Heroes and archetypes

The idea of being a hero is based on an archetype - a way of seeing yourself in a dream experience. Many people dream at one time or another of doing something heroic. We all know what a heroic action is by a sort of mystic human understanding of goodness and sacrifice. This mystic understanding is an archetype - the event of being a hero is an archetype experience.

There are many archetypes in life. The philosopher Carl Jung formulated these archetypes out of his studies of human beings and mythologies around the world. In many ethnic and religious backgrounds, there are myths that embody the ultimate version of various archetype experiences. An example of a hero myth may be Hercules or Sinbad. We are prone to see ourselves as archetypal figures - which may be heroic, tragic, romantic, mythical and so on - at transition points in our lives.

Change brings about anxiety and self-reflection. Going from education to joining the work force, singledom to marriage, or childless to parent are some archetypal transitions. Ask yourself what changes are going on in your waking life and the roles you are playing during those changes.