The Star Wars films put forward the idea of a mystical cosmic 'force' and of an elite order of guardians of peace and justice called the Jedi. So is there any truth behind the fiction?
The official Star Wars site (www.starwars.com) describes the Jedi as ' a noble order of protectors unified by their belief and observance of the Force'. The whole Star Wars universe appears to be based upon the idea of the inter-relatedness of all things, an idea espoused by many of the world's spiritual traditions, including Taoism and Sufism. While it may be frivolous to push the comparison too far, it is safe to say that sometimes truth is indeed stranger than fiction.
BORN KNOWING
The fictitious Star Wars universe says that Jedi candidates are detected, identified and taken into the order as children. Throughout history a number of spiritual traditions have used mystical means to search out incarnations of important spiritual figures in their faiths. Two famous examples of this are the quests for the incarnation of the new Dalai Lama and for the Living Goddess in Nepal - both are found as children. In both cases certain tests are done to ensure a mistake hasn't been made. A less famous but similar process can be found among the Sufis, who put much stock by visions that led them to find children who would grow up to be great Sufi saints.
Those familiar with the films will know that Luke Skywalker (the main character in three of the six films), when discovered, was trained in the Jedi arts by Yoda, a great Jedi master. In much the same way, Sufis have a teaching tradition that consists of murshid (spiritual master) and mureed (disciple), who are bound together by a spiritual bond that often extends past the death of the master. It is interesting to note that Luke Skywalker still hears the voice of his initial master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, after his physical death.
THE FORCE
The 'Force' appears to be a sort of matrix or web that connects all things and confers power upon those that are able to plug into it. Reiki is a Japanese energy healing practice in which people can open themselves up to the 'Force' (or chi, cosmic energy) in order to heal themselves or others. Secret symbols are used that act as conductors for the manipulation of this energy and it is extremely powerful. Good Reiki teachers give their students 'atunements' that allow the energy to flow properly through them. It is actually the energy that comes through the practitioner that allows the healing to occur and not the healer himself. The healer is left feeling refreshed as well as the person being healed because the energy is coming through them and the energy is intelligent enough to find any problem areas in both the person receiving healing and the healer.
One of the most famous aspects of the 'Force' in the film is that Jedi knights and masters can 'feel' disturbances in the force and the presence of other Jedi nearby. We asked a Daoist healer, the Barefoot Doctor, if he can sense when big events are about happen in the world. 'Yes, I think all animals, including humans, can feel when something big's about to go off - you feel it through the soles of your feet, if your mind's quiet enough. Doing tai chi every day, as I do, sensitises you to the Force/Tao - it becomes your friend just like in Star Wars.'
Tai Chi is also about working with the energy of the universe and channelling it into healing. All of these energy practices are essentially looking to attain balance, whether it is in the environment or in the living organism. There is an emphasis on stilling the mind in order to receive clear information about what is happening in the world around you.
PSYCHIC VISIONS
In Episode II, Anakin Skywalker has psychic dreams and visions in which he sees the fate of his mother. This is as a result of his training as a Jedi.
Psychics use methods such as divination tools and psychometry (picking up psychic impressions from objects) to enhance their psychic skills. However it is possible to be born with these skills and then learn to develop them in a more ordered way. Gordon Smith is a Scottish barber who has now had fame thrust upon him by virtue of his natural ability to commune with spirit. Although Smith was born with this innate talent, he underwent rigorous training within a strict spiritualist development circle before he was allowed to act as a medium for anyone.
Some psychics are able to pick up information simply from being with a person. Sahar Huneidi uses a combination of intuition and the tarot to discover as much as she can about her clients. The remarkable thing about her though is that questions around something she has seen in the cards will yield exact answers that apply to you alone. A real life Jedi Knight if ever there was one!
MARTIAL ARTS
One of the most important motifs from the Star Wars films is that of the Jedi being fabulous at martial arts with their light sabres drawn. Visually it is stunning and one would imagine could only be in the realm of elaborate faked stunts. However, this is not the case as Fourth Dan International Taekwon-Do instructor and examiner, Mark Young, told Prediction. 'Martial arts use a lot of the techniques that Star Wars seems to be about, especially when you look at the breaking aspect of them. You need discipline to break things with your body alone, you need to train your body as an athlete and you need to be very centred - connected to the 'Force' within, if you like. Your physical body won't take you there. You have to believe inside that you can do it and you have to combine that belief with technique.
'When you go to break bricks or pieces of wood, you are actually concentrating on a point beyond the object in front of you so you go through it.'
Young believes there is also a strong spiritual aspect to marital arts that finds an echo in the Hollywood blockbusters.
'I trained this one man and when he started he was quite a geezer, a streetfighter, but the further he progressed in his training, the more placid he became. He knew what he could do to another human being, using his body alone. That knowledge completely chills you out. Even a child of two can kick and cause a bit of harm so you can imagine the degree of damage a trained professional could inflict. That brings everything into perspective and you don't lose your rag so quickly. It does make you more spiritually aware and relaxed within yourself.'
Hollywood appears to have picked up upon this alluring mix of great power and spiritual restraint in informing the roles in films like Star Wars and the Karate Kid. In fact, practitioners of the martial art Kendo have so much visual similarity with Jedi knights that one wonders if George Lucas used them as an inspiration. Kendo uses sticks in much the same way that light sabres are used.
HYPNOSIS
Mesmerism is a famous attribute of the Jedi and the word can be traced back to the 18th century doctor and theologian Franz Anton Mesmer. Mesmer believed that hypnosis was possible due to the gravitational forces of planetary bodies acting upon human beings. He was a firm believer in astrology and believed hypnosis worked for healing in a similar way. This is almost identical to the belief that Jedi manipulate the force to hypnotise people and get them to do what they want. Given that the Force is seen as a cosmic force, the gravitational pull of planets would of course be particularly relevant.
COMING TO A STREET NEAR YOU
So do real life Jedi knights really exist? Well, yes and no. Star Wars, irrespective of how anoraky fans such as myself get, is still just a sci-fi fantasy. However, it can be argued that the powers that the Jedi are supposed to possess have been exhibited by 'ordinary' human beings throughout history. Science fiction does not take much time to become science fact because both start in the imaginations of real life human beings. For some it is just a matter of time before we evolve sufficiently to exhibit physical, mental and spiritual abilities beyond our current imaginings.There has recently been much speculation about children that are being born with greater intuitive powers and creativity (so-called Crystal or Indigo children) and it remains to be seen whether these children will grow up to become real life Jedi knights. The question is: 'who will be their Yoda?' |
