Become the Force

Named must your fear be before banish it you can.

Yoda, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

The Force is strong with a Jediist who has an open heart and mind that sees loving connections between everyone and everything. But a Jediist must always be vigilant and aware that the dark side can be quicker, easier and more seductive than the light side. So, to protect themselves from the forces of darkness, Jediists must learn the art of self-defence.

As we saw in the last chapter, martial arts training is a perfect starting place for self-defence on both a physical and a spiritual level, but the ability to truly understand yourself is equally important when it comes to self-defence. If you aren’t self-aware and don’t know what your stress triggers are, you are going to be vulnerable to the dark side. Self-knowledge is the beginning of wisdom.

Despite having hit the headlines as the founder of the Church of Jediism I wasn’t wise enough yet. I didn’t know myself. I wasn’t in control and inner calm is the hallmark of a Jediist. In short, I was vulnerable. There was still much for me to learn.

Inner calm is the hallmark of a Jediist.

THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM

As soon as I started to practise Tai Chi on a regular basis I did notice an inner peace that had been lacking before but there was still a way to go. My thoughts still flew around my head with rapid and uncontrollable speed. I still got irrationally upset and angry and spoke before thinking. I still had meltdowns. I didn’t understand myself and didn’t feel in control of my words and actions and that unpredictability made me fearful of myself.

My mood would often dip inexplicably or I would get wound up about the most trivial of things; for example, if there were delays or changes to my daily routines. I simply couldn’t understand why the small stuff threw me off course so dramatically. But then the universe sent me the explanation I had been waiting my whole life for. On 23 June 2013, at the age of 26, I was officially diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome.

TEXT BOOK

All these years when I sought counselling the fact that I might be on the autism spectrum never occurred to me until early 2013 when a friend of a friend, who was an autism specialist, said that it might be something for me to look into. He encouraged me to do an autism questionnaire online. When my score of over 38 placed me firmly in the autism spectrum I immediately made an appointment to see my doctor. The diagnosis was confirmed and I got the answer, the explanation, I had been seeking my entire life. I had Asperger’s syndrome.

I was assessed at various mental health clinics and by an autism specialist and a psychologist who all confirmed the diagnosis again and again. The relief was overwhelming. This was it. This was the explanation. My fear had been named at last. I wasn’t mad, bad or disturbed. I had a medical condition and the way forward was to understand it fully and find ways to manage it.

I can’t express fully in words what a relief being diagnosed with Asperger’s was. Until my diagnosis I knew very little about the condition and, like most people, thought it was some kind of disability or mental illness. It most certainly is not. It is a neurodevelopmental disorder on the autism spectrum.

I soon found out that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of disorders characterized by poor motor skills, lack of empathy, obsession with narrow interests and a fixation on routine. Panic attacks are likely if that routine is disrupted. Asperger’s syndrome is on the higher functioning end of the autism spectrum. In other words, although I can function in society, most people would regard me as odd because my condition increases the likelihood of me behaving in an inappropriate way. People with Asperger’s tend to talk and think too fast and take things too literally. We can’t understand sarcasm and the importance of eye contact in a conversation, and we often feel out of place or uncomfortable in social situations or gatherings.

Text-book description of me!

CALM AND IN CONTROL

There is currently no cure for Asperger’s but many approaches, therapies and interventions that can improve quality of life. These may include stress management, behavioural therapy, counselling and dietary changes.

One of the huge frustrations of Asperger’s is obsessive behaviour which can manifest in weird routines such as turning a cup three times before drinking or not walking on pavement lines. I can relate! Something in my head tells me that disaster will strike if I don’t do these kinds of weird routines. An outsider looking in might think that it would be easy for me simply to snap out of it but it’s impossible. Let me compare it to someone telling you that you must never sneeze again. You can’t promise them that because you can’t control sneezing any more than an Asperger’s sufferer can control their obsession with routine. It is a frustrating neurological disorder.

