I have found both syncretism + paracosm in recent explorations and wish to get your feedback on if / how these processes can help build new myths.
A paracosm is a detailed imaginary world, or fantasy world, involving humans and/or animals, or perhaps even fantasy or alien creations. Often having its own geography, history, and language, it is an experience that is developed during childhood and continues over a long period of time: months or even years.
Syncretism is the combining of different (often contradictory) beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. Syncretism may involve the merger and analogising of several originally discrete traditions, especially in the theology and mythology of religion, thus asserting an underlying unity and allowing for an inclusive approach to other faiths.
Replies
Scott! Thanks for your insights / questions. First, my work is grounded in post-1960 energy and events. I know that you folks have heard this before but I do not give much (if any) power to biblical or classical myths. Spell 108 is just not in my experience, headlights or evolving vision. Perhaps it should be?
The primary thrust underpinning my new myths is that post-apocalyptic survival awaits us and we best be prepared. So it is with irony that I say to you that this apocalypse is both inevitable and remedied in part with with new myths. We now need new heroes to undertake community initiations and journies as we hit the GLOBAL wall and then start a new chapter of eco-human!
The global ecological disaster that you wish avoid is occurring now, Scott.
Hi Willi, I think syncretism (nice word by the way) plays a big part, but I'm not sure about paracosm. The Old Testament has several passages that were taken directly from the Egyptian Book of the Dead (EBD), and the Noah flood myth, was taken from the Epic of Gilgamesh, changed around a bit, and given a Jewish spin, for the creation of a new myth for his people.
Moses' reworking of spell 108 from the EBD, is a really good example of this. Spell 108 is the prototype for Moses' burning bush passage. But instead of a burning bush, on the mountain, in spell 108, there's a great snake up on the mountain, named "He Who is in His Burning."
Both examples are figurative references, meant to denoting a major vision, ego death and spiritual rebirth (PMR).
I read some of your new myths. Interesting, a few of them remind me of the 'green' communities found in post-apocalyptic Japanese anime films, and some of them sound like new rituals, or religious cult practices. It sounds a bit like you're expecting an apocalyptic disaster to destroy the modern world?
Do your new myths and images; represent what you think the world will be like in the future, no matter what we do? I mean, do you think it's too late? Or can we work together to change our M.O, in time to avert an eco-disaster?