QUOTE(Slayden @ Jul 16 2007, 02:27 AM)
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Very good points. I tend to agree with you for the most part. My personal beliefs, however, don't include the "we're all one unified being" aspect. Connected maybe, but I believe that we are all individuals independent from each other. We can interact with each other, travel through and use the astral, and perform supernatural feats, but I don't think we are our own gods and that we are all one god and that the cosmos and everything in it are all one... thing.
I'm more hermetic than I am anything else, I used to be a bit of a chaote for a long time, but then eventually 'settled' down into hermeticism because it most closely resembled the paradigm I already had formed. At some point, though, I began to think - if we are all conscious of our individual selves, and yet are also connected by unconscious communication, and are further part of a grand subconscious, then there must be a kind of perspective for each of those levels of the mind. We're 'aware' of this part, but the unconscious is also self aware, but experiencing a very different (from our point of view) reality which contains within it our own and is in turn influenced by our reality. The subconscious is the same relation to the unconscious, and it is, in turn, so in relation to the group mind - which may have varying levels, like "Family", "Culture", "Geographic Locale", etc., each bearing the same relationship to the higher order that that conscious has to the unconscious, each with it's own 'personal perspective' which becomes of course more inconceivable as you 'go up the ladder' as it were. When you get to the top of that, it's one mind, trickling down through this creative process into many layers of individuality. To me, that universal consciousness
is the Force. It is the substance and the medium through which that substance communicates itself. This explains in a jiffy every kind of miracle and psychic phenomenon, every occult power, every paranormal experience, or offers a background upon which any such experience can be explained with reason, and is found on observations of simple human tendencies across millenia of history. Individual, God, Source of All Creation - it's all relative. What we see as separate here, is just multiple parts of something bigger, higher up. Even the astral functions like this - there are fewer energies to encounter on the psychic and astral planes, as there are instances of that same energy on this plane. It appears to be separate objects, people, ideas, etc., but all having the same energetic significance - because that one energy manifests in different ways on this plane. Naturally, there is a higher order above that, fewer energies on a higher plane, and eventually following that reasoning, the divisions become fewer, until there is only one, manifesting in a cosmic domino effect everything "below" it, or after it.
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When it comes to Jediism, I agree that the Force already exists but works a little differently than in Star Wars and goes by differnt names. However, since there are some differences between what already exists and the Star Wars version, my curiosity is sparked at the possibility of these people creating a different "sub-plain" to the plains within the astral realm that more closely resembles the Force in Star Wars, complete with negative and positive aspects (Lightside/Darkside) that influence its followers, though I doubt to the degree of influence found in the fiction.
We would have to manifest midichlorians as well then, as that is the functioning difference between the force in star wars, and the force in reality. Midichlorians are responsible for a jedi's particular abilities, and the influence the force exerts on some people. But, I'll elaborate on that aspect of the 'force' as it were, in just a moment with this next paragraph. IN any case, what I'm saying is that there is a difference in people, not in the force. However, I think that humanity is headed towards an evolution in which individuals become increasingly more psychically active, and we will see many abilities in the distant future become quite specialized before they are ever commonplace. At that time you might very well see orders of "jedi-like" monastics, though how operative they will be in the legal system is questionable. The military and police forces might employ such specialists. This of course is a matter more of the evolution of consciousness than something totally biological, although it may be that alterations to the normal function of the brain and body may impress, over time, a genetic trait to propagate that ability into the human gene-pool if it isn't there already. That would be a biological change that fits with the idea of the presence of that mythology creating a reaction in reality.
Astrally speaking, that has already happened, as all concepts exist in the astral already, in one sense, and as soon as they are conceived, in another.
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As a side question, Vagrent Dreamer, what is the difference in the philosophies between the New Jedi Order and the Old Republic Jedi? I never delved that deeply into Star Wars other than from the movies and games. I played KotOR I and II, and I played Jedi Knight II and III, so some idea on what the differences are, but I'd like to hear it from you since you got into it so much more deeply than I have.
The main differences between the old order and the new, are the appropriate conduct of jedi, the basic philosophy on the use of the force, and the structure of the order.
The original order was extremely monastic, even religious in their own sense, and Jedi were expected to live monastic lives - free of all kinds of passions, renunciate on the common life of a man/woman, such as family, private home, personal life, etc. They were expected to sacrifice all to the will of the force in their lives, and to the Republic and it's peace. The new order is more lax, seeing Jedi as more like specialized individuals, who have a very sacred job, but also are allowed to balance a personal life with that duty. They are seen more as people with those skills, than as a priestly class (lightsabers or not). While the public harbors much of those feelings towards them, within the order, and based on it's dealings, it is a far less strict order, and is like a neutral government within the republic rather than a tool of the government.
Then, in the old republic the line between the darkside and the light side was drawn along the use of the force itself. There are certain abilities that a jedi may apply the force to. He may know of the uses of the darkside, or not, but he does not employ that 'aspect' of the force itself. Darkside and Lightside are seen as discrete elements of the force itself, like male and female. The new order believes more that the differentiation lies within individuals, and in the life that the force creates, rather than in the force itself. The Unified Force is so called because the only darkside is that which is projected into and through the force because of anger, hatred, etc., which cause different resonances in the force. Jacen Solo was the original proponent of this version of the force and quickly won over most of the others until it became the prevailing philosophy, especially after Luke Skywalker saw the wisdom in it and adopted it himself. After this, Jedi occaisionally use the force in ways that would be considered 'Darkside abilities', but they use them judiciously and are always understanding that the power of those abilities should not corrupt one's conscience. They must not give into the darkside within them.
The structure of the order was the other major change. The jedi academy is now more of a k-college school for jedi, in which novices train with different masters specializing in different subjects, and then eventually become apprenticed to a master specifically in much the same way as the old republic jedi; however, they may learn from several different masters as they develop as jedi, and one master may have more than one apprentice. This is largely a matter of necessity in rebuilding an order from scratch, however, over time the Jedi have become more of a very large family than the old republic were, who functioned much more like a heirarchical government branch. There is only recently a Jedi Order, but luke skywalker is considered the Grand Master Jedi, and is acknowledged as the leader of the new Jedi order, and will likely have a successor as it is thought that the focus of power, balanced by a council of masters, is a useful change. it is likely that the next grand master will be so recognized for his wisdom, etc., rather than power or knowledge.
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I got into White Wolf's
The World of Darkness pen and paper RPG series instead. Ironically,
Demon: The Fallen was my favorite, followed by
Vampire: The Masquerade and
Wraith: The Oblivion.
Mage: The Ascension,
Hunter: The Reconing,
Mummy: The Resurection, and
Kindred of the East were all pretty good too, but
Changling: The Dreaming was too immature for my tastes. I have almost the entire three- or four-hundred some odd number of books in the WoD series on PDF, including the novels.
Man this is WAY off-topic. (IMG:
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I liked the WoD games, I personally prefer mage over the others, but have rarely played any of them, really. Never can seem to get it all organized properly, and inevitably get side tracked.
peace
This post has been edited by Vagrant Dreamer: Jul 16 2007, 02:05 AM
Jediism, The Religion Of The Jedi, The Force is strong with this one...
Slayden Jediism, The Religion Of The Jedi Jul 15 2007, 06:38 AM
Jul 15 2007, 06:38 AM
