AI and the HIDDEN Power of Myth in Our Lives

🚀 Episode 26 of the Vale & Mark Podcast 🚀

(Ancient Trails Part 4)

✨ AI and the HIDDEN Power of Myth in Our Lives ✨

What if the hero's journey isn’t just a fantasy story… but a blueprint for a better life?

In this episode, Vale and Mark explore how AI, ancient rituals, and timeless myth collide in a world where people feel increasingly disconnected, digitized, and overwhelmed. From Samhain to Día de los Muertos, from Joseph Campbell to Star Wars, we dig into why visual storytelling, symbols, and shared narratives still have the power to guide us through chaos.

Because sometimes the only way to navigate the noise… is to rediscover the story underneath it.

👉 In this episode, discover:

🔥 Why embracing the challenges within our own journey — even the moments of failure — is essential to growth

💀 How cultures separated by oceans developed rituals about the deceased that mirror each other almost exactly

🧠 What the Hero’s Journey reveals about surviving an AI-driven world

🌿 Why reconnecting with nature (“go outside and touch grass”) helps us move from fantasy to fulfillment

📖 How Joseph Campbell’s mythic structure is more relevant today than ever before

🌌 Why the narratives we create for ourselves hold immense power — psychologically and spiritually

Chapters:

00:00 Cold Open

01:20 Intro

02:00 Disclaimer (Audio Issues)

03:07 Sláinte! 🍻

04:20 Samhain Origins

05:36 How do you say, "Samhain"?

06:04 Día de Muertos Origins

07:28 Who is Mictēcacihuātl?

08:27 Catholic missionary influences

10:31 All Souls' Day calibrated

11:19 How do these old observances help us today?

12:32 What would Joseph Campbell have to say about all of this?

13:36 Who was Joseph Campbell?

14:52 How did I become interested in Campbell's work?

18:09 How does ChatGPT understand the Hero's Journey?

19:18 George Lucas and Joseph Campbell were friends and influenced each other

21:27 I get emotional when Luke blows up the 'Death Star'

22:09 How can myth help us grieve?

23:15 What does ChatGPT think the Force in Star Wars is exactly?

25:10 Why does the Battle of Yavin resonate with Star Wars fans?

25:55 What does ChatGPT know about the Joseph Campbell and George Lucas connection?

26:45 Hello to Caramelo!

27:10 What can we learn from myth and its universality?

28:36 How can you connect with source?

32:14 How does ChatGPT think you can live a more centered life?

33:05 How does ChatGPT define "Artificial"?

33:59 How does ChatGPT define "Intelligence"?

34:34 What is AI, myth, and the difference between that gives us purpose?

38:39 How has an understanding of myth and Campbell's work helped me grieve?

41:20 You are the hero of your own story!

44:05 My setting up Vale for the last audio glitch

44:20 Outro

This episode is a reminder that meaning isn’t found in the algorithm… it’s found in the journey. Your journey. The one you’re already in — whether you realize it or not.

And yes, as always, expect wit, warmth, and Vale’s trademark cynicism.

🎧 Listen next: Subscribe for weekly dives into myth, meaning, AI, and the stories that shape us.

💬 What part of your hero’s journey are you living right now? Share below — your insight might help someone else on the path.

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