Yes, I've taken parts of real movies into my reflection meditations. I've taken parts of what I read in a newspaper. I've taken stories like what we put on the bulletin board. The man coming into his house with his kids dead. I've tried to see that in my mind. I've tried to understand what happened in that story, what was going on. Some particular movie scenes are extremely compassionate. People are getting killed. People are wallowing in self-pity, this or that. So you can take one and build on it in your reflection. Take from a newspaper article. Take from a TV show, or a movie. Take from real life in the same way.
One of the saddest sights I had was before I was a real meditator and I did not understand it. I did not understand the sight at all. But years and years later, I used it in my meditation. When I reflect upon it, I can use it from time to time. I was visiting my grandmother in a nursing home. I'm a young man, I'm only in my early twenties and it's awkward. I wasn't aware of what really happens in nursing homes. So I was visiting my grandmother in this retirement home, and it feels uncomfortable. For young people, retirement homes are not a great place to hang out. Old people sick, old people injured, walking around on crutches and senile people and so on.
When I was leaving, I chanced to look back and there's a man sitting near the entrance, a very old man, whatever he was 80, 90 years old, in a little chair, sitting in the entrance. He was doing little waves to whoever else walked by. What do we know about this man, now being a meditator? He's lost his ability to be a normal person, he's wanting a little bit of attention, a little bit of fame. He wants to connect with other human beings. He's lonely. His children, his grandchildren, maybe they never come. He sits near the door so he can always see all the other visitors and all he wants to do is kind of wave and have you wave back to him. So there's a picture in my mind I can use as a type of movie reflection that tells a big story.
It is important not get lost in the story but keep on the relevant subject. Basically the same as not getting lost in any other type of meditation. As soon as you know your lost, note it and come back. It's as simple as that. Reflection meditation often lends itself to getting lost in a story. As soon as you know you're lost, just note it and come back. It's not something we want to get worried about.