![]() ![]() But at the right time, people and situations will come to our aid. The path isn’t easy - there are many, many challenges along the way. Above all else, it’s a reminder that we each within us have a purpose, a quest and a mission in this life that can and will invoke our truest potential. What can we learn from the hero’s journey? In a way, it is similar to the writer’s journey. Aptly, the 12 steps of the hero’s journey are depicted as a circle. In spiritual traditions, the circle is a powerful symbol of timelessness, death and rebirth, totality, and wholeness. I reflected on the notion of coming full circle - to begin a journey, outwardly or inwardly, before finding yourself back at the beginning, transformed. Throughout this testing time, the hero will be shaped and molded through adversity, finding deeper meaning in their life and mission. Unknown forces work against them, as they form bonds with allies who join them along the way, or face formidable enemies or encounters that have to be conquered. This is a stage of acclimatizing to unknown lands. Now the hero has ventured outside of their comfort zone, the true test begins. This is a point of empowerment, where you realize that journeying within will lead you to greater self-understanding, even if those insights will dramatically change your life direction. Whatever your life was before the call to action, this is a crossroads which is accepted, knowing your life may never be the same. The hero’s resolve is hardened, and they understand they have a responsibility to confront what is ahead of them. The hero enters a new zone, one in which the call to adventure must be accepted. This is the point of no return, where the reluctant hero embarks on their adventure, and has accepted that the way things were must change. This occurs when the hero fully commits to their quest, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual. This is a pivotal moment in the hero’s journey, as the initiation begins. ![]() Although well within the hero’s comfort zone, at this stage, it’s clear something significant is lacking from their life. There could be glimpses of their potential, but these circumstances restrict the hero from fulfilling them. At this point, the hero is portrayed as very, very human. The hero is living a standard, mundane life, going about their business unaware of the impending call to adventure. Plus, under each is a psychological symbol that describes how the hero’s journey unfolds, and how when the hero ventures forth, he undergoes an inner process of awakening and transformation. Let’s take a closer look at each of the steps below. It’s usually a cycle, a coming and a returning.” The person then takes off on a series of adventures beyond the ordinary, either to recover what has been lost or to discover some life-giving elixir. “The usual hero adventure begins with someone from whom something has been taken, or who feels there is something lacking in the normal experience available or permitted to the members of society. The hero journeys through the 12 steps in a clockwise fashion. The 12 steps are separated into three acts: The hero’s journey ends where it begins, back at the beginning after a quest of epic proportions. With that in mind, his structure offers a tool of transformation and a way to inspire the unconscious to work towards your own hero’s journey. Enter storytelling and character development - a process of myth-making that somehow captures the truth of deep psychological processes.Ĭampbell saw the power of myth in igniting the unconscious will to grow and live a meaningful life. Such symbols surface in dreams, visualizations, daydreams, or fantasies.įor Jung, the creative process is one in which contents of the unconscious mind are brought to light. The unconscious instead operates in the imaginal realm - using symbols and meaning that take time to be deciphered and understood consciously. The nature of the unconsciousĭue to its vast nature, the unconscious doesn’t operate like the conscious mind, which is based in language, logic, and rationality. Jung didn’t only theorize about the unconscious he provided a huge body of work explaining the language of the unconscious, and the way in which it communicates with the conscious mind. Jung’s greatest insight was that the unconscious is a vast, vibrant landscape, yet out sight from the ordinary conscious experience. ![]()
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