Archetypes In Greek Mythology

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The hero myth is an expression of the sum-total of subjective expectations or needs each individual person possesses about someone saving us. We all want to be saved, hence we enjoy such stories and we are fascinated by characters that express super-natural powers and the ability to protect others. Other interpretation of such myth could be that we simply want to be such person and it would actually correlate with the individual hero journey each of us goes through on a personal level. The externalized hero myth seems to be our own individual expression. Or perhaps, the “personal” and the “collective” are not as separated as they seem to be. If we assume that the collection of needs, drives, beliefs and expectations summarizes itself and then …show more content…
For example, when we face a crisis or uncertainty and feel like drowning while losing control over our life, it is the hero archetype that comes to our rescue – we become such hero. We fight, plan, gather strength in order to deal with unpleasant circumstances and get our stuff together. Eventually, we repair whatever went wrong with our life. Or, when we feel lost it might be the archetype of a wise man or a wise woman who can guide us into a proper resolution and knowledge. The list goes on. The archetype is simply a pattern of behaviours and occurrences. To demonstrate the example on a more social level, there is an archetype of a trickster who exhibits a pattern of being a wise fool, tricking other people in order to point out their mistakes. When activated on a collective level, the behaviour of a trickster might become normalized and socially accepted – regardless of the consequences such trickery will bring in the long term. Most of us are probably familiar with internet trolling and how normalized such behaviour has become. Regardless, it is beyond the scope of this book to describe all possible archetypes, but what must be remembered is that archetypes can be activated on a personal and on …show more content…
The hedonist archetype exists within the collective unconscious – most, if not all, people knows the symbolism of hedonism and how it is represented. But it is not enough to simply activate such archetype in order for it to have an influence on us – it must be “hooked” into one's personal unconscious. This might occur by, as briefly mentioned, either by having certain deficits in sensual pleasures in the past or present, or simply perceiving the value in sensual pleasures, or because something happened in the past that planted the seed. Regardless, it is the drive, the unmet need, the hunger for a particular thing or experiences. Why? Because such appetite seeks energy. In turn, that energy enables a person to accomplish anything they want. So the order is very simple – first the collective level, the symbol, something we all know and are familiar with, then the personal level, the energy, the complex, the drive, the lack, the need or desire; and then the action of the ego in order to satisfy one's desire. The deeper the drive is
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