Myth and Metaphor
For regular readers of my postings, please forgive the lack of an article yesterday. It is traditional after our International Hypno-Psychotherapy Conference I take a week off to re-charge the batteries and yesterday was a travelling day. For today’s offering I am looking out over Mount Olympus the home of the Greek Gods of antiquity.
This magnificent view reminded me of the importance of metaphor and myth when it comes to therapy. These are the stories which are hardwired into our respective neurology. These are the stories we know and understand best. These are the stories which define us.
The gods had the qualities which everyone of us wishes to have, power, wisdom, strength, mercy. These are the attributes that most people aspire to and sometimes need to project outwards rather than to acknowledge them in ourselves.
As I look at Mount Olympus I wonder what it was like for the ancient Greeks to create these stories and myths and ask myself if those who created them knew that thousands of years later we would still be captivated by these stories. There have been great story tellers in the history of therapy, but I say none hold a candle to the Greeks of old.
