Jungian psychology (which is a discipline used in Parallel Universe), looks at mythology as culturally-based, collective dreams (a communal expression of our anxieties, hopes, and goals), while dreams are our personal myths---unconscious issues that play out in our mind. When you go to see a movie (superhero, John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, etc.), the hero or protagonist is part of our collective unconscious in American culture. We identify with the hero story because they embody what is good, right, moral, and we wonder how we would respond if put into the same situations. Would we make the right choice or the wrong choice? What would those consequences be?
That personal identification (like with Bella or Edward from Twilight, Harry Potter, Luke Skywalker, Superman or Batman......maybe even the contestants on American Idol), makes the hero psychologically powerful and THAT is the transcendent experience we love to fantasize about or escape to. Like going to church, we commune with the rest of the audience in the theatre to affirm or re-affirm our shared understanding of facing odds, achieving hope, what is good and evil, overcoming personal doubts, fears, and anxieties (including death and the afterlife). Cool huh?
Superhero movies are currently at the zenith of their popularity...trust me...there are a lot more coming. I theorize that this has much to do with what is going on in society--domestically and globally. Superhero and sci-fi adventures (Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, about 25 superhero flicks, and vigilante and/or earth destruction-type movies) have quadrupled since 9/11 and with increasing political and social unrest, war and terror, and anxieties with the economy and job stability, it certainly makes sense. Who are we and where do we fit into the scheme of things?
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