Personal mythology and psychotherapy: Myth-making in psychological and spiritual development.

Abstract

The sweeping changes and crises in the guiding myths of contemporary cultures provide the context of the individual's psychological and spiritual development. A five-stage process for facilitating the evolution of an individual's personal mythology is illustrated in a detailed case study, and the psychosocial tasks that must be accomplished to successfully navigate each stage are discussed.

Our Heroic Adventure: Creating a Personal Mythology

“…The work of David Feinstein (1997Feinstein ( , 1998 is particularly relevant in this regard. He believes that just as cultural symbols and archetypes are "housed" in a collective unconscious (Jung, 1968), our memories, perceptions, dreams, and behaviors are "stored" in mythic fields.…”

Emerging Influence of Transmodernism and Transpersonal Psychology Reflected in Rising Popularity of Transformational Festivals

“…The psyche's main tasks are constructing a guiding mythology, ensuring the mythology embraces spiritual dimensions plus more traditional psychological areas, and realizing that a vital and valid guiding mythology largely determines success in life (Feinstein, 1997). Campbell (2011) contended there were four major purposes behind myth:…”

From Liminality to Transformation: Creating an Art Therapist Identity Through Myths, Metaphors, and Self-Portraits (De la liminalité à la transformation : création de l’identité de l’art-thérapeute à travers mythes, métaphores et autoportraits)

“…It functions at the individual level in the same way that a cultural myth functions in society, by providing guidance and meaning about fundamental truths (Feinstein, 1997). Personal myth-making adds depth to our self-understanding by bringing a greater sense of personal integration and wholeness, as well as giving us a broader and more connected perspective on our place in the world (Atkinson, 1990;Feinstein, 1997). In addition to biological, biographical, and cultural influences, our personal myths are based on our most meaningful experiences.…”

“…In addition to biological, biographical, and cultural influences, our personal myths are based on our most meaningful experiences. In fact, Feinstein (1997) focuses primarily on the influence of transcendent experiences on one's personal myth, saying that "those episodes, insights, dreams, and visions that have a numinous quality, deepen a person's values, expand perspectives, and inspire creativity" (p. 511).…”