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Joseph Campbell and the adventure of the hero into higher understanding who then brings boons to man
    #18775936 -

I'm reading The Hero with a Thousand Faces again, and while for some reason I find trying to read and convert myths into psychological statements kind of tedious and annoying, I seem to understand what Campbell is saying.

The society has a certain standard. Over time this standard drops and it is the task of the heroic individual to break free of society and its conventions and discover for himself the true energies and wellsprings of life and bring them back to the status quo. The hero returns with higher understanding, pulsing with higher inspirations and energies, and redeems the land.

So how do we do it? How do we go into higher states of understanding or consciousness?

I guess we read the book and find out. Supposedly these myths explain it all.

But it mostly seems to involve merely cutting oneself off from society, and going it alone in ones mind, until something is discovered then cultivated, an inspiration, a love, an energy...

It's pretty simple.

Why don't more of us do it? Imagine a society of fearless heroes. And this is the reward of these journeys to the source of life within oneself; energies so powerful that there is nothing to stop them, they take on a life of their own.

What do you know about this and what are you doing to take the heroes adventure and redeem our ailing land?

---

Some quotes from Campbell

“We're not on our journey to save the world but to save ourselves. But in doing that you save the world. The influence of a vital person vitalizes.”
― Joseph Campbell

“The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe to match your nature with Nature.”
― Joseph Campbell

“A bit of advice
Given to a young Native American
At the time of his initiation:
As you go the way of life,
You will see a great chasm. Jump.
It is not as wide as you think.”
― Joseph Campbell

“Gods suppressed become devils, and often it is these devils whom we first encounter when we turn inward.”
― Joseph Campbell

“Furthermore, we have not even to risk the adventure alone; for the heroes of all time have one before us, the labyrinth is fully known; we have only to follow the thread of the hero-path. And where we had thought to find an abomination, we shall find a god; where we had thought to slay another, we shall slay ourselves; where we had thought to travel outward, we shall come to the center of our own existence; where we had thought to be alone, we shall be with all the world.”
― Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces

“As you proceed through life, following your own path, birds will shit on you. Don't bother to brush it off.
Getting a comedic view of your situation gives you spiritual distance.
Having a sense of humor saves you.”
― Joseph Campbell


--------------------
My solitude...
My shield...
My armour...

TESTED
WITH
FULL
FORCE

Edited by circastes (08/30/13 02:55 AM)

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Re: Joseph Campbell and the adventure of the hero into higher understanding who then brings boons to man [Re: circastes]
    #18776165 -

I'm laughing at human folly and awaiting my end.  I'm a huge hero. :imspecial:


--------------------
"Don't believe everything you think". -Anom.

" All that lives was born to die"-Anom.

With much wisdom comes much sorrow,
The more knowledge, the more grief.
Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC

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Re: Joseph Campbell and the adventure of the hero into higher understanding who then brings boons to man [Re: circastes]
    #18776186 -

Oh, to answer you would look to me like pretentious drivel. When I began Jungian analysis in Miami around 1984, my analyst had me read The Hero With a Thousand Faces. Like you, I need to re-read it, but I've been working my way through 'The Masks of God' series, and I'm part way through the 4th book, Occidental Mythology. Typically, I'd see myself through my own experiences, and being something of a romantic (although, not a very emotional romantic), I'd see myself on all too much an exalted trip. It is true that I began to cultivate an attitude of self-discovery long after it was fashionable in those mid 70s, when rock was yielding to disco music, guys were cutting their hair and wearing high-heel clogs. By the early 80s, I too cut my hair, but only because I needed to begin a career, not because I wanted to be fashionable. I used to interview in a 3-piece suits too. From November of '86 until June '03, I was employed in a huge conservative public school system, where I was forced to live a secret life of self-discovery. The only middle school teacher who was into some of the things I was turned out to be unethical, criminal, and crazy, so it's been a life-time of exploring alone. The 3-piece suit business stopped after the initial interviews, and despite the principal looking me up and down as I entered the building wearing blue jeans, I got to dress pretty much the way I wanted for almost 30 years, which expressed the freedom that teachers sacrificed due to fear of the administration (principals could make one's life miserable, and a majority are petty tyrants), insecurity, need to appear self-important, etc..

My ex-wife of 13 years all told, also turned out to be crazy, but her façade was one of social propriety, having valued attending cotillion as a young woman on the one hand, but sleeping with her married cardiologist on the other. While she did take acid and mushrooms a few times with me, she said "I just don't get the same thing out of this stuff that you do," and of course, Awakening was something incomprehensible to her having had no real taste herself or any spiritual tendencies beyond mechanical Catholicism.

Forgoing parenthood is a huge divide from a majority of people. I found a non-maternal woman, but she turned out to be quite sick mentally and morally. Many people make friends through the parents of their children's friends. Having never had an interest in parenthood, I have used my free time for exploration of things that most people I have met in real life have zero interest or knowledge in. Meanwhile, all I ever really wanted in life was a home to continue tripping, exploring, and experimenting in. The maintenance of a house/yard/pool has long been a matter of 'Chop wood, carry water' Zen mindfulness thing, more than a chore. I spent 3 hours yesterday, as Thursday afternoon has long been my chosen time to perform that comprehensive task.

