The Search for a New Mythology (1)

Myth and Reality

This linkage with the infinite has of course been the intent of the great mythologies and religions; the healing creative and expressive arts; and the dreams we dream at night”                                                             … Joseph Campbell

Myths are more than charming stories told by people from long ago. Mythology continues as a living force that weaves through our lives, and – like fish living in water – it shapes our consciousness in ways so widespread and universal as to be overlooked or invisible. It creates the foundation and ground we stand on, but we often become aware of myth only when confronted with conflicting or competing mythologies. Then we then use the term myth, derisively, to describe other people’s belief systems.

Beginning early in childhood, the fundamental task of culture is to integrate the individual into the larger frameworks – village, nation, cosmos – he or she will develop and function within over a lifetime. This weaving together of smaller and larger not only brings meaning, purpose, and a sense of belonging to the individual, but making these connections and identities (along with their attendant responsibilities) is necessary for any society to grow, adapt, and sustain itself over time. For millennia this task was accomplished by community rituals, the teaching of elders, and the transference of the creation stories and tales of adventure that made up a people’s mythology.

These tools of integration have all atrophied or been shattered in modern culture. Today, the term “myth” is commonly used to describe something that’s not “real,” but in fact, it’s our myths that define what reality is or isn’t. All throughout human history, people have lived with diverse beliefs about the nature of the cosmos and the human role within it; have applied numerous criteria to judge “real” from “unreal;” and used different value systems to separate the important from unimportant. Within each of these systems, the world appeared authentic, palpable, even obvious, and people structured their lives and customs accordingly. To them, their world “made sense.”

In the physical sciences, different facets of the universe emerge (and disappear) when we train different lenses – telescopes, microscopes, infrared sensors, radio antennas, x-rays – upon existence. Similarly, whatever the age or culture, people have examined the dynamic and evolving experience of life and living through a medium that results in their particular and unique perspective. One “instrument” through which we both view and create the world is our mythology, and it is neither neutral nor transparent. It determines which aspects of existence come into focus and which remain unseen or “unreal.”

Myth is primary, foundational. There is no objective universe and no human space – physical or psychic – outside of it. We see the world the way we are, not the way it is; and this fact is unavoidable. Myths create reality for they are the medium through which we “see.” They shape our values, determine our truths and falsehoods, and define the direction of our greatest good and achievements. The belief that we are beyond or have transcended the world of myth is not fact, but rather, part of our modern mythology.

The glasses we wear inevitably conceal as much as they reveal. For every direction taken, innumerable alternatives must be ignored. For every treasure unearthed, a thousand possibilities remain buried. If we are unaware of our mythology and the power of myth, we can be deceived and led astray. Our cultural consensus – what’s obvious to everyone – may be disoriented, dysfunctional, or downright pathological.    (… to be continued.)