Watch films that depict psychological conditions and mental illness. "A Beautiful Mind" looks at the effect of schizophrenia on a university professor. The film uses convincing acting and special effects to visualize schizophrenia's degradation of the human mind. "Born on the Fourth of July," which chronicles the struggles of a Vietnam War vet after returning home, depicts the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder on the victim and his family. Such movies can teach about the effects on such mental illnesses and create a vivid portrayal of how they manifest in real life.
Combine studies about dreaming and the subconscious with feature films. Since the early period of film, movies have been closely linked with the idea of the subconscious. Even the act of movie-going is dreamlike: watching a flickering projection of motion, sound, and light in a dark room seems to imitate the experience of dreaming. Early Surrealist films, such as "The Andalusian Dog" by Luis Bunuel, deal with these themes. You can discuss how different ideas about dreaming and subconscious thought are projected (literally) onto film.
Watch psychological thrillers or psychological dramas, movies that have a strong psychological element. Such films driven more by the internal lives of their characters than by plot or action. Examples include "Vertigo" by Alfred Hitchcock, in which the erratic behavior of the characters provides insight into their motives, and "Black Swan," in which the stress and tension experienced by the characters visualizes how their psychological struggles impact their life and work.
Generate character studies of characters in films. Pretend that you are analyzing a real person. Develop a psychological profile of their emotions, moods, tendencies, neuroses, and other psychological elements.
Use feature films to analyze and discuss the mysteries and complexities of human consciousness. Film's ability to manipulate linear time and space and alter the way reality is depicted provide a unique insight into questions of human consciousness. "Mulholland Drive" by David Lynch, for example, weaves together different narrative threads in puzzling order to make the audience think about reality versus perception. "Memento," a film about an amnesiac trying to piece together the recent events of his life, is another filmic puzzle where the audience, like the protagonist, is challenged to figure out whether what we're seeing is fantasy, memory, or an event happening "now."