manipulated the feeds of 689,003 users without their knowledge. When positive posts were reduced, users produced more negative posts. When negative posts were reduced, users posted more positively. The effect per person was small, but applied at Facebook's scale, the researchers estimated it translated to hundreds of thousands of changed emotional expressions per day.
Kramer, A.D.I., Guillory, J.E., & Hancock, J.T. (2014). Experimental evidence of massive-scale emotional contagion through social networks. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(24), 8788-8790.
Read the paperStudy
Media Prescriptions
Five minutes a day of hope-inducing video content for five days reduced perceived stress and illness symptoms compared to a control group. Only the hope group (not comedy or calming content) additionally gained approach motivation and goal attainment. Comedy felt good in the moment. Inspiration produced lasting change.
Prestin, A., & Nabi, R.L. (2020). Media prescriptions: Exploring the therapeutic effects of entertainment media. Journal of Communication, 70(2), 145-170.
Read the abstractStudy
Inspiring Videos vs. Guided Meditation
In a study of 1,000+ adults, inspiring videos were as effective as guided meditation at reducing stress, increasing empathy, and improving relationship satisfaction. The effects lasted 10 days after the study ended. Comedy and phone scrolling produced no lasting change. The mechanism: inspiring content evokes hope, which motivates persistence and counteracts stress.
Nabi, R.L., Wang, M., Ekeler, B., Walter, N., & Myrick, J.G. (2025). Media versus meditation. Psychology of Popular Media.
Read the abstractResearch
Self-Selected Inspiring Content
When participants chose their own inspiring content on TikTok, Reels, or YouTube Shorts for 3-5 minutes a day over five days, they experienced the same benefits: lasting hope, stress relief, and goal motivation at 10 days. Same device. Same amount of time. Completely different outcome depending on what they watched.
Nabi, R.L., & van der Wal, A. (2026). Self-administered media prescriptions. Psychology of Popular Media.
Read the paper"You are what you watch. The research says so. And that's not a warning. It's an invitation."
From Episode 2
What if the films, shows, and stories that actually reflect your life — your values, your questions, your inner world, your future — were easier to find?
Convos is a guided expedition into the conscious media landscape: a growing world of content built to inform, uplift, and align with what viewers actually care about and the worlds they want to embody.
Host Kia Kiso-Brennan (award-winning entertainment producer and lifelong lover of story) covers the full range. Some episodes are solo: Kia speaking directly on topics, trends, and what she's discovering along the way. Others are conversations: with fans sharing how they find content that reflects their values and what it means to them, filmmakers and creators sharing how and why they make it, and experts helping explain why it matters.
Episode by episode, we're drawing a map. And together, envisioning what this landscape could become. Whether you're a filmmaker, a creator, or someone who's always felt the absence of stories made for you... this is that conversation.
I'm building something for people who care about what they watch. YOUR ANSWERS MAKE A DIFFERENCE! I read every response personally. No obligation, no cost, opt out at any time.
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