'The Power of Myth' by Joseph Campbell with Bill Moyers.

An audio production of 'The Power Of Myth', which is based on Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyer's popular documentary of the same name, explaining where myths come from, why they are so common in society, how they've evolved, and what important role they still play in our ever-changing world today.

Using mythological stories, psychoanalytic theories, and personal anecdotes, Campbell and Moyers examine how world mythologies illuminate the mysteries of human life through shared symbols as well as the usefulness of myths in the modern world.

The men begin by discussing how myth and ritual have been lost in the modern era, leaving the American cultural landscape full of apathy, superficiality, and violence. Both argue that new myths for the modern era will have to view humanity through a global and ecological lens. Campbell defines the two main functions of myth as pondering life’s mysteries and offering guidance through life’s stages.

The men move into a conversation about universal mythological symbols, incorporating multiple creation myths and Carl Jung’s theory of archetypes and the collective unconscious.They note the important motif of affirming the necessity of death for the experience of life. The men then explore the earliest mythologies from both agricultural and hunter-gatherer societies, examining how these myths viewed divinity and where they sought wisdom. Campbell tells stories of shamans as mythological interpreters, and he explores the loss of sacred spaces and spiritual awareness in the West.

Campbell and Moyers next focus on rituals and stories of sacrifice and the belief that death is necessary to bring about new life. Campbell states that, in previous epochs, sacrifice was celebrated rather than feared. Sacrifice expresses compassion and the recognition one’s connections to another, which, Campbell argues, opens a person to the transcendent realm.

Campbell delves into the mythologies of Mother Goddess cultures, exploring the ways female images of divinity impact perspectives and values and the belief that women bring enlightenment into the world. He details how Mother Goddess cultures were eventually conquered, but feminine and androgynous figures remained important in mythology. Throughout, Campbell discusses rituals surrounding the relationship of marriage. (Produced/Read by Vincent Bagnall. 153 minutes.)