Dr. GURU speaks,
We separate ourselves from the animals most distinctly by our need to find and create meaning, myth and morality for the phenomena around us and our own situations.
We, as an evolving intelligent species, need to find ‘meaning’ and reason in all things, in all parts of life, and in death. From this need to explain all that we see, feel, and experience, we found science, mathematics, philosophy, religion, and mythology. The meanings which come to us lie between truth and myth. Our deep study of the physical and metaphysical is unique in the history of our planet.
A ‘myth’ can be defined as a false idea sincerely and widely held in a given culture but denounced, replaced by an alternative idea which is held to be true, but usually insincerely or superficially. The word “Myth” originated around 400AD, with the rise of Christianity and the concomitant decline of the religion of the time...Mithraism (MYTHraism), symbolised by the bull; from which the term bull (-shit) arises. Prior to this it is doubtful that there was even a word for the existence of an idea which is held to be true but is false. This seems to suggest that there was once a time when there was a greater respect for differing ideas, differing cultural beliefs. I very much doubt this though. Many non-violent individuals were executed for their beliefs before this time. Socrates was sentenced to death by poisoning (Hemlock) in 399BCE for ‘corrupting the youth and interfering with the religion of the city’. Jesus was crucified for claiming to be the son of God (or for polygamy, as the Mormons believe).
Mithraism originated in Persia. It derived from Zoroastrianism (1300BC-651AD), the largest world religion during the Persian empires. In 60BC Roman soldiers returning from Persia and influenced by the teachings of Mithraism brought it to the Roman masses, where it rapidly spread throughout the Empire, except Greece, Africa or Spain. Initially it was the religion of the lower classes, but in the second century AD it became the official favoured religion of Rome, through to 304AD where the Persian God Mithra became the protector of Rome.
Mithraism believed in Baptism, Confirmation and the resurrection of the dead. It celebrated the Eucharist of bread and wine in commemoration of their Mediator’s last meal. It believed in Heaven, Hell, the immortality of the Soul (only attained through asceticism and self-control) and the Last Judgement. Unlike most religions of the time, the central figure was a God, not a Goddess, and its hierophants were priests, not priestesses, and the head priest acted as a mediator between Man and God – a new notion (except for perhaps the Egyptians).
Mithraism was very similar to Christianity in many respects, but where Christianity is a religion of submission and aggression is turned inwards (masochism), Mithraism was a religion of conquest and aggression is turned outwards (sadism). Mithraism was therefore popular with soldiers, administrators and extraverts, but had no place for women.
I believe that myths are necessary in any ‘intelligent’ society. Perhaps all myth is a psychological crutch of one sort or another, regardless of its veracity. Nonetheless, we feel the need to try and understand things which we cannot (? yet) know. Myth provides us with the dialectic principle against which newly created theories of the existential are tested and evaluated. Sufficient knowledge about how the physical world operates has been accumulated that might permit the eradication of myth. However, one could only operate in this hypothetical world as hermitages - tiny nuclear collectives. A large society would not be able to operate coherently, and myths would arise as a natural consequence of individuality and rebellion. This is not to say that all individuals need mythology. Moreover, a society does not need all of its individuals. The needs of the society do not necessarily reflect the needs of the individual. Man (-kind) cannot live on truth alone; our hearts yearn for the unknown. Why is this so? Joseph Campbell [1904-1987], an American writer on mythology and comparative religion, peered deeper than most into this truth when he said:
“Myth is the secret opening through which the inexhaustible energies of the cosmos pour into human manifestation”.
Our awareness of our own mortality is the greatest myth creator of all. From grand cultural myths to individualized personal myths – “reasons for living” – it drives the need to create, maintain, and alter myths lest we go insane with the thought that our lives are utterly meaningless and that we are nothing more than DNA delivery systems and an abundant source of fertilizer. This is what Carl Jung [1875-1961] might describe as an ‘archetype’ of our ‘collective unconscious’; a manifestation of man-kind’s innate fears, reactions, behaviours and perceptions. Myths will always play an essential role in our cultural development. They set norms, create expectations and establish community. The history of the human race is largely reflected in its mythologies; understand our mythologies and you understand us.
The GURU must now sleep.