When feeling unsafe (physically, emotionally, you name it), I pull attention back from bodily experience, withdrawing into the (apparent) safety of my mind. Highlighted in View No.20 of 1000 Views of God, the AT-AT Walker of the Ice Planet Hoth (from George Lucas’ Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back) is a perfect metaphor for this strategy: within the head, a control center, where humans command the direction and movements of a metal behemoth. From this perch, the illusion of power and control over circumstances appears indisputable.

But, it takes only a few lengths of cable to bring down the whole mechanism. In the film, the Rebels were able to trip and topple the Walkers with a cable (so I know it works!). Here, birds flock around the Imperial Walker, tying and tangling its legs and thereby sealing its fate, a metaphor for how the “imperial force” of a self-segregating mind dooms itself to a crippled and feeble existence, when compared to the far greater potential of an integrated body/mind.

Central to the Star Wars saga is the notion of “The Force”. Lucas confirms that his use of The Force was formulated in part from cinematographer Roman Kroitor’s statement in the 1963 film 21-87: “Many people feel that in the contemplation of nature and in communication with other living things, they become aware of some kind of force, or something, behind this apparent mask which we see in front of us, and they call it God.” (Silberman, Steve (May 2005), “Life After Darth”, Wired.) Integral Theory might describe The Force as a Third-Person Perspective on God (the “Ultimate” or “Great Perfection”). I mention this because, while an integrated body/mind is swell, an integrated (or integrating, as it is an ongoing process/evolution) body/mind/spirit is, well…more swell.

And, let’s not forget the importance of bringing the shadow to light. Which is where this piece began: my unconscious withdrawing into the asylum of my mind – now made conscious for your viewing/reading pleasure!

There is one other shadowish piece to name here: being rather concerned that I would receive a letter from Lucasfilm, Ltd. in twenty years, stating that I would be taken to court and sued for millions, I did some research on Fair Use. I don’t typically divulge quite this much about a painting (without being asked first), but, I figured I’d lay it all out now (or, most of it), so I wouldn’t have to revisit my reasons for using a Walker in my twentieth of 1000 Views of God, when standing at the podium in a year-2029 court of law (by which time 1000 Views of God will be hailed as a wildly successful artistic classic in popular culture).

*breathing*

Okay. On to View No.21.