Examples of Personal Myths

Psychological Perspectives

The past couple of articles introduced collective and personal myths and the importance of uncovering the meanings of these myths. In this article, two examples of personal myths are provided. The examples present two individuals who discovered, or were living, their myths at an early age, which is unusual. People typically discover their personal myths at middle age, if at all.

Gioachino Rossini, born in 1792, was an Italian composer who wrote operas and other forms of music. At the age of 12, Rossini wrote his first sonatas for stringed instruments. Although he came from a musical family and was introduced to music at a very early age, his accomplishment at the age of 12 is extraordinary. We often refer to such an accomplishment as genius. His genius and musical compositions are a result of his personal myth.

Previous articles described personal myth as an expression of the unconscious (hidden) psychology, as an expression of the Self, which is related to the meaning and direction of one's life. We could say Rossini was born to write music, which wouldn't be an exaggeration. By the way, his early sonatas for stringed instruments are performed to this day.

The second example is someone who is not as familiar as Rossini. His name is Chogyam Trungpa. He was a Tibetan Buddhist. When the tenth reincarnated Trungpa Tulku, abbot of the Surmang monastery, died his reincarnation was sought in order to fill his vacancy. This is a common practice among Buddhists, which includes the discovery of each reincarnation of the Dali Lama.

The search led to a one year old boy Chogyam Trungpa who was proclaimed the reincarnated Trungpa Tulku, and the next abbot. Until he was five, he was trained and personally groomed while still living with his mother. Thereafter, his training and education continued while he lived among the monks of the monastery without his family.

Leaving his parents and family at an early age, and living among the monks, was the beginning of his personal myth. In his case, a collective myth – selecting the reincarnated abbot – led him to his personal myth and the meaning of his life. When reading about his early life, his decisions that influenced other people's lives and his accomplishments, the words that come to mind are: precocious, wise and mature.

It is important to remember that the above two examples are not typical. Most of us, if we are fortunate, must discover our personal myths by trial and error, frustration and anxiety and experiencing life's joys and difficulties.

 

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