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Video Summaries of The Power Of Myth
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1-Page Summary of The Power Of Myth
Overview
Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces describes the structure of most heroes’ journeys, but barely scratches the surface. In an interview with Bill Moyers, he discusses what he’s learned from his years studying comparative religion and mythology. He says that myths are everywhere because they were a part of human culture since the beginning of civilization; they help us to access transcendent experiences that many people believe to be God or universe-related; we share an inner universe with everyone else on Earth; it is from this universe that mythology springs; and you are heroic if your journey requires you to go through trials in order to retrieve new understanding about yourself and the world.
Myth and the Modern World
Myths are important, even today. They explain life and give it meaning. Myths were the building blocks of human civilization, and they still apply to our lives today in many ways. For example, when you go into a courtroom or see someone on TV who’s dressed in an official capacity (like a judge), you automatically treat them with respect because of their role as portrayed by society. It doesn’t matter if that person is actually worthy of your respect; what matters is how well he or she plays his or her role according to societal norms and expectations. The same thing goes for politics: people don’t necessarily like all presidents equally, but they do expect them to behave a certain way while holding office—and they’re judged accordingly if they stray from those expected behaviors.
In today’s world, the myths that were once taught in schools have been removed from curricula. However, people continue to be drawn to mythology because they see it in their everyday lives. Young people look for lessons about suffering and maturity through mythologies like street gangs. Street gang members create a way of life with rituals and rules of order so they can live out a particular myth.”
But adults also create their own myths, often in the form of pop culture. For example, John Rambo is a mythological figure who wades through violence and death to rescue prisoners of war. First Blood and the John Rambo franchise spoke to pressing issues like how America reconciles its involvement in Vietnam with its ideals.
In the past, myths were bound to a region: hunting societies had myths based on animals; farming societies created myths about plants. Today, we are so interconnected that there can only be global myths relevant to our planet and not just any one community. The image of Earth from space would make an excellent symbol for a modern myth.
The Journey Inward
Myths are imprinted in the human psyche because they’re built into all human cultures, as well as our dreams. Myths are carried from generation to generation because we dream about them and experience the same bodily experiences that our ancestors did. For example, when you have a nightmare about failing an important exam, it’s similar to Orpheus’ story of bringing his wife Persephone back from Hades. In other words, your anxiety over failing your test is analogous to Orpheus’ failure to bring his wife back from Hades after he failed his own test.
Dreams are private myths, and myths are public dreams. Visionaries will create new information for the world because of their different ideas or thoughts from most people.
It’s important to note that dreams aren’t just about your personal life, but also the universe. It’s crucial to understand that this isn’t a physical universe, but rather something more mystical and spiritual. This is why people believe in reincarnation — it acknowledges the fact that there are parts of you which don’t include what you think or feel now, as well as acknowledging the fact that your life is part of something much bigger than yourself. The challenge then becomes going past your concept of yourself (as well as society’s concept), so you can get closer to understanding what makes up the universe within us all.
