The Journey Inward

Summary

The “mystery” is the internalization of the exterior – the self actualization of the world and its myths – but Western religion, says Campbell, corrupts the “journey inward” by destroying metaphor with “facts,” and creating an artificial dualism that “un-deifies” humanity and vilifies nature. God looses transcendence; man, his innocence.

Analysis

Campbell starts with the importance of myth and inner truth. “These myths speak to me because I know what’s inside is true.” (44). He supports the Jungian notion that we share an organic, universal subconscious: archetypal images reveal wordless truths. Res ipsa loquitur, the thing speaks for itself. You “get it.”

However, these universal, self-evident truths often conflict with the Bible. The doctrine of the Fall casts sin upon humanity, detachment from nature, and bifurcation of, and alienation from, self. Referring to the serpent as seducer, Campbell says this “…amounts to a refusal to affirm life” and “…life is corrupt and every natural impulse is sinful….” (54) The Fall spawned duality, thus destroying the “timeless unity” of man. Instead of just “being,” duality created opposites and thus, opposition. And, of course, it created fault: “…they ate the wrong fruit….” (62)

Western religion perceives an external, non-human God with human anger, rage, jealousy, and countenance (“in his own image”). But these “factual” descriptions destroy transcendence. In explaining Kant, Campbell says “The best things can’t be told because they transcend thought.” (57) The Bible’s “non-fiction” creation story contains non-allegorical prose instead of metaphorical poetry. Believers assume that since earth exists, someone actually (not metaphorically) must have created it. Campbell views this approach as juvenile. “It is the child’s way of thinking.” (63). When religions concretize metaphor as fact, Bibles are weaponized, strife arises, and wars ensue. As Campbell points out, we get in trouble when we interpret our religions’ metaphors as facts. (67)

Opinion

I agree with Campbell on all counts, especially the juvenile insistence on ignoring metaphor in favor of “fact.” The nearly 50% of Americans who believe in creation “science” obviously don’t know their navel architecture. Professor Edward O. Wilson estimates a possible one million species with current inventory a scant 1% of all historical life forms. Noah, how’d you do it? Believers pay a high price; they deny themselves self- actualization because of their fetishistic obsession with nursery school “facts.”

I’m a devout atheist (there is no personal god other than the one within), but that god manages to celebrate the mystery, transcendence, and rapture of life, along with the First Amendment. I would recommend Campbell’s version of inwardly directed and metaphorically astute Christianity (I’ll call it “Jesus 2.0”) ushered in by the Gospel of St. Thomas and the Gnostic texts, except my lawn is too small for “1.0” zealots to burn crosses. Besides, the neighbors would insist on costly Ralph Lauren sheets.

I would add that in eastern religion people pray to be one with God, here we pray because we want something from God. Just because we’re his children doesn’t mean we have to be childish and pray for new toys, although a red turbo-charged Bentley would be nice. AMEN