Mythology and Parables in Modern Communication
Today there is a growing need to examine all our systems of thought and communication. We are witness to an information explosion. Never before has there been such a plethora of relevant and not so relevant information available on every subject imaginable. Most of us cannot even begin to fathom the depths of this apparent inexhaustible supply.
So how do we process what is coming at us now, let alone, what will be there in the future? There has to be a way to sort through this landslide of facts and fiction, to go over each piece and determine for ourselves its inherent validity and relevance to our lives.
In each epoch in our history there were major transition points that affected all of humanity. These were marked by chaos and fear, upset and upheaval, all related to a convulsive present and an indeterminate future. Examples would be the "Agricultural Revolution," when, as a species, we stopped wandering and gathering, and started cultivating fields and growing our own food. Then came the "Industrial Revolution," where there began the vast process of mechanizing our work. In all such cases, an old way was leaving, while the new way was being born. During these transition phases, chaos and upheaval were the signs of the times. Many current writers are suggesting that this is also the case today, with the present Information Revolution; and I would agree.
In previous times, as cited in the above examples, some sense of order had to be derived from the chaos that was all about. Some way of making sense of the whole unfolding process was required and basically had to be invented on the spot. It was never a question of "not living through it" because change was already upon the population. It was always a matter of "how" to live through it and minimize the impact on day to day life.
History repeats itself, we are often told, until a particular lesson is learned. What is history trying to teach us right now? "That we appear not ready for the great leap forward we are about to take?" In part this may be true, but what else? I draw sustenance from an old Myth that says: "when a person is ready, what is there waiting for them becomes visible."
Well, what does that mean? To me that points out that the process of awakening and evolution is, from this perspective, a personal one and what is next on the horizon is only visible after a pressing (moment, feeling, or problem) has been properly disposed of. This Myth also tells us that, in so much as we are capable of mastering something, we shall be prompted to undertake it. This suggests that evolution takes us, not necessarily where we want to go, but most certainly where we need to go. And once again, that fact doesn't become visible until its "time" arrives, in the undulating process of change or transformation.
Evolution, here, is not a matter of biology, but more a matter of personal fact. What are the facts of my life, as opposed to what are the facts of your life? At some level we share a commonality of facts. Those that underlie Christianity, for example, are shared facts. Those that underlie our essential humanness are also shared facts. Do these so called facts hold any truth or not? And on what can we base our collective experience and subsequent testimony? After sorting through an enormity of facts, what do we rely on for an interpretation? How do we know when any interpretation is correct?
You see, years ago, we had Mythology, and its teaching companion Parables, to guide us through transitional, volatile times. Myths and Parables were guideposts; signs along the path that helped explain aspects of our human plight and imminent challenges. Myths and Parables were teaching tools, designed to advance us as a race, as a nation or as an individual, into and through the next stage of our evolution. Suffice it to say that Myths and Parables were the Sine Qua Non of Ancient Times, in terms of information processing and personal growth, because basically, no one knew how to read. Since very few people enjoyed that privilege there had to be a way to pass on important information. Myths and parables were accessible to everybody. Handed down through the ages, they were passed on to generation after generation, cutting across cultural and ethnic boundaries, and historical periods. Myths, as guideposts and parables as models, have always been there for us and are still in evidence today. We just don't pay attention to them like we used to.
(In part 2 of this series we will continue this discussion and see how it leads to and affects our current situation as the Information Revolution unfolds.)
Maurice Turmel PHD is an Author, Speaker and Performing Songwriter. His site features Self-Help books, Inspiring Music, Stories, Reflections and Poetry that can help YOU discover how truly great YOU are. The WebSite is dedicated to that end. It also features his collection of articles, reflections and stories as teaching tools, and his latest Ebook, "The Voice," a Spiritual Sci-Fi novel. It will introduce YOU to all the basic concepts that characterize The Healthy Life, both Spiritually and Psychologically. http://www.mauriceturmel.com
Latest News
Dr. Thomas Baldino Appointed Interim Dean of College of Arts ... Wilkes University, PA - Thomas Baldino has been appointed Interim Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Science. Effective January 10, he replaces Darin Fields who ... American Academy of Arts and Sciences Launches Humanities ... |
Johannes von Moltke to launch Center for the Humanities Faculty ... News from Washington University in St. Louis, MO - Von Moltke — the first of six speakers appearing for the Center for the Humanities this spring — was invited to campus by 2009 Faculty Fellow Jennifer ... |
Habitat for Humanity's ReStore site of food drive West Fargo Pioneer, ND - The Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore, a building supply thrift store located in Moorhead, is kicking off a month long food drive to benefit the local food ... |
Jackson Library To Present "Abraham Lincoln Man Of Sorrow" Jakson Time, NJ - ... offered through the Horizons Speakers Bureau of the New Jersey Council of the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. ... Lincoln, without the varnish |
 The Express Times - LehighValleyLive.com | Northampton Community College awarded $800000 grant to create ... The Express Times - LehighValleyLive.com, PA - It has been awarded an $800000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to ensure Northampton and Monroe county residents can study aspects of ... NCC receives $800K grant for Pocono and Bethlehem programs Northampton Community College grant to further history studies Grant for $800000 challenges Northampton Community College to ... |
New leader tapped for humanities council Las Vegas Review - Journal, NV - The organization is one of 56 state and territorial councils affiliated with the National Endowment for the Humanities, creating and supporting humanities ... |
 Inside Higher Ed | Unlikely Haven for Humanities Publishing Inside Higher Ed, DC - The University of Houston-Victoria is an unlikely hot spot for experimental fiction and the humanities. But this 3200-student institution has, ... |
 Daily Guide | UCC to begin distance learning courses in natural sciences/humanities Modern Ghana, Ghana - ... on Thursday announced that plans were far advanced to introduce distance learning programmes in the natural sciences and humanities. ... UCC to introduce more courses … in distance learning programme Many Ghanaians are embracing ‘Distance Education’, says university don |
USU names interim theater department head Salt Lake Tribune, United States - Yolanda Flores Niemann, dean of USU's Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences college, asked Jessop to assume the additional duties, as Colin Johnson, ... |
Division of Arts and Humanities offers up a 3 in 1 Penn State Altoona, United States - ALTOONA – Shorts, an evening of one-act plays produced entirely by Penn State Altoona students, kicks off Thursday, February 5, 2009 in the Paul R. and ... |
Resources
-
Sorry Currently Unavailable