by Royce Radcliffe

Created on: August 12, 2008

I find it humorous that Star Wars is thought of as a science fiction film when the most resonant part of its world is anything but scientific. The Force is certainly a compelling idea and the notion of mastering or tapping into some sort of invisible superpower that permeates all things is an almost perfection articulation in story form of an unconscious yearning that exists in all people. From a certain point of view you can call the series a spiritual one.

God obviously is, if not real, then a powerful earthly concept that you see in almost every major religion. One Supreme Being, whatever the name, rules the entire universe. This could obviously be a personification of exactly what The Force is. But then a difference comes up.

The Force seems to have no personality or will of its own. Obviously any sort of Supreme Being is going to have a personality and aforceful one at that. This to me seems to eb an unreconcialiable difference between the philosophy espoused by the Jedi in Star Wars and the religions like Islam and Christianity.

Hindus are much closer, in that they consider eveyr person a diety. But they also have other Gods they believe in... Still, of the major religions this might be the closest to the Jedi way of thinking.

Buddhism? Well, by meditating and letting go of earthly longing you are supposed to acheive Nirvana. Even though it is not encouraged one of the effects of this rare accomplishment would eb the development of supernatural abilities. In practical terms this religion fits the training and development of power of the Jedi but not its purpose, for the Jedi trains knowing he will need these supernatural abilities while the Buddhist meditates on the desire for nothing and the powers just manifest to provide greater temptation away fromhis path!

Polar opposites.

Those who practice Tai Chi Chuan believe in something called chi. Now chi is The Force exactly.There is no other way around it and here we arrive at our answer. The Force finds its spiritual reflection most perfectly in any spiritual belief system (there are quite a few) that believe in the concept of chi.

Like The Force, chi is said to permeate all things. It even flows through us. There are supposedly ways to master it and yes, at its greatest pitch chi can grant astyonishing abilities to those who master it. Google it online if interested in trying to master The Force by another name yourself.

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