Myths and Psychology

 Myths and Psychology

Dr. Swati Joshi

Gujarat 

In the 19th century the studies of myth and religions seen together, then the Psychological outlook on Myth is obvious.  There are multiple theories which can be seen on common human conditions and on Myth. Myths were progressively more seen as appearances of necessity in the human psyche.  Myth can also be seen from or on psychological view point. The intention of myth is also related with its psychologically utility. 

It can be said that-

“Human beings always have inquired and ever will inquire into the meaning of their existence.”15 

The most prominent influence in the field of psychological healing of myth is Sigmund Freud and Carl Gustav Jung. They gave their opinions on myth and psychology. They see man and myth in the deeper way in context to psychology rather than simple emotions, feelings, and unconscious motivation. Their thoughts can be called psycho analytical myth.

Sigmund Freud took the help of Greek myths – the story of Oedipus Rex to discuss the theories on psycho- sexual development. According to Freud humans have hidden (secret) strong desires that are taboos and even society is not giving permissions to express it. In the case of Oedipus Rex the discussion is not about the complex situation between destiny and human will. The discussion is related to why Oedipus has done taken his mother as his wife. Sigmund tried to see the situation from two points of view. 

1 The manifest Level 

2 Latent Levels 

On the manifest intensity it can be said that Oedipus is the innocent because whatever he has done it was because of fate. But on the latent levels Oedipus can be seen as offender. But the Latent Level is just a mask and here victimizer becomes a myth architect. It can be said that here myth is not biography but autobiography. Now the question is where can be seen the Oedipus complex? This complex can be seen in all adult males, especially those who grow too large for the desires that first come in childhood.  But the complex can be seen on higher range of neurotic adult males who are having difficulties at their oedipal stage (a stage where a child’s mind having sexual craving with the parent of the contradictory sex) where they tried to suppress their feelings.  It can be said that there are many reasons that not allowed children to fulfill their desires as parents are not alive, if parents are living then there are not dear relations between parents and child. These circumstances need myth that gives the perfect type of completion. The external level conceal the true meaning as literal meaning symbolizes that  Oedipus killed his father and had sex with his mother  that was unintentional. On the other level if Oedipus is rather than the myth- maker then the action is deliberate.   

“Myth thus constitutes a compromise between the side of oneself that wants the desires satisfied outright and the side that does not even want to know they exist. Myth functions through its meaning: myth vents Oedipal desires by presenting a story in which, symbolically, they are enacted……..”16 

It can be said that myths those are similar to dreams are like science for Sigmund and Jung. Myths and Dreams are different from each other. Myths are general where as dreams are on personal basis. Freud considered myths have boundary till neurotics and dreams are universally accepted.  

Otto Rank talked about myth and psychology in his book, ‘The Myth of the Birth of the Hero’ and tried to relate myth with hero. He talked about the first half of life of a man as – birth, childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood and the struggle of this   particular period to ascertain them as self-governing individual personality in the outer world. According to Rank’s pattern (Box2) He applies this theory on around 30 mythic heroes and as a result he found that the mythic heroes fall at the first half of their life. In the first half of their life they express their feeling about the security of job, a companion, searching security as separation from parents and mastery on themselves. Rank tried to observe the entire mythic hero from their childhood to their achievement of career. Rank considered the case of mythic hero Oedipus’s killing of his father is intentional but the reason behind the killing of his father is not revenge but his sexual dissatisfaction. Ranks’ Box 2 hero myth pattern would clear the above statements. 

