The Hero With A Thousand Faces and The Power of Myth
Originally Published February 21, 2022
What does Odyssey, Lion King, Harry Potter, Moses, Lord of The Rings, The Matrix, and The Buddha have in common? The Hero's Journey! Born over 100 years ago, a professor, psychologist, and philosopher named Joseph Campbell studied similarities in cultures, folklores, religions, rituals, symbols, and traditions. As a result, he found a common thread in myths, legends, and stories which was coined as 'The Monomyth'. This instructional design forever changed the way the world sees a hero and it already influenced elements that are now being used and analyzed by scholars and giant institutions stretching from digital game design to advertising.
Joe argues that myths are the search for the experience of being alive. They are attempts to make sense of things. To see life as a poem is what myth does for us. Most of the time, the message is what's important, not the rationality as it contains subjects that we don't have any words for. Without a cloak of mystery, modern mythology continues to struggle to make an impact on our lives. "The myth is the public dream," Campbell says, "and the dream is the private myth." In a way, it can support, validate, or challenge certain social orders.
Campbell, being a mythologist, helped modern society understand the true power that storytelling has in our culture and within our personal lives. โYears after The Great Depression and WWII, he realized that there is template a structure and symbolism that is shared in almost any significant story around the globe. Unbeknownst to Joe, he will become a linchpin to the Star Wars franchise and heaps of other brands. George Lucas even refers to him as โMy Yodaโ.
His brainchild follows a path of an archetypal hero. Stage 1) being the ordinary world where the hero lives in or what Jung describes as "The Unconscious". 2) "The Departure" Having a call to action into the unknown. This is where the conscious mind explores an external adventure like how Alice follows The White Rabbit. Mind you, this is not a vacation but a way out of the comfort zone. A far-off land, probably a dark forest. 3) "The Initiation" A refusal of the call due to fear, insecurities, and avoidance of intrinsic issues. 4) "Meeting the Mentor" Glinda The Good Witch meets Dorothy. 5) "Crossing The Threshold" This is where the test of self-discovery happens and also the point of no return. 6) "Allies & Enemies" The hero builds a dream team and meets a rival called 'The Shadow'. 7) "The Crisis" The hero faces a trial in the innermost cave which represents his inner conflict. Also known as 'The Belly of The Whale'. 8) "The Ordeal" Where the hero hits rock bottom. He either dies or wins. Learning is the death of ignorance. The biggest reward awaits by slaying 'The Dragon'. 9) "The Ultimate Boon" The hero reaches his end goal by winning the boss fight. This is where he reaps the reward. 10) "The Return" A road back to the status quo. 11) "The Resurrection" The ego dies as the hero surrenders. Extracting wisdom by tapping into his higher self. The hero is finally realized as a cosmic being. 12) โThe Elixirโ The hero arrives as a healer and serves as a mentor. A mission to change others by passing on wisdom as his legacy.
When facing nihilism, this will guide your psyche to reach Apotheosis. Joe attributed almost all human problems to the absence of myth. In his most famous line, he quoted, "Follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be." Have the courage to stick your neck out because life is trouble and only death is no trouble. Just remember, not all who hesitate are lost so be empowered but be critical and you wonโt end up in a preposterous pit. The dungeon you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.
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