The Vitality of Myth (Audio: Lecture I.1.5)

Description

Myths are public dreams; dreams are private myths. By finding your own dream and following it through, it will lead you to the myth-world in which you live. But just as in dream, the subject and object, though they seem to be separate, are really the same. ~Joseph Campbell

Dreams—the intimate noise of our existence—are the place where two levels of consciousness meet: the consciousness we witness, and the consciousness of our inner being. Dreams can lead us to an awareness of the divinity within us. In this lecture, Joseph Campbell explores the significance of dreams and their relationship to myths, how certain Western beliefs have translated myths into “waking consciousness” symbols, and why Eastern teachers have proved so attractive to Westerners. He then goes on to explain how yoga can give us access to “deep sleep awake” and the visions and awareness that await us there.

Running time: approx. 60 minutes