it's almost over. . . .the weekend of major paper writing
Myth: Matter of Mind, or
Mind Over Matter?
How many times have you asked the question "What is the purpose of life?" How many different religions have you tried on for size, but each didn't quite fit with something inside, something inherent telling you, "No, there's more out there, more to gain from life than scriptural doctrines and stodgy philosophies." I know I've asked those questions time and again. As I began this paper, it was suppose to be a simple expose on Myth and it's meaning. My research has sent me in a very direct, very informed path of gaining a knowledge of myth and it's function beyond the everyday scope of what one normally thinks myth is. It is so much more than just stories from our ancestors. The symbolism, or the archetypes as Jung called them, are all around us. These things never die. Why? Because they are hard wired into our brains.
Looking at the recent research in varied fields such as biology, neuroscience, psychology and anthropology a new understanding of how ancient myths are formulated can be gained. The picture becomes clear when the view finder is widened and focused. Dr. Paul MacLean's triune brain theory, as applied by Francesco Ancona's book "Myth: Matter of Mind?", opens doors to understanding the biology of how, why and where myth originates in the mind. MacLean's theory also expands a biological parallel to the works of Freud and Jung as far as they are all tripartite models of the workings of the mind. MacLean helps us to understand the physical aspects of the conscious and unconscious mind in relation to psychological manifestations. Myth comes from dream; dreams come from the unconscious; or our deepest buried brain. We ask our questions and the mind answers through the symbolic language of the archetypes. In this light, Mythology becomes an elaborate biologically formulated explanation of our unexplained creation and existence that is deeply rooted in the evolution of the brain.
We often take for granted the wonders of the mind, the very physiology that makes up who and what we are. Our tendency is to lean toward the basis of a soul or spirit apart from the physical structures of the brain that creates our higher thought processes. But with so much new research in the fields of neuroscience, psychology and anthropology there is a new picture being drawn in conjunction with what the mind is and how it works. In an article found in the 1998 winter edition of "Mankind Quarterly" M. Ernandes and S. Giammanco explain,
The brain structures from which physiological capabilities and behavior proceed are the result of a long evolutionary course during which they have been selected for providing the best adaptations to external environment. (174)
Our brains are structured to help us survive. Our thought processes are hard wired to benefit our very survival. The article continues and explains this evolutionary idea further, giving an even deeper understanding as follows; "[...] the