One with the Force

Book excerpt: Explores how popular religions and philosophies have influenced and are manifested in the world of Star Wars. You have watched Luke Skywalker destroy the Death Star in A New Hope, seen Yoda merge with the Force in Return of the Jedi, and heard Rey contact the Jedi of the past in The Rise of Skywalker. But did you know that the Star Wars films contain parallels to religions and philosophies from around the world—from Christianity to Buddhism, and from Native American teachings to the Vedic knowledge of ancient India? In One with the Force: 18 Universal Truths in Star Wars, Krista Noble explores these parallels. She discusses the Force, collective consciousness, enlightenment, and immortality, revealing that the Star Wars films have a universal perspective on life. Readers will learn about the connections between these films and the Vedic tradition, Buddhism, Taoism, Sikhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Native American/First Nations beliefs. They will see that the philosophy of the Jedi doesn’t only apply “in a galaxy far, far away”; it is also highly relevant to everyday living. Like Luke Skywalker, we should all search our feelings to discover the deepest truths of life, pursue our individual destinies, and strive to reach our full potential as human beings. In these ways, we can embody the wisdom of the Jedi.