Age-appearance of Force Spirit of Luke Skywalker.

We all have our way of justifying or suspending our disbelief. When it comes to space, I believe humanity will find a way to explore it someday. We're a long ways off and it probably won't look much like any sci-fi we've seen, but these are best guesses (also fun guesses). It's uncanny sometimes how sci-fi can hit certain things on the head (Kirk's flip phone lol). So suspending my disbelief on spaceships and travelling at such great speeds without issues with time anomalies, that's one thing. The more you add though, the harder it gets.

Every franchise has elements of their own that make those franchises attractive or believable. SW is unique and stands out mostly because it has that spiritual element to it with the Force. The space stuff we've seen before in a fashion, but combined with this pseudo spirituality, that's kind of cool and something SW can call its own. Now for most of us who are spiritual or religious and believe in such things, we may have events in our lives that help us believe in SW. A bridge if you will, that helps us over that gap to allow us to suspend our disbelief. Usually it's a one off though. Examples would be someone beating extraordinary odds and living after a major injury or sickness. Some people have visions of religious figures (think Mary's image in a tree ect...), while others still believe they saw a deceased loved one. Not mocking anyone's beliefs here, but I think that's much of the attraction of SW. It creates a world where humanity could be advanced enough scientifically while not losing that spiritual connection. Actually, to the contrary, that spiritual connection keeps pace with our tech know how, having have made leaps just as our (their) tech savvy has.

Personally, for me, taking that spiritual element further and pushing those limits runs the risk of doing a few things.

One, it becomes common. For most of us, seeing ghosts or experiencing miraculous events isn't a common thing (for most of us it's never happened, but I think most people have at least an experience that defied pretty great odds, or know of someone who experienced something like that). So making it so and trying to explain it has the potential to cheapen not only the franchise, but our personal experiences (true or imaginary, it's a person's belief here that matters). It will almost certainly be biased to the writer or directors views, and lets face it, views on the afterlife are very much varied in multiple human cultures. I think the great thing about the OT, is that it touched it so lightly, that it could fit most any religion or belief. Expand on it and it starts to lean toward one or another more heavily and take on specific elements that then will be viewed as serving as endorsement of one or a certain few belief systems. That has the side effect of possibly losing those not of that belief system.

Two, the magnitude. Everyone here is a SW fan, so we've already accepted the use of telekinesis in varied ways, among other powers. In their own light, those are pretty great and though as fans we understand only a precious few people in this universe can tap into it, it's common to see them in the movies. We've bought into what we've seen so far, but there is a line. Jedi's flying seems to be something most people don't want to see. Opinions are mixed, but I think for those who'd like to see greater powers, they can be just as happy seeing old powers used in different ways. So if they maintain the magnitude of powers, or even tone it down, I doubt they lose any fans, while if they keep increasing it's effects, they challenge viewers ability to suspend disbelief and risk losing some.

Three, the specifics. Someone moving an object with their mind, we've bought into it. Most of us would have issues with a Jedi or Sith moving a mountain, SD or planet. Somewhere there is a line. The same goes with FG or any other aspect of the powers. It isn't that writers and directors can't expand on it, but it shouldn't be done on a whim. Questions should be asked before any new power is introduced. How, why, where, who, what, when. It should also be asked if it's necessary to the story (I would argue Yoda's calling lightning wasn't). With movies being churned out so quickly, I don't think I'm the lone SW fan who's worried about the direction the franchise will take moving forward. I don't want SW to become Marvel, DC or Power Rangers (among others). I can enjoy other properties in their own right, but I'd like to see SW be more conservative in their use of the Force. All it takes is one misstep, and it could blow up the whole franchise. Sometimes you can fix a shark jump by back tracking, but there's always a cost.

Once you pull a fan out of his or her ability to suspend their disbelief, it's hard for them to re-emerge themselves in the fantasy. Even in those cases that they do, often a part of the shine and luster is gone. Think Matrix, great first movie, had a ton of potential, but for most 2 and 3 were shadows of the first one. There are a ton of stories to tell in the GFFA, they don't have to center on the Force and Jedi's. Chirrut Imwe is a prime example of sometimes less is better.