Heroes and Heroines - Contemplating Conscious Evolution

The myths of man have been with us throughout time. Since the earliest of cave drawings to modern books and film, the myths of man have been the creators of man, providing both meaning and symbolism to his / her life.

Myths have guided man throughout the centuries and are to be found in every culture. They inspire; they guide; they teach. They provide sustenance to us humans as we travel this Earthly plane.

Yes, this Earthly plane! Such a radical statement when you think about it. Since the dawn of time, man has been guided by mythology, and yet, he/she inspired its very nature and course of action. Myths exist for man, while man creates the myths he/she lives by. Such an interesting cycle don't you think? One feeding the other as it were.

We don't often think of mythology in the modern age, only as a curiosity perhaps, but never as a true guide for our journey across this plane. No, we refer to other measures in this so called advanced age of ours.

Yet we are no different than any other age really, borrowing as it were our most cherished guideposts from the culture of the time. Whatever technology has to offer becomes the model for our functioning, and also the functioning of the Universe. Today it is the computer and its associated language. Not so long ago it was the Clock and the simple mathematical formulas that allowed us to split and measure time.

Now we refer to "cyber space" and "virtual reality" as if these define the ultimate in all possible achievement. Not so long from now, a mere 20 years perhaps, we will be looked upon as primitive, just like the people who grew up with old black and white television sets with all their hand controls and bulbous appearance. Yet this technology was the epitome of its time back in the 1950s just like the computer is today. Just like the black and white TV period then, our age today will be eclipsed in no time by a new generation of cyber space technologies and their spokesmen who will speak a language that few of us will understand, but we will all be amazed nonetheless.

This is how it goes, what we've come to call "progress." One event or discovery supercedes the last one and so on. Yet no technology ever, and I do mean ever, has solved the problems of the Spirit. No advance, no discovery, no matter how far reaching, has ever made man happier. Because happiness is not a function of technological advances; it is a function of the heart. Always has been, always will be! And no technology can supercede that.

So where does that leave us? Should we abandon our seeking of technological advances? Shall we give up on improving the epitome of the computer chip, or whatever successor to that throne now exists? No, of course not! But let's be real, as some like to say. Let's get down to brass tax. If technology is not the answer, then what? Where to we turn for Spiritual sustenance?

Do we go back to the dark ages where Voodoo and other mysteries were being practiced? Do we dust off the Bible once again and have another go at a proper interpretation? Do we look to the skies for the advancing alien cultures that so many predict are on their way? Or, do we look elsewhere, in a totally different direction perhaps, one that the so-called New Age movement has been alluding to? Where do we look for answers?

Our systems of government, as good as they are, aren't working perfectly by any means. Our religious institutions aren't functioning any better, perhaps even worse. Our civic governments are up in arms over one issue or another. Our private industries are in a constant state of flux trying to find the next best solution in order to make more money. We've even seen a lot of illegal activity brought to light here, all for the simple aim of making more profit.

Upsizing, downsizing, restructuring, all buzzwords describing the last couple of decades. Where are they taking us? Nowhere likely! At least no further than we were when that cycle started. When there's no guiding Spirit to call upon, to trust, to guide you forward, where do you turn?

Everyone's scared right now, isn't that true? We've had the unthinkable - 9/11/2001. Everyone's wondering what's going to happen next. No one can count on their job. There's a war on somewhere in the world. Families disintegrate. Mad men still rule some countries. And so-called sane societies are still arming themselves like there may be no tomorrow.

For what purpose? For what point? So we can prove once again that "might makes right.?" No, that's not going to work, because globalization also means that we reap what we sow, and if we sow destruction, then we shall have it in turn. The chemical and radiological mistakes of the past are already oozing out of the Earth, polluting the water and atmosphere, threatening the delicate balance of Life.

Yes, we have plenty to be scared of, because what we have to fear is ourselves and our propensity to destroy that which sustains Life. At what point does profit stop trumping sanity? This is what happens when a culture is no longer governed by its myths, when it relies solely upon the power of greed and conquest with no accounting for the consequences. When we lie to each other about the hazards we are burying, we are lying to ourselves. And when we lie to ourselves, we are on a path of self-destruction.

No self-respecting myth would ever allow this. A myth is a living, breathing entity that commands respect by its simple adherence to a truth. A truth such as "all life forms exist in relation to each other." A truth that "a lie is a lie no matter how sophisticated, or for who's good it is."

