Joseph Campbell famously defined myth as "other people's religion." But
he also said that one of the basic functions of myth is to help each
individual through the journey of life, providing a sort of travel guide
or map to reach fulfillment--or, as he called it, bliss. For Campbell,
many of the world's most powerful myths support the individual's heroic
path toward bliss.
In Pathways to Bliss, Campbell examines this personal, psychological
side of myth. Like his classic best-selling books Myths to Live By and
The Power of Myth, Pathways to Bliss draws from Campbell's popular
lectures and dialogues, which highlight his remarkable storytelling and
ability to apply the larger themes of world mythology to personal growth
and the quest for transformation. Here he anchors mythology's symbolic
wisdom to the individual, applying the most poetic mythical metaphors to
the challenges of our daily lives.
Campbell dwells on life's important questions. Combining cross-cultural
stories with the teachings of modern psychology, he examines the ways in
which our myths shape and enrich our lives and shows how myth can help
each of us truly identify and follow our bliss.