Why do all cultures have such similar Heros Journey stories?
While most of us do not have to face a dragon or fight a foe as obviously menacing as Darth Vader, we all encounter obstacles on our way toward a goal, and we all find that some we meet are helpful in unexpected ways, and that others are “wolves in sheep’s clothing,” who pretend to be friends but are actually enemies or opportunists. According to Carl Jung, ancient myths and modern dreams have similar “archetypal” themes, characters and struggles. Joseph Campbell believes that: • there is a built-in need for this kind of journey, for the testing of oneself • it is necessary to search for meaning and confront symbolic “dragons” in everyone’s life • if myth and ritual do not supply images, they will develop in the dream world • the de-mythologizing of culture is a problem of modern society • the “scientific” nature of our lives has removed the symbolic and metaphoric benefits once afforded to humankind through the guidance offered in ancient stories.
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