Saga Has Star Wars influenced your spiritual practice or conception of God?

I’ve been into theology lately and was curious. I’m not sure what I believe. But I wonder if the films might have made me more predisposed to the idea of an impersonal God than I would have been otherwise. It’s hard to know!

 

I don't think Star Wars has influenced my conception of God in a major way. Certainly not the way C. S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien have. I find their writings on myth more compelling than Joseph Campbell's.

It has had an impact on my spiritual practice however. One of the greatest pieces of wisdom I learned from Star Wars is that the good path is a path of patience, discipline, and hard work, while taking short cuts, the "quick and easy" path, is usually the wrong path. That has applications for so many areas of life, it's unbelievable. There have certainly been other bits of wisdom I've picked up from Star Wars, but that's the one that immediately springs to mind.

 

Lucas’ insight into non-attachment and selfless love help very very much with bad breakups, I’ll tell you that firsthand. Simple but very powerful lessons. Anakin’s arc in general teaches you a lot.

I’ve also adopted a Qui-Gon-style outlook on life the last couple of years, subconsciously: “Feel, don’t think. Trust your instincts.” “Not at the expense of the present... Be mindful of the living force.” I have been much happier, truer to myself, and more productive in my interests as a result.

True as hell life lessons with an appealing presentation, it’s why they’re the greatest movies of all time.

 

Qui-Gon's words "Your focus determines your reality" have also been ringing in my ears in my recent attempts to limit my social media usage in favour of healthier and more fulfilling activities.

 

Can't believe I forgot that one, ahaha.

 

i don't think so. i mean i suppose i like Yoda's line 'feel the force around you' to say you don't need to be in any one place to feel spiritual. Others too of course. I think the great lines have roots in religions that i've heard in other places . if it has influenced me it's been subconscious.

 

Without a doubt, it's had a profound impact on me. I've always found the Jedi philosophy very appealing. It rings true. Your focus does determine your reality, selfless love is the key to a good life, non-attachment is liberating, we are luminous beings, there is no try etc etc.
I guess I always had this approach to life in me on some level, but Star Wars has been very helpful in articulating these basic tenets and demonstrating their importance.

As most of us know, this is all deeply rooted in Buddhist thinking. I just started doing a bit of research into Buddhism and you can link virtually everything there to the Jedi. If you want to understand the Jedi better, that's where you'll find your answers.

So basically, Star Wars has shown me the door to the truth. I don't know if I'm a Buddhist or if I will be, but I'm definitely in agreement with that line of thought for the most part.

I also find George's concept of the Whills intriguing. With them as the puppet masters of the universe, he's basically saying "There is an all-knowing god in control of everything, but probably not the way you imagined". He's been quoted as saying that we all have a destiny but that we have to choose whether or not to follow it. Now, it seems clear that in Star Wars terms, our destiny is what the Whills want us to do; what they have planned for us.

This is an intriguing idea, because... it just might be true, you know?

 

Not in any profound way, because I'm not particularly spiritual. That said, both "Do, or do not. There is no try" and "Your focus determines your reality" do resonate with me on some level. I also enjoy the diversity of Star Wars, and the way different kinds of sentient beings are able to work together for the common good, and that diversity is greater on the good side than on the bad.

 

I never really engaged with Star Wars on that level. The SF action first drew my attention, the worldbuilding (especially the old EU) kept it, and the mood and tone (especially the PT) also factored in. But I've never found the spiritual side of Star Wars particularly captivating.

 

I always saw the spiritual aspect of Star Wars as the nuts & bolts, the real meat of the story, the captivating essence. I see the world building as icing on the cake, and the action as the cherry on top. (And even with those, I look at, and listen to ♫, the spiritual aspect behind it).

To echo @jendy and @Lulu Mars, it inspired me to look into Buddhism more than I might have otherwise.
Speaking of which, you don't have to be a Buddhist if you're interested in Buddhist teachings. As the Dalai Lama says, "Don't try to use what you learn from Buddhism to become a Buddhist, use it to become a better whatever you already are."

But even as a kid, RotJ especially inspired me to do the right thing, and see the good in others, regardless of religious views.

 

Great thread. I have to echo what @Lulu Mars said.

I recently stumbled upon something that Mellody Hobson, George Lucas' wife, shared about having to let go, and it's a sweet read:

Source

I'm not the most spiritual or religious person, but I can't help but be drawn to the Buddhist philosophies when I am in the company of those fixated by possessions and a feeling of never being fulfilled. That life is not enough. And that if I just had this or that, then I'd be happy. I rebuke that. And Star Wars has definitely given me some tools to help articulate that in some way, by giving me examples of what to look out for.

 

Yoda's teachings in ESB were pretty profound to me as a kid.

 

To a certain extent, quite a bit yes, if that makes any sense. The one quote from Yoda in ESB always sticks with me "You must unlearn, what you have learnt"

 

LOL

'as a kid'



For me, nope.

 

Honestly, I'm an atheist and very much into science as an explanation for life and being but when 'Star Wars' delved into the midichlorians I hate it. Maybe I like it best as a fictional escape

 

Admittedly yes it has. I’m not sure what I believe but there were a lot of influential messages for me in these films.

 

I was never really religious or spiritual, not that I know of. When I first saw SW I was 12..... so naturally I was much more into blasters, star destroyers, X-Wings, lightsabers, space battles etc. To be honest I wasn't really that impressed by Obi Wan's Jedi philosophy. Even now as an adult, their philosophy never attracted me very much.
"Spiritually" I consider myself agnostic. But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy SW with all its spirituality, high fantasy like LOTR or more spiritual sci-fi like Dune. I enjoy "hard" sci-fi without spirituality like 2001, Blade Runner, Alien or Terminator as well.
So has SW changed me in a "religious" way? No, not at all! I'd more enjoy to be (OT!!!!) Han than Yoda for example.

 

Interesting question. It hasn't changed my perception whatsoever.

 

No.It's escapism.