The Mythic Imagination: The Quest for Meaning Through Personal Mythology

Rating:
Summary: Illuminating The Presence of Myth
Review: Stephen Larsen's Mythic Imagination guides the reader in discovering the presence and power of myth in their everyday lives, from the unhealthy stereotypical myths of society to the healthy and empowering myths that brings one's soul closer to the spiritual realm of universal connection. Using dreams, expressive therapy and creative-play techniques, he explains that by embodying mythological and archetypal powers in a serious yet playful 'as-if' attitude, one can increase their level of self-knowledge and further their spiritual journey. Larsen leaves the reader with a collection of exercises that enable one to invite mythic archetypes into a more conscious role in their lives through guided visualizations, journaling, clowning, and mask making.

The most profound realizations came from seeing Larsen's combination of the mythological, psychological, and therapeutic elements at play toward individuation. I have had the notion that when we are in the presence of something transcendent, we feel and experience it on a much deeper level. Larsen connects the role of the "dark prehuman" automatic nervous system to the healing process through images and experiences that resonate with primary meaning. For me, this reinforces the concept of the collective unconscious and of the archetypal energies that inspire the mythic imagination in us all.