School Project Interview-Please contribute :D

We received this request over the Facebook messenger to the TotJO page. I did answer them as generally as I could but also asked if the ladies wanted their questions posted to the forums and they did so please feel free to answer for yourself!

Hey, we are two girls from Denmark and we are making a school project about Jediism. We were wondering if you would answer some of our questions.

Our questions is: Does the force affect your everyday life?
Why do you believe in the force?
Are there any rituals or holidays different to other religions?
Did you have another religion before Jediism?
Do you believe in other things from star wars or only the force?
Can you become a jedi?
Do you believe in the dark side and are there any jediists on the dark side?
And the last one, do you believe in life after death or anything similar? Or maybe reinkarnation?

We hope you will answer our questions. Thanks in advance.

First off, love this. Glad to see more chances to become more of a publicly known movement and clear up misconceptions.

Our questions is: Does the force affect your everyday life?

It does. I hardly recognise who I was before I became a Jedi and started following the philosophy of the Force. Through the philosophy, or at least my interpretation of it, I've learned to fight my own demons that kept me from walking unassisted, and now have not had to use a cane for almost a year. Every day I am reminded of the gifts this Path has given me.

Why do you believe in the force?

I believe it is the name we, as a community, have assigned to the energy field that many faiths, major and minor, have discovered and given names of their own. But do I believe in it as a faith? No, not at the moment.

Are there any rituals or holidays different to other religions?

Not really, as far as I am aware. Most of our holidays coincide with other, more established holidays. So we have many of the same days, just different things we try to do on those days. For example, New Years Eve is our Day of Reflection, were we reflect upon the past year so to better move into the previous year.

Did you have another religion before Jediism?

I do still. I identify as a Christian, making me an Abrahamic Jedi, or in common terms a Jedi that believes in a god figure (this includes many western faiths such as Mormonism, Islam, ect). I find that Jediism and the Jedi Path has made me a better Christian as a sort of unintended side effect.

Do you believe in other things from star wars or only the force?

Personally I think the fiction of Star Wars is the modern myth, this generations' Herculean story. It is something we can learn from and is full of lessons. I personally aspire to display myself as a Jedi, Some of the Jedi of the fiction serve as role models, their character serving as an excellent example of what it is to be a Jedi. But do we believe these stories are real? No.

Can you become a jedi?

oh, I sure hope so, or I've been wasting my time. It takes a lot of time, but most things worth doing usually do. But, in the end, anyone can become one if they put their mind to it just like any faith or walk of life.

Do you believe in the dark side and are there any jediists on the dark side?

Personally I do not view that it has sides, but that darkness and light exist within the person. People can be domesticated into believing darkness is okay, and are thus capable of greater darkness than those raised in a different environment. It takes a lot of soul searching to find that line within yourself, and I know I'm only on the surface of that journey.

And the last one, do you believe in life after death or anything similar? Or maybe reincarnation?

I do, the Christian afterlife of Heaven. But, in the end, I could be wrong. So what then? I find the most important part of my life is to be an excellent example and to help others. So even after I pass onto whatever life there is after this, if there is one or not, my example lives on in those that have interacted with me. In essence, one can become immortal by changing the world around them for the better.

Does the force affect your everyday life?

It is not really a matter of cause and effect. It simply is. The Force is apart of me, and thus it does affect us....But we also affect the force. Together it melds, mixes, blends, shifts and changes on a consistent basis. It is like asking if being alive effects us. Well yes, yes it does....but it simply is.

Why do you believe in the force?

Because energy created by all living things....makes more sense to me then a spirit being that no one ever see's living in the sky Life and the energy of life is something I can breathe, feel, touch, see....It gives me a greater fullfilment then any other belief has.

Are there any rituals or holidays different to other religions?

That just depends on which Jediism group you talk to. Temple Of The Jedi Order does. Others do not...I don't. My spiritual beliefs doesn't need any special days because every moment is special to me.


Did you have another religion before Jediism?

Not really. My parents had LDS (Mormonism) - When they left the church they got into New Age energy workings and other philosophical studies that I grew up and was apart of....but none of that was really "Mine" Just a byproduct of childhood. Jediism was my first and only free adulthood choice

Do you believe in other things from star wars or only the force?

I don't think it is a matter of believing in things from star wars. Even my beliefs of "The Force" are not a carbon copy of star wars representation....especially the new versions that Disney is hacking. Star Wars gives great ideas, some clever codes/behaviors and names. But that is about as far as the cross overs go.


Can you become a jedi?

