One of the foremost interpreters of mythology in the twentieth century, Joseph Campbell, taught that "myth is metaphor." He believed that understanding myth as rich symbolism can give us vital insight into who and what we are allowing us to live our lives more wholly.
The mythic sense is revealed in the varied stories found in different cultures. These stories are often rich in depicting monsters, demons, and other assorted "evil" characters. In contrast to these figures we find the many faces of the hero, the one who goes out to reclaim our lives. He conquers by overcoming the monster. The myth tell us, however, according to Campbell, that the "hero" and the "demon" are ultimately one and the same: they are masks, metaphors for the play of forces dwelling within us individually and collectively. The hero "defeats" the "dragon" living within our hearts and restores our lost humanity.*
But when we take these mythic images, externalize them and project them into the world at large we give them a distorted meaning. Our social and political life becomes itself a battlefield of contending armies of flesh and blood! People become demonized and dehumanized. Thus we fall into conflicts that know no boundaries in time or space. Finally, the only thing that rules is naked raw power and whoever prevails in the gladiatorial arena of life is thereby deemed the winner with all "due" privileges and the "right" to rule. History alone vindicates and much more. Within our collective memory and imagination a wound persists and festers. The winner as well as the vanquished are poles of a single trauma and are both damaged. The wound can be healed to the extent that we are able to see our symbolic life as a symbolism and keep it there! Then the work of healing can take place within the womb of true communion. This is the basic meaning and challenge of dialogue.
. . . .
According to David Bohm, a physicist who helped lay the foundations of quantum mechanics, dialogue is a dynamic process helping us to explore and approach reality in a cooperative way. He saw dialogue as a flow of meaning between the participants. He believed that genuine concern for understanding within an atmosphere of of mutual trust would help people to bring to the surface their hidden assumptions- the tacit structure of their beliefs and tenaciously held convictions. In dialogue, thought itself can be displayed for all to "see" and participate. I call this resonance and it is as wonderful as it is difficult to achieve. Through word and image meaning is explored and perhaps if necessary transformed opening us up to possible change within us.** We may be moved. So dialogue is a profound challenge and potential. It is a window into the depths of our humanness.
Our humanity has to be reached and restored- acquired again and again within the field of the imagination through the powerful insight of the Poet in us. This is the meaning and importance of the mythic sensibility. Our social life thus is rediscovered and renewed. Humanity flourishes as a vibrant tapestry of life possibilities.
The mythic insight is just that: a seeing into the structures of the meaning we give our symbolism. A symbol, however that gets away from us becomes an "idol"- a false god. All religions( rather, their mythology) at the very core reveal this fragile wisdom so easily broken and forgotten.
And finally through the dialogue, we once again restore the imagination to its proper function in helping us to forge together new meanings( narratives) that foster a rebirth of our primal humanity.
*Joseph Campbell, "A Hero with a Thousand Faces" and other works.
**David Bohm, "On Dialogue", "Unfolding Meaning", "Changing Consciousness" and "Science, Order and Creativity".
The mythic sense is revealed in the varied stories found in different cultures. These stories are often rich in depicting monsters, demons, and other assorted "evil" characters. In contrast to these figures we find the many faces of the hero, the one who goes out to reclaim our lives. He conquers by overcoming the monster. The myth tell us, however, according to Campbell, that the "hero" and the "demon" are ultimately one and the same: they are masks, metaphors for the play of forces dwelling within us individually and collectively. The hero "defeats" the "dragon" living within our hearts and restores our lost humanity.*
But when we take these mythic images, externalize them and project them into the world at large we give them a distorted meaning. Our social and political life becomes itself a battlefield of contending armies of flesh and blood! People become demonized and dehumanized. Thus we fall into conflicts that know no boundaries in time or space. Finally, the only thing that rules is naked raw power and whoever prevails in the gladiatorial arena of life is thereby deemed the winner with all "due" privileges and the "right" to rule. History alone vindicates and much more. Within our collective memory and imagination a wound persists and festers. The winner as well as the vanquished are poles of a single trauma and are both damaged. The wound can be healed to the extent that we are able to see our symbolic life as a symbolism and keep it there! Then the work of healing can take place within the womb of true communion. This is the basic meaning and challenge of dialogue.
. . . .
According to David Bohm, a physicist who helped lay the foundations of quantum mechanics, dialogue is a dynamic process helping us to explore and approach reality in a cooperative way. He saw dialogue as a flow of meaning between the participants. He believed that genuine concern for understanding within an atmosphere of of mutual trust would help people to bring to the surface their hidden assumptions- the tacit structure of their beliefs and tenaciously held convictions. In dialogue, thought itself can be displayed for all to "see" and participate. I call this resonance and it is as wonderful as it is difficult to achieve. Through word and image meaning is explored and perhaps if necessary transformed opening us up to possible change within us.** We may be moved. So dialogue is a profound challenge and potential. It is a window into the depths of our humanness.
Our humanity has to be reached and restored- acquired again and again within the field of the imagination through the powerful insight of the Poet in us. This is the meaning and importance of the mythic sensibility. Our social life thus is rediscovered and renewed. Humanity flourishes as a vibrant tapestry of life possibilities.
The mythic insight is just that: a seeing into the structures of the meaning we give our symbolism. A symbol, however that gets away from us becomes an "idol"- a false god. All religions( rather, their mythology) at the very core reveal this fragile wisdom so easily broken and forgotten.
And finally through the dialogue, we once again restore the imagination to its proper function in helping us to forge together new meanings( narratives) that foster a rebirth of our primal humanity.
*Joseph Campbell, "A Hero with a Thousand Faces" and other works.
**David Bohm, "On Dialogue", "Unfolding Meaning", "Changing Consciousness" and "Science, Order and Creativity".
1 comment:
Nick, I've been thinking, (uh-oh), what about dialogue or conversation as an unfolding of the explicate out of the implicit.
Like, for example, how simple banter can digress in myriad ways.
And on an alternate level, how words themselves can have so many meanings within the encounter that the whole thing can actually take on a torus-like effect. As Triumph the dog would say, "What zee hell is going on here!!"
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