The Heroic Journey and Human Development
I have always questioned my beliefs. I wasn’t raised in church or taught aspecific religion, but I was always told to believe in God and Jesus and to pray. And, of course, there were morals thrown in. I tried reading and understanding the Bible and always ended up putting it down, discouraged. I knew, however, that I believed in one supreme being, God. This wasn’t because this is what I have always been told to do, I just have always known that He exists and I have always prayed to Him. I just knew that somewhere out there, a religion existed that was perfect for me, that believed in everything that I did, or could. I needed answers, all of them. I needed the one, original truth. I needed details. So, I set out on my quest for knowledge and began reading everything I could get my hands on. Having witches and pagans in the family, I began to question and discuss their beliefs. I eventually discovered that their path was not the path for me. I still kept reading, researching online, and asking questions. I thought that there MUST be one original truth out there and when I found it, I would surely know. I assumed that all of the remaining religions were just stories or lies that . . .
I just couldn’t figure out how the stories became so different. I went through challenges and trials, battled my conscience, and received disapproval from most of my family and friends. Anne Rice’s Lestat has mastered many heroic journeys. I believe that in creating us, He made our minds greater than we have come to realize. I have also realized that if we can learn to leave the details to the side, to not take everything so literally, and focus on the symbols presented before us, whether in religion, myth, or simply a story, we can come to the conclusion that there is a universal code of conduct and that we all worship the same thing, just each our own way. This journey has followed Campbell’s hero cycle almost completely. Our journey’s are more on the psychological or spiritual level. You must find that within yourself and on your own. This little meaningful coincidence is called synchronicity, which is defined “coincidences that express symbolic or mythic meaning. Just when I was ready to give up, this class began. However, I don’t believe that the psychology can completely explain all aspects of the hero journey and the synchronicities that occur at the thresholds. I have found that we, as individuals, must search within ourselves to find our own answers. ” (Synchronicity, 76) “Synchronicity is rooted in the deepest level of the mind or psyche, the unus mundus. I must be the best person that I can be and try to always do what I feel is right. Of course, there is Luke Skywalker in Star Wars.
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