Vogler 7&8

Approach to the Inmost Cave, the seventh stage of the Hero's Journey, is a time of emotionally charged preparation. In this stage, the hero prepares physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually to face the Shadow. Preparation may entail a number of last minute tests to prove the hero's readiness. Information could be available through the support of a team, reorganization of previously acquired clues and facts, or by stepping inside the opponent's mind and mapping out a game plan. The hero receives the gifts of unconditional love and camaraderie from his team or within an intimate relationship. This external show of love and admiration reinforces the hero's own sense of self love and provides a good dose of the emotional strength needed to face the dark. The ordeal is the crisis point of the story where there is the most dramatic tension. This is the ultimate test the hero faces, the biggest challenge. In many stories, the ordeal is life threatening. In all stories, the ordeal is life changing. The hero may face the loss of the mentor and allies and usually faces a major physical or emotional challenge.


The Inmost Cave is a special world within a world where the supreme wonder and terror awaits. It is the villain's lair, it may be a cave, a castle, a city, a planet anywhere. The hero must prepare for the ordeal and remain on guard against illusions and temptations, the hero and his allies may make plans, do reconnaissance on the enemy, try to psych out the opponent, regroup. The stakes are higher here than in earlier challenges the hero faced. In the supreme ordeal, the hero must die so that he can be reborn, transformed, come into balance. The death may be symbolic. For example, there may be an suspenseful accident where the hero appears to be dead or feels the presence of death, an experience that results in a change in attitude. At this point, the audience's concentration should be intense. The interactive storyteller can use this to good advantage to try to create in the audience-hero the kind of emotional transformation portrayed in the story.

During this personal development stage, we need the support of others to face the denied parts of ourselves. The greatest human fear is that of the unknown. And when we reject any emotion or quality which makes us human, we are creating an unknown quality. What we resist, however, persists, and our fighting spirit needs fortifying before facing that dark unknown.

Questions

1.Are you the hero of your own life, or the supporting character of someone else's story? Who makes the choices in your life? Whose life are you living?

2.What kinds of the villain does have in your story?

3. Do you think have you ever suffered the greatest fear? What way do you have for enduring the crisis?

Vogler4

Crossing of the first threshold echoes the acceptance of the call with physical action, proving that the hero can follow intent with positive action. Crossing of thresholds is a highly symbolic act, such as in the rites of passage of transition to adulthood or the carrying of a bride by a husband over the threshold of their first house. It indicates commitment and change, leaving behind the old and accepting the new. This is a defining moment in the life of the hero, often the first active decision of responsibility and independence. This is stepping into a bold new world and is often a very scary act, going from the safety of home into an unpredictable and dangerous world, where the rules are different and the cost of failure is high. Thresholds are often guarded by people, monsters or other difficulties which have to be overcome. More over, Upon arriving in this new world the hero has to as quickly as possible orient himself to the ways of the new world, assess new people he meets as to whether they are friend or foe and then face many new tests as he begins his journey in this new place. Chris Vogler writes of this phase of the journey, “here the hero is a freshman all over again in this new world.”





This installment is all about crossing the first threshold, where the hero encounters the "threshold guardian at the zone of magnified power. Such custodians bound the world in the four directions - also up and down - standing for the limits of the hero's present sphere, or life horizon." This is the point where the hero really has to pony up and step into the great beyond in a deeper way. This has happened, to some extent, by heeding the call to adventure, but that was before encountering a major challenge and an embodied experience of what it means to leave the comforts of everyday life. I think a great amount of it might have to do with ego/self, which can tie in nicely to overcoming dividing thinking. The community members need to accept and understand that life is not all about them as individuals, but about the health and vitality of that community.





We’ve committed to leaving behind the Ordinary World and stepping into the New World of our Hero’s Journey. And as we do, we’re exposed to new sounds and sights, new leanings, surprises, adventures and experiences we’ve never had before. We might feel out of place. We might feel uncomfortable, inexperienced. But we’re stretching beyond your old self. Sometimes, when crossing the first threshold, we meet with boundaries. It might be the environment, a roadblock or obstacle in the way, the road might be too far away, a storm or a drought might test your resolve, or it might be people, who come up and challenge us. Once we’re in the New World in pursuit of our treasure, we have to learn new rules, we have to go to new places, see, hear and feel new things.



Questions.

1. How do you need to interact with your new enviroment to get what you want?



2.



3.