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The idea of the supernatural as being something over and…

“The idea of the supernatural as being something over and above the natural is a killing idea. In the Middle Ages this was the idea that finally turned that world into something like a wasteland, a land where people were living inauthentic lives, never doing a think they truly wanted to because the…” quote by Joseph Campbell
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““The idea of the supernatural as being something over and above the natural is a killing idea. In the Middle Ages this was the idea that finally turned that world into something like a wasteland, a land where people were living inauthentic lives, never doing a think they truly wanted to because the supernatural laws required them to live as directed by their clergy. In a wasteland, people are fulfilling purposes that are not properly theirs but have been put upon them as inescapable laws. This is a killer… The spirit is really the bouquet of life. It is not something breathed into life, it comes out of life. This is one of the glorious things about the mother-goddess religions, where the world is the body of the Goddess, divine in itself, and divinity isn't something ruling over and above a fallen nature… Our story of the fall in the Garden sees nature as corrupt; and that myth corrupts the whole world for us. Because nature is thought of as corrupt, every spontaneous act is sinful and must not be yielded to. You get a totally different civilization and a totally different way of living according to whether your myth presents nature as fallen or whether nature is in itself a manifestation of divinity, and the spirit is the revelation of the divinity that is inherent in nature.””

Joseph Campbell

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Viewing the supernatural as superior to nature creates oppressive myths that stifle authentic living; recognizing nature as divine frees the spirit.

In simple terms: Believing nature is divine encourages authentic life.

Key Takeaway

Embrace nature’s divinity to live freely.

Themes

myth spirituality authenticity freedom

Mood

reflective inspirational

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

  • personal growth
  • community building
  • creative work
  • environmental activism

Key Concepts

divine immanence myth critique cultural narratives

Questions to Reflect On

  • What myths limit your authenticity?
  • How can you honor nature’s divinity daily?
A Different Perspective

Changing deep‑seated cultural myths is slow and may meet resistance.

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