Whether my lifestyle has been heroic or foolhardy is a matter of perspective. I have rejected social and cultural conventions since I was a boy, refusing to pretend interest in sports, refusing to become a Bar Mitzvah because I was at war with my non-spiritual but tyrannical father whom I saw as hypocrite in matters religious, being one of the first to grow my hair out in 1966 at age 13, beginning to use cannabis (hash) New Year's Eve '68-'69, taking my first psychedelic in 1971, getting baptized at 21 and then entering a Christian seminary, which resulted in the alienation and rejection of much of my Jewish family, marrying a non-Jewish woman (both times), marrying a Black woman (2nd time), and for all the time I spent in school, its payoff was more on the inner and invisible-to-others side, than on the side of making money. I had a co-worker, who, due to her superstition and irrational thoughts, spent over $200,000 to build a mausoleum so that she and her family could all be together in death. I will be unceremoniously cremated without a funeral service, and my passing will only be communicated by my wife when and if someone calls on me, and if she survives me. I have taken a path less travelled, but what I feel is alienated, as a 'stranger in a strange land' kind of way, not heroic in any victorious way. :shrug:


--------------------
γνῶθι σαὐτόν - Gnothi Seauton - Know Thyself

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Re: Joseph Campbell and the adventure of the hero into higher understanding who then brings boons to man [Re: circastes]
    #18776206 -

Its pretty simple but takes too much time.
Feeling uncomfortable usually makes one look for comfort.
Society is comfort.

Great quotes btw..Gonna look this book up.

Edited by cez (08/30/13 06:25 AM)

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Re: Joseph Campbell and the adventure of the hero into higher understanding who then brings boons to man [Re: MarkostheGnostic]
    #18776272 -

I have taken a path less travelled, but what I feel is alienated, as a 'stranger in a strange land' kind of way, not heroic in any victorious way. :shrug:

My experience also.


--------------------
"Don't believe everything you think". -Anom.

" All that lives was born to die"-Anom.

With much wisdom comes much sorrow,
The more knowledge, the more grief.
Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC

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Re: Joseph Campbell and the adventure of the hero into higher understanding who then brings boons to man [Re: Icelander]
    #18776936 -

I just want to say how much I appreciate this forum. I really want to say that I love you all. :lol: I'm laughing because that seems like such an odd thing to say at the beginning of a post, but I felt like saying it and it was the first thing that came to mind. Funny enough, I never studied much (if anything) about masks while getting my psychology degree, even though that seems to be a common concept in the field. I mostly remember quantifiable stuff about phenomena (memorizable lists) and the stages through which they proceed, with some technical bases thrown in. Nothing too individually creative or abstract.

I think that if we are going to cultivate consciousness in ourselves and others, then we have to dedicate ourselves to it. Perhaps it can arise spontaneously, but I do think that both maintaining and growing it are labors of love.

How do we do it? I think that understanding someone else's perspective is important & helpful, since it encourages empathy and it is never a bad thing to have a stash of worldviews in one's pocket when reality starts closing in. It's an awesome way to have our feelings and thoughts mirrored back to us, as well. At the same time, though, I think that celebrating our own POV and experiences is key - we're never going to BE Joseph Campbell, but we can respect his experience and, more importantly, our own. I think Joseph would agree.

To deepen that note, I also think that seeing oneself as a "hero" or any other archetype may be helpful during tribulations and can bring creativity/fun to life. However, like I was saying in the previous paragraph, confining oneself to a certain character may not be advantageous and it doesn't breed awareness, imo. One can get caught up in seeing himself as a "hero" just as easily as he can get caught up in seeing himself as a "victim" or "evil" person. The book is called "Thousand Faces," right? Is it really "the hero" that wears the thousand faces or is it pure awareness putting on the mask of a hero in order to achieve his goal?

As far as how to encourage this awareness in ourselves goes, I do think that one should regularly cut himself off from society to deepen his awareness. That being said, it could be as simple as meditating & self-reflecting everyday. That isn't me speaking from personal experience, though, because I spent a lot of time alone (though still "functioning" in society) for a few years. Personally, I don't find complete isolation conducive to my well-being.

On the same token, I also think that understanding society is vital, since it seems to inform our individual perspectives to a certain degree. I don't see how the hero can bring boons without intimately knowing what he's dealing with.

I would also ask if we are always wearing a mask, or can there be times when we are being our authentic selves? When is it advantageous to don a mask, and when is it harmful?

Thank you for listening. :nyan:


--------------------
full blown human

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Re: Joseph Campbell and the adventure of the hero into higher understanding who then brings boons to man [Re: Penelope_Tree]
    #18777121 -

I think we are always being our authentic selves.  We are just loaded with selves and they are all part of what we are as animals with a complex brain.  It's authentic to lie and to tell the truth.


--------------------
"Don't believe everything you think". -Anom.

" All that lives was born to die"-Anom.

With much wisdom comes much sorrow,
The more knowledge, the more grief.
Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC

Extras: Filter Print Post Top
Re: Joseph Campbell and the adventure of the hero into higher understanding who then brings boons to man [Re: Penelope_Tree]
    #18777408 -



--------------------
γνῶθι σαὐτόν - Gnothi Seauton - Know Thyself

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General Interest > Philosophy, Sociology & Psychology
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