The discovery that the archetypal world is ontologically real gives legitimacy to the spiritual worldview, religious and ritual activity, and to spiritual quest that involves direct experience. It makes it possible to distinguish organized religions based on belief, with their dogmas, ritualism, moralism, and secular ambitions, from authentic spirituality found in the monastic and mystical branches of religions, rituals of native cultures, and traditions emphasizing spiritual practice and direct experience. Spirituality is based on personal experiences of non-ordinary aspects and dimensions of reality. It does not require a special place or an officially appointed persons mediating contact with the divine. The mystics do not need churches or temples. The context in which they experience the sacred dimensions of reality, including their own divinity, are their bodies and nature. And instead of officiating priests, they need a supportive group of fellow seekers or the guidance of a teacher who is more advanced on the inner journey than they are themselves.http://www.stanislavgrof.com/wp-content/uploads/pdf/ITA_Palm_Springs-archetypes_rev.01-2014.pdf
Related:
Joe Campbell and The Power of Myth
Stanislav Grof "The Opening of the Collective Unconscious"
