Simon

Simon was selected because he was a psychology professor who had been abandoned at birth, making him psychologically vulnerable. He was already attempting his own personal experiment using an isolation tank, which the scientists recognized as an opportunity to manipulate him. His background made him susceptible to their conditioning and influential enough to spark national discussion.

Earlier scenes establish Simon's isolation tank experiments as his personal obsession, making him the perfect target.

The scientists submerged Simon in an isolation tank for an extended period until he emerged in a weakened mental state. While in this altered state, they planted hypnotic suggestions that his mother was an alien spaceship and that he was manufactured rather than born naturally. These suggestions were designed to activate when his ramblings were broadcast nationwide.

The initial setup shows the isolation tank as the primary tool for breaking down Simon's identity.

After the scientists broadcast Simon's ramblings through national channels, his unusual musings about evolution and alien origins sparked public fascination. His provocative ideas about reforming American culture turned him into a celebrity figure almost overnight, with the institute initially viewing his broadcasts as a way to create a national mood swing.

The scientists explicitly planned to use Simon's broadcasts to provoke mass hysteria and shift public opinion.

The institute decided to eliminate Simon because his influence had grown beyond their control. As he became a celebrity making proposals to reform American culture, they viewed him as too dangerous to keep alive. The shift from manipulation to elimination marked a major turning point in the film.

The scientists' concern grows visibly as Simon's proposals gain public attention.

When the institute summoned the military to kill Simon, his girlfriend Lisa intervened and helped him escape. She spirited him away from the execution point, and the couple went on the run together to evade both the military and the institute's continued pursuit.

Lisa's concern for Simon is established early, making her rescue action believable.

While fleeing, Simon and Lisa discovered a roadside commune that worshiped a television set, calling it the 'magic box.' The founder was a former ABC employee who drove a truck equipped with a high-powered TV transmitter. This commune amplified Simon's hijacked signals, allowing his broadcasts to reach a wider audience.

The film's satirical tone hints at media worship as a commentary on American culture.

Lisa revealed to Simon that she was pregnant with their child. This personal, undeniable evidence of his human biology shattered his conditioned belief that he was an alien being manufactured rather than born. The pregnancy revelation became the emotional turning point that restored his identity.

Lisa's growing concern about Simon's alien belief builds before this revelation.

Dr. Becker, the institute's head, blamed a release of gas that once lowered IQs on Simon's actions. This gas caused the four remaining scientists to regress into childish behavior. The gas plot was part of the institute's scheme to discredit Simon and justify their rocket plan to eliminate him.

The institute consistently uses fabricated justifications to control the narrative around Simon.

When the institute and military devised a rocket plan to send Simon 'home,' Simon overpowered Dr. Becker during a tense struggle. He strapped Becker into the rocket seat and escaped in a NASA uniform while Becker was launched into space. This reversal gave Simon control over his own fate.

The rocket plan's intent becomes clear when Becker and the military commander arrange the launch.

A radio broadcast revealed that Simon had won the Nobel Peace Prize for his broadcasts' odd but well-meaning reforms to American culture. His proposals included rethinking public restrooms and towel usage. The prize represented international recognition of his controversial ideas, though it added to the lingering media fascination with his story.

Simon's proposals during his celebrity phase planted the seeds for this unexpected recognition.

The Institute for Advanced Concepts had an unlimited budget and a specific goal: to fabricate national hysterias for unknown purposes. The five scientists hatched a plan to trick a man into believing he was extraterrestrial, then broadcast his ramblings to spark a nationwide mood swing and offer provocative ideas for reforming American culture.

The institute's true motivations remain ambiguous throughout the film, adding to its satirical nature.

Doris was the institute's talking computer tasked with conducting a nationwide search to find the perfect subject for the brainwashing experiment. She processed data to identify someone with the right combination of vulnerability and potential influence, ultimately selecting Simon Mendelssohn as the ideal candidate.

Doris appears early as the search mechanism that identifies Simon.

While Simon was in the weakened mental state from the isolation tank, the scientists planted hypnotic suggestions that his mother was an alien spaceship and that he was manufactured rather than born naturally. These false memories were the core of the brainwashing, designed to convince him he was not human.

The implanting happens during Simon's vulnerable state after the isolation tank.

Simon and Lisa settled in Canada with their child, choosing a quiet life away from American media pursuit. Despite achieving temporary peace, the world kept asking questions about Simon, and the unexpected Nobel Peace Prize announcement suggested his story would continue generating public interest.

The escape from the rocket sets up their ability to start over.