The Hero’s Journey: a Story in the Psyche

Myths around the world often have the same basic plot, mythologist Joseph Campbell noticed: separation-initiation-return. Or in other words “a hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man” — a quote from the book in which he expounded his theory: The Hero with a Thousand Faces. In this book he breaks down the basic outline into further stages, plus adds characters. Audiences respond to this storyline, perhaps because it resonates with something in their unconscious. Many films follow it, and books on screenwriting such as Christopher Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey show how it can be applied.

In their book The Hero’s Journey, Steve Dilts and Robert Gilligan apply NLP theories to Campbell’s monomyth so that it can be used as a tool for self-development. In this article, I say what are the most important concepts in the book for me, together with my interpretation.

Following our Calling

All adventures begin with a call to evolve ourselves: our current self has served its function, and we now need to be something else. Often the calling has to do with what Dilts & Gilligan believe are the reasons we incarnate: because we have a gift to give and a wound to heal. They use a quote by the choreographer Martha Graham to describe what we bring to the world: “There is a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique…It is not yours to determine how good it is…It is your business to keep the channel open.”

In Three Minds

 Dilts & Gilligan say that for us to be successful on our journey we must engage the three parts of what they call the generative mind. The generative mind is a higher state of consciousness when we operate individually and as part of society at the same time. The three divisions are:

• Somatic — the mind in the body where we feel things
• Cognitive — the mind in the head where analyse things
• Field — the mind around us where we interact outside our physical body

Somatic Mind: Coming Down to Earth

The purpose of the somatic mind is to “align and centre”. We need to know what we want and be stable before we can hope to achieve anything. Dilts & Gilligan describe aligning and centring as “equal parts relaxation, concentration, flexibility, openness and sensual intelligence”. We are grounded and receptive at the same time: secure in ourselves, but able to embrace new ideas. They give exercises in the book on how to achieve this, but I believe most people have their own techniques such as meditation or spending time in nature.

Cognitive Mind: the Transformation Begins

The purpose of the cognitive mind is to “accept and transform”. It’s ironic, say Dilts & Gilligan that “in order to transform something, first stop trying to change it.” We must accept ourselves, as change comes from the place we are now, before we can do anything.

The transformation process is aided by ‘sponsorship’. People are often sponsors when we are younger, helping us to evolve. Their role is “to see and bless”, not “to fix or rescue.” As we get older, we can sponsor ourselves by developing a sense of distance so that we can watch and encourage ourselves to grow without judgement.

Field Mind: Out into the World

 The purpose of the field mind is to “open beyond”. However, if we want to engage with the outside world, we need some tools. These are:

• Second skin: establishing healthy boundaries between ourselves and other people.
• Witnessing self: a combination of what Buddhists call mindfulness, a non-reactive awareness of what’s there, and metta, the loving kindness that touches and sponsors what’s there. This ability to observe i.e. see your situation from an outside, neutral position, is fundamental to achieving change, as quoting Einstein: “you can’t solve a problem with the same thinking that is creating the problem”.

Practise, practise, practise

 The hero’s journey is not an easy one: the protagonist must undergo arduous tasks and tests before they can achieve their reward. Likewise, the process of transformation isn’t easy: we must have practices and commit to them. These practices “align you with your center, your calling, and your resources.” For example, if someone decides their calling is to be an artist, they must have practices that:

• develop a sense of stability and openness so that mind is focussed and receptive when they paint;
• develop a clear intention so that they know what they want to achieve;
• seek mentors, materials and environments to help them paint.

One Life, Many Journeys

I believe that we embark on many hero’s journeys. We have different callings to answer, different gifts to give, and different wounds to heal throughout our lives. Dilts & Gilligan’s book gives us useful signposts to help us on our way.