The
call to adventure in a dream is the prelude to the
exploration of the unconscious. This is a theme that
has been expressed in myth and legend throughout the
ages and reflects the need to discover one's true
identity. Although in dreams and mythical fantasies
it is symbolized by an outward journey, it is in fact
an inner journey to the center of existence. The lonely
journey brings us into contact with the very heartbeat
of the world's consciousness.
The quest for identity is expressed in mythic fantasies
and dreams about the journey and quest of the hero.
Stories about the hero are one of the most common
themes classical mythology of Greece and Rome, and
the stories continue through the Middle Ages, in the
Far East, and among contemporary tribal societies.
From society to society these myths have a striking
similarity. He usually has a humble birth but during
childhood displays special powers that mark him as
someone with a special purpose in life. He rapidly
rises to prominence and power and undergoes a triumphant
struggle with the powers of evil. Eventually he falls
victim to the sin of pride (hubris) and his fall through
betrayal or a heroic sacrifice results in his death.
For the individual, these stories reflect the process
of discovering and asserting the personality, and
for society at large, they show the need for a collective
identity.
The hero symbolizes a person's unconscious self.
His goal is to find the treasure, the princess, the
ring, the elixir of life, the golden fleece, and so
on. These are all metaphors for one's true feelings
and unique potential. In the process of becoming whole,
the heroic task is to become aware of the unconscious
contents of the personality instead of being overwhelmed
by them. The result of this quest is the release of
energy and abilities hitherto unable to express themselves.
Joseph Campbell, in The Hero with a Thousand Faces,
explains that the ancient hero-myths reflect the human
struggle for identity. The theme reflects the collective
goals of all humanity to find meaning and purpose.
Today we have lost this objective, and the hero myth
has fallen into disuse. Science and technology have
externalized our inner life, and the communication
between consciousness and the unconscious is lost.
Nonetheless the fantasy of the hero myth will continue
to manifest but now in a modern guise. For example,
the stories about Superman and other superheroes follow
a similar format as the classic myths. In the guise
of Clark Kent, the hero is an ordinary person just
like us, yet secretly he has magical powers. We are
the same. We live an ordinary life, yet in the hidden
world of the unconscious is the potential to become
superhuman. Dreams and fantasies about heroes show
that an ordinary person holds hidden extraordinary
power. These powers awaken when we rediscover the
full potential of the human psyche.
The
Hero's Journey
In mythical stories, the hero undertakes an arduous
journey in order to find the treasure or release the
trapped maiden. He often travels by ship or fights
a sea monster. For example he may, like Jonah, in
the Bible, be swallowed by a monster, showing that
he has been overwhelmed by unconscious contents. From
a Freudian perspective this may show that the person
is motivated by an unconscious desire to return to
the security of the womb. Escaping from the whale
may show leaving the mother, the source of life, behind
him yet experiencing a rebirth.
The hero's quest will take him through a dangerous
landscape where he will face his fears in the form
of mythical animals and beings. He may discover an
Aladdin's Cave of jewels or a dangerous genie. These
dreams and fantasies are often accompanied by feelings
of fear and dread because they threaten the security
most people have built for themselves and their family.
They are dangerous dreams, yet the hero knows that
the realm he is entering and the adventures he will
face carry the keys to unlock the way to discover
his true self.
En route to individuation (a term used by Jung to
mean self-realization) the hero must resist a number
of temptations and challenges. The first figure he
may meet on the road to self-realization is his own
shadow (another term used by Jung to represent the
dark side of the individual--everything you don't
like about yourself). The shadow is the side of yourself
that has been disowned; it may appear as an evil or
frightening figure. It may be an unsavory aspect of
your personality that you refuse to accept. In life
we imagine that everyone else has the terrible qualities
that our shadow represents--everyone except ourselves,
of course. Perhaps you have seen other people do this.
For example, a terribly jealous sort of person may
accuse other people of being jealous. Similarly, a
selfish person may accuse others of not giving of
themselves. Everyone does this to some extent, and
it happens on a collective level too. White people
may blame the troubles of the world on black people,
and vice-versa. Some people identify a particular
religious group as the cause of all their troubles.
Other people become the scapegoats for our own failings
and for everything that is wrong with us and with
society. We project onto them our shadow.
The hero's quest is to discover that the shadow figure
that appears in dreams is, in fact, the qualities
that he has rejected in himself. The process of integration
requires him (and each of us) to take responsibility
for his faults and stop projecting his shadow onto
other people.
The hero also learns to accept the shadow qualities
in himself. Negative qualities must be faced and brought
to the light if they are to be disarmed. The process
of integration that results from the inner adventure
requires him to accept these qualities and transform
them, thereby helping himself become a more self-aware
and full individual. The hero learns to discard the
mask of who he thinks he is and, in so doing, becomes
the person he really is.
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