History Main / GhostInTheMachine

Cartesian philosophy (flanderised by the pop culture -- consult Wiki/TheOtherWiki) includes a notion that there is, in effect, a little creature [[HappyPlace inside your head.]] It sits on your [[PinealWeirdness pineal gland]] and works the controls that make your robot-like body move around, much like the pilot of a MobileSuitHuman. The little thing is the "real you", and it's a much deeper and more interesting creature than [[MeatPuppet the physical "you"]] everyone else gets to see, mostly because the human body has lousy User Interface design. The term was actually coined as a criticism of Cartesianism by the British philosopher Gilbert Ryle.

* In Music/PoetsOfTheFall's "[[https://youtu.be/xfvtPTvuFTA Drama for Life]]," a "prolific designer" that personifies the singer's unrestrained creativity is [[MissionControlIsOffItsMeds off-leash]], alternately depicted as a madman or rampaging animal with which the singer is in conflict.

* ''Webcomic/YumisCells'' are little people that live in her brain and embody several aspects of her personality, mental functions, and responsibilities. To name just a few, Rational and Emotional Cell embody the conflict of logic versus emotions, Hunger Cell is Yumi's desire to eat ([[BigEater and it's the largest Cell]]), Naughty Cell is responsible for Yumi's dirty thoughts, and Love Cell is the Prime Cell who can overpower any other Cell with ThePowerOfLove. Some Cells, like Writer Cell, have died due to disuse. Other characters have different Prime Cells depending on their personalities, like Babi's Detective Cell indicating that he's very observant.

* In a segment of Creator/WoodyAllen's ''Film/EverythingYouAlwaysWantedToKnowAbout SexButWereAfraidToAsk'' (1972), Burt Reynolds plays the master controller of an unseen man's body, while Woody plays a sperm.

* Several times in ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'', Calvin has had little mini-Calvins operating his body. In [one case](https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1995/05/28) they watch movies which Calvin perceives as dreams, and [another](https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1992/08/16) dramatizes his falling down the stairs.

Not to be confused with "[[DeusExMachina god from the machine]]", ''Franchise/GhostInTheShell'', the [[Music/GhostInTheMachine album]] of the same name by Music/ThePolice, the 1993 horror film named after the Police album (a.k.a. ''Deadly Terror''), an obscure 2003 graphic novel, the 9th arc of [[WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall Atop the Fourth Wall]], the [[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers Transformers]] episode, the ''{{Series/Bones}}'' episode, or Ghost of the Robot, ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' alum Creator/JamesMarsters' band.

* A commercial for the ''Sega Saturn'' featured the effects of playing said system. These effects were shown via a Ghost in the Machine. Not only the brain, but the eyes, ears, nervous system, etc. This commercial has been placed as indirect ''Nightmare Fuel'' due to the ending, which displayed the person's bowels literally malfunctioning from playing the Sega Saturn too much.

* In ''Film/SpyKids3DGameOver'', the Toymaker creates three virtual representations of his ghosts; a hippy, a doctor and a soldier. Likely meant to represent the FreudianTrio.

* In ''Film/SpyKids3DGameOver'', the Toymaker creates three virtual representations of his ghosts; a hippy, a doctor and a soldier.

* ''WesternAnimation/TucaAndBertie'': In "The Open House", we see the inside of Bertie's brain as she examines Pastry Pete, which contains two [[SuperDeformed miniature versions]] of Bertie herself pacing around and seeing the world through Bertie's eyeballs.

Not to be confused with "[[DeusExMachina god from the machine]]", ''Franchise/GhostInTheShell'', the album of the same name by Music/ThePolice, the 1993 horror film named after the Police album (a.k.a. ''Deadly Terror''), an obscure 2003 graphic novel, the 9th arc of [[WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall Atop the Fourth Wall]], the [[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers Transformers]] episode, the ''{{Series/Bones}}'' episode, or Ghost of the Robot, ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' alum Creator/JamesMarsters' band.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'' episode "It's a No-Brainer", Buster's and Brain's brains are represented as gray blobby figures with arms and legs sitting on an office chair inside a room in their skulls.

* InnerMonologue is, essentially, an expression of the character's "inner self" speaking about his actions as an observer

** ** Some cases are fully functional, with each "little person" acting autonomously, allowing the "whole person" to multitask several complicated activities at once with little or no conscious decision-making.

* Sayo of ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' is both a figurative AND literal example. For starters, she is an ''actual ghost'' possessing a tiny doll. This tiny doll pilots a HumongousMecha, which is to say, a [[MobileSuitHuman normal sized robot]]. Built to look like her.

* In an early chapter of ''Manga/{{Eyeshield 21}}'', Sena tries to remember how scoring extra points after a touch-down works, which is represented by an ImagineSpot of Sena running around a library representing his memory before finally asking the Devil Bats' mascot about it. Sena even thinks to himself afterward "I've got quite a vivid imagination."

* ''WebComic/AxisPowersHetalia'': This happens to Germany after hugging Italy in "Buon San Valentino" (Part 2). And in Germany's head, there are army men (complete with a General) sorting files... in which they don't know where to store any of those heart-shaped files containing feeling of romance.

->''(phone rings)''\\

'''Familiar Voice:''' Jay! This is your inner child! I escaped and I just ''robbed'' a liquor store! ''(sirens)'' Gotta go!

** In "Diatribe of a Mad Housewife", in what is probably an ActorAllusion to ''Series/HermansHead'', Lisa is shown to have several little Lisas in her brain representing different aspects of her personality. There is a wild and crazy Lisa locked in a cage, and is implied that she won't be let out until Lisa turns 16.

Not to be confused with ''Franchise/GhostInTheShell'', the album of the same name by Music/ThePolice, the 1993 horror film named after the Police album (a.k.a. ''Deadly Terror''), an obscure 2003 graphic novel, the 9th arc of [[WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall Atop the Fourth Wall]], the [[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers Transformers]] episode, the ''{{Series/Bones}}'' episode, or Ghost of the Robot, ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' alum Creator/JamesMarsters' band.

* The final villain in ''[[VideoGame/SamAndMaxFreelancePolice Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse]]'' is revealed to be one of these -- specifically, Max's super-ego, plotting to destroy both of them and a huge part of New York in order to save both others and himself from having to put up with Max.

* In a segment of Creator/WoodyAllen's ''Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask)'' (1972), Burt Reynolds plays the master controller of an unseen man's body, while Woody plays a sperm.
* Parodied in ''Film/MenInBlack'', where the giant guy played by Carel Struycken was the character whose body temperature rose after death and the gentle jeweler played by Mike Nussbaum was the one with the tiny alien in his head. And they were both androids controlled by tiny aliens.
* A big part of the premise behind ''Film/{{eXistenZ}}''.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj1meOmpezs These]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsnnU3fJTWg two]] UsefulNotes/SuperBowl LIV[[note]]54 in roman numerals[[/note]] Bud Light Seltzer ads featuring Music/PostMalone controlled internally by a crew of tiny people. Partially mixes this with AnthropomorphizedAnatomy.

* Referenced in the ''Disney/BigHero6'' episode of ''WebVideo/MidnightScreenings'':

* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/JimmyTwoShoes'' has two racing bugs climbing into the brains of [[IdiotHero Jimmy]] and [[FatIdiot Beezy]] and finding little one-eyed blobs in the driver's seat. Jimmy's happily gives up his post when requested, while Beezy's is asleep on duty.

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]

[[folder:Myths & Religion]]