The Force has existed for as long as living beings have flourished in the galaxy, and will continue to endure as long as life remains. It has been called an energy field, and in many ways this is true. However, it cannot be defined or quantified by any conventional or technological means. It binds the galaxy together, in more ways than just the physical. Force users over the millennia have struggled to understand the concept, as it somehow seems to both elude and embrace intellectual definitions at the same time.
The Force consists of two elements that are related yet distinct: the Living Force and the Cosmic Force. The Living Force is life energy, created by living beings throughout the galaxy. It is this aspect of the Force that allows for many of the impressive abilities that have given rise to the legends around the Jedi and Sith, and that excites the galaxy’s collective imagination to this very day. The ability to sense the presence of other lifeforms, manipulate or access their minds through telepathy, and to enact one’s will upon physical objects are all abilities that are enabled by the Living Force.
All life in the galaxy is constantly moving through an endless cycle of death and rejuvenation, and so does the Living Force. It waxes and wanes, growing stronger in some places while fading in others. This ebb and flow forms the foundation for the Force’s other half—the Cosmic Force.
Energy from the Living Force ultimately passes into the Cosmic Force. This includes not only the energy of the Living Force at any given point in time, but the energy of every being that has ever lived in the galaxy. As such, the Cosmic Force transcends the typical conceptions of time and space. It connects all things that ever were, are, and will be.
The Cosmic Force is more difficult to access than the Living Force. It requires meditation, openness, and harmony to attune oneself to its rhythms. As one may have deduced from this, some of the most powerful Force abilities are fueled by this aspect of it, such as the ability to see distant places and events, or to learn of a myriad of potential futures. Only a select few of even the most experienced Force wielders are able to reach the fullest potential of physical and mental attunement to the Cosmic Force.
Due to the intimiate link between life and the Force, only living organisms can feel its presence. Beings who are sentient have the potential to be born Force-sensitive or become so during the course of the course of their lives. The Force may be stronger in some individuals than in others, and some say that this trait may be hereditary. Indeed, certain family names have been associated with the most famous, or infamous, Force users in the galaxy’s history.
The Force even appears to have a will of its own. Many skilled Force wielders have spoken of this phenomenon after communing with the Force or experiencing events of mystical significance. It has been said that the Force not only derives its energy from life, but also guides living beings' actions at times. Some have stated that it responds most strongly to actions taken by those who deliberately seek to use it, and that it aids or opposes individuals according to its own enigmatic orchestrations. As such, Force sensitives understand the indisputable role that the Force has in the entire galaxy’s destiny.