To this day I can’t eliminate my obsessive and unusual behaviour but I have learned ways to control it and it is all down to how your mind perceives things. Change your thoughts and you change your life, and this crosses over to Jediism, of course. My Asperger’s diagnosis forced me to examine carefully my thought patterns and their impact on my actions and my life. It became absolutely clear to me that thought management was the secret of a fulfilled life. We experience the world we create with our thoughts.

While learning about Asperger’s and ways to manage it I realized that a lot of the thought and behaviour management advice could be extraordinarily helpful for anyone, whether they had Asperger’s or not. I decided it was essential to include thought management in the Church of Jediism scripture applied living techniques. A Jediist needs to learn how to be always calm and in control of their thoughts, feelings and actions. In the words of Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back: “Control, control, you must learn control.”

A BLESSING AND A CURSE

Just as there is night and day and a dark and light side of the Force, my condition is both a curse and a blessing. A curse in that it caused me and people who cared about me a lot of anxiety and confusion, but a blessing in that I have the ability to make connections others might miss.

Another symptom of Asperger’s is the ability to recognize patterns: my brain is constantly trying to make sense of the environment and a break in that pattern is glaringly obvious to me. This explained why I found it hard to settle into school and struggled with grades but excelled when there was anything to do with pattern problems, such as art or music or science. It also explained why I was never happier than when analysing numbers or data and why I lost control or had meltdowns whenever my daily routine was disturbed. I wasn’t weird. I had Asperger’s and my resulting ability to see patterns or the bigger picture inspired me to create Jediism.

Detecting similarities in all the religious and philosophical systems in the world, my pattern-seeking brain instantly connected those similarities to the concept of the Force in Star Wars. My knowledge of the Star Wars universe was extreme. I sensed an opportunity to bring spirituality to a potentially massive audience in an exciting, modern and fun way. In short, Asperger’s is the reason the Church of Jediism was born in the mind of a boy from Wales who wanted to find a system to understand not just himself but life, the universe and everything.

MY CALLING

With hindsight I can see that my Asperger’s diagnosis truly set me free. Not only did it give me the self-understanding I had previously lacked, it also gave me a sense of purpose and direction I hadn’t had before. Knowing who I was and why I behaved the way I did meant I didn’t want to hide anymore. I wasn’t perfect but I didn’t need to be. Just because I founded a church didn’t mean that I had to be a perfect human being. Spiritual guides or teachers are just like everyone else – the only difference being that they feel it is their calling to encourage others to search for meaning in their lives – and to see them in any other way is damaging to your spirituality. I am not some superior being. I have flaws. I am a work in progress as we all are.

I appreciate that my approach here is unusual as in certain circles the ancient idea that a guru is someone without flaws, or someone who had flaws once but has left them firmly behind, still persists. Who wants to listen to or follow a guide who hasn’t conquered their own demons? I challenge this old-fashioned tradition and feel it is my calling to be as emotionally honest as possible and to let my followers know that I’m certainly not perfect. I’m learning and growing with them.

We all have flaws and weaknesses and need to learn to accept ourselves, warts and all. Sometimes we say or do things we regret. Sometimes we get things wrong. Sometimes we are weak and needy. Sometimes we disappoint those we love, and in a world with billions of people there is always going to be someone cleverer, thinner, better-looking, younger or more successful. That’s life. So if you have convinced yourself that you just aren’t good enough, you need to stop right there. Perfection in this life is not possible – indeed it is not even desirable because if you were perfect there would be no opportunity for growth. Remember, being a Jediist is all about evolution. I’ve managed to turn what many might perceive as a weakness – my Asperger’s – into a strength, and I truly believe each one of us can transform our weaknesses into strengths and setbacks into opportunities. We learn and grow not from our successes and perfections but from our failures and our flaws.

I’m most certainly not perfect but I don’t need to be and neither does anyone who joins my church. The spiritual life isn’t about getting it right all the time. It is about getting it wrong some of the time and learning and growing from your mistakes. It is about confronting your demons and accepting that there is always room for improvement because nobody can or should be perfect.