Yes, you can I like to believe that I have/am.

Do you believe in the dark side and are there any jediists on the dark side?

No. I do not believe in the Dark Side. I do believe in dark people however...There is a difference If there are any dark people calling themselves Jediists....then they would be lying to you.

And the last one, do you believe in life after death or anything similar? Or maybe reinkarnation?

I honestly don't think about it. Death, Yet The Force. Whatever happens after death I will figure out when i get there

Our questions is: Does the force affect your everyday life?
I hope it does! It helped me get through a difficult phase in life and reminds me constantly that I'm the only one who can change something in my life!

Why do you believe in the force?
Because it's close to my belief in Gaianism in almost all ways. For me, everything on this planet is connected in a way. A type of tree dies in South America? That can severely influence our climate. Energies flow everywhere and the Force doesn't contradict any scientific knowledge I'm aware of. I'm only talking about the basics of connected events and shared energies, not the whole "flying through meditation, shooting lightning from your fingertips" part.

Are there any rituals or holidays different to other religions?
Not that I know of. I meditate as often as I can, focus on philosophy. There are some days the Temple officially celebrates, though!

Did you have another religion before Jediism?
I was Christian from about 12-14, became an agnostic atheist (and still am in many ways) but my desire for rituals and spiritualism (in connection with my belief of Gaianism) lead me to Wiccan heathenry for a short while, the community messed it up though.

Do you believe in other things from star wars or only the force?
Except for the doctrine? No, though lightsabers and force powers WOULD be cool.

Can you become a jedi?
By philosophical standards? Yes? By Star Wars standards? I can't disprove it, yet I do doubt it.

Do you believe in the dark side and are there any jediists on the dark side?
Who isn't "dark" in a way? We are humans who chose to become part of the order, we weren't picked from our families and raised as monks. And even if we were, every human has a darker side. But the force itself is neutral to me.

And the last one, do you believe in life after death or anything similar? Or maybe reinkarnation?
I will feed the plants that I have fed on while I existed. My body will return to the cycle of nature. But on a spiritual level? Most likely not, no.

Does the force affect your everyday life?
Even better - the Force IS my everyday life. (It's not an accessory to the nature of the universe, it is the foundation to its existence and everything that comes of it)

Why do you believe in the force?
The same reason people believe in something such as gravity. Even though we cannot see it, we can observe its effects. The effects of the Force,however, include the fundamental nature of existence itself.

Are there any rituals or holidays different to other religions?
This is left up to the individual. Jediism is not an authority over what kinds of things one does regarding ritual or choosing holidays. Instead, we simply recognize that there is a psychological importance to the existence of them in the first place.

Did you have another religion before Jediism?
I have been through several before arriving at atheism, and then finding Jediism as something that provided a context to help me reconcile my ability to understand how my beliefs (and others') work in the first place, through its syncretic approach.

Do you believe in other things from star wars or only the force?
The supernatural elements in the Star Wars mythos are exclusive only to the fiction. It is interpreted similarly as those who recognize the importance of the bible but who do not believe in the supernatural events literally. Look up Joseph Campbell and his take on the existence of religion.

Can you become a jedi?
I don't interpret being a Jedi as something one becomes anymore than one becomes a human being. Many interpret being a Jedi as something like "signing yourself up for the Army". I see it the other way around. One was already a Jedi. Many embody the characteristics of being a Jedi without even knowing such a concept exists. Jediism, to me, is a community of people who come together to celebrate humankind's ability to possess those characteristics and further promote them anyway.

Do you believe in the dark side and are there any jediists on the dark side?
I believe there do happen to be people who take the idea of being a Jedi (or Sith) just literally enough that they use it for "spiritual cosplay". To some, something like Jediism can end up being a spiritual placebo used for helping oneself feel that their life has more magic and purpose than they would think it does otherwise. Sometimes people might need this placebo to cope with very difficult questions about their life until they grow through a set of phases and into a one of maturity where they settle back into themselves, realizing what actually matters and what really never did.

And the last one, do you believe in life after death or anything similar? Or maybe reinkarnation?
I believe that the universe goes on after my body / ego dies (my individual identity stops), but the energy that made up that body and consciousness is redistributed elsewhere to help create and/or contribute to new focus points of consciousness. One would think of reincarnation when hearing this, but what makes this different is that my identity is not preserved after it has stopped, because my identity was never a thing that existed in the first place - it was a fluke. The actual presence of consciousness taking place was something beyond it, a universal source that sits behind everyone's eyes, playing pretend. Dying is the act of finishing that game of pretend before starting anew.

