How to Use & Master the Force in Real Life (told by Lucas)

How to use the Force in real life

In the Star Wars universe, using the Force isn’t something just anyone can do.

The Force is an energy field generated by all life that binds the galaxy together, and only those who are “Force-sensitive” can tap into this energy field and use it to perform extraordinary feats.

This sensitivity is typically an innate trait, often hereditary, linked to the presence of midi-chlorians in an individual’s cells.

Midi-chlorians are microscopic life forms that exist symbiotically within all living cells in the Star Wars universe. As mentioned in the prequel trilogy, specifically “The Phantom Menace”, the more midi-chlorians a being has, the more potential they have to use the Force.

 Anakin Skywalker, who eventually becomes Darth Vader, has an exceptionally high midi-chlorian count, higher even than Yoda, one of the most powerful Jedi Masters.

However, while having a high midi-chlorian count may mean a person has the potential to use the Force, it doesn’t guarantee they’ll be able to use it effectively or control it.

To do so, proper training is typically required. In the Star Wars lore, individuals discovered to have Force-sensitivity are often taken to be trained as Jedi or Sith, depending on who discovers them. These Force-users are then taught to meditate and concentrate, learning to feel the Force and control its power.

In the Star Wars universe, training to harness the Force is rigorous and extensive, often beginning in early childhood and stretching across many years. Here are some of the key techniques and methods used in this training:

1. Meditation: This is one of the most essential practices for those training in the Force. Through meditation, students learn to quiet their minds, focus their thoughts, and tap into the energy field of the Force. This helps them sense the world around them more acutely and understand the interconnectedness of all things.
2. Lightsaber Training: This is another fundamental aspect of Force training, especially for Jedi. The lightsaber is more than a weapon; it’s a tool through which students learn to extend their awareness and control of the Force. Since lightsabers are not possible in real life, one can use substitutes such as martial arts training with various weapons such as staffs or nun-chuks.
3. Force Powers Training: Force-sensitive individuals learn to manifest various Force abilities such as telekinesis (moving objects), mind control (Jedi Mind Trick), and Force visions (seeing the future or far-off events). This requires significant concentration, practice, and a deep understanding of the Force.
4. Physical Training: In addition to mental and spiritual preparation, physical training plays a crucial role. This includes agility drills, endurance exercises, and strength training. Being in peak physical condition allows Force-users to better channel the Force and perform feats of physical prowess.
5. Emotional Control: Jedi, in particular, are taught to keep their emotions in check to prevent succumbing to the dark side of the Force, which feeds off negative emotions like anger, hatred, and fear. Lessons in patience, compassion, and selflessness are a crucial part of their training.
6. Holocrons and Ancient Texts: Force-sensitive individuals often study ancient texts and holocrons (information storage devices) to learn about the history, philosophies, and techniques of past Force-users. Such ancient texts exist even in real life, such as the Hindu Vedas.
7. Mentorship: One-on-one training with a more experienced Force-user, often a Jedi Knight or Master, or a Sith Lord, is another key aspect of the learning process. A mentor guides the student through their training, imparting wisdom and insights, and providing personal instruction.
8. Trial and Error: Lastly, a significant part of learning to master the Force comes through personal experience, including making mistakes. Trials, whether they’re official Jedi tests or personal challenges, provide valuable lessons for the student and opportunities for growth.

Each of these techniques is tailored to the individual and their specific path, whether they’re Jedi, Sith, or another type of Force-user. The ultimate goal of this training is to enable the individual to connect deeply with the Force, understand its flow and nuances, and use it responsibly.

What George Lucas says of the Force and how it works

Below is a transcription of this video, where the creator of Star Wars talks about the Force and how it can be channeled into good or evil.

Transcript start:

The Force is found in all living things around us, close from us, controls individuals, yet we have free will.

We have a destiny if we want to follow it. We live for a reason and must discover what it is.

The core of the force.

I mean, you’ve got the dark side, the light side. One is selfless, one is selfish.

