Joseph Campbell and Huston Smith

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Posted by giveawayboy on February 17, 2004 at 22:59:34:

I've spent many years listening to Joseph Campbell and Huston Smith and reading their books. Tonight, watching Campbell's Bill Moyer appearances on THE POWER OF MYTH for the third time, I noticed that Campbell said one thing about myth (which Smith echoes concerning religion) is the trasnformation of consciousness. I think this is a real important theme. Campbell maintains that one of the purposes of myth/religion is to elevate the consciousness into a world of transcendence, not to irresponsible leave this world behind, but to reconnect with an even more real world. I agree with him. Another theme that Campbell discusses is the idea of the hero figure in myths. This hero fuigure makes a journey either planned or unplanned into a realm of consciousness that is totally new to him/her. The hero then is shown to be heroic in his/her response. Joseph Campbell mentions the universality of suffering in heroic myths and discusses it as being important and sacrificial. I have always loved Campbell's storehouse of information, but even more than his fancy discussions of religious symbols and motifs are these great themes of transformation of consciousness and the hero journey along w suffering, or better yet, sacrifice. As a Christian, I can see the ways my own tradition calls me to these same things. I just pray for the grace to walk them out. George Lucas, a student of Joseph Campbell, has claimed the importance of these themes in the making of his now famous STARWARS films. Lucas also claimed a few other things. He hoped that society would find through his movies timeless concepts that belonged to myth and religion and recapture them, reaccess them in ways appropriate to our time of shift from local to global awareness. He also hoped that people would not diminish the value of religions. Instead of totally secularizing society, he said he hoped that we would begin to see the need for religious life through rediscovering the power of myth in our own life.

What are your thoughts on myths?
What do you feel about transformation of consciousness?
What do you feel about scriptures that talk about things like manifestations of God or better yet, renewing the mind?
Any thoughts on Joseph Campbell? Huston Smith?

Just trying to spark conversation. Any takers?

Follow Ups:

Re: Joseph Campbell and Huston Smith aleX 17:27:13 02/25/04 (6)
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  - Re: wow Bob - the Alien 19:59:27 02/28/04 (1)
    - peeing and gravity giveawayboy 17:15:07 02/29/04 (0)
- Re: Joseph Campbell and Huston Smith PS 10:54:11 02/26/04 (0)

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: I've spent many years listening to Joseph Campbell and Huston Smith and reading their books. Tonight, watching Campbell's Bill Moyer appearances on THE POWER OF MYTH for the third time, I noticed that Campbell said one thing about myth (which Smith echoes concerning religion) is the trasnformation of consciousness. I think this is a real important theme. Campbell maintains that one of the purposes of myth/religion is to elevate the consciousness into a world of transcendence, not to irresponsible leave this world behind, but to reconnect with an even more real world. I agree with him. Another theme that Campbell discusses is the idea of the hero figure in myths. This hero fuigure makes a journey either planned or unplanned into a realm of consciousness that is totally new to him/her. The hero then is shown to be heroic in his/her response. Joseph Campbell mentions the universality of suffering in heroic myths and discusses it as being important and sacrificial. I have always loved Campbell's storehouse of information, but even more than his fancy discussions of religious symbols and motifs are these great themes of transformation of consciousness and the hero journey along w suffering, or better yet, sacrifice. As a Christian, I can see the ways my own tradition calls me to these same things. I just pray for the grace to walk them out. George Lucas, a student of Joseph Campbell, has claimed the importance of these themes in the making of his now famous STARWARS films. Lucas also claimed a few other things. He hoped that society would find through his movies timeless concepts that belonged to myth and religion and recapture them, reaccess them in ways appropriate to our time of shift from local to global awareness. He also hoped that people would not diminish the value of religions. Instead of totally secularizing society, he said he hoped that we would begin to see the need for religious life through rediscovering the power of myth in our own life. : What are your thoughts on myths? : What do you feel about transformation of consciousness? : What do you feel about scriptures that talk about things like manifestations of God or better yet, renewing the mind? : Any thoughts on Joseph Campbell? Huston Smith? : Just trying to spark conversation. Any takers?

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