Embedded deep in the human psyche lies the narrative of what Joseph Campbell called the hero's journey. This is more than just a mere mythological narrative. This is a deep truth that applies to every human story. This is a journey about self-discovery, living a fully... realise life, or as Campbell would simply state, following your bliss.
The hero's journey was his all-embracing metaphor for the deep inner journey of transformation that heroes in every time and place seem to share, a path that leads them through great movements of selflessness. separation, descent, ordeal and return. It is going full circle from the ordinary world to the special world and back again.
This same narrative spans across all cultures, eras, religions and tales including not only your favourite stories like Star Wars and Harry Potter, but within the lives of every human being on the planet. The journey's stages may be avoided, repeated or shifted depending upon the needs of the individual story. The hero's journey can be just as much as an inner voyage into the unconscious mind as it is an inner journey into the spiritual realm.
and external adventure. There are a number of steps that a hero must go through for self transformation. Typically there are 12 steps that usually go in the following order.
Step 1. The ordinary world. This is where we all start, in the ordinary world, where the hero is a lesser version of himself in the beginning, just like all of us. Most fall into the trap of society's doctrine and end up following the status quo like everybody else, we do what our family, friends, society tells us to do which leads us into living a life that's not our own. The deep down we know that there's more to life, that there's an exciting adventure waiting for us.
In Star Wars you see Luke Skywalker being bored to death as a farm boy before he tackles the universe, the special world, which is a metaphor for stepping into chaos, uncertainty, the unknown, or as Jung would call the unconscious. Step 2. Call to Adventure The call to adventure signifies that destiny has summoned the hero. As we go about our lives, we will encounter multiple calls to adventure.
Opportunities to embark on a new quest which will change everything we thought we knew about ourselves and reality. Typically, this will involve delving deep into our fears or the unknown. We will be faced with a difficult challenge to let go of what we know. It's up to us whether or not we accept that call.
Like, in The Matrix, the call to adventure is when Neo gets the message to follow the White Rabbit. Sadly, most people don't get past this stage. They live their life according to others, never really chasing their dreams because they rather play it safe and stay in the illusion of certainty.
This often leads them to feel unfulfilled and stagnant. They never accepted that call to adventure. Step 3. Refusal of the call.
The hero will almost always refuse the call, at least in the beginning, due to fears, insecurities, resistance and the unwillingness to change. And this is totally understandable. I mean, scary facing our fears, right? In the Matrix, Morpheus calls Neo and tells him to cross the ledge, but Neo refuses and gets taken away by the agents. The hero's journey is just as much an inner voyage as an external adventure.
Refusing the call to adventure in modern life many times refers to avoiding our issues, right? Our unconscious mind. This could be a fear that we haven't faced internally or an opportunity we didn't take because it's too risky. So we don't do anything and wonder, what could have been? Step 5. Step 4 Meeting with the mentor The hero encounters a mentor who gives them wisdom, insights and guidance that will help them on their journey.
In the matrix it was Morpheus who mentored Neo, in Star Wars it was Obi Wan Kenobi to Luke Skywalker and in Lord of the Rings it was Gandalf to Frodo. Just remember to follow the story. Just remember that meeting a mentor doesn't necessarily have to happen physically, even though many times this does happen eventually as you progress through your hero's journey. People like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Elliot Hulse, Robert Greene, Aubrey Marcus, Carl Jung and Jordan Peterson just to name a few, have all been amazing mentors to me even though I haven't met any of them in my life.
Yet they have helped me tremendously on my journey with their experiences, wisdom and valuable insights. Step 5. Crossing the first threshold. This is when the hero goes from the ordinary world to the special world. This is a metaphor for going into the unconscious, into the unknown.
This is where the adventure of self-discovery truly begins. This is also the point of no return. After the hero crosses the first threshold, life will never be the same.
This is the stage where Neo takes the red pill and wakes up from the Matrix. Crossing the first threshold in your hero's journey may be receiving a piece of information that changes your perspective on life forever or forevermore. quitting your job and moving to another country. Step six, test allies, enemies.
The hero learns the rules of the new world. Challenges, walls, conflicts arises. You meet new friends, have new experiences, but at the same time face more challenges.
The most important function of this stage in this story is the testing of the hero to prepare them for the ordeals that lie ahead. This is when Morpheus teaches Neo the training simulation or when Harry adjusts to life in Hogwarts. Step seven, approach to the innermost cave. The innermost cave may represent many things in the hero's story, story, such as an actual location in which lies a terrible danger, or an inner conflict which up until now the hero hasn't faced yet. In many myths, the hero has to descend into hell to retrieve a loved one, or into a cave to fight a dragon and receive the treasure.
The dragon in mythology represents everything you fear which guards the most precious treasure. This is a metaphor for life. It's when you break through the other side of what you fear most that bears the biggest rewards and growth.
