Daniel Fleetwood was dying from cancer. “Force for Daniel” was a social media wish that went viral. Five days before he died, Daniel got his wish, and was granted a screening of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens before its release.

When given an opportunity to make a wish, many terminally ill individuals choose something tied to pop culture. Of all the things someone could ask for — and really, the sky’s the limit — why do so many choose from this specific subset?

Human beings naturally seek meaning for their lives, and the dwelling place of meaning is in story.

Human beings naturally seek meaning for their lives, and the dwelling place of meaning is in story. As mythologist Joseph Campbell noted, himself a figure elevated by popular culture, it is in the world’s myths where we find the essence of human values. It is these stories, told across generations and across every culture, that enable humans to experience a more radiant life.

“Myth awakens and supports a sense of awe before the mystery of being. It reconciles consciousness to the preconditions of its own existence,” according to Campbell.

Contemporary society, however, has lost touch with much of its mythology. Popular culture is its substitute. We no longer rely on myth to discover the mystery of being, but instead manufacture our own myths in the form of movies, television, books, music, and art.

We no longer rely on myth to discover the mystery of being, but instead manufacture our own myths in the form of movies, television, books, music, and art.

While most popular culture fails in achieving any kind of mythological function, some of it does. “Star Wars’” success was not merely the result of showing audiences something it hadn’t seen before; George Lucas deliberately mined Campbell’s work in an effort to return myth to our culture. It became a modern touchstone for instilling the values of Campbell’s “Hero with a Thousand Faces.”

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These modern myths, if properly executed, accomplish the vital psychological functions that Campbell explained:

“Myths show how to live a human lifetime under any circumstances … (that) carries the individual through the various stages and crises of life, from childhood dependency, to the responsibilities of maturity, to the reflection of old age, and finally, to death. It helps people grasp the unfolding of life with integrity. It initiates individuals into the order of realities in their own psyches, guiding them toward enrichment and realization.”

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It is thus unsurprising that those facing death should turn to the culture in their final moments. Even if one’s wish is to meet a celebrity, the risk of that encounter failing to meet expectations probably doesn’t matter. The celebrity is elevated to mythological status in the individual’s mind, so the celebrity will always have subjective value to the person in question.

We may not understand why someone wishes to meet a certain celebrity, but it is not our projection that is of concern. It is their personal mythology that has value in that moment, and that’s all that matters.

It is, however, a testament to the “Star Wars” mythos that Fleetwood should choose to see the latest film as his dying wish. Like many of our generation, “Star Wars” is the most influential and enduring contemporary myth, and this new chapter is a continuation of our collective human story.

One certainly hopes so. When Fleetwood joined his fellow Jedis in the next world, he did so as a more enlightened, enriched individual.