1. The Eight Stages of the Epic Hero’s Journey
A.K.A.
Your Journey

3. Why study The Hero’s Journey?
It is the pattern of human experience
Every challenge we face in life is a journey
It is a process of self discovery
Understanding the Journey pattern can help us understand the stories we read, the movies and shows we see, and the experiences that shape our lives.

4. The Journey Begins

5. The Journey is divided into three stages and eight steps:
1. Separation (from the known)
The Call
The Threshold
(with guardians, helpers, and mentor)

6. 2. Initiation (and transformation)
The Challenges
The Abyss
The Transformation
The Revelation
The Atonement

7. 3. The Return (to the known world)
The Return (with a gift)

8. The Call

9. The Call: The Invitation Into The Adventure
offers us the opportunity to face the unknown and gain something of physical or spiritual value
may come boldly as a sudden, traumatic change or in can sneak up on us gradually

10. Within this range, the Call takes many forms:
We have had something taken away from us, our family, or our society; our quest is to reclaim it
We sense that there is something lacking in our life, and we must find what is missing

11. We want to save or restore honor for ourselves, our family, or our country
We realize that something is not permitted to members of our society, and we must win these rights for our people

12. The Threshold

13. The Threshold: The Jumping Off Point
The Threshold is the interface between the known and the unknown world
In the known world we feel secure because we know the rules and the landscape
Once into the unknown world, we enter a land filled with challenges and dangers.

14. Threshold Guardians

15. Threshold Guardians
Often at the Threshold, we encounter people, beings, or situations which block our passage.
Threshold guardians have two functions:

16. They protect us by keeping us from taking journeys we are unready or unprepared.

17. Once we are ready to meet the challenge, they step aside and point the way. To pass the guardian is to make a commitment, to say: “I’m ready. I can do this.”

18. Your Guardians
Early in our lives, our parents function as our threshold guardians. As we get older, our parents’ job becomes more difficult, protecting and pushing.

19. Your Guardians
As adults, our Threshold guardians are more insidious. They are our fears, doubts, and threatening behaviors.

20. Helpers

21. Helpers Helpers provide assistance or direction
Often the bring us a divine gift which helps us through the ordeal.

22. Mentor
The most important helper on the journey, the mentor keeps us focused on our goal and gives us stability.

23. The Challenges

24. The Challenges: journey into the unknown
Once past the Threshold, we begin the journey into the unknown. The voyage can be outward into the physical unknown or inward to a psychological unknown.

25. Challenges and Temptations
The early challenges are simple
By meeting them successfully, we build maturity, skill, and confidence
As the journey progresses, the challenges become more difficult, testing us, forcing us to change and grow

26. Tempters

27. Tempters Try to pull us away from the path
They use fear, doubt, or distraction
They may pretend to be a friend or counselor
They always strike our greatest weakness

28. The Abyss

29. The Abyss: the greatest challenge
When we reach the Abyss, we face the greatest challenge on the journey
We must surrender ourselves completely to the adventure
We must face our fear alone

30. Transformation

31. Transformation: death and rebirth
As we conquer the Abyss and overcome our fears, our transformation becomes complete
It is a moment of death and rebirth: a part of us dies so that a new part can be born

32. Revelation

33. Revelation: changes A sudden, dramatic change in the way we view life.
This change in thinking is crucial because it makes us a different person.
It usually occurs during or after the Abyss, but sometimes it may lead us into the Abyss

34. The Atonement

35. The Atonement: “oneness”
After we have been transformed, we achieve Atonement, that is we are “at-one” with our new self
We have incorporated the changes caused by the journey and are “reborn”
We have harmony with life and the world

36. The Return

37. The Return: Welcome Home!
Return to everyday life
Upon our return, we discover our gift (based on our new skill or awareness)
Essence of the return is to contribute to our society
It may not go smoothly

38. What You Have Learned

39. What have we learned? Journey gives you means for understanding
Journey is a pattern that we follow in our own lives
Our adventure opens the doors to knowledge and understanding
Can help us achieve wisdom, growth, and independence