How did you discover that the Force is real?

One can feel the force but how is it that you came across it. What experience led you to believe that there is a force that in fact surrounds us? Was it through training mediations or perhaps a premonition or dream. Did you have a master that taught you how to use it and work with it?

Technically, my Tm here never ever gave me one lesson on “the Force”. When I began to study more in depth about the Force - I was in our seminary when I began to see and find that the Force is slightly and way different with every person. How could this be I said.? I began to get a bit upset as most do and my “only one” idea of faith began to get in the way of me - enjoying it and connecting to it. Then enter Watts... With me... something he said directly connected me with the Force. Manners . ( I’m paraphrasing) what happens when you’ve out mannered every one? Hmmm got me thinking .
If ... the Force is different for every one - due to location of birth , background , study content, resources, knowladge and wisdom available... then how can I “out Force” any one? Who’s Force is greater ... less - er... less valid? I spent a big chunk of time there. For me, it created nothing but a need to justify. When I decided to finally let go of that path ... then the fun began !!! I find more growth in finding conections rather than finding out who’s right and who’s wrong and who gets credit.

Once there - this is where I can experience - the Force of others. This is where I began to actually grow. To have a Jack type of force or a Meesh type of Force or a Lina type or a ... yabba type of force... (ps these are a few of my students lol and you ) but the point is when I began to accept rather than judge or just tolerate - then my Force began to open up and I had more ways to “feel” and identify it.
It is different for every one but to me , this is how I connect mine and others. You would be surprised at some people’s Force. I wish and hope some days we share it more often than pick it apart.
Ever heard Ren’s version of the Force? Ever heard pastors? Others here? Can I let them ... be... because to me ... that’s how I grow and learn AND experience more.

So I said all that to say this - May the Force of others be with you ! ( ha you like how I did that !) Force find you where you seek it ! May it find you as you seek it - in the middle of the search!

I grew up in a tradition that says there is a unifying force but it's unimaginable (therefore, whatever I was imagining, that wasn't it). I grew up meditation/praying and very aware of the of idea of unity and a connecting force. Whether it's called God or Allah or the Force or the great cheesecake in the sky is irrelevant; those are just sounds we use so we have a basis for talking about it.

I've had several times of confirmation in my life, of thinking "ah, yes, that sure does confirm the existence of the Unifier" but never a moment of "holy chestnuts, this is a thing and it is a revolutionary awareness for me!"

Ages ago, well over a year ago, there was a thread discussing Astral Projection. It ended up with me in PM's with a former councillor, who gave me their experiences and resources towards such practises.

So, I started working towards it, initially sceptical, but hopeful to be proven wrong.

After many attempts and painful failure after failure... one day I gave up... and tried again, hopeless. And that time, when I had given up entirely, that I succeeded.

Yes, I spooked myself, so the entire event was over just as I realised what was happening, falling back into myself before I was fully aware of the fact I had succeeded, and only upon meditating on the event afterwards that I was certain I had finally done it. Ironically, Yoda was right. Do or do not, there is no try. And, by not trying, I had done it.

It was the second time I actively succeeded, and was even able to wander about the room, that I saw my proof for the Force. One of my classmates entered the room, and I saw IT. This aura, connecting them to everything, the very air they were breathing to the window to the seat I was seated upon. It was, frankly, beautiful, and all the proof I needed for all all encompassing and over-connecting Force.

It took a while, however, for me to really come to that conclusion, but that event has stuck with me, and I've recreated it a couple times since. And every time I see and feel this beautiful connection to everything about me.

Young kid, before Star Wars was ever made, felt something... heard something, knew something, dunno what... a feeling of connection to 'something' - and I was able to locate it's source about 15 yards away, and investigated to discover a weird looking bug sitting neatly camouflaged on a wooden post. I don't remember the type, but while looking at I started to hear a strange sound - which happened to be a giant swarm of bees a few hundred yards down the road approaching. To cut a long story short we all got inside the house just in time to have a giant swarm of bees come down the road, stop, turn left and make a hive in a tree right in the middle of our backyard!!

For me, the connection to the bug was like tuning into a warning of the approaching bees. And started my journey on exploring all things unknown about our world. A few years later I saw A New Hope and the rest is hearsay

Or to draw it out a little, starting very early I approached 'all things' in balance but in depth, and sought deeper connection and understanding.... through nature mostly initially, which showed how important systems and their interactions were. Things like philosophy and mysticism really played no part for decades, as instead I worked experiential spirituality on one hand and pragmatic engagement on the other. Progress only existed because results were manifest, and those results guided me in where to seek to drive exploration and progress. I didn't go out looking for anything specific, but rather everything.... which is why I didn't consider adopting the label Jedi until my late 30's, because its role helped bring together my whole lifetime of efforts and focus into a paradigm of motivation and future potential. The backbone of the spiritual work though became guided by mostly Vajrayana Buddhism and Taosim in my late teens.

How did you discover that the Force is real?

I looked around, and in my surroundings I realized that all things are the Force.