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Contemporary Mythology of Star Wars
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STAR WARS

GEORGE LUCAS: I don’t see “Star Wars” as profoundly religious. I see “Star Wars” as — as taking all of the issues that religion represents and trying to distill them down into a — a more modern and more easily accessible construct that people can grab onto to accept the fact that there is a greater mystery out there.
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GEORGE LUCAS: I don’t see “Star Wars” as profoundly religious. I see “Star Wars” as — as taking all of the issues that religion represents and trying to distill them down into a — a more modern and more easily accessible construct that people can grab onto to accept the fact that there is a greater mystery out there.
Both Sith and Jedi strive to become “one with The Force,” transcending the existence of their daily lives and struggles and coming to know an ultimate ground of being, akin to articulated paths in Hindu, Buddhist as well as Jungian thought. Judaism, Christianity, and Native American traditions are all present alongside figures and elements from Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Grail myths in Star Wars, juxtaposing and eventually creating a new kaleidoscope image of modern myth.
All the greatest moments in Star Wars involve the Force. But if you look closely, it’s not the Jedi mind tricks or Force jumps that get all the screen time. A heightened awareness of the present moment is the power we keep seeing throughout the saga. It’s how Luke destroys the Death Star, the skill Yoda emphasizes in his Jedi training, and what helps Darth Vader turn against Emperor Palpatine. In the prequels, this power helps Qui-Gon discover Anakin and is how Yoda and Obi-Wan unravel the threat of the Sith. It’s also the ability we see Ahsoka develop in Clone Wars and what we’re seeing Ezra learn in Rebels. There’s a name for this skill in psychology and it’s called mindfulness.
Known as the Way in ancient times, the Force was viewed in many different aspects, including, but not limited to, the Light side of the Force, the Dark side of the Force, the Living Force, the Unifying Force, the Cosmic Force and the Physical Force.
While Buddhist practices and traditions can be the easiest access port to the ways of the Force and the Jedi in Star Wars, Peterson says that Chinese Daoism is the best real-world example of where the fictional mythology stems from. "Daoism has ying-yang, dark and light intertwined and the balance you need to maintain," he explains. "It’s that balance, that making your position correct in Daoism that establishes you as a good person.”
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