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“It’s about appreciating what is around us and finding our creative purpose in the world.”
This week’s launch of The Last Jedi film peaked interest in Daniel’s movement. He said the church’s website has crashed several times with as many as 30,000 online hits a day.
Jediism claims to have more practising members in Britain than the followers of paganism, humanism and Rastafarianism combined.
Daniel owns several lightsabers, always wears black and goes by the Jedi name of Morda Hehol. It may be easy to dismiss him as a crackpot attention- seeker but he is a thoughtful, intelligent man.
He faced years struggling with dyslexia and Asperger’s syndrome, which was finally diagnosed only five years ago.
Daniel was five and living in a town not so far away when he first felt the force of the original Star Wars and the sequels The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. He said: “I loved it so much I made my family rent it from the video shop so often that the tape broke.
“I was devastated. It was an amazing day when mum bought me my own trilogy and I could wear my own tape out.
“As an adult it still ticks every box for me – mysticism, philosophy, technology and sci- ence. My favourite has to be Return of the Jedi, it has everything in it in terms of becoming a hero.”
Daniel became a legend himself to Star Wars fans worldwide when he established Jediism in 2007.
His homegrown movement was flooded with global media i nterest and hundreds of messages from movie fans who IF you want to be a Jedi, like Yoda or ObiWan Kenobi, here’s Dan’s day-to-day tips…
Practise thought control like Yoda. Banish negative thoughts by pondering something that makes you feel positive.
Be like Obi-Wan and take up an ancient art of self-defence such as karate and tai chi – good for physical and mental agility.
Be as bright as a Jedi. Broaden your intelligence through reading so you can take part in any conversation – or at least back up what you are talking about with a wanted to know more. But the basic “teachings” of his church were also a way for Daniel, of Holyhead, Anglesey, to manage his autism.
He f ound practising mindfulness or “staying in the moment” was a way to shut out overwhelming ming bright lights and noise of the outside world. rld.
He said: “When little knowledge of your subject. Make like a Jedi with mindfulness. Every Jedi knight thinks before they speak or take action so practise meditation and living in the moment to calm the mind and to make youself more thoughtful. Feel the force. Feel your own life energy and let it guide you in what you want to do with your life.
Send out positive vibes and your day will be positive. you are in primary school and on the spectrum you don’t sit down and think ‘I’m not the same as everyone else.’ You’re too busy trying to get through the day amid the noise and chaos. “I was the kid who sat in the classroom at playtim playtime reading or playing on th the computer because that’s t where it was quie quiet.” He m met his only friends at school by swapping Star Wars action figures. Da Daniel was seen by psych psychologists and child behaviour exper experts but his conditi condition took years to diag diagnose. Aft After l eaving schoo school with two C grade GCSEs in c omp omputing, he join joined a band, enr enrolled on a pe performing arts c course and took Dan men bec can
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