Just imagine how dull and limiting the world would be if everyone was perfect! How could you grow spiritually if you didn’t have inner conflicts to resolve? Joining the Church of Jediism is joining a community of people who are committed to growth and constantly evolving into higher and higher manifestations of themselves. The sky – the galaxy – is the limit.

ASPIE WORLD

As soon as I was diagnosed with Asperger’s I immediately made a point of finding out everything I could about the condition. I listened to audiobooks, attended talks and lectures, and met and bonded with some amazing people also suffering from my condition. I was incredibly disappointed, though, by the information that was available online. There was just nothing there. Just as religion had not given me the answers or fulfilment I sought, leading me to found Jediism online, I decided to create my own YouTube channel with information and advice for Asperger’s sufferers. In 2014 I filmed my first YouTube video just talking about my experiences and created a YouTube channel called Aspie World.

If you are interested in finding out more about Aspie World, where I show the world life as an Aspie through a series of videos and discuss matters and interests for anyone with autism spectrum disorder, do visit www.theaspieworld.com. From there you can find links to my YouTube channel as well as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and my vlog.

From my diagnosis in 2013 onwards I threw my energy into understanding my Asperger’s, myself and enriching my life. I composed and performed music with my band Straight Jacket Legends and in 2016 was signed by not one but two record labels, with my debut album Go Bananas charting in Japan. Alongside all this I completed my chemistry degree. Throughout these years Jediism was still calling my name but I hadn’t yet sensed that the time was right to reactivate the church fully. I trusted that I would know when that time came but perhaps the reason I wasn’t yet ready to go ahead was that there was one final piece of the puzzle missing for me. That missing piece of the puzzle is the subject of the next chapter.

LESSON SEVEN: CONTROLLED LIVING

Read silently or, better still for the energizing and ritualizing impact, read out loud to yourself the following teaching and then incorporate the practical suggestions into your daily life. Making a commitment to those suggestions is essential otherwise this book is nothing but ideas and words. Too many people get stuck in the “thinking about it” stage but never find the courage or the discipline to do anything about their grand ideas. A Jediist has courage; a Jediist has self-discipline; and a Jediist will also live or embody what he or she believes. If you are to evolve into a Jediist you must move from theory to action as soon as possible. You must both be and do. There is no “I could” or “I might”.

The Seventh Teaching on the Force

It is a blessing to have your attention because what you will read or hear now is about facing your greatest fear. Every Jediist must name this fear because if they cannot they will not become one with the Force.

What is this fear, you may ask? Is it death? Is it poor health? Is it loneliness? Is it failure? It is none of these things. Your greatest fear is not that you will one day die or that you will go through periods of poor health and loneliness or experience failure in your life. All these challenges are natural and inevitable parts of our human journey, and from them we learn and grow and our connection to the Force strengthens. Our greatest and deepest fear is that there is infinite potential within and all around us. It is not our disappointments, pain and suffering that we fear but our potential to be infinitely brilliant, creative and beautiful.

Each one of us is a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars, and each one of us has the right to a wonderful life. To draw inspiration from Marianne Williamson’s book, Return to Love, hiding our light does not make the light of others shine brighter. There is nothing noble about diminishing yourself so that other people won’t feel threatened by you. We were born to reveal the light that shines within us. That inner light is not just in some of us, but in everyone, and as each Jediist glows from within they inspire others to do the same, lighting up the world one Jediist at a time. Naming our fear and becoming a shining light liberates others to do the same.

Nothing diminishes our light more than stress and pressure. Many of us lead increasingly busy lives and not having the tools and techniques to deal with that pressure can cause chaos and meltdown. Jediism provides those tools and techniques. There is no better way to rise above the pressures in your life than to move in harmony with the Force. A Jediist Master is not immune to pressure – as life is pressure – but he or she faces it with courage knowing that peace of mind can be found during times of tension.

