Whenever you sense mystery you recognise there is a dimension beyond the physical.
In the West we tend to associate God with the source of energy; in the Eastern religions, God is regarded as the manifestation of the energy, the vehicle for the energy. The manifestations are our experiences of wonder, love, compassion, hatred, malice which Campbell likened to ‘faith’. These are different manifestation of the divine; so divinity is in the mind – what we think. He illustrated with the image of an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other in constant conflict – which we all experience ie whether to do this or that. This imagery can be so strong for some people that they believe this is the physical reality.
Campbell suggested that we therefore see the divine in others – and they in us; we each radiate the presence of the divine!
Noted that the circle is a common symbolism in all religions for the endless repeating cycle of life we experience in the natural world, tides, moon, seasons, day/night.
He suggest that clowns were very useful in illustrating the essence of life, faith, spirituality, divinity while not allowing the actual details to be taken too seriously (or literally).
The experience of eternity is now as it shuts out the perception of time; this is not heaven which is everlasting ie has no concept of time at all. If we don’t experience eternity now we never will as if/when we get to heaven – which is everlasting and therefore negates the experience of eternity which shuts of time (presume he means for just a short while). [I’ve re-listened and realise I was arguing incorrectly last night – now corrected]
AUM the vowels of the sound of the universe (the mortal component) combined with silence as the immortal component.
Heavy stuff!!!!