Pathways to Bliss, Brother

Campbell lays it out right good with this one. Myth has the power to transform our lives. Not cosmologically anymore. That's left to the scientists to do. But personally. Psychologically. Symbols are concrete manifestations of the transcendent, man. And we in turn should be transparent to the transcendent. He also covers Freud and Jung, those two monsters of rock of the unconscious and subconscious. It's all about wish fulfillment, dude.. The bogey man is us, and the sooner we realize that, the much better we'll be.

Interestingly, while America's intelligensia are enamored of all things eastern, Campbell offers a frank assessment of the Dharma that results in the caste society of India. He uses terse language in describing the way the Easterns want to destroy the ego in favor of the sociological self.

It makes for a nice counterpoint to the West's notion of the Spirit, the Individual.

I'm telling you, man. What we're seeking is the Tradition. Sometimes hidden, but very Western all the same, brother.