Tension is inevitable and the first way to balance stress is to understand who you are. If you don’t understand yourself you won’t be coming from a position of strength and others will manipulate you into being what they want you to be. A Jediist knows who they are and that their purpose in life is to find inner calm through their connection to the Force and to use that connection to help and inspire others.

The dark side loves to see a Jediist collapse under pressure because if it can disturb your balance, it can sneak into your heart and your mind to produce fear and insecurities, and destroy your inner light or calm. The good news is you do not have to let the dark side in. You do not need to succumb to fear or poor health under pressure. You simply need to find time to be still and at one with yourself and the Force. In those quiet moments you will discover your infinite potential.

Every Jediist should make moments during their day to be still and remind themselves that they are not what is outside themselves but what is within. They are spiritual beings having a human experience. This inward looking starts first thing in the morning, when there are instant demands on your time. A Jediist will always take a quiet moment of reflection before rushing to meet these demands because they know that maintaining peace of mind is absolutely vital. They know that they don’t have to be torn into pieces by stress and pressure and that they can find peace of mind in any situation because stress and pressure are illusions to a Jediist.

The only reality to a Jediist is spirit – their loving connection to the Force. They allow themselves moments of reflection during the day to nurture this connection to the Force and see the bigger picture of love interconnecting everyone and everything. They set aside time for themselves in solitude and during these moments of peace and reflection they exchange heaviness for joy. It is like coming up for air after a period of submersion when all pressure is released but these moments of joy and peace cannot happen until they pause, turn down the volume of their lives and are still and at harmony with themselves in the moment.

A Jediist makes self-knowledge a priority.

You see, my friends, the great majority of stresses in our lives are caused by our inability simply to be comfortable with ourselves. One of the reasons we are uncomfortable is that we don’t understand ourselves, haven’t taken the time to figure ourselves out and seek our identity from others or external sources.

A Jediist makes self-knowledge a priority because he or she knows self-knowledge is truly the beginning of wisdom. I encourage you all to make it a personal practice to spend a few minutes completely alone to reflect each day. A Jediist enjoys his or her own company as much as he or she enjoys the company of others. You may not think it is possible to find that alone time in the midst of all the hustle and bustle of life but you can. You may not think it is possible to find inner calm but it is. This inner calm will empower you to find peace under pressure and by so doing to become the Force.

Take a few moments now to be still and absorb the words of this prayer for inner peace.

A JEDIIST PRAYER FOR INNER PEACE

May peace of mind and calm always be mine whatever situation, tension or pressure I find myself in. When my mind and heart are troubled my life is like a turbulent ocean, and my lack of direction and balance lead me to the dark side of the Force. But when there is stillness, strength and clarity of mind I can turn away from the darkness and find the light.

May I be guided towards the light always and may I trust that this light will heal my stress and deliver me from tension, just as I trust the sun to rise each day after the darkness of the night.

May I understand that when I find inner peace and trust myself to seek the light during times of stress and chaos I am truly one with the Force. I am a Jediist and I am powerful beyond measure.

A Jediist knows that their purpose in life is to find inner calm through their connection to the Force and to use that connection to help and inspire others.

CONTROLLED LIVING GUIDELINES

1. Read calming books

The Little Book of Mindfulness by Dr Patrizia Collard is about the concept of mindfulness – finding inner calm by living in the present moment – and has clear guidance on how to use this skill. Really easy to read and a wonderful resource to help every Jediist cope with anxiety, stress and tension.

Another book I found helpful is Change Your Thinking with CBT by Dr Sarah Edelman. It’s all about noticing how your thoughts are actually creating stress and tension in your life and changing your thoughts to find inner peace. It is based on the principles of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), a psychological tool used by therapists to aid people develop realistic thought patterns that will help them respond better to upsetting emotions. This book will show you how to challenge voices of fear and doubt in your head, and deal calmly and rationally with feelings of anger, depression, frustration and anxiety.