And you want to keep them in balance.

What happens when you go to the dark side is it goes out of balance, and then you get really selfish and you forget about everybody.

Ultimately, lead yourself, because when you get selfish, you get stuff or you want stuff.

And when you want stuff and you get stuff, then you are afraid somebody’s going to take it away from you.

Whether it’s a person or a thing or a particular pleasure, experience, once you become afraid that somebody’s going to take it away from you or you’re going to lose it, then you start to become angry, especially if you’re losing it.

And that anger leads to hate.

And hate leads to suffering.

Mostly on the part of the person who’s selfish, because you spend all of your time being afraid of losing everything you’ve got instead of actually living.

Or joy, by giving to other people who can’t think about yourself, and therefore there’s no pain.

But the pleasure factor of greed and of selfishness is a short-lived experience.

Therefore, you’re constantly trying to replenish it.

But of course, the more you replenish it, the harder it is to [experience it again], so you have to keep up in the ante.

You’re actually afraid of the pain of not having the joy.

So that is ultimately the core of the whole dark side, light side of the force.

And everything flows from that.

Obviously the Sith are always unhappy because they never get enough of anything they want.

Mostly their selfishness centers around power and control.

And the struggle is always to be able to let go of all that stuff.

And of course, that’s the problem.

Anakin fell because of this.

You’re allowed to love people, but you’re not allowed to possess them.

And what he did is he fell in love and then married her and then became jealous.

And then he saw in his visions that she was going to die.

He couldn’t stand losing her.

So in order to not lose her, he made a pact with the devil to be able to become all-powerful.

And of course, when he did that, she didn’t want to have anything to do with him anymore.

Once you were powerful, being able to bring her back from the dead, well, “if I can do that, then I can be Emperor of the universe. I can get rid of the emperor. I can do everything. I can make everything the way I want it.”

And once you do that, you’ll never be satiated.

You’re always going to be consumed with this striving desire to have more stuff and be afraid that others are going to take it away from you.

And of course, they are.

Because every time you get two Sith together, you have the master, you have the apprentice, and the apprentice is always trying to recruit another apprentice to join with him to kill the master.

And the master knows that basically everybody below him wants his job.

All the way to overcome the dark side is through discipline.

The dark side is pleasure, biological, and temporary, and easy to achieve.

The light side is joy, everlasting, and difficult to achieve.

A great challenge.

Must overcome laziness, give up quick pleasures, and overcome fear, which leads to hate.

End transcript.

The mythological inspiration behind the Force

The Force, a unique energy from all living beings, could be controlled by Jedi, Sith, and others sensitive to it. It gave them amazing skills like making objects float, influencing minds, and seeing future events.

In Star Wars, there’s a clear divide between good and evil, or light and dark. But The Force was available to both sides. Heroes like the Jedi sought unity with The Force, while villains like the Sith tried to manipulate it for their own gain.

George Lucas created the force, but his inspirations come from many ancient groups and religions that take this concept of a universal energy very seriously. They not only claim to control and strengthen something similar to The Force, but they also believe that these practices are ancient and have been around since prehistoric times.

Star Wars creator George Lucas hinted at this in early versions of the movie script. He mentioned The Force was a secret kept by a high-ranking cult, which reminds of real-world examples.

This universal life energy goes by different names, such as “Chi” in the East or “Prana” in the Indus Valley.

What’s fascinating is that it has tangible effects that can be felt and studied, making spirituality accessible even to scientific minds who want more than just blind faith.

In the film, Obi-Wan Kenobi says The Force is “an energy field created by all living things.” This matches perfectly with descriptions from Eastern and New Age philosophies.

Lucas likened using The Force to yoga, suggesting anyone can tap into its power, an idea also promoted by monks and yogis.

Characters in the movie with a sensitivity to The Force gained special psychic abilities from it, such as telekinesis, mind control, and ESP.

The Force has a light and dark side, but Lucas argued that what differentiates the two is the character’s intent when using The Force – either selfless or selfish.

