Joseph Campbell Foundation

Enantiodromia
By Darren Campo (New York, NY)

I found that great reference while reading, "Pathways to Bliss." The works of Joseph Campbell set me on an adventure when I first saw his Power of Myth interviews with Bill Moyers. It was then that I started writing my first novel, "Alex Detail's Revolution." Well, just as he said, doors opened where I never expected them to. But it wasn't until recently, while reading "Pathways to Bliss" that I realized the main character in my novel was experiencing enantiodromia... a good starting point for any adventure.

I keep a stack of "Pathways to Bliss" in my office and hand them out often. And I hope my book, which is being published this September, can help keep transmitting the message of the myth.

It started with Bill Moyer and Joseph Campbell PBS interviews. . .
By Arthur Schneider

It seems that I’m still on the road and perhaps may always be. However, each time I “coalesce” (after a period of time) seems that I am less stressful and find myself a bit more re-assurance (after a period of time) of my understanding/acceptance of my role and in the endeavor.

Following one’s bliss has been an insightful, yet tumultuous journey that has provided me with insight into the “free-will” vs. “fatalism” continuum.

No complaints, just continued questioning. . .

On Approach to Bliss
By Peter Caputo (Edmonton, AB, Canada)

On Approach to Bliss - a long, hard, but beautiful journey. I first discovered Joseph Campbell during the Bill Moyers interviews back in the late 80's. I was only 16 years old but I had my epiphany as to what I wanted to do in Life.

One year prior, in 1986, I flew to Italy for the first time with my brother John, to visit the homeland of my family in the southern region of Calabria. I had never flown before in an airplane nor been overseas. I was very excited. After taking off from Edmonton, we needed to stop in Toronto to board a Boeing 747 with Alitalia Airlines, Italy's flag carrier on our flight to Rome. Read More...

Changing from the inside out
By Mary Garrett (Ft. Bragg, NC)

Joseph Campbell's work has been a huge influence in my life. It was "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" that really started it all for me. At the time I read this book, I weighed over 212 pounds and new I was nearing a fork in the road (no pun intended). I realized that there were many things in my life calling me to turn my health around and I could no longer ignore it. It took me two years but I eventually lost 100 pounds and went from a size 24 to a size 4. Read More...

Bucky and Bliss
By Michael A. Grand (Boynton Beach, FA)

I discovered Joseph Campbell in 1989 during a PBS Series on The Power of Myth. It caught me and held me in awe as I researched and devoured his literary work. I can now see every movie, book or actual life event as an Adventure with all of the characters that are Ogres and Helpers found in the stages of The Hero With A Thousand Faces. Read More...

The City was Electric
By Dennis Neal Vaughn (San Francisco)

There were many ways that I could have begun. There were many points along the way that would have worked. I chose to begin with a blank page, as fresh a start as I could possibly make. My own proverbial clean slate as they say.

So, I sorted through and packed up my meager belongings into 5 bags. I had sold everything off or gave away all that which did not fit into one of my five assorted cases. None of the luggage matched at all which was ironically appropriate for my circumstances and me. Read More...

Doing a 360
By Rev Nancy Ash (New Mexico)

I cut my spiritual teeth on Joseph Campbell when I met him at age seventeen. My yoga teacher brought me to an AHP conference (Association for Humanistic Psychology) back in the early 70’s, saying, "I want you to learn from the greatest minds of our time." Dr. Jean Houston gave the powerful keynote speech, and I was thrilled to meet her later that weekend since my teacher was a close student of hers.

"Learn from Campbell -- he's one of the best," my teacher said.

Frozen Bliss
By Joe

I was first acquainted with Joseph Campbell's work through Bill Moyers' PBS special in 1990. The anecdote Joe told about following one's bliss--the young boy being admonished to eat his peas and the father saying, "I have NEVER done anything I wanted to do--" that resonated with me. I knew there were things I could do better than a lot of people, and time disappeared when I did them. Somehow, those things were never in the path of the career I had fallen into that paid the bills, fed my family.

To me, it seemed the hardest thing to determine was what my "bliss" was. And I suppose it is the same for many others. So let's start here... I have always wanted to go to Antarctica. Read More...

Bliss and all that Jazz
By Don J. (Apple Valley, California, USA)

My bliss story began in 1989 when by chance I was tuning into the San Francisco PBS TV station one evening during their pledge drive when the Moyers/Campbell The Power of Myth series was first being shown to the world. After watching the entire series with the intensity of a man with his hair on fire, I purchased the videos and later the Transformation of Myth Through Time video series.

I was at the time 56-years-old and in my first year as a member of Alcoholics Anonymous in Sonoma county Calif. attempting to recover from my alcoholism, an ex-Catholic and former seminarian, in search of a higher power, when I found Joseph Campbell. Read More...