Myths are metaphorical

Some people regard myths as mere fabrications, to be discarded in our enlightened age. Those people are repelled by the myths' preposterous elements (such as Centaurs) and contradictions (within an individual myth, or in its revisions from one oral transmission to the next). But mythology's enduring worth is not in its possible historical or scientific accuracy; instead, myths are important because they are metaphors. We learn about life and people and values in a way which cannot be offered by dry historical or philosophical accounts; in mythology, we learn through imagination, as we feel and visualize the colorful adventures of the deities. Although mythology is not a literal rendering of a culture's history, we can still use myths to explore the culture -- its viewpoints, activities, and beliefs.

Myths represent forces in the psyche and the world

As Joseph Campbell said, in An Open Life, "The imagery of mythology is symbolic of spiritual powers within us." In this symbolism, we see mythological characters who represent love, youth, death, wealth, virility, fear, evil, and other archetypal facets of life -- and we also see natural events such as rain and wind. The deities are personifications of those facets, those "energies." As we read about the interplay of deities, we are viewing a dream-like fantasy which portrays the interaction of the elements of our own lives. To say that the deities are symbolic is not to say that they might not exist as actual beings; after all, some contemporary people believe in a deity which is an individual "person" (portrayed in art as an old man), so we might grant equal respect and open-mindedness toward those who have believed in the literal reality of ancient deities.

Mythology is a valid way to look at the world

Even if we respect the archetypal significance of mythology, we might disregard myths as primitive, clumsy attempts to express those psychological truths. But some authors have argued that mythology is actually a sophisticated means of labeling and studying psychological dynamics -- a means which is as cultured and insightful as that of modern psychology. Surely some myths were concocted by soma-intoxicated shamans, but perhaps others were devised by thoughtful scholars and mystics who intentionally chose mythology as a vehicle for passing on their revelations. These sages might have realized that myths are:

• Easy to remember in an illiterate society in which ideas cannot be written nor read.
• Approachable and somewhat understandable by people of any level of intelligence, including people for whom a philosophical discourse would be incomprehensible.
• Stimulating to the imagination and feelings, where the effect can be more profound and life-changing than that from intellectual comprehension.

Can we use Mythology in Psychology?

Although we might include mythology within psychology, we would surely not abandon psychology's scientific approach for the stories and practices of traditional mythology. (I, for one, would feel silly burning incense to Apollo.) But the idea of a "mytho-psychology" is intriguing. We can envision the advice given by a Roman priest in a counseling session with a person who, for instance, was experiencing problems due to a lack of self-discipline.

"Know the power of Disciplina, the Roman goddess of discipline." Simply to accept the reality of this force (whether internally or externally) is a primary step in resolving a condition which has been exacerbated by denial, repression, and lack of development. (However, the "acceptance" of the reality of Disciplina would be virtually impossible in our culture; mythological characters seemed real in other cultures, but that milieu of mythology is simply too alien to provide an effective format for contemporary psychological therapy. But let us continue anyway ...)

"Honor Disciplina." To "honor" her, we would respect her importance as a goddess. (In therapy, we might learn to respect ourselves, including our natural drive to seek goals and fulfillment through self-discipline.)
"Fear the wrath of Disciplina, whom you have angered; she has cursed you with poverty." Actually, the poverty is the result of a lack of self-discipline, but at least the priest explains that some type of cause-and-effect dynamic is occurring, so that we might recognize our responsibility in the dilemma.

"Seek guidance from Disciplina." If we try to contact Disciplina via a type of receptive meditation, the meditation might arouse our intuition to suggest ways to increase our self-discipline. This meditation might even precipitate an experience of Jungian "active imagination," in which we would "converse" with whatever parts of the psyche manage our self-discipline; this part might assume the mind's-eye appearance of Disciplina.

"Perform these rituals." The rituals could include actions in which we exercise our self-discipline (as a tribute to Disciplina), and also ceremonies in which we symbolically strengthen the self-discipline or destroy whatever disrupts it. Perhaps we would chant incantations, which are analogous to "affirmations." Rituals can indeed produce psychological changes if we believe in their potency and we perform them with feeling.

Why do we mythologize?

We do it to acquire the benefits which have been described throughout this chapter. But, beyond the pragmatic reasons, we do it to satisfy our natural, healthy craving to live in a world which is still filled with mystery and wonder and archetypal grandeur.

	Web not-of-this-earth.com