The Matrix, Star Wars and Himalayan Yogis

I agree that politically the Matrix and Star Wars come from different vantage points but that’s because they were products of different eras and mindsets.  The political perspective of George Lucas was probably from the world of the liberated 60s generation where there was more of an idealistic view of the possibilities of government.  Civil Rights gains, the belief in communal action and the optimism of the Kennedy generation were a likely foundation for Lucas’ beliefs.  Conversely the pessimism and apathy towards our current government’s ability to solve key issues along with the heavy focus on personal reliance probably contributed to the ideas of the creators of the Matrix.

While there are definite political differences between the Matrix and the Star Wars trilogies, the spiritual concepts are actually very similar.  The Force is an unseen energy that allows the Jedis to manipulate the physical world around them. They connect to this energy through training and guidance very much like the Yogi’s in the Himalayas.  While in the Matrix Neo is also able to manipulate the world around him, what makes the story more compelling is when Neo begins to manipulate the physical world AFTER he leaves the Matrix.  This is where the two storylines connect.  I remember feeling the same excitement for Neo’s discovery as I did when Luke found out about the Force.  Neo has to be trained however much like the Jedis and Morpheus is his guru much like Obi Wan is Luke Skywalker’s guru.

The larger spiritual difference is that Neo is the only one who can do this and the way the story presents it, Neo is reincarnated overtime to help the Matrix fix the holes in its design, whereas anyone with a high midichlorian count can become a Jedi (still not completely democratic but more so than in Neo’s world).  The Vedic concept of the Yogi’s is that everyone can become liberated and unite with source energy thus being able to transcend the physical realm and manipulate the world around them.

For me the greatest attraction to both of these trilogies is the personal ability to transcend our world through the focused concentration of our thoughts, and the communal ability to affect positive global change through the collective application of this ability.