Below, is a link to a a ten-minute clip of one of the most intriguing episodes from American Dad.
So, Stan, after garbage picking, brings home several items, and one is a television. He brings the old television down to his basement and tries to adjust the antenna on it for a clear picture. Static on all channels is what he gets, with the exception of one.
That one channel is playing a black and white show called Nighthawks Hide Away.
There’s a whole lot going on in this episode, but it’s his reaction and eventual response to trying to figure this out that’s comparable to how every spiritual experience begins.
You see something that you can’t explain, and you then have two choices: you can forget about it, and move on, or you can dive on in.
Stand went in.
Figuring out the mystery behind the television show eventually took over Stan’s life, and they show him in the basement in his robe, sitting in lotus position, unshaved, not showered, and written notes are all over the place.
That’s exactly what the hermit looks like when his going through it. Eventually Stan figures out the key, and he reads it out loud; “I Must Go In.” The key to the whole spiritual path is going within.
When Stan gets inside the television he sees his friend Tuttle, and Tuttle tells him the show keeps repeating, and every time it does, he loses more of his memory..
..which, is similar to the theory of reincarnation. We’re born with no memory that we lived before. The basis of the spiritual experience is the awakening-you see something one day that wakes you up. In your refusal to let it go, your life becomes consumed by it and eventually, you become the hermit-not showered, unshaved, and notes all around you.
They say you keep living the same life over and over again until you wake up.
The parallels between Night Hawks Hide Away, and a real life spiritual journey is what makes this episode so interesting. In my opinion of course..
Nooz Buffet 