2. Take five

It’s often the simplest of things that can be the most effective, and one technique I recommend when you are feeling stressed and tense is a breathing exercise. We all tend to breathe shallowly when we are anxious and this limits blood flow and oxygen supply to your brain so you can’t think clearly. The next time you are stressed take a huge, deep breath in through your nose and fill your lungs to capacity. Then breathe out through your mouth. Repeat this five times and I guarantee you will feel calmer and more in control.

3. Relieve the pressure

This next simple exercise can help ease stress when you feel overwhelmed.

Lightly place the palm of one hand on your forehead directly above your eyes or about an inch or so above your eyebrows. Take a deep breath and allow all the stressful feelings and thoughts to flow through you. Don’t try to fight them with positivity; just drop into your stress. Keep breathing deeply and stay focused for two to three minutes. You may notice as you do that you feel strong pulses in the palm of your hand resting on your forehead. This is positive as it means you are lifting out the stress and beginning to think more clearly and reconditioning your response to negative thoughts and feelings. This is also an effective exercise to do if you have difficult memories that you can’t seem to shed.

4. Make fitness a priority

Again the answer to stress often lies in the simplest of things. In my life I have found time and time again that going for a walk, preferably with my dog (pets are another great reliever of stress), is one of the fastest ways to ease stress. There’s a reason why movement is such an effective tension easer.

Physical exercise is one of the most effective ways of relieving stress because when we exert ourselves physically, the body releases chemicals. These endorphins are similar to opiates but the difference is these are natural substances produced by our own bodies and totally free of side effects, except for making us feel good. When it comes to stress management don’t think you have to join a gym or commit to a tough exercise regime; simply try to do what you can, as every little bit helps.

Hopefully by now you will have incorporated martial arts into your life as that will certainly ease stress, but there are countless other ways to enjoy exercise and you need to find what suits you best. You may enjoy walking alone; you may enjoy exercising with others in a fitness class, cycling or running group. If you are competitive, you may enjoy sport such as football or tennis. All forms of exercise have physical benefits – and a healthy body equals a healthy mind – but for stress relief, exercising in natural surroundings has the most benefits because exposure to daylight has been proven successfully to boost mood.

I’m no fitness expert but I do know that to release endorphins and ease stress you need to get your heart beating faster than normal with aerobic exercise (running, fast walking, cycling etc.) for at least 15 minutes every day. If you can’t manage 15 minutes there are still benefits to just a few minutes of brisk walking. Do check with your doctor, though, before undertaking any exercise programme, especially if you haven’t exercised for a while, although walking is usually safe regardless of your fitness levels.

It’s also a good idea to combine your aerobic exercise with some strengthening and stretching exercises. Strengthening exercises are muscle toning exercises, like push ups and sit ups, and they are important to prevent injury and keep your muscles and bones strong. Stretching exercises relax tense muscles and increase blood flow to the muscles. In my opinion, yoga is a great stretching exercise system for relieving stress. It also involves mind, body and spirit and includes breathing techniques that aid relaxation.

5. Spend time on yourself

Do something you find relaxing and which makes you feel good. This could be something as simple as taking a relaxing bath. having a massage, meeting friends or watching a funny movie. There is huge stress-relieving power in laughter so seek out the company of people who make you smile. It isn’t selfish to devote some time out each day to yourself. Remember, you can’t give to others what you don’t have yourself, so find something that boosts your mood and then share your feelings of well-being with others.

6. Be one with the Force

Research has shown that meditation can reduce blood pressure and ease stress when you feel under pressure. It can alter the brain’s neural pathways, making you more resilient to stress. Here’s a simple one I recommend for all Jediists when they feel under stress as it has proved to be surprisingly effective for me and I hope it helps you too:

Close your eyes. Focus your attention on reciting out loud or silently, “I am one with the Force.” Place one hand on your belly to sync the mantra with your breaths. Do this for around five minutes each day. Let any distracting thoughts float by like clouds.

