Are they lost forever?

I was just thinking about the Jedi who were killed during Order 66 and before. Did their souls just meld in with the force, or are they in some type of force "purgatory" where they can meditate, and ponder over their errors until they can retain their physical identity?
Your thoughts?

 

The movies tell us that only Ben, Yoda, Anakin and Qui-Gon (To a degree) were the only ones able to retain their identity.

 

I think Yoda puts it best when he says, "Rejoice for those who transform into the Force."

 

Which is why the EU is so great!

 

"one who has returned from the netherworld of the Force" is an interesting phrase. Perhaps those four's uniqueness is their ability to interact with the material world.

Anyway, bets on how long it takes for Anakin's angst about Padme not being there to drive Ben and Yoda crazy?

 

Well I think the general census is clear. Everyone usually transforms back into The Force (see Yoda in Ep. III), however Qui-Gon, Yoda, Anakin and Ben were the exceptions. Arguably, it was Qui-Gon's rebellious and curious behavior that led him to discover different things about The Force and teach the others this new found ability.

Did I miss anything?

 

I think that's pretty much it. I'd mention something about the Whills, but that's complicated.

 

I think when Yoda said "Rejoice for those around you who become one with the force" it was the equivilent of "They are going to heaven to be in a happier place." Basically, Yoda didn't know what happened to people after they die. Enter Qui-Gon. Yoda is like "Holy shiznit! You can transform yourself into the force! That's AWESOME!" Prior to that I think that Transforming into the force was a belief like many on Earth believe in heaven. It's not proven that it happens, but they have faith that it does.

Carnage

 

I feel that they are just as much themselves within the force but have no ability nor will to comunicate with those still living. Those who were enlightened to the path as well as made a living connection with Luke are showcased in spectral form. But really I think this has more to do with Luke being attuned to them than them wanting to be heard. It's no surprise that it was Yoda who first caught a glimpse of Qui Gon reaching out through the force. No one else had the years of experience to find that level of attunement. Once the path had been revealed, Yoda and Obi Wan easily followed after 20 plus years of reflection on the aspect. It's likely the 20 years of study that allowed them to vannish; wheras Qui Gon and Anakin simply die and emerge later.

 

i thought "netherworld" was some sort of vague afterlife.-
I don't think ghoasts had to be explained. Obi-wan comes back as a ghoast so what? Lots of people see ghoasts -Isn't the myth about ghoasts that they come back to earth because they have unfinished bussiness and can't go on to the afterlife untill they fix everything.

The ghoast explaination annoys me more than midicholorians.

 

Well movie-wise, all the other Jedi had not been conceptualized yet, so we don't see them in the OT. Story-wise, I guess you can say that only Ben, Yoda, and Anakin really touched Luke's life, so only they were the ones who we got to see in ghost-form.

 

If all the Jedi were able to materialize, or at least communicate within the physical world, why didn't they? Only Qui-Gon communicated with Yoda, no one else did. After 1,000 or so years of having a Jedi Order, not one would communicate with someone?

From a movies' perspective, we see Qui-Gon, as persumably, the first Jedi to make contact with Yoda. Yoda does indeed looked surprised and confused at first about this. Which tells us that this has not happened before.

 

With,506 I agree. I always had the impression that the way of the Force was for it create life, bind it together, and then at the end of the life, welcome it back. However, Qui-Gon discovered how he could join the Force and yet retain his identity. I always had the impression that he was the first to have ever done so and that he taught Obi-Wan and Yoda...who in turn taught Anakin.