Monomyth, Myth & Dream J. Cambell Hero 1000 Faces

Dream is the personalized myth, myth the depersonalized dream; both myth and dreams are symbolic in the same general way of the dynamics of psyche. But in the dream the forms are quirked by the peculiar troubles of the dreamer, whereas in myth the problems and solutions shown are directly valid for all mankind.
The hero, therefore, is the man or woman who has been able to battle past his personal and local historical limitations to the generally valid, normally human form.

Joseph Campbell. The Hero With a Thousand Faces (Bollingen Series XVII, Princeton University Press, N. Y. 1968), pp. 19-20

It is impressive the way J. Campbell presents his ideas of the influences of symbols represented in past cultures or religions myths and the relationship this has towards dreams, science and psychology.




While the symbols in the culture or religion (cross, heart, black cat... etc.) are a collective thought, in the dreams symbols (fly, fall, transformation…etc.) are interpreted by an individual or a doctor. This are private experiences that cannot be fully reproduced, they cannot be shared or comunicated in the original form.


When dreams are interpreted, they are expressed with words and thinking. But then they are no longer dreams, now they are translations of dreams.

Man all look for ways of achieve this state of power, and we find habits in machines (computer, TV, video game…etc) or in a trance (meditation, yoga, drug, arte… etc.) to feel it. We all want to transcend ourselves to become the heroes.

Campbell attempts to integrate all of these through his knowledge of symbols, myths and dreams. He leaves the pattern for us to decipher new ways of interpret latest symbols.