Gather
my fellow nerd-lings
around the campfire
of the mind
and let us consider
the fall of Emperor
Palpatine.
How old were you
the first time you watched
“Star Wars – episode six:
the Return of the Jedi”?
Who can forget
the film’s climax
in the throne room
of the second death star?
We marveled
at the perceptual acuity
of Emperor Palpatine
and his ability to read:
Luke’s strength in the force,
and the intentions of Luke’s mind
and the flow of Luke’s emotions.
Old, and disfigured
the Emperor still had a dark charm
about him,
a charisma that melted
when Luke refused
to strike his father down
and take his place
as Sidious’
new apprentice;
a charm that was replaced
with rage, and malice,
and sadistic glee
as he began murdering Luke
with his force lightning.
Intoxicated with his rage
and power,
and self-importance
he was rendered blind
to Darth Vader’s intention
who lifted him overhead
and threw him down
the reactor core
to his apparent death.
What had so undermined
the Emperor’s awareness
as to allow this betrayal
to succeed?
The same thing that happened
to Supreme Leader Snoke
in “Last Jedi.”
Recall the scene in his throne room,
surrounded by his guards
so enraptured with the haranguing
of his apprentice
and delighting
in embarrassing him
before Rey
that he became oblivious
to Kylo Ren’s intentions
and actions
as the latter
reached out with the force,
telekinetically activating
the lightsaber by Snoke’s side,
slicing him in half.
Whether Darth Sidious
was inhabiting the body of Palpatine
or the body of Snoke
we observe the same pattern:
as concentrated focus deepened
peripheral awareness faded.
This is important
and bears exploration:
for concentrated focus
and peripheral awareness
are inversely proportional
as one increases
the other diminishes…
inevitably!
So what?
How could this be significant
both to the Star Wars universe
as well as our spiritual growth?
During my first
three-year retreat
I was taught the neurological effect
of switching from foveal vision
to peripheral viewing.
When our vision is focused
we are accessing
our sympathetic nervous system
with its terror, and rage, and despair,
and rigidity, and controlling tendencies.
Could that sound familiar?
Could that sound like
the path of the Dark side,
of toxic masculinity?
Now let us explore
the converse.
When we switch
from a hard, concentrated focus
to soft, peripheral vision
we are also switching
from our sympathetic nervous system
to its parasympathetic opposite:
the neural pathway
of peace, and resilience, and creativity,
and flexibility, and acquiescence…
our gateway to the light side
of healing femininity.
Just like the Sith of fiction
concentration can lead to great power
but also a dearth of the peace, and love
that are so crucial to fulfillment.
In “Phantom Menace”
Qui Gon Jinn advised:
“I counsel patience,
the solution will present itself.”
This is the soft path
of peripheral mindfulness,
of creativity, and spontaneity,
and centeredness, and flow.
This is the path of the light side.
It is available to each of us
and is as close as switching
from hard foveal vision
to its soft, peripheral counterpart,
from concentration
to mindfulness
from toxic, controlling yang
to healing, and flowing yin.
This was inspired by the video
“Rey Sees Palpatine’s Original Plan for Anakin”
found on the YouTube channel “Star Wars Theory.”
I love this channel,
and if you’re as geeky as me
you might enjoy it as well.
Let us conclude
with a simple
call to action
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These spiritual poems are also available on
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