What I am saying is this: We write our own
*personal* myths to illustrate in a symbolic way how
things work out ideally (like using numbers to
represent statistical occurrences-- the "numbers" in
this case being the "myth" of the behavior...
representing the ideal nature of the behaviors in
contrast to their actual working out). Fantasy is a
similar process by which the myth of our lives might
be compared to an ideal projection of those lives
into a "perfect" (hypothetical) future.
Thus we have a mythologized life, an actual life,
and a fantasized life (a past, present, and future).
The actual life can either be remembered or
compared to the myth ("dreamed"). It can be
projected into the future or compared to the fantasy
("prophesied"). The myth can, similarly, be
compared to the fantasy to create a "hypothetical"
present which can be compared it it's "symbolic"
perfection to the present situation in order that
the present might be modified to become more in line
with the ideal ("revelation"). As such, "myth" and
"fantasy are
NECESSARY components for intelligent behavior.
Myth (being the present projected into the past...
and being thus resolved "perfectly" in the present
with complete certainty-- *circularly*) must involve
the splitting of a presently "omniscient" god-form
into the protagonistic and antagonistic version
which had not-- at the remembered, or mythologized,
time-- YET resolved to that perfect state... so myth
is *by necessity* a polytheistic, or dual state of
good and evil/ right and wrong. As such, myth is
not religion (but forms society-- or more properly,
*government*-- as a splitting of self into a
bureaucracy, or system of self and "other").
"Fantasy" on the other hand, BY NECESSITY, must
resolve the personal myth into a singularity (as the
present omniscient god-form of self is a singularity
in comparison to the mythologized self/ other
dichotomy-- so to must the future "self" also be a
singular resolution of this conceptualization... but
in this case an IDEAL resolution of the myth which
is similar to the existential self but which does
not ALWAYS include this self*). Thus, the self
transcends
the moment through the past and with regards to a
symbolic future-- in which the self is a logical
god-form which must exist in order that the non-
self
might overcome the "error" of the moment (like the
projection of statistics "overcomes" the error of
behavior which doesn't conform to the "myth", or
formulary construction, of the mathematical
equation... and this is "magic").
Religion is thus the ability to propose "theory"
("symbolic" projection) using "reason" (the
"conceptualized" past as positive and negative); and
is a form of "logic" (or "faith") which finds just
"cause" ("myth") and reasoned "effect" ("fantasy")
about which "rationality" is formed (personal
"meaning" in the present) and by which a
"technology" is proposed ("god" as an ideal
formulation of "self" validity, or "scientific"
verification).
*to the extent that the self in the present is in
error as determined by the government or religion
(by myth and fantasy)-- or as determined by the
present, through rationality or self- revelation--
the future projection might not include the present
self. While a projected future which does not
include the self (who is thus not "immortal", being
"sinful"-- or which is discontinuous, being in
error)... to the extent that one might negate
oneself in the present for the sake of rationality,
reasonableness, or the continuance of logic; to THIS
extent, the ability to be self-aware in the present
(to be "conscious" OF) might require self-negation.
Self-negation is shamanism (or objectification),
rather than government or religion, and might thus
require entrancement or mystification (loss of
consciousness with regards to reality-- that is
"depersonalization") rather than logic (mysticism
rather than magic).
B. Lane Robertson
Indiana, USA
http://www.window.to/mindrec
Bio: http://members.theglobe.com/bretthay
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