Joseph Campbell’s 17 Stages of the Hero’s Journey

*Via caminocasebook.wordpress.com

Joseph Campbell describes the journey hero’s take in stories, but I believe that we all can learn something from these stages. I hold this belief because we all should be the hero in our own lives and if we are the hero’s in our own lives we will eventually experience the following 17 stages of the Hero’s Journey:

1. The Call to Adventure – Hero receives calling to the unknown
2. Refusal of the Call – Obligations or fear prevent hero from starting the journey
3. Supernatural Aid – Magical helper appears or becomes known
4. Crossing the First Threshold – Hero leaves its known world and ventures into the unknown
5. Belly of the Whale – Final stage of the separation from the known world
6. The Road of Trials – Hero must pass a series of test to begin the transformation
7. Meeting with the Goddess/Love – Hero experiences unconditional love
8. Temptation – Hero face temptation that will distract from ultimate quest
9. Atonement with the Hero’s Father – Hero must confront the person that holds ultimate power in their life
10. Peace and Fulfillment Before the Hero’s Return – Hero moves to a state of divine knowledge (usually through some form of death)
11. The Ultimate Boon – Achievement of goal
12. Refusal of the Return – Having found bliss and enlightenment in the other world, hero may be reluctant to return
13. Magic Flight – Sometimes the hero has to escape with the boon
14. Rescue from Without – Sometimes the hero needs a rescuer 
15. Return – Retain wisdom gained on quest and the hero integrates wisdom in human society by sharing wisdom with the world
16. Master of Two Worlds – Hero achieves balance between the material and spiritual (inner and outer world)
17. Freedom to Live – Freedom from fear of death, causing hero to live in the moment and no concern for the future or regrets of the past

 

Do you agree that these stages are relavent in real life and not just in fictional stories?