This duality reminds of Zoroastrianism’s dualism and Daoism’s yin and yang. Though Daoism doesn’t necessarily label anything as purely evil, there is a sense of polarity.

How real life religions use “the Force”

Most scientists and academics are skeptical about a real-world equivalent of The Force. But mystery religions take it very seriously and teach followers how to work with subtle bio-energy.

In these teachings, the life force energy is tied to the energy of creation, or in biological terms, sex. These teachings can be seen as a “biohack,” techniques to increase your life force. Or, they could be seen as a way to restore a natural state of abundance that was lost through a spiritual fall.

This latter interpretation is common in esoteric versions of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.

The story of being expelled from the Garden of Eden symbolizes the act that severed humans’ spiritual connection with God. But the serpent, a trickster character, gives clues on how to regain this connection.

Rather than viewing it as a superpower to attain, ancient alchemy schools view this life force as something natural to us that we’ve lost due to spiritual degradation.

This contrasts with the Darwinian model, which suggests we’re at the height of advancement and that our ancestors were ape-like rather than once angelic but fallen beings.

Religions are often interpreted to be about external phenomena like a god in the sky or the influence of stars and planets. But the esoteric understanding of religion and mysticism always refers back to an individual’s spiritual growth.

Everything external is a metaphor for something internal. So your awareness, confidence, and ability to relate to others increase with your life force energy.

Poor health or addiction to substances can drain your life force, leading to lethargy or apathy. But if you learn to control and enhance your energetic essence, you become more conscious and bioelectric.

Religious techniques used to harness “the Force”

By transforming sexual energy into a more subtle life force energy and moving it around your body, certain latent abilities awaken. The energy feels blissful and moves with your breath and your mental focus.

One technique to move the energy from the prostate or G-spot area involves sound. Chanting the sound of the 13th letter, M, vibrates the lungs which touch the spinal column. With mental direction, the energy moves to different energy centers or chakras.

The Hebrew language also contains certain sounds that play a role in the movement of life force energy.

The Rosicrucian order, a secret brotherhood claiming to possess ancient wisdom, also practices similar methods involving bio-magnetic energy from primal sexual energy.

Every vowel sound has a specific pitch or tone in the musical scale and is connected to a color, a chemical, and a nerve center in the body. These sounds give creative power. Understanding and using these sounds is at the root of singing and chanting for mystical purposes.

Pranayama is a technique in yoga that focuses on breath control to harmonize the life force known as “Prana”. There are various types of Pranayama, such as Anulom Vilom (alternate nostril breathing) and Kapalbhati (forceful exhalation), each serving different purposes like enhancing focus, relieving stress, or promoting physical health.

The ancient Chinese practice of Qi Gong involves meditation, rhythmic breathing, and slow movements to enhance the flow of “Qi”, the life energy, throughout the body. Regular practice of Qi Gong can reportedly result in a state of calm, vitality, and balance.

Transcendental meditation is a technique involves silently repeating a personal mantra in a specific pattern for around 20 minutes, twice a day.

Practitioners believe this helps to settle the mind and body into a state of deep rest, promoting a peaceful and awakened inner state that can influence the flow and usage of life energy.

Kundalini is a form of yoga that aims to awaken the dormant Kundalini energy at the base of the spine and guide it through the seven chakras (energy centers) of the body.

This is achieved through a combination of specific postures, breath control, chanting, and meditation.

Zazen, or seated meditation, is the core practice in Zen Buddhism. It’s a technique that focuses on mindful breathing and a non-judgmental awareness of thoughts and emotions.

The practice aims to foster a sense of peace and calm, helping to open up the flow of life energy.

In Sufism, a mystical form of Islam, there’s a meditative practice known as Sufi whirling or dancing. Practitioners spin with arms outstretched in rhythmic patterns, aiming to achieve a state of spiritual trance.

This trance is believed to connect the individual with the divine, channeling divine energy into the physical realm.