I can imagine more responses would be appreciated for this project, so bumping to bring it back into the visible threads.

Great responses so far!

Thanks for the reminding bump, Ari. I'll try to keep these answers relatively short.

Does the force affect your everyday life?

From my point of view, the Force affect my life just as much as I influence it. My interpretation of the Force is based on the interdependability that we share with everything within our world and the space that fills it. All the happenings that take place, all the exchanges, are products of the interplay we call life. It's truly powerful on that level. A simple smile, which only ripples out to the person it was extended to, can be just big enough to foster that sense of belongingness or joy within the other person and alter their life dramatically. We all have the power to recognize the interrelationships we share with others and use it to the benefit for all.

Why do you believe in the force?

I don't feel as if there is anything to believe. "The Force" is a pretty name to stick on the complex social and spiritual playground where all the magic that I described above takes place. Other have called it the Tao, the benevolence of God, but for me, I can appreciate it being defined as a Living Force, because these dynamics and influences both shape and define our understanding of things. The Force is impartial in that sense, and like water molds to the shape of the environment that we manipulate it.

Are there any rituals or holidays different to other religions?

I wouldn't call them different, but we do have liturgy, monthly reflections, and holidays. I can only speak of Jediism from an individualistic path, but the holidays and rituals that we celebrate extend into our everyday life. Every day is sacred and every act is a ritual, but sometimes, in our busy lives, we can lose that focus and need these established days to remind ourselves of these facts.

Did you have another religion before Jediism?

I was a raised under a Christian household and was a junior pastor at a family church for about two years. My faith was questioned when I entered the military and I was a very militant atheist for the following eight years. I found Buddhism and Jediism at the same and they sort of aligned more with who I thought I was, if that makes sense. I didn't have to change anything about me necessarily, but they cliqued and just made sense. They both had the language to explain how I was feeling and offered really simple, practical spiritual enlightenment.

Do you believe in other things from star wars or only the force?

The Star Wars drama contains a good source of wisdom within, but I don't feel it is anything more than good mythology. Stories and allegories do such a great job at explaining things from a point of view in where moral issues can be understood through shared experiences and emotions.

Can you become a jedi?

I ask that question everyday. Is it something you become, or something you unveil about yourself?

Do you believe in the dark side and are there any jediists on the dark side?

I think the Tao Te Ching would be a good representation of how I feel best about answering this question. When we call things good, other things become bad. I guess to simplify it, stuff happens. Some of that stuff can be viewed as good while some of the stuff we know to be bad. The important thing about it is that the Force holds no preferences. The individuals within who both influence and are influenced by the Force have the options to act in a given circumstance. The point is not to let the circumstances that you find yourself in cloud your judgement and cause you to react to the situation. There are some people who do terrible things, but I know that I can only be responsible for the things that I control. If I lose my center because I react negatively to a negative situation, there is no positive outlook for that. Do what you can do.

And the last one, do you believe in life after death or anything similar? Or maybe reinkarnation?

Death, yet the Force. Life is not the opposite of death: Birth is. Death is just that transitory state. It is a change and although we are impermanent, we are also interconnected through the relationships and exchanges of the Earth, so death is only physical. You are a part of this universe and after your last breath, your spiritual essence still ruminates through all of the happenings of the world.

Kit wrote: Our questions is: Does the force affect your everyday life?

Yes - the thought of being part of an ever changing system, with everything in the universe being connected is comforting to me. As well as the idea that this system is self-healing - whatever we put in will reverberate throughout it - the bigger the ripples we make, the bigger the repercussions, but with the certainty that the the system / the Force can be changed but not damaged. Being a part of this system / the Force means you‘re not really in control of anything as said reverberations can‘t be predicted with absolute certainty. Once this has been accepted, the constant wish to change things stops - sometimes it‘s just nice to let whatever is moving the system move you too, without overthinking.

Why do you believe in the force?

See question number one - it‘s comforting to me. Plus I believe it‘s an idea that is plausible to me, as opposed to some other prevalent ideas. But in the end, it‘s a faith - it‘s hard to explain why one person believes in this and not that. And it‘s not necessary to question that either.

Are there any rituals or holidays different to other religions?

There are - I think this has already been answered in other posts. I tend to come up with my own rituals where they may be absent - things that make sense for my own path.

Did you have another religion before Jediism?

Christian by birth, Buddhist by choice. Now Jedi by choice.

Do you believe in other things from star wars or only the force?

