True You

The 'True You' episode of 'Invisibilia' opens with a historical mystery about locusts, creatures known for their destructive swarms, which were eventually discovered to be grasshoppers transformed under stress. This serves as an allegory for the human capacity to change dramatically in different contexts. The episode delves into the notion of a fixed versus a fluid self, challenging the idea that we have a singular, unchanging identity. Lisa Feldman Barrett, a psychology professor, suggests that our attachment to a core identity is so deep that when confronted with new self-concepts, we often resist or ignore them, despite evidence that our behaviors and selves are context-dependent.

The episode presents two stories that explore how individuals react when they encounter new concepts of themselves. The first story features Tanya Marquardt, who, after a traumatic childhood, discovers a surprisingly joyful and innocent voice within herself through sleep-talking recordings. This voice, which she names 'X', seems to embody a carefree and untraumatized part of her. Tanya embarks on a quest to understand X, using hypnosis and dream incubation. Ultimately, she realizes that dreaming itself may serve as a form of emotional healing, and she begins to embrace X's presence in her waking life, finding ways to integrate this newfound joy and innocence.

The second story is about Chad, a reserved and polite business school professor who leads a double life as the creator of a popular, irreverent online comic under the pseudonym 'Lord Birthday.' Chad's secret artistic identity allows him to express thoughts and feelings he would never normally articulate. However, when a book deal threatens to expose his alter ego, Chad grapples with the fear that merging his two identities could silence the bold voice of Lord Birthday. Despite this, he grows tired of the secrecy and contemplates revealing his full name, Chad Murphy, and his profession, thus risking the loss of Lord Birthday's unfiltered creativity.