Joseph Campbell, The Mythic Imag Quotes

A collection of quotes by Joseph Campbell, The Mythic Imag.

Joseph Campbell (1904-1987) was a renowned American mythologist, writer, and lecturer. He is best known for his groundbreaking work in comparative mythology and his concept of the "hero's journey." Campbell's extensive research and writings explored the universal themes and patterns found in myths and legends across cultures, highlighting their relevance to the human experience. His influential book, "The Hero with a Thousand Faces," has inspired countless artists, writers, and filmmakers. Campbell's passionate exploration of the power of myth and storytelling continues to resonate with audiences worldwide, making him a seminal figure in the field of mythology.

The notion of this universe, its heavens, hells, and everything within it, as a great dream dreamed by a single being in which all the dream characters are dreaming too, has in India enchanted and shaped the entire civilization. The ultimate dreamer is Vishnu floating on the cosmic Milky Ocean, couched upon the coils of the abyssal serpent Ananta, the meaning of whose name is Unending. In the foreground stand the five Pandava brothers, heroes of the epic Mahabharata, with Draupadi, their wife: allegorically , she is the mind and they are the five senses. They are those whom the dream is dreaming. Eyes open, ready and willing to fight, the youths address themselves to this world of light in which we stand regarding them, where objects appear to be distinct from each other, and an Aristotelian logic prevails, and A is not not-A. Behind them a dream-door has opened, however, to an inward, backward dimension where a vision emerges against darkness...

Joseph Campbell, The Mythic Imag

Dreams