

"Campbell was the one who was the big leap for me," he said. May that I got exposed to the idea that the old wisdom stories - mythology, legend, and folklore - could be used to explore inner states," he said, and that there is a "close parallel between the mythical imagination and dreams, the unconscious, emotional dynamics."īut after hearing Joseph Campbell during a visiting lecture at La Casa de Maria retreat center in Montecito in the '80s, he found a new framework for his explorations of the mythic imagination. He had the good fortune to study with some of the leading figures in existential and humanistic psychology, including Victor Frankl, Rollo May, Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow. in psychology and had a private counseling practice for 25 years, while teaching at area colleges.

" I wanted to do some kind of good work in my life, but I thought I needed a little wiggle room," he said. Young briefly aspired to be a minister but changed course when he realized it would be too constraining. Greece and Egypt brought ancient mythology to life, and in India and Japan, they learned parables of the Buddha.Īs a young adult, Dr. Wherever they went, the kids soaked up stories associated with the places they saw: In Denmark, it was the Little Mermaid and tales of Hans Christian Andersen in Germany, the Pied Piper of Hamelin in Baghdad, the Arabian Nights. To keep the six children entertained, his parents taught them bits of local lore and legends. His father was a key organizer and volunteer for evangelist preacher Billy Graham and helped monitor the progress of the ministry's foreign missions, with wife and kids in tow. His love for both stories and seeing the world stem directly from childhood: When he was growing up, his family traveled widely, sometimes for months at a time.
#Mind supermind santa barbara free
He'll present a free Mind and Supermind lecture, "Claiming Our Stories: New Dimensions in Personal Mythology," at 7:30 p.m. Young was recently named the 2007-2008 Local Luminary by Santa Barbara City College's Continuing Education program. But at the end of all his wanderings, he always returns to Santa Barbara, his longtime home.ĭr. "It's my Joseph Campbell road show," he quipped. Through his Center for Story and Symbol, he presents accessible lectures on the mythic imagination to general audiences and therapists year-round, traveling up and down the West Coast. Nearly a dozen years ago, he traded in his academic posts for a life on the road, which he says better suits him. He also founded the Mythological Studies Department at Pacifica and is editor of two essay collections, "Saga: Best New Writings on Mythology," Volumes 1 and 2 (White Cloud Press). Campbell when he visited the South Coast and as the founding curator of the Joseph Campbell archives at Pacifica Graduate Institute.

Campbell, his charismatic mentor, he can deftly spin a yarn and unravel its multi-layered meanings, while keeping his audience on the edge of their seats. Psychologist and storyteller Jonathan Young has established a small following of his own, mining the spiritual and psychological riches of fairy tales and folktales. Since then, other scholars have taken up the mantle, including Clarissa Pinkola Estes (''Women Who Run With the Wolves'') and Robert Bly ("Iron John"), who both rose to popular acclaim in the '90s with their books exploring female and male archetypes.
#Mind supermind santa barbara series
It's been 20 years since "The Power of Myth" series featuring Bill Moyers' interviews with the late Joseph Campbell was first broadcast on public television, inspiring millions of viewers to turn to the world's myths for wisdom and guidance, and sparking renewed interest in the mythologist's books.
