Molly Puckett - "Myth and Psychology"


Joseph Campbell’s book The Hero with a Thousand Faces explores heroism in different cultures and illustrates the different stages to becoming a hero. Some of Campbell’s theories are heavily influenced by Sigmund Freud’s and Carl Jung’s theories in psychology. I find that it’s extremely interesting to discover the intersection between myths and reality, or, more specifically, myths and psychology.

Psychologists like Freud and Jung used myths to illustrate their theories. Academics use psychology as an analytical tool to understand myths. In The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Campbell believes that myths are windows into our psychology. Myths and stories are about universal experiences, such as love, pain, and happiness. Campbell argues that the fact that myths tell of universal emotions is a sign that they are windows into our psyche. Myths allow us to understand ourselves through the lens of stories.

Campbell theorized that myths and dreams come from the same place and, therefore, allow us to analyze our subconscious. As Freud theorized in his career, dreams reveal subconscious desires and let us understand more about ourselves than what is shown when we are awake. As Joseph Campbell says: “Dream is the personalized myth, myth the depersonalized dream; both myth and dream are symbolic in the same general way of the dynamics of the psyche.” (Campbell 14).

I find it interesting that myths can allow us to understand ourselves. I often think of myths as being ancient stories, yet these ancient tales can give us a window into exploring our psyche and psychology.

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