But this isn't easy by any means. Like when the Oracle tells Neo that Morpheus or he will die. and that Neo has the power to choose who. Or when the Green Goblin asks Spider-Man to join him, but Peter refuses. It is at this stage in the hero's journey which the hero has to make a very tough decision.
Step 8. The ordeal. This is usually the biggest challenge a hero must face, such as a deep inner crisis or hitting rock bottom. Only through the form of death can the hero be reborn, experiencing a metaphorical resurrection that somehow grants him greater power or insight necessary in order to fulfill his destiny. This is the high point of the hero's story and where everything he holds dear is put on the line.
If he fails, he He will either die or life as he knows it will never be the same again. Step 9 The Reward After triumphing the ordeal in the innermost cave, the hero receives a reward. Whether it's a physical object, knowledge or even love, the true all-healing elixir is the achievement of inner peace.
Neo blames himself for Morpheus being captured, so he decides to re-enter the Matrix to save him. On The Lion King, when Mufasa's ghost tells Simba he must return to the Pride Lands. In everyday life, the reward could be settling a conflict with a family member, or the shadow self, or even healing a trauma which gives you a much better understanding of yourself, allowing you to live a much happier and fulfilled life. Step 10. The Road Back After the hero gains the reward, we move into Act 3. The hero isn't out of the woods just yet. Just yet.
This stage marks the decision to return to the ordinary world. The hero realises that the special world must eventually be left behind, and there are still dangers, temptations and tests ahead. Before Neo can leave the Matrix, Agent Smith kills him.
Simba returns to the Pride Lands and faces Scar. If the hero has not resolved the issue with the conquered villain, in real life this refers to the shadow, it comes after him with a vengeance. In psychology, this refers to neurosis, bad habits, old addictions and dark pasts coming back to haunt us, like an ex-girlfriend, for example.
after we thought we were done with them forever. Step 11, resurrection. During the resurrection, death and darkness are encountered one more time before being conquered for good.
Danger is usually at the peak of the entire story and the threat is to the entire world, not just the hero. The stakes are at their very highest. The hero uses all lessons learned on the journey and is transformed into a new being with new insights.
This is my favorite part in The Matrix when Trinity tells Neo that she loves him. So he must be the one. So then Neo revives and kills Agent Smith.
This could represent an ego death, for example, which triggers an enlightening experience. Or it could be going to the darkest depths of our psyche during a hardcore depression, hitting rock bottom. Extracting that wisdom and transcending it all with that fire in the belly which makes us fearless, that helps push us forward on our self-development.
This is a critical point in the hero's journey where he or she realizes that they had the power within them the whole time. Step 12. Return with the Elixir. Once the transformation is complete, the hero returns to the ordinary world with the elixir, a treasure or a new understanding. Returning with the elixir means the hero can now implement change in his daily life and use the lessons of the adventure to heal his wounds and help others in the ordinary world.
This is important because unless something is brought back from the ordeal in the innermost cave, the hero is doomed to repeat the adventure until the lesson is learned. which many of us stay stuck in. It's like this painful karmic cycle that keeps hitting us time and time again, each time more painful than the last, until we finally learn our lesson.
In life, the elixir can be a metaphor for growth, love, wisdom, freedom. or knowledge which we can use to help others even if it's just our close friends and family. The hero's journey isn't a linear path that you reach once and finish forever. It is a cyclic journey in personal transformation where you constantly face challenges and resistance i.e. the shadow which helps you constantly grow and gain wisdom. But this isn't easy.
Facing yourself is the most terrifying and challenging thing you will ever do in life. But it's the only way to truly transform in a meaningful positive way which will make a huge impact in others lives. And this all starts with accepting that call to adventure. Facing your fears, walking your path to self-discovery, and living your truth.
So what are you waiting for? Adventure awaits. What's up guys? Hope you enjoyed the video.
If you want to know more in depth about the hero's journey, then I invite you guys to check out the audiobook version of A Hero With A Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell. You can get this for free by going to audible.com slash yourmateTom. I'll leave a link in the description. box below.
There is a huge abundance of amazing audiobooks that can greatly enhance your life. Some that I would personally recommend would be The 50th Law by Robert Greene and one that I'm listening to right now is called Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism which is... mind-blowing yeah go check out that link it does support this channel and if you did like this video please remember to like and share this video with a friend and of course if you haven't already subscribed to this channel and click on that little notification bell thingy this will notify you of my next upload right now I'm in Chiang Mai Thailand just taking care of some important personal business so I don't know how often or when I'm going to upload so yeah that will let you know when I will upload If you have any criticism or comments or anything to add to this video, then don't forget to comment below or if you have any video requests at all, that would be much appreciated. But yeah, that's pretty much it from me guys. Catch you on the next video.
Peace.