No, we don't need any more false promises, no more than we need another breadbox. But we do need the truth, and that my friends, is the rub! For if we are to seek the truth then we are in for a big shakeup, a meltdown of thoughts and ideas beyond proportions we would be prepared to recognize. Such is the power of truth and the failing of lies. Just ask any addict who's made it to Alcoholics Anonymous. Lies are indestructible only in a world of fantasy. But truth is eternally undeniable. A myth based on truth is always available if we reach for it; and only this truth is capable of leading us out of our labyrinth of lies.

"So what," you might say? Who needs such a hard nosed truth? "I have my car, CDs and computer; I have a wife, children and 2.2 pets. What do I need mythology for?" Well, for one reason perhaps and that is "you're going to die someday so how will you explain yourself then?" Oh there are other reasons of course; but that one usually brings the point home.

We call this book mythical for one reason, because it reaches into the essence of every story ever told and brings out its truth, that tiny essence that repeats itself over and over again in the lives of millions of people across many Nations and over all our centuries. You can couch your myths in many forms but you cannot escape their inherent sincerity and their ability to stimulate and to move you.

Myths exist because people create them; and people create them because they live their themes. They are also Divinely inspired, imbued with a Heavenly Spirit that transcends culture and time barriers.

Today's myths, if we can unearth them, carry the same themes as those of centuries ago when we didn't have so much media spam to distract us. But today's myths are harder to find. We tend not to think that way anymore. They still exist however, as they fill the airwaves of our modern culture and spread their message in every communications medium we have today.

Myths still come via today's storytellers, but they are couched behind our love of reason and intellect and are not so close to the heart as they once were. But they are there nevertheless. We still live them and imbue our succeeding generations with what we think they mean. We've just lost the ability to communicate them as effectively as we once did. And we're missing so many of their vital components, like their ability to actually touch the Heart and the Spirit which resides there.

We are about to discover our own holy purpose on this plane and, without our myths to guide us, we are in for a very rude awakening. One we remain unprepared for because of the distance we've traveled away from our center of feeling activity. Now, as the Spirit of All Time calls us back, we are about to be surprised. How will we handle this? What will we say? He will want answers you see. We've trekked far and wide on this adventure. He'll be expecting a report. If we don't expect to see Him, what awaits us then?

What will we do when He shows up at the door, after our knocking but not expecting to be invited in? Quite a dilemma don't you think? "Well not for the agnostics," you might say. But how will they explain this to themselves, confronted as we will all be, by the One who sent us out. Better dust off those old myths then and see what they mean. Better get back to the root of it all before everything became so convoluted, before we became enraptured by our own personality myths whose basis we placed in culture and not in Spirit. Spirit is in indomitable. Culture disappears in a second!

"So where are we going with this," you might ask? And we will reply: "right into the heart of the matter - right to that place where culture began and myth fell by the wayside - right to that place where we all took a wrong turn and followed the wrong God, the God of greed and material destiny, rather than the God of Spirit. Because this is where we have to return. Not outside of ourselves as we've come to believe, but inside ourselves where He and We exist together as the unity we are and were always meant to be.

We return now to where that Voice pulses within and gives each of us our own unique direction. Think of it, six billion Souls whose hearts are beating together, for one simple purpose, to honor the One who sent us. That is the heart of myth and purpose, the guiding light, the One True Beacon that animates all Life. How can you go wrong when you have that Light throbbing within and you're feeling it?

It is an emotional time, where the heartbeat of Mythology picks up a bold refrain and leads us onward to our respective destinies, that which were charted by He. Let's look into that world now, shall we, and see where this bit of mythmaking leads us.

Maurice Turmel holds a PHD in Counseling Psychology and was a practicing therapist for nearly 25 years. Spirituality, Inspiration, Motivation and Creativity are offered up regularly in his monthly Ezine The Hungry Times Journal - "Honoring the Eternal in Us All." Dr. Turmel likes to use Parable Stories, Poetry and Songwriting to illustrate important points regarding Personal and Spiritual Growth. He has authored The Parables series of books and a Spiritual Sci-Fi novel "The Voice." He is also a performing songwriter with 4 CD compilations of Rockin Blues Inspirational music to his credit. He can be reached through his Website at: http://www.mauriceturmel.com