Personal Mythology: Using Ritual, Dreams, and Imagination to Discover Your Inner Story

This is a friendly, encouraging, empowering guide to beginning to look at your life (and really take the reins of your life and empower yourself to live intentionally) vis-a-vis its core patterns, which one could see as "myths". A more "scientific" but less engaging term might be "psychologically constructed realities" (pg 267), and Feinstein and Krippner state that they use "personal mythology" instead mainly because they find it to be the best, user-friendly term. PErsonal mythology thus becomes the process by which we interpret and make meaning of everything that happens to us, by which our behavior is directed, and it often operates "outside conscious awareness." To use "personal mythology" in this practical, utilitarian fashion does make its metaphors accessible for those they seek to help, something that their many exercises do so well (and they give many poignant real-life examples from clients of theirs), and it does I think accurately represent the meaning of "mythology." Yet I feel a longing, when I read the book, to have something deeper and more mysterious than science be recognized as the source of our individual processes of mythmaking, and relations to symbols and archetypes.Feinstein and Krippner highlight a modern dilemma that too few people have fully grappled with: we live at a time of numerous competing mythologies, or psychologically constructed realities, and we are each charged with the awesome responsibility of becoming aware of and/or creating our own "personal mythology." They also point out that the continuing existence of our planet may depend upon our ability to rise to this task. They use creative exercises and methods of writing down what you perceive as the guiding myths of your parents and grandparents, journeying with guided visualization, work with our "Inner Shaman", rituals, storytelling/writing, dreamwork, creation of a "Personal Shield" of symbols, finding and locating a "Power Object" to help people begin what is truly a journey of the Soul.This is a good book for the beginner on this path of discovering what his/her unconscious mythology is, and then beginning to intentionally pursue a CONSCIOUS and chosen mythology instead. HOwever the more experienced journeyer along the path of personal mythology will find this book too elementary, and would probably do better to explore more deeply within Jungian-archetypal psychology, and within the realm of his/her preferred archetypes, symbols, art, music, myth, fairy tale, mystical, Pagan, esoteric mystery tradition, or directly from the divine or the earth herself. ON the other hand, if the experienced journeyer, or any practicing psychotherapist wants a model of a "study plan" to help guide others toward uncovering their own preferred personal mythology, this book could be a good text for that.

I found this book to be both fascinating and frustrating. The information in each chapter on the concept of personal mythology is thought provoking. However, the way in which the authors implemented the information in the subsequent meditations or journeys was flawed by the extreme wordiness of the guided reveries and even more so by their limited assumption that all issues in one's current life are a result of childhood wounding. If it were not a required text for a class, I would have returned the book. Since I had to work with the material, I found it necessary to rewrite every exercise to a simpler format; the detailed proscriptive language of the book's guided reveries seemed to be reflective of the authors' personal story instead of guiding the reader through their own inner mythology. Once I found a way around these limitations, the results of following the personal mythology journey were quite profound.From what I can discern, the book evolved from workshops, where the guided reveries were probably quite effective, and in fact, there are companion CD's available for that purpose. However, working strictly from the book, I found the long wordy guided journeys distracting rather than helpful, and it took some careful analysis on my part to discover the essential elements of each one and create a simpler form that allowed me to move forward. Are you prepared to go to this length to use this book effectively? There is certainly gold to be mined from this book, but it requires an additional investment of time or money.

Worked through the text as part of a Master's level course at Atlantic University. (Online classes with Professor and student interaction) Lots of practical information, exercises and reveries and meditations to help discover the myths and symbols you live by, how they impact your life and what you can do to transform or replace them if you are unhappy with the affect they are having in your life. This book is truly a workbook, set up for 12 weeks, and not something you just read through. It's all about practical application. If I had just bought it to read on my own, I doubt I would have gotten through it in 12 weeks or even 24. The exercises take time and serious attention but area also playful and enlightening if you apply yourself to the tasks.

I really enjoyed the inquisitive nature of how myths and rituals can help you discover your inner core! Very well thought out premise along with some excellent applications. For example, the case of the Vietnam veteran,Steve, who returns home to help others as a medical doctor only to find out he still suffers PTSD, like his clients. Very articulate in the manner the authors show how one can discover onself. In this case, Steve tried to disown part of his military past only to find,as Carl Jung states," one does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious. Well done! Highly Recommend.

I like the concept of this more than the implementation/ I am still slowly working through it 6 months on. I pick it up occasionally but progress is slow because it doesn't really grab me after the first few chapters. Maybe it's my myth that needs changing...

This book will open you up to the myths that you unconsciously live by on a daily bases. It is a guide to your own true self. Beautifully written and hidden with many wise tales and concepts. Must read!

I recommend