The Hero's Journey

[Starving Buddha]

Forum to discuss the work of Joseph Campbell and the cycle of the Hero's Journey...

[Virgil]

I'm somewhat familiar, but it's been a while since I read some of his work. What would you like to discuss?

[Starving Buddha]

I'm somewhat familiar, but it's been a while since I read some of his work. What would you like to discuss?

One of the themes that Campbell tried to bring home, is that what modern man suffers from is a detachment from myths. In our modern world, there is a conflict between how fast culture is changing because of progress and technology, and a need to hang onto outdated religious ideas that are no longer relevant. He explains that we are still following the religious ideologies of 2000 bc. The world is reflecting this disparity.

[ReynardtheFox]

A quote from Joseph Campbell that I love:
"A mid-life crisis is where you make it to the top of the ladder, only to realise you've put it against the wrong wall".

What do you think Buddha? Do we need to re-mythologise the world, deconstruct to build again? Would new mythology have the psychological gravtiy and symmetry of myths formulated in an earlier time? Would it become outdated even faster as the speed of communiations rapidly increases?
I'm interested . . . give me your thoughts.

[Dark Star]

I believe Joseph Campbell's idea was that if we understood the myths properly as being...well....myths and metaphorical rather than clinging to them in the manner of primitive religious beliefs (READ: literalism) that we could properly use the life lessons contained within to enrich our lives, and to enjoy the stories for what they are.

[Starving Buddha]

A quote from Joseph Campbell that I love:
"A mid-life crisis is where you make it to the top of the ladder, only to realise you've put it against the wrong wall".

What do you think Buddha? Do we need to re-mythologise the world, deconstruct to build again? Would new mythology have the psychological gravtiy and symmetry of myths formulated in an earlier time? Would it become outdated even faster as the speed of communiations rapidly increases?
I'm interested . . . give me your thoughts.

The mythologization is already present in the human psyche. The problem is, not many know how to read it. When I was younger I saw Star Wars, and never understood the deeper meaning of the Hero's Journey that is latent. But now that I've been introduced to Campbell's work, the movie is so utterly brilliant in its mythological presentation. Campbell's work has so permeated my life, that I see the Hero's Journey in every movie, in every story, in every tv show... It is everywhere- especially in a person's real life... I think that is the true signifigance of understanding the mythological psymbols, and knowing how to read them. It entirely opens up a dimension within someone, that had previously been sleeping.
The thing that I think is inhibiting people is distraction. The modern world, with all of its whistles and bells, is mesmerizing... But it is entirely spiritually vacant. It reminds of the song, "Carnival" by Natalie Merchant:

I've walked these streets
in a carnival
of sights to see
all the cheap thrill seekers
the vendors & the dealers
they crowded around me

have I been blind
have I been lost
inside myself and
my own mind


hypnotized
mesmerized
by what my eyes have seen?

What is needed, I believe, are people to act as lightbearers. To teach others how to see past the illusion to the light behind it. To learn how to recognize the mythology that is present in their lives. To learn how to understand the way to control the mind so that positive wheels are set into motion, and negative ones are stopped. This world suffers from a global karmic crisis, but it can only be solved if each person works to undo their own burden. This to me, is the heart of the Hero's Journey.

[Starving Buddha]

I believe Joseph Campbell's idea was that if we understood the myths properly as being...well....myths and metaphorical rather than clinging to them in the manner of primitive religious beliefs (READ: literalism) that we could properly use the life lessons contained within to enrich our lives, and to enjoy the stories for what they are.

That is exactly it. He describes it perfectly in the sense that myths are supposed to be transparent (or metaphorical). But when they are taken literally (like Yaweh proclaiming to be "it") then the image becomes closed, and the person is stuck there. He also uses the Garden of Eden as an example: the angel at the gate with the flaming sword keeping people out, is actually one's own ego, gripped by desire and fear, that is holding us back. In other words, we are keeping ourselves out. The more and more I contemplate on these things, the more I realize that everything is a matter of mental conditioning- we are conditioned to be blind, and we can also condition ourselves to see...

[Starving Buddha]

There is an inexhaustible source, a resevoir of energy. For lack of a better term, I will call it "the unconscious." When we think or dream; which is to say: when we imagine, we draw from this source. The energy drawn is then projected through the mind onto matter. This projection is what manifests reality. Reality in turn, reflects back onto us, and we in turn, think about it, which draws again from the source, and is projected, manifested, reflected... A perpetual cycle is started, a dynamic spinning, a wheel is set to motion.

[JBI]

All subjective literature, religious, fiction, non-fiction is written to help the reader understand the nature of life, particularly his/her life, and therefore better understand the final stage, death.

The reason why Campbell's hero's journey works is because it takes the Jungian archetypal character concepts, and applies it to a journey a hero goes on towards death. Every full life of every man can pretty much be written using his cyclical steps. Unfortunately, there is no accurate female monomythic sketch, therefore we need to rely on the 20th century emergence of female authors to help us understand the female condition before we can come to a general consensus.

The reason why myths in a sense are, in Campbell's point of view, important in ones life is because they reflect the perceiver's mind, and help him/her understand where s/he is going. This, in my opinion, can easily be done with any really good piece of literature, particularly works by people like Shakespeare, Faulkner, Morrison, and others.

[Starving Buddha]

All subjective literature, religious, fiction, non-fiction is written to help the reader understand the nature of life, particularly his/her life, and therefore better understand the final stage, death.

The reason why Campbell's hero's journey works is because it takes the Jungian archetypal character concepts, and applies it to a journey a hero goes on towards death. Every full life of every man can pretty much be written using his cyclical steps. Unfortunately, there is no accurate female monomythic sketch, therefore we need to rely on the 20th century emergence of female authors to help us understand the female condition before we can come to a general consensus.

The reason why myths in a sense are, in Campbell's point of view, important in ones life is because they reflect the perceiver's mind, and help him/her understand where s/he is going. This, in my opinion, can easily be done with any really good piece of literature, particularly works by people like Shakespeare, Faulkner, Morrison, and others.

The way Campbell explains it is this: for the female, there is an actual biological shock that takes place when she has her first menstration which serves to bring about the necessary transformation. However, there is no such corresponding shock for a male, so rite-of-passage rituals (circumcision) serve to break a male away from the mother's breast of childhood, to be indoctrinated into the adult male club.
But when you go beyond the dichotomy of male/female dualities, there is an ubiquitous spiritual journey that is common to both. Or, one that is beyond gender. This is part of the transcendence. It is a moving past concepts and conditions. With this in mind, anyone, be they male or female can find the same elements of the monomythis cycle appearing in their life. The threshold moment, the spiritual guide who points the way, the appearence of the god/goddess, the belly of the whale etc. et al.

[JBI]

Yes, but the monomyth he created doesn't deal with females at all. The female journey, as seen more in modern writings, being that female authors are a new invention, have a completely different construction than the male counterpart. It can be said however though, that there are similarities in the journeys.

[Starving Buddha]

Yes, but the monomyth he created doesn't deal with females at all. The female journey, as seen more in modern writings, being that female authors are a new invention, have a completely different construction than the male counterpart. It can be said however though, that there are similarities in the journeys.

Yes, I see what you are saying. Do you suppose that females have had to take a secondary role in this? I mean there are many women in mythology, be it humans or goddesses, but the female heroine does seem to be rare. What are the differences in your opinion, between the male and female cycles?

[chasestalling]

know thyself