“The standard saga itself may be formulated according to the following outline: The hero is the child of most distinguished parents, usually the son of a king. His origin is preceded by difficulties, such as continence, or prolonged barrenness, or secret intercourse of the parents due to external prohibition or obstacles. During or before the pregnancy, there is a prophecy, in the form of a dream or oracle, cautioning against his birth, and usually threatening danger to the father (or his representative). As a rule, he is surrendered to the water, in a box. He is then saved by animals, or by lowly people (shepherds), and is suckled by a female animal or by a humble woman. After he has grown up, he finds his distinguished parents, in a highly versatile fashion. He takes his revenge on his father, on the one hand, and is acknowledged, on the other. Finally he achieves rank and honors.”17 

Jacob Arlow an American Psychoanalysts has another opinion about myth and psychology. He considered that myth is related to usual progress moderately than the upholding of obsession. Myth helps in growing rather than just to be a child only. Myth supports in the amendment with the society and physical world and myth is not just a fight of child with himself.  Arlow considered that Classical myths are like dreams and dreams are our internal or hidden wishes. But myth not only works on dreams but also works to reject or to redirect (to express a desire or feeling by changing it into a form that is socially acceptable.) 

“Psychoanalysis has a greater contribution to make the study of mythology than (merely) demonstrating in myths, wishes often encountered in the unconscious thinking of patients. The myth is a particular kind of communal experience. It is a special form of shared fantasy, and it serves to bring the individual into relationship with members of his cultural group on the basis of certain common needs. Accordingly, the myth can be studied from the point of view of its function in psychic integration- how it plays a role in warding off feelings of guilt and anxiety, how it constitute a form of adaptation to reality and to group in which the individual lives and how it influences the crystallizations of the individual identity and the formation of the superego.”18 

As discussed Sigmund Freud and Rank has restricted to the first half of the life of the mythic heroes. C.G. Jung took the next step and talked about the second half of the life of the mythic heroes and tried to see on the psychoanalytical basis. Freud and Rank talked about the relations of the heroes with their parents where as Jung talked about the relation of the mythic heroes with the unconscious thinking. Jung analyzed not only heroic myth but also all kinds of myth and talked about the creation myth which works from the creation of consciousness that exposed from unconsciousness.  Freud considered that god symbolizes parents where as Jung considered that parent symbolizes god. Jung talked about father and mother as in form of archetypes. The relationship with his parents – one type of male personality (ego) and on other hand it is his unconsciousness. The father and the mother are the symbol of archetypes and Jung called it as “collective Unconsciousness.” 

‘Archetypes are unconscious not because they have been repressed but because they have never become conscious.”19

The term Archetypal criticism works as the part of literary criticism on the basis of model of mythical descriptions and archetypal elements.  J.C.Frazer studied about the fundamental prototype of myth and rituals and C.G.Jung who used the term “archetypes” which means “Primitive Images”. Jung was at the opinions that in “Psychic excess”- the recurring human experience that has taken from the primordial intimates continue to exist in the collective consciousness and represented in the form of myths, religions, dreams and in personal fantasies. 

Along with Jung there are many psychoanalysts who have given their precious opinion about myth and psychology, as Bruno Bettelheim, Alan Dundes, Joseph Campbell and Adonis.

Myth is not always in form of oral but a myth can be seen with the support of photography, cinema, reporting, sports, show, and publicity. Myth works on reference.  For example if one talk about this means this stands with some particular significance that is why it is this and myth. As we know that Myth is a speech and legendary vocalizations (speech) is based on material which is already employed or can be said appropriate for announcement. It can be said because the materials of myth works on assume suggesting consciousness. Language plays essential role in myth.  Pictures and written documents become helper of myth to give detail and confirmed information. But it does not indicate that we should indulgence mythical dialogue similar to language. In fact, myth belongs to the territory of universal science, with same range of limits with linguistics which resembles the study of sign. Myth cannot be seen without semiotics.  Myth works on structure and forms both which cannot be separated. Semiology (the study of signs and symbols of all kinds what they mean, how they relate to the things or ideas they refer to) is a kind of science – a science of form which deals with values and life. It can be said that Mythology is a component of both semiology and formal science and mythology is of an ideology and works as historical science.  Idea – in –form can be seen in it.  It is believed that semiology works with two terms – a signifier and a signified that symbolizes equivalence.  But semiology requires third term which is ‘sign’. 

