The Importance Of Myth

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How does fear shape and define human existence on Earth? Fear is unavoidably part of the human experience here. In my mind, the origins of fear in humankind emerge out of the recognition of mortality, the deep fear of impermanence and death. Therefore, anything that inspires this primal dread of ending in humanity, generate fearfulness and even wild fantasies. The threat to our existence shows up as many “little deaths,” the numerous experiences that remind us of the transience of life, such as, challenges to our identity, ego, culture, religion, and sense of wellbeing. In the face of the many life challenges that incite fear, how do we cope and continue to learn, and change? In our readings from this module, it became apparent to me that myth…show more content…
(Armstrong, 2005, p. 19) Myth helps the human psyche through transitions or change. It can act as an initiation, helping people move between different cycles of life. The power of myth is that it can bring about great shifts in our perspective. It inspires the imagination and creativity, both of which can assist in carrying us through times of doubt, adversity, and fear. Armstrong (2005) speaks to the power of myth to, “…enable you to live more fearlessly and therefore more fully here on earth, looking death calmly in the face. Indeed, every day we are forced to die to the self we have already achieved” (p. 57). In this way myth helps people to see the interconnectedness of life and death, and to face our mortality with courage and…show more content…
Fear represents a contraction in energy to me and limits my experience. In essence, fear shuts me down. However, the saving hand of myth and story encourage me to stretch out beyond this fearful contraction, to invite the unknown. Seeking the opposite of “othering,” to make familiar and known that which is different. After reflecting on the vast trauma and horrible atrocities committed by the hand of fearful people over millennia, I can see such extreme reactions to the unknown as mostly unwarranted. As Kearney (2003), so wonderfully elaborates, “We refuse to acknowledge ourselves-as-others” (p.5). This is a pivotal moment for me, when I realize I am just as foreign to the “other,” as they are to me, I am humbled into compassion and greater understanding. Through this understanding, I can find the courage to invite diversity, and understanding across difference, which is essential for a more harmonious planetary

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