Joseph Campbell once said “the cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek”.

When I first read that quote around three years ago, it became and has since remained my favourite quote of all time. I believe that, within those 11 words, Campbell so concisely and poetically captured one of the most profound truths of human existence. But before getting into what that truth is, it’s important to understand a bit more about Campbell and his work.

Joseph Campbell

Joseph Campbell was an American writer who dedicated his entire life’s work to studying and cross analysing ancient mythology. In many ways, he took the baton from Carl Jung, especially when it comes to studying how myths express the archetypes of the collective unconscious.

Campbell’s belief, like Jung’s, was that myths serve as direct expressions of the deep unconscious, and therefore hold much insight into the very nature of the psyche. The idea is that mythic archetypes - recurring themes and characters which appear throughout all world mythology - do not merely represent aspects of the story, but really aspects of ourselves.

There was one archetypal figure in particular that Campbell came to focus on more than any other: the hero. His life’s mission became the study of hero myths, and as such he dove into countless ancient stories from all over the world. This research led to the creation of his magnum opus, ‘The Hero With A Thousand Faces’. In this book Campbell presented the findings of his vast cross-analyses of hero myths.

It turns out that these hero stories - and the patterns he distilled from them - teach us everything we need to know about living a life of growth, fulfilment and transformation. As such, the purpose of this newsletter is to present to you Campbell’s main findings which he presented in The Hero With A Thousand Faces, and to explain how and why we should apply those principles to our own lives.

The Hero’s Journey

The main result of Campbell’s work was what is now popularly known as the “Hero’s Journey” (HJ). The HJ is a pattern- a sequence of events which unfold in practically the same manner across countless stories.

In every HJ, the hero (Luke Skywalker/Harry Potter/Frodo) begins the story as his/her ordinary self in his familiar, comfortable world (Tatooine/under the stairs/the Shire) when he receives a call to adventure. This is a call to leave the known world, and enter into the realm of the unknown (the wider galaxy/Hogwarts/Mount Doom) - to go from order into chaos.

There is almost always a mentor figure or “wise old man” archetype (Obi-Wan/Dumbledore/Gandalf), who gives the hero the wisdom and guidance he needs on his journey.

Along his journey, the hero faces difficult challenges and obstacles, and is tested by temptations.

It all leads to a climactic ordeal during which the hero undergoes a profound revelation, often experienced as a death/rebirth.

As such, the transformation is complete, and the hero returns home to the known world a greater version of himself than when he left. All for the cycle to repeat, for growth and transformation are never final.

Why does this matter?

The fact that this pattern of events occurs in the myths of so many cultures throughout history - cultures of different times and places who never interacted with each other - suggests that it tells of a truth deeply rooted in the human psyche.

This is that “most profound truth” of human existence I mentioned to at the beginning. Namely: when you dare to go beyond what is comfortable and familiar, and willingly venture into the realm of the terrible unknown, you obtain a reward so valuable it can be likened to treasure. What is the reward? Psycho-spiritual transformation - becoming more than you already are.

The underlying idea is that reality is structured by the two domains of order and chaos - order being what is known and familiar (consciousness), chaos being what is unknown and unfamiliar (unconsciousness) - and the way to grow and flourish on a psycho-spiritual level is by going beyond the known into the unknown - from order into chaos. The unknown is scary - everyone fears it to some degree. That is why it is difficult to confront (it is also why the essential trait of the archetypal hero is courage). But its confrontation is necessary.

This is why Campbells quote mentioned at the beginning, “the cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek” is so brilliant - it perfectly summarises in 11 words the deep truth of human existence held within and represented by the mythic pattern of the HJ. For me, that quote and the HJ more broadly have become one of the core philosophies for how I live my life.

Applying the Hero’s Journey to your own life

The practical implications of the HJ are quite obvious at this point: voluntarily confront the unknown. The blueprint has been laid out through thousands of years of mythology and presented to us by men like Joseph Campbell and Carl Jung. So the instruction is clear, but what does it look like on a practical level?

External

The outside world is, obviously, comprised of things you have experienced (order), and things you have not (chaos). To apply the HJ on this level is simply to explore that which you have not experienced.

That could mean something as small as trying a new food, or something as big as moving to a new country or starting a business. It could be taking a class or talking to a stranger. Whatever it is, it is something outside of yourself that you will explore or confront for the first time.

So here’s an exercise: Get out a pen and paper and think about things you’ve never tried before but would like to. Maybe you’ve been too scared or just never got around to it. Write everything down. They could be one-time things like moving abroad, or habits like talking to strangers more. It can literally be anything, as long as you’re entering the unknown. Then, commit to ticking them off.

Internal

The internal aspect of the HJ is less obvious. In many ways it’s the biggest HJ you can take, and the HJ stories you are familiar with - when a hero travels to distant lands and faces dark forces - can be seen as metaphors for this inner journey.

Just as the outside world is made up of that which you know and that which you don’t know, so too is your psyche. There is so much within you, deep in your unconscious, that you are totally unaware of. To turn inward and face all that is hidden in the darkness within you is one of the most uncomfortable tasks a person can undertake. But it is necessary and transformative. It is an alchemical process. This is when Campbell’s quote really stands true. The scariest cave of all, with the greatest treasure within it, is the one of your very soul.

There are a few ways you can enter the cave within:

1. Journaling - This is a personal favourite of mine. You can think of journaling as a sort of internal archaeology. Use it as a tool to explore yourself. Unpack your thoughts and feelings about certain things. Reflect on memories, both good and bad. Face traumatic experiences you went through. Simply go into yourself and all the things you usually ignore and do not shy away. Do this every day until you’ve healed or learned enough that you don’t feel it’s necessary anymore.

2. Meditation - Meditation is literally the act of observing yourself. Sitting in silence and noticing the patterns of your mind is one of the best ways to increase your consciousness. The more you do it, the deeper you go.

3. Dreamwork - This one can be tricky to do by yourself, but recording and then reflecting on your dreams is one of the most effective ways to access your unconscious when done right. Dreams are literally direct manifestations of the unconscious mind, if you can learn to engage with them - even (or especially) the most disturbing ones - you have established a direct route to your inner cave.

4. Psychedelics - Let me be very clear: I do not recommend for anyone to just take psychedelics. If one does elect to go down this path, the utmost care and caution must be taken. They are powerful substances which can be highly destructive to the psyche if their power is not respected. That being said, when used properly they are some of the most effective tools for shining a light into the inner cave (the term psychedelic literally means “mind/soul revealing”). But I once again must stress, that is only the case when used properly. With the right intentions and under the supervision of someone who is highly experienced and capable of holding the space. These substances are not to be taken lightly, and for some they should not even be taken at all. I am simply including them in this list because, as tools for deep self/psyche exploration, they simply cannot be ignored. But please, heed my cautions. I know their danger from personal experience. They must only be used in very special circumstances. Check out Netflix documentary “How to Change Your Mind” it is a brilliant modern resource for learning about these tools.