Lecture I.2.4 - Imagery of Rebirth Yoga

The realms of the gods and demons -- heaven, purgatory, hell -- are of the substance of dreams.... The mythology is the dream of the world. And if taken objectively as though there were gods, well then they are the counterpart of your dream -- this is a very important point: dream and myth are of the same logic. -- Joseph Campbell

Joseph Campbell contrasts the disintegration of man's modern religious practices with what he calls "symbolic systems of rebirth in time." For Campbell, the most fascinating systems are "myths to live by," beliefs and practices to help individuals with the frustrations in life that come from not living our "true self." The goal of the ancient discipline of yoga was important to him because it emphasizes the discovery and experience of the true self. The heart of this lecture is an explanation of the chakras in the body and the meditation techniques that connect daily consciousness to the eternal self. Through the practice of rousing the kundalini energy of the serpent coiled up at the base of the spine, it is believed that one might go to "the place beyond dream."

Running time: approx. 60 minutes