Signifier (things that offer meaning)

Sign                =  (anything that communicate meaning) 

Signified (what is bring to mind- a mental concept)

Saussure worked on methologically ideal classification – a language and discussed that a signified is the perception and signifier is the aural image (related to mental imagination) and sign is the result of relation between image and perception. Investigative approach works in each term of Mythical organization.  Signifier looked in Myth from two different point of view as the concluding period of the linguistic system, or as the initial term of the mythological structure. 

Sign

Observation   principle

Notion                    Object

Familiarity

             Met-a-language (a language or system of symbols used to describe or analyze another language or system of symbols) is the breed of Myth.  It gives a turning point to language to define about itself.  In fact Met-a- language compose a category of   protection of myth. Men do not have any relationship with myth which is based on truth – they make something un political according to their needs.  Myths are generally established (received) from one to another but not read carefully. A message that is acknowledged but not read does not call for understanding through a cryptogram. They required only definite cultural knowledge to proceed. The quality of myth is to renovate significance into structure. It can be said that myth is always a burglar of language. Myth robbed most of the uttered (expressed) language but having little confrontation. This confrontation resulted in the perspicuity of language.  Languages in myths sometimes want to say something different from the meaning but signified is there to interpret what exactly the message is? Language is the only thing which let somebody borrow itself to myth in different various ways.  For example – if someone says that “the drop in value has started.” Then what is the drop? And to whom it is related?  The drop may be because of season that arises fall or because of administration. Here the signification becomes a freeloader of the commentary despite of concluding being specific. 

“Semiology has taught us that myth has the task of giving an historical intention a natural justification and making contingency appear eternal.”20

Barthes semiotics theory discusses on signs and Photographs and how they correspond to diverse culture and ideologies in different manner.    

1 Denotation- the accurate significance of the sign and 

2 Connotation- the suggested implication of the sign; the cultural conventions related with the sign. 

Readers of myth may be in dilemma sometime when they are dealing with myth, legend and folklore. They consider that all three are one and myth only. But every saying and every description through language is not Myth.  Here we would try seeing the difference among all these three terms.

Myth can be seen or judged or decided on the basis of Belief (it is based on fact) Time (based on inaccessible history) Place (Different world: other or earlier) attitude (holy) and Non human can be the chief characters. 

Legends can be seen or judged or decided on the basis of Belief (it is based on fact) Time (based on recent past) Place (Today’s’ world) attitude (holy and worldly) and human can be the chief characters. 

Folktale can be seen or judged or decided on the basis of Belief (it is based on fiction) Time (anytime) Place (any place of world) attitude (secular) and human and non human can be the chief characters. But folktales are entirely inventive. 

In Indian society myth works as a text- sequence of events and these myths are considered honest that might happened in the past. Myth are accepted as fact and comes to us as it is believable and often used as the rights to give answers of question (which may not be scientifically or logically analyzed), perform as an answer of uncertainties or mistrust.  Myths are linked with theology and ideology. Myth can serve as an immense assist in prolonging and progressing life when they are utilized prudently. Myth teaches us that what should be acceptable or what should be avoidable. Society plays major role in myth which can nurture universal appeal if used with caring think. Careless use of myth and mythologies can demolish the developing social sculpture and divide into varied sections. Myth works as blood in the vein of society that gives life to it. Even in the future science world myth will be there in the face of society, people and universal truth. Myth will be in co- ordination with science and modernity with its spiritual, cultural and social world. It can be said that myths are evidence to the saintly ability of human life with scientific approaches. Myth can be considered as nothing but the experience of life. Readings on myths will give experience and will teach the significance of symbols in contemporary modern context. Sometime myth is a kind of ambiguity and then ritual became the part of myth which makes them more complicated to understand. In each and every culture rituals along with myth come with everlasting arguments. 

“Myth helps you to put your mind in touch with this experience of being alive.”21

Myth cannot be judged from the one religion or folktale. Myth has a wide range of explanation, symbols, and messages and will show the combination of facts and findings. Every Culture takes myth seriously and instructs us to let it be the part of your life. 

Dr. Swati Joshi