Dreams as The Hero's Journey

The call to adventure signifies that destiny has summoned the hero and transferred his spiritual center of gravity from within the pale of this society to a zone unknown. -Joseph Campbell

Many of the classic action movies we’ve seen, and the adventure stories we’ve read follow a common theme: the hero’s journey. Think Lord of the Rings or Star Wars, Harry Potter or a classic fairy tale. The basic, trimmed down version is that a protagonist living some ordinary life receives a calling. A calling to something extraordinary beyond themselves. Then, our main character has a choice: to go, or not to go. Going usually means leaving everything behind for a grand adventure, and a new life. Staying usually means a life of the same ol, same ol. After some hesitation, and perhaps some magical intervention, our new hero is swept away and off on a new journey!

During this journey, there are trials and tribulations. Lessons to be learned about the world and about themselves. Our adventurer goes deeper and deeper, battling, fighting to survive until…they come out alive! Not only that, but they have also attained some physical treasure, a new attitude/outlook, information that will alter the world in which they came from. This can be viewed an offering back to the people who are still “in the Shire”…to potentially come out and see what lies beyond their typical view.

There are more steps to the grand hero’s journey (coined, by the way, by Joseph Campbell in the late 1940s) but I think I’ve highlighted the important ones as to share how I feel the hero’s journey ties in with dreaming. The journey can be about individual dreams, and it can also be about the entire process of stepping into the world of dreams. If we are someone who hasn’t really paid attention to our dreams, yet has a few vivid and or shocking ones here and there, they can be seen as the calling – the calling to step inside and have a closer look. When we dare to answer the call (look at what our subconscious is offering us), we are able to embark on a journey of self-discovery. Along the way, there will be surprises, perhaps some areas that we don’t want to face…and if we face them, give those dreams our undivided attention without judgment, we will learn and unlock a new facet of ourselves. We may begin to understand why a certain behavior persists, or why there is hesitation in waking life to do something. We may see where we can excel or change our whole course.

The excitement comes when we have realizations of what our dreams are urging us to know. We can be creative in our journey of exploring…we can pretend, draw, brainstorm, talk with others. It’s through this exploration where we can gain some powerful insights. But that’s not all. When we dare to answer the call, take the journey into the unknown, we prove to ourselves that we can overcome whatever challenges may be present. Our dreams are our Gandolf, our Dumbledore, our friendly fairies and dragons who are guiding us along so we can discover our true selves and fulfill our greatest potential.

And then, you can find the hero’s journey within individual dreams. Have you ever felt scared, nervous, or threatened in a dream? The answer is most likely yes. If so, that’s your subconscious letting you know it’s time to face something that you haven’t. It’s time to step up and acknowledge those feelings. Again, without judgment or shame. I’ve had many dreams where they usually begin in medias res, or, in the middle of things. So there isn’t a specific “call to action” per se. Rather, within, I’m faced with decisions and actions that will alter the outcome. I’m not talking about a lucid dream here, I’m talking about an ordinary dream. (That’s a whole other topic that I’m ill-equipped to discuss).

Here’s a snippet of a dream I had recently where I was in a foreign place, yet had to be okay. I’m in Egypt with Dave and we’re driving in a small car. We’re not sure where to go. We pull over and Dave gets out of the car. While he searches his phone for where to go, I notice the skyline – it’s deep pink – it’s the auroras. We enter a pitch black tunnel where I feel fine and then suddenly, I feel scared/threatened so we immediately leave. Later on, we’re with a group and I’m tired and just want to go rest, yet the leader of our group is showing us the long itinerary for the next day. I push on with the group, and then, as we’re walking in a garden, I take notice of the plants and insects. I feel good doing this.

Here, I’m in an unfamiliar place. This feels like my call to action already happened, and I chose to go. Yet, when I’m there, I feel a bit helpless and uncomfortable. I’m tired and want to just be on my own. Yet, I know I have to stick with the group. I happened to notice the garden – something beautiful – that others didn’t notice. Same with the auroras. This to me, was my gift. It was what I could offer to others when I returned. If I chose to not go on the journey, I wouldn’t have noticed unlikely beauty despite my discomfort. Also, I was overcoming personal limitations (feeling uncomfortable and tired). By taking the journey, I was proving my strength.

A little side note: a lot of times, you may find yourself in an uncomfortable situation in dreams because in the dreamworld you are safe. You can view your dreams and dreamscapes as a training ground for the waking world. What you are able to handle in the dreamworld, you can then be able to handle in the waking world.

So, are you ready to heed the call of the hero’s journey? Pay attention to your next dream and follow its lead!