There was a very serendiptous meeting early on in 1924 between Joseph Campbell & KM when they encountered each other on a steamship bound back to America from Europe .This is one of those pretty amzing chance encounters that produced a profound effect on the directions of Joe, the young grad student, used to incorporate into greater synthesis of understanding from the eastern philosophical pov . To understand a universe as displayed in man's own symbols , myths & metaphors inherent expression of all those forces & tendencies displayed within him(man) of a knowledge that needs to come to terms with world continuum that has both determined & indeterminate qualities . (with a basis in materialism that gives rise to mind & then a marriage of the two in what some would call spirit)
The myths & symbols are all still here quite visible, just watching Britain's Queen's Jubilee today , the colors, flags , uniforms & dress , songs & anthems performed & sung by the cheering spectators , the ceremonious procession of barges surrounding the Queen , ritual embodiment in this expression of pride & unity reflecting national spirit & virtue . etc etc
Going all the way back to studying all man's earliest mythic expressions ,Campbell went on to take us all on an unexpected journey , a new way to view human history from the standpoint the human psyche & experience that can be interpreted thru all the myths, metaphors & symbols generated up to the present day that reflect still the same forces at play in us that were also there from the dawn of time. |
