Crafting the Mythos-Sphere| Toward the Practical Integration of Intuition and Intellect

• Main Author: Lounsbury, Mary Laird
• Language: EN
• Published: Pacifica Graduate Institute 2018
• Subjects: Folklore|Philosophy|Psychology
• Online Access: http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10812368

<p> This production dissertation examines the role of the creative process in balancing intellect and intuition in the individual; and the potential of collaborative creativity to support the integration of intuition and intellect on a social level. The <i>mythos-sphere</i> is given as a metaphor to conceptualize the human experience, which extends from the physical, but always includes much more than one knows: inner and outer, conscious and unconscious, physical and imaginal altogether comprise this sphere of influence. </p><p> The mythic imagination aids social cohesion when there is sufficient shared experience. This research addresses a disconnect between inner experience and collective experience. This gap might be bridged by a social context that encourages awareness of our immersion in a mythic environment, built upon common ground. </p><p> The third is considered as the space between inner-outer and self-other, that allows negotiation without loss of self, and from which creative solutions emerge. A discussion of the third examines Winnicott&rsquo;s transitional space and Jung&rsquo;s archetypal theory. The space of the third is &ldquo;expanded&rdquo; by admitting the unknown and the ambiguous as real and meaningful, but &ldquo;collapsed&rdquo; by reductionist thinking. Participation, or being present and phenomenologically engaged, relaxes the tension wrought by protracted rational focus. Metaphor is proposed as the essential bridge that mediates the &ldquo;in-between&rdquo; area of the third. </p><p> Giving physical form to images emerging from the unconscious is considered as &ldquo;applied metaphor.&rdquo; Connecting inner with outer, known with unknown, and rational with non-rational, the creative process generates meaning for the individual. A collaborative creative process is therefore suggested as a way to develop shared meaning. </p><p> Concluding that creative collaboration encourages communication and group cohesion, a method is proposed. The production presents the application of this method via a three-day collaborative art-and-story making event, documented as an interactive digital magazine. </p><p> Keywords: expressive arts, collaboration, creativity, metaphor, participation, narrative, myth, imaginal, archetypal.</p><p>