The Hero’s Journey and Trance State
Where Myth Meets Experience

by Paul Robear

We mark the passing of a true changemaker in public media recently, Bill Moyers, who died at the age of 91. Throughout his long and distinguished career as a journalist and storyteller, Moyers brought depth, heart, and curiosity to the public conversation. Perhaps nowhere was this more powerfully expressed than in his landmark 1988 PBS series Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth. Filmed at Skywalker Ranch just before Campbell’s death, the series became one of the most-watched and influential programs in the history of American public television.

For Laura and I, watching The Power of Myth was a deeply-inspiring experience. Campbell’s articulation of “The Hero’s Journey” offered a profound map for personal transformation—a universal pattern found in myths and stories across cultures and time. He described the call to adventure, the threshold crossings, the descent into the unknown, the trials and allies found along the way, and ultimately, the return home with new insight and gifts to share. It was more than a story arc—it was a soul map.

We were so inspired by Campbell’s work that we incorporated the stages of the Hero’s Journey into our training programs at the Cuyamungue Institute. But rather than merely discuss these stages, we invite participants to live them—through direct experience using selected Ritual Body Postures. These postures, rooted in ancient art and spiritual practice, open the door to non-ordinary states of consciousness. In these journeys, participants often encounter their own symbolic landscapes—thresholds, guides, tests, and revelations—that mirror the mythic journey Campbell described. This was captured In a 2012 article by Laura Lee “Spirit Journeying Meets the Hero’s Journey”

Campbell often said, “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” Through Ritual Postures, we help others find the courage to enter that cave—whether it’s healing, seeking purpose, or reconnecting with the sacred.

As we honor the memory of Bill Moyers and the legacy of Joseph Campbell, we’re reminded how deeply myth and meaning still matter. In a world in search of vision and depth, the Hero’s Journey continues to call to each of us—not as something reserved for ancient epics, but as a living path of transformation.

We are grateful to carry this torch forward—illuminating the journey from within.

“We see the Hero’s Journey not as something reserved for ancient epics, but as a living path of transformation.” Paul Robear