Myths have always served to help man understand, or more accurately, come to terms with the world around him. Whether natural disaster, the changing of the seasons, or death, we have always sought answers to life’s mysteries. Today, we look through the lens of science and reason, and dismiss myths as stories, as entertainment, as archaic, and as irrelevant. Myths, though, can be considered as eternal, transcendent truths, and as such, they can be invaluable for those dealing with the mystery of death. Far from being ” irrelevant,” myths may be the most significant tool we have with which to tackle the enigma of death, especially our own.
Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik writes, “Myth is truth that is subjective, intuitive, cultural, and grounded in faith.” What is most important in your life? Love, faith, joy, beauty? All of these are subjective and intuitive as well. We have a difficult time letting ourselves create or accept myths because we are overly concerned with facts. Our myths won’t be “true,” they won’t be “right,” and so, we think, they will have no value. But as 13th century mystic, philosopher, and theologian, Rumi, writes, “Do not be satisfied with the stories that come before you. Unfold your own myth.” It requires that we let go of fact and start to embrace truth.
Myths make sense of that which may appear inexplicable. When you create your own to deal with the complexities and mysteries of death, you can better accept that death is inevitable. Many people borrow and adapt existing myths to explain death. Heaven, for instance, is a concept that is believed in by billions of people. By “myth,” we are not implying that heaven doesn’t exist, or that it does. We are simply saying that it is an explanation for the inexplicable. Heaven is, to borrow from Dr. Pattanaik, “subjective, intuitive, cultural, and grounded in faith.”
It is not the only myth, or explanation, that helps people deal with the mystery of death. Many cultures believe that the soul is reincarnated. Buddhists believe that our souls pass unchanged into another form, based on their karma. Hindus believe that we change bodies just as we change clothes – without changing our fundamental selves. Mormons believe that we are spirits who are joined with a body upon birth and separated from it briefly at death, only to be rejoined again after the coming of the Christ. Some people believe physical death is also the death of our essence, while others believe in an eternal soul.
But what do you believe? These myths, or explanations, may not be sufficient for you. They may not reflect what you feel is the truth. They may not be what you want to teach your children about death. Therefore, being able to unfold our own myths gives us the freedom to explore what we believe and fashion it into a scenario to which we can subscribe.
But it won’t be right! This is what our logical minds are thinking. In the 1994 movie, Corrina, Corrina, a little girl has just lost her mother. She is talking about how her mother is in heaven now, looking down at them. Her father replies, “Listen to me, okay? The heaven, the angels, and all that, it’s just something that people make up so they won’t feel sad anymore.” Undaunted, the little girl replies, “Well, what’s wrong with that?”
Absolutely nothing. In fact, when you believe in a death myth, whether heaven, reincarnation, or something entirely different, you do not need to concern yourself with facts. You only need to concern yourself with truth, creating a scenario that explains death for you. Truth is subjective; we do not know what happens after death. But by building a story, we are able to give ourselves peace. Believing is often more essential than knowing, though that is a difficult concept in our fact-driven society.
Is your body going to be reincarnated into that of a person or even an animal? Are you going to heaven to be greeted by God and loved ones who have died before you? Are you going to become part of nature? Are you going to exist on a different plane? What do you believe? We can build our own myth to explain death in a way that is acceptable for us. It is not going to be based on facts, but on your truths and beliefs. You live your own life, and you die your own death. Why not create your own myth?
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