Myths or models

A Releasing Your Unlimited Creativity discussion topic

Copyright 2008 by K. Ferlic,   All Rights Reserved

Throughout human history, people have tired to understand Creation and the various processes in Creation and/or explain the experiences of Creation. The two methods which have been used are myths or stories and models with theories.

Myths and stories

Stories are a narrative or recital of an event or series of events, whether real or fictitious. If the narrative is real the story is an account or allegation of facts or a report of facts. In this case the story can be a description of history. As a work of fiction the story is to entertain or it can be a lie intended to deceive. As a work of fiction it is intended to relay teaching and/or historical events the story is more of a legend or a historical novel and can be quite powerful in relaying the intended message.

A myth is a traditional fictional story which is often focused on the deeds of gods or heroes. They are often provided and relayed as an explanation of some natural phenomenon as the origin of the sun, Creation and the like. Myths tend to purport to be historical. But, rather than the historical value the myth provides useful information to historians and others for what the myths reveals of the culture of the peoples who hold that myth. Myths decoupled from a pedagogical function of a particular society are used to express what are significant truths about human life or human nature and the myths often survive time.

Some myth are based on false premises or the product of fallacious reasoning. But many myths are not so much based on false premises or fallacious reasoning as much as they are the best that can be understood at a given particular period of time. The question is whether or not more accurate descriptions for understanding becomes available to replace the myth.

Often myths function as allegory or parable and are used to explain or illustrate philosophical concepts and/or provide a presentation of a subject in the telling of a story in figurative language. As such the many myths are symbolic devices such as metaphor, personification, and the like where the narrative reveal a moral or some form of abstract teaching. Mythologists and myths have known for centuries about a variety of phenomena, states of being, ways of being or even places for which there we no better ways to explain, relay and/or preserve the information. As such many spend a great deal of time reading myths to see what truths can be gleaned from them and trying to understand the metaphor of the myth as to what truths it is revealing..

One of the major problems with myths and story is they are created for a time and place within a particular society and culture. As that culture changes or passes from existence the real meaning of the myth or story can be lost especially if the symbolism that is used changes meaning over time. Often we think we understand what is being communicated in a myth but we put our own interpretation on the myth which is not always accurate. Interpretations of old myths and stories often are reinterpreted when new information about the society which created it comes to light often with surprising understanding.

Models and theories

The term model when used to understanding Creation or the processes in Creation is really encompasses two concepts. One is the concept of a model and the other is the concept of a theory.

A model is a representation of something. As an object it is a miniature and often built according to scale, that represents something to be made or something already existing. However it can also be a pattern, example or standard that is or may be used for imitation or comparison. Relative to understanding Creation or one of the processes in Creation, a model represent the way Creation or process is seen to work.

A theory is a plan or scheme existing in the mind and if often only a speculative or conjectural view of something. A theory tend to be abstract knowledge as oppose being practical. Relative to the concept of a theory used to understand Creation or one of the processes in Creation, the theory becomes something a little different. It is more akin to the way the concept of theory is used in science. Here the theory is an integrated group of the fundamental principles underlying Creation or a process of creation. It tends to be a closely reasoned set of propositions derived from and supported by established evidence or observation and intended to serve as an explanation for a group of phenomenon. More importantly, the theory is expected to be tested and allow effectiveness to be the measure of its truth. That is, the theory should have predictive capabilities. Knowing the integrated group of fundamental principles and how it explains observed phenomenon one can use that understanding to predict the outcome of a give situation. Nevertheless, the theory and all the principles it contains is in many ways is more metaphoric than literal. Whatever principle we create to explain what we observe, we are still in the realm of metaphor for the principle is an idea in our mind and not necessarily reflective of creation.

In the creativity perspective a model of Creation or one of the process in Creation is an representation of Creation or its process which contains a theory about how Creation or the process works. One can then use that model and the embedded theory to predict the outcome of a given set of conditions.

The difference between myths and models

In many ways a model and the theory contained in the model is only a story we tell about how we are interpreting the facts that we experience or the observation we make. The story we tell in, or through, our model and its theory may, or may not, be ultimately correct. At this level there is really no difference between myths and models and one is no better than another.

The issue with myths and models is that a myth does not necessarily allow or have predictive powers. A model with its theory in many ways is only a myth that has predictive powers. The difference between a model and a myth is in the predictive quality of the model and theory. The model and the associated theory should be able to predict the outcome of situations. All science models are really myths but people believe they are something more than that because of what they can predict and allow us to seemingly control a situation if not nature.

.When we look at the predictive powers of a model or theory, there is a different as compared to a story. For example, there is the Creation story where God creates the world in seven days found in the Bible. At the end of seven days, God said creation is good and He rested. The Creator then stands apart from His Creation. This story has no predictive value in this story. All it does is say how Creation came into existence and Creator of Creation stands apart from its Creator.

In the Creation Story for the Creativity Perspective, it is said the consciousness within, or behind, Creation was lonely. In its desire to share, it created an illusion such that it seemingly shattered itself into an infinity number of aspects each aspect seemingly independent and unique. Within this story, each aspect can awaken to the to whole. The predictive power in this story is that each aspect has the whole of creation within itself to which it can awaken. In this story the Creator becomes the Creation and all of Creation is accessed through anyone aspect of Creation. One simply needs to go within and awaken to that fact. Here there is a predictive quality to the story and the story is a model with a theory about Creation in which one can do their own experiments to see if in fact there is a oneness to Creation and/or explore within to see if they can find the total of Creation. .

Myth or model for Creation?

When it comes to Creation, do you like the myth or the model? Do you like myths and stories about Creation or models as to how it may work, realizing, of course, the model could be wrong. There is the many Creation stories. They all will give some description of how Creation got started. The question is, "Which story do you believe and why do you believe it?" But, more importantly, does the Creation Story we believe allow us to access the depth and breadth of inherent creativity.

Myths tend to place the creative power/Creative Power of Creation in a realm that is not readily accessible to humanity. Models, on the other hand, look to make as much of the creative power/Creation Power of creation directly accessible to the control of humanity. Depending on what we desire to create, each can be seen as equally powerful. However, they do serve different purposes. The question is, "What are our creative needs - what do we desire to create and are our desires better served by one of the many Creation Story or one of the models used to explain Creation?"

Although all generalities tend to be false, I has been observed that those who seek to understand with a desire to control or influence the world they experience seek models and their associated theories. Those who tend to seek some type and kind of reassurance seek myths. However, neither of these views are good or bad. Nor is one view better than the other. The only question from a creativity perspective is, "Does what we believe allow us to hold our creativity sacred and allow us to access our unlimited creativity or do we rob ourselves of our creative ability and creative power in some way as a result of what we believe?"

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