Considerations on that (and admiration for Odysseus)

I think that Odysseus was an amazing person and I suspect the idea that he is just a myth is wrong. (if anyone thinks that). But the trick of a metaphor is to carry interventions which retrieve experience and associate it. That is, not just 'teach'. Sometimes teaching the conscious mind is a fine goal. Then mythology is fine. I like the FORM of such stories and wrote about the pattern in a chapter of TALES OF ENCHANTMENT (Carol Lankton is the first author). In the chapter about Role Development especially you see that the stories what are like heroic journey (Odyssey, Hercules, even, Siddhartha, etc.) put your current life struggle into a larger perspective. That is not the conscious part of the story but rather the associations of the experiences and therefore likely to be the unconscious gain from the story.

So, to make a long story, no pun, short, the answer is yes these are a good source of inspiration for the conscious mind and a terrific source of patterns wherein the content can be altered and tailored for the listener at the unconscious level, in my opinion.

I try to use real people doing real things in my metaphors and not animals, monsters, or super powers, etc. in any way. I fear it would be taken as demeaning or insulting. I prefer stories where the listener does not know the middle and end and will not feel lectured to.

Replies:

Re:Considerations on that (and admiration for Odysseus), by Daniel J. Gorrell, 06/06/01 Re: Cheshire Cat, by Steve Lankton, 06/09/01

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