Storytelling and the Shaman's Journey

The simple structure of a story is that it has a beginning, middle and end. A more detailed version was proposed by Joseph Campbell in, “The Hero With a Thousand Faces”. The theme was elaborated on by Christopher Vogler in his book, “The Writer’s Journey”. What they have done is offer a diagram or timeline for the prototype plot structure underlying almost every successful story, movie or screenplay.

Christopher Vogler was working for Disney studios when he first read Campbell's stuff. He wrote a long memo outlining the concept and how it fit in with what Disney Studios was doing. The memo spread like wildfire through Hollywood’s fantasy fabricators. In no time they were analyzing all their movies and screenplays to see how well Campbell’s theories matched up. Everyone was truly amazed at how well this seemingly nonsensical mythic terminology and structure fit with what they already knew to be successful movies. They also noticed that some of the less successful movies violated this structure in some fundamental way. It was obvious that Campbell and Vogler were on to something.

A similar high percentage of foreign films also fit the pattern. Of course, even the most ancient myths follow this same structure. So, we have here a nearly universal pattern or structure used in storytelling.

This brief version of Campbell’s 12 stages is taken and revised slightly from the Power Structure User’s Manual. This was written for screenwriters, but the same structure, with minor terminology revisions, works for all kinds of writing, even nonfiction.

Ordinary World-We meet the Hero and identify with him.

Call to Adventure-The hero is called to undertake a quest.

Refuse the Call-The hero says, “No way.”

Meeting with Mentor-Wisdom prevails

Crossing the Threshold-The hero commits to the adventure and enters the “Special World”.

Tests, Allies and Enemies-Situations and characters that help the hero discover what is special about the Special World.

Approach to the Innermost Cave-Where the hero prepares for the crucial battle

Ordeal-The crucial battle or confrontation

Reward-The trophy or benefits from surviving the ordeal.

Road Back-Where the hero leaves the Special World. Home is the goal

Resurrection-Last rite of purification before arrival at home

Return with the Elixir-The hero returns with more than victory and a trophy, he has learned a secret lesson that he shares with his community.

***

It is generally accepted that storytelling is an ancient art practiced by elders, dating far back in prehistory, long before writing was invented. So this storytelling structure was established in the human psyche from the very beginning. I am not the first to notice the similarity of this pattern to the shaman’s journey, but the storytelling structure is analogous to the major hallucinogenic experience itself.

Ordinary World-This is the staring point, everyday life. The potential shaman is stone cold sober, out walking in the woods.

Call to Adventure-The shaman’s call to service can come in many ways. Something special or different happens or is present that marks the prospect as fit for this calling. Such a youngster might be invited to learn the ways of the shaman.

In the wild, before the culture provided a job title, the call was more direct. The prospect sees the unbelievably beautiful, fully developed amanita muscaria in the mist after a rain. There are few plants as striking. The candy apple red to gold color of the cap and pure white of the stipe so capture the light that they seem to glow against the dark browns and greens of the forest floor. They spring out of the ground looking like an erect penis, and in just a few hours expand into their spectacular canopy shape. They lack roots or seed; they are truly magical plants.

Refuse the Call-”Not me, I’ve heard all about those mushrooms, they will kill you,” says the prospect. Or the youngster is in awe of the shaman’s powers and responsibilities and afraid to be found unworthy.

Meeting with Mentor-The pros and cons are considered, usually with consultation with someone older and wiser, and it is decided to eat the mushroom, or accept the apprenticeship.

These three steps are important to establish the gravity of the undertaking, but aren’t really essential to the outcome of the experience. One can go directly to ingestion of the fungi, but these steps serve to give a frame of reference for the apprentice. The shamanistic tradition helps to guide the apprentice through the initiation.

Crossing the Threshold-The mushrooms or secret potions are consumed. The apprentice leaves the ordinary world and enters the special world of the shaman.

Tests, Allies and Enemies-During the first part of the experience, the apprentice is treated to some preliminary special effects that serve as an introduction, of sorts, to the Special World. During this phase, the apprentice is experiencing both worlds. Eventually, the apprentice leaves the physical and the ordinary altogether. This is where the hallucinogen has complete control of the apprentice’s nervous system. The apprentice is comatose, experiencing fantastic visions. At first these visions are chaotic and strange, but seem pregnant with meaning.

The test is to discover the laws of this strange new landscape, especially with regards to navigation. The apprentice meets fantastic entities. These entities answer questions with specific information that can be verified later. Throughout the experience, the apprentice is directed or drawn towards a destination. In very general terms, the direction is towards something that promises to increase the knowledge or self-worth of the apprentice.

Approach to the Innermost Cave-Approaching Death. The apprentice is forced to face his deepest inner fears. Whether they appear as hungry monsters or chasms belching fire, the apprentice is scared shitless. The apprentice was on the road to great things and suddenly this test seems absolutely impossible to accomplish and the stakes have become much, much higher.

Ordeal-You meet the monsters of your deepest fears. You are too exhausted to escape and are devoured. You feel your death. You see your mutilated body inside the beast. Your pain and sorrow are deep. Death. You are immobilized and looking down on your lifeless form from above. You have paid the price. (Identical to the classic Near Death Experience).

Reward-But someone has heard your cries of anguish and taken pity on your poor soul. Just when the pain seems unbearable, you are drawn forward to receive your reward. It is Bliss! You can see it up ahead, the white light of pure love. You can feel it. You have met your Maker and are bathed in pure light.

Road Back-You have been found to have a pure heart and have been spared. The Maker gives you the choice of staying in this state of Bliss, or returning to help others find the path to their own Bliss.

Resurrection-Being the noble person you are, even though Bliss is extremely pleasant, you decide to go back and share what you have discovered with your fellows. You really have no choice; you can’t keep this wondrous experience to yourself. Immediately you awake. You are exhausted by your ordeal, but you are alive.

Return with the Elixir-You are now a shaman, but back in the ordinary world. You possess the secret of the Elixir, and the mandate from the Maker to share it with your fellow human beings.

Sorry to put you through death and resurrection without safety gear, but it was only a short trip and purely imaginary. The shaman’s personal journey was the prototype for all of the stories he or she told. It was the stories told by the shaman that became the myths and eventually the foundation of religion. Each shaman had a secret source for their knowledge. It had to be one of the more powerful hallucinogens to deliver this experience on a consistent basis. It was certainly consistent enough to be adopted as the de facto standard for storytelling.

Now a close analysis of this pattern reveals that it a more elaborate version of the basic steps employed for brainwashing.

1. Move subject to new environment.
2. Prevent subject from using habitual routines.
3. Introduce trauma and/or stress.
4. Require the performance of new routines related to the desired behavior.

Or the advertising mantra, create a crisis and solve it with your product.

Seems to me that the structured pattern of storytelling is an example how plants influence their symbiotic partners. Each entheogen is characterized by specific patterns that show up visually as well as in behavior. We interpret these patterns and they reflect in what we create.

Cheers,
jim