Star Wars: The real Force

Where did George Lucas actually get his ideas for the principle of the Force in his “Star Wars” saga?

In this lecture by Thorsten Walch, the real background to the philosophy of the magical Force with its light and dark sides will be discussed.

These naturally lie in Christianity, which has characterised the creator of the saga since his childhood. But he was also influenced by Far Eastern religions and ways of thinking, led by Buddhism, which was hugely popular in the United States in the 1960s, as well as the mystical teachings of the indigenous Yaqui shaman Don Juan Matus, who became famous through the books of author Carlos Castaneda. All of this played a major role in Lucas’ creation of his own cinematic teachings, which continue throughout the saga even after his active involvement has ended.