Well I couldn’t very well let the biggest film this year pass by without mentioning it on here could I? Good stories often mirror true life events or the characters of people known to the author, but could the Star Wars universe mirror some of the stranger aspects of our own world?

Star Wars The Force Awakens

Yes, Star Wars, The Force Awakens has hit the big screen this week amongst an abundance of hype. This is the long awaited seventh film in the franchise and as a bit of a fan myself, I can’t wait to see it. It’s set forty years after Return of the Jedi (I believe) and brings with it the universe that many of us Geeks grew up with. However the Star Wars universe and more importantly The Force maybe something a little closer to home than many of us realise. Granted we’re not likely to head out into space in the Millenium Falcon or start a Light Saber fight with our father (spoiler alert), but there are a few aspects of the functional Force which have a resonance in our own real world today.

Star Wars Force Powers

The Star Wars franchise has given us a good long look at the potential abilities of the Jedi and Sith over the years. Now, I am no expert that’s for sure, just an armchair fan really. However, its very hard to dismiss the similarities in the powers which the Force can give you in relation to some of the strange abilities documented in the paranormal world. Of course Lucas probably knew that when he wrote it.

The films often shows instances where the characters have the ability to move objects with their mind, simply thinking a Light Saber to their hand to continue with the battle, and usually just in the nick of time too. In the paranormal world this kind of ability is usually documented as telekinesis, but in our slightly less exciting real world the movements are less dramatic. Well, at least according to science and the documented events available. There have been a few cases documented that argue that a few gifted people can do this and have shown their ability on film, but alas nothing as cool as a Light Saber or gun flying across a room. However science has caught up in order to close the gap a little and these days it is possible to buy toy helicopters that can be controlled by your mind using a little device that reads your brain waves. Not quite the Force, but we are getting there.

There are of course other abilities which pop up in the films that mirror more recognised paranormal tendencies. A classic one is the Jedi mind trick, could this have a similar paranormal explanation? Interestingly enough, possibly so. And more remarkably it could be an answer shrouded in controversy, with CIA Black Book operations and military research into ‘Psychic Spies’. However that’s a whole other post by itself I think! Basically back in the 70’s I believe the CIA or at least the US Military began an operation to understand more about psychic phenomena with the hope to develop some new ways of spying I guess. They weren’t alone though, the Russians and the British were doing their bit too. This research predominantly became known as Remote Viewing, which is the ability to view target locations and describe them from a remote location without visiting them. It’s also possible that during this time other psychic abilities were researched including mind control.

Star Wars & The Jedi Tradition

The Jedi in Star Wars also display some other aspects of modern Spiritualism in the films like meditation, trust beyond the normal senses and an understanding of something beyond our normal experience which governs all we know. In fact the Jedi seem to be quite a Spiritual bunch of people really helping to bring peace to the Galaxy, albeit through war and some pretty cool Light Saber fights too.

However topping the list in the films similarities to the paranormal is the presence of Ghosts or even Spiritual Guides. Luke Skywalker is lucky enough to have access to Yoda, Obi Wan and his father after they pass. The three provide him with guidance, advice and a general push in the right direction from the afterlife. Also, proving the strength of the Force too, even when your physical form has gone the Force brings you back. Before we delve deep into the philosophical aspects of the Force, lets leave it there. I hope you enjoy the new film if you go and see it. If not and you wish to know more about the paranormal,have a browse of my other posts here, and stay connected via my Facebook page (don’t forget to like it) or follow me on Twitter.