7. Slow down

For five minutes focus all your attention on one activity completely. When you spend time in the present moment and don’t let thoughts of the past or present distract you, you will immediately feel less tense. For example, if you are walking, notice the feel of the air on your face and how your arms swing by your side or the way your feet hit the pavement and so on. This is a mindfulness technique and you will learn more about mindfulness in the next chapter.

8. Reach out

Your friends and family and social media contacts are your network of support during times of stress. Reach out. Share. Don’t suffer alone. If you don’t feel you can talk to anyone talk to your doctor or phone a helpline. Remember, there are always opportunities to get a fresh perspective and words of support from your fellow Jediists within the Church of Jediism.

9. May the music be with you

Research shows that listening to soothing music can lower blood pressure, heart rate and anxiety. Music has a very powerful effect on your mood, so create a play list of songs that have a calming and uplifting effect. Listening to the sounds of nature – such as ocean waves or birds singing – and classical music can also be very soothing and you can find lots of those kinds of relaxation tracks on YouTube. You can also release tension by listening to fast, upbeat tunes or singing as loudly as you can in the shower, or whenever you want to let off steam. Remember, music is a powerful tool for a Jediist. It can raise your energy vibration and connect you to the power of the Force which is the essence of Jediism.

I AM A JEDIIST

Patrick “Custard Trout” Day Childs is living his dream, and probably the dream of anyone who loves gaming, as he reviews and writes about games for a living. He is a martial arts practitioner, Jediist-themed wedding coordinator, Jediist Master and Church of Jediism council member. Below he talks about how Jediism helped him deal with stress and depression in his life.

I first encountered the Church of Jediism when I was a teenager. It’s a pretty standard story, I was stressed and depressed and they were there for me. But it went further than that. The founder Daniel Jones checked on me every single day, never asked for money or for me to become a Jediist. He never pressured me to join him. Instead, he pushed me to go out each day and helped me build a schedule to keep to.

Eventually I found myself in a much better place in life, and Jediism helped a lot with that journey. Through Jediism I learned to see each street for something beautiful. Really think about what those houses mean and represent. You might think of destroyed wildlife and mankind crushing things in its path. But Daniel taught me to see wonderful things, for each house there is a story, life, death, joy and sadness. He also encouraged me to see the beauty in nature and make sure I took time to go outside, connect with nature and open my mind and heart to new experiences. I visited aquariums, botanical gardens and grew plants. I woke up.

As I got to know Daniel I started to read his original Jediism training books. A lot of it made sense to me; Jediism can really genuinely help people.

As the years went on and I have lived by the Jediist code, it changed my life, day by day, bit by bit.

There is no emotion, there is peace – I began to approach each situation with a clear mind.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge – I learn something new each day.

There is no passion, there is serenity – I cut down my hobbies and tried something new often.

There is no chaos, there is harmony – I keep a healthy schedule.

There is no death, there is the Force – each day I try to make a good lasting impact on people, so I can contribute to the Force and even in death people will feel my presence and care.

Jediism continues to change how I view the world every single day; I use the teachings from Jediism when bringing up my children. Every morning we read “What happened today” and learn about the history of each day. We also ensure we make at least two trips outside a week. We always explore our emotions and apply cognitive behavioural therapy, breaking our emotions into small easy-to-manage pieces that we can examine.

The Church of Jediism also encourages members to learn about other faiths, so I spent a lot of time visiting different places of worship, and it really opened my mind to the world, each offers really rich and interesting ideas. At this stage, I work with Daniel creating my own strands of Jediism. Daniel is deeply spiritual, but my strain of Jediism focuses on very practical techniques, and a much more atheist approach as there is a place within Jediism for all belief systems, including atheism.

The three major causes of stress are not knowing who you are, trying to change what can’t be changed, and out of control thinking. A Jediist understands who they are, does not stress over what cannot be controlled or changed, and knows that their greatest weapon against stress is their ability to choose one thought over another.

Daniel M. Jones