I believe in the philosophy behind Star Wars, while fully realizing that Star Wars is a work of fiction. Nothing more, nothing less.

Can you become a jedi?

Yes.

Do you believe in the dark side and are there any jediists on the dark side?

I believe that light and dark, good and bad etc. are personal views. What I believe to good, others might consider bad.

And the last one, do you believe in life after death or anything similar? Or maybe reinkarnation?

I believe that we‘re all part of the Force. And that nothing is ever lost in the universe. When the thought stream ends, the elements that make up my body will be rearranged into something new. During my lifetime I will have left countless ripples and reverberations in the Force - these don‘t just end, they will forever influence the system. But I don‘t believe in an everlasting soul or that my stream of thought will continue beyond death.

Anyone know when this project is due?

Does the Force affect my every day life? Why do I believe in the force?

Yes: I have often found a strange occurrence, that if I take a few slow breaths, focus, and simply tell "the Force" what I want to happen next, I immediately get results (within a few hours or a day). Like if I decide that I need to make more money, I tell this to the universe and several hours later I so happen to meet a new client while I'm walking down the street. I had no idea I would meet them, but I do, and they say that they would like to have me work for them. I do things like this with the Force probably several times a week, and it always works this quickly. This is why I finally started to believe in the force as well: it always works, as long as I decide that I believe it will: that I know it will, then it does every time without fail. It's so strange that by this point, I couldn't believe it's just coincidence: it always works. Crazy, right?

Are there any rituals or holidays?

We do have a few days of the year where we are supposed to think about certain things, like a day to remember the people who have died and "become one with the Force," or a day to remember that we are connected to all other life on the planet, and that we should respect it. As far as rituals, there isn't any "worship" in the way that most religions practice: we simply believe that the Force is there to guide us, and is a part of us and everything else. Though because some of us had different religions before this, we may apply the idea of the Force to what we believed before: to some of the ideas and practices of that religion. Some Jedi see the Force a little differently than others.

Did I have any religion before Jediism? Do I believe in other things from Star Wars, or just the force?

I was raised around the idea of Christianity, but my family and I aren't that religious. You could say that for a long time, I didn't believe in anything. But I started studying crystals one day, and I came across many spiritual and supernatural things that actually made me start to believe in, well, basically, the Force. I didn't call it that, but I began to believe in it. So when I came across Jediism, it felt perfect, because it's exactly what I already believed, and now I had found other people who did, too. I don't really believe in the rest of the things from Star Wars: in fact, none of my beliefs come from those movies. The Force just so happens to be similar to what I already believe.

Can one become a Jedi? Do I believe in the Dark Side of the force, and does anyone "go to the Dark Side?"

Yes to the first question: you have to answer some really deep questions and write a few papers about them, and you have to have some one-on-one training, which I think includes you having to do some physical exercise, as well as working on philosophical things and maybe meditation. I haven't gone through this yet. But basically, we don't make each person learn or do the exact same things: they can have different philosophies, do different amounts of physical training, and can each work on whatever they simply feel they need to work on the most. They become a Jedi when they and their Master feel that they have improved a good amount and accomplished their goals. As far as people "joining the Dark Side," I would say that people are allowed to have different beliefs, and therefore, some Jedi actually agree with the Sith on one thing or another. Not all of us agree when it comes to philosophy, but we encourage talking about it instead of kicking people out: we believe that it's okay to think differently.

Do I believe in life after death, or reincarnation?

I do believe in both, and I think most Jedi believe in at least the "life after death part." We come from different beliefs before we became Jedi, so the answer is a little different for some of us. But we do believe that your spirit joins the Force when you die, or "the collective," as I like to call it. I personally believe that you become more connected with everything else when you die: both the living and the other dead. The people, the animals, the plants, and even the earth itself. Most Jedi believe something similar. But I still believe you retain who you were before you died: you simply also feel more connected to everything else, and you can see everything that's going on, since you are connected to all of it. A simple thought can take you from watching over someone in China to watching an important meeting between two world leaders in America. But that's my personal belief. Like I said, though, most of us believe in something similar. I also do personally believe that each soul can reincarnate when they are ready to join the Great Story Of Life again, and contribute more to the story, but I don't think all of us believe that. Only some of us. I believe that some of us come here to help make the world a better place, while in other lifetimes, we come to experience different things. But again, that's only my belief: not everybody's.

In short, Jediism is more about philosophy, spirituality, and sharing ideas and encouraging each other to be better people: it's not really about those movies. We just agree with the idea of the Force, which is why we decided to call ourselves Jedi.