In case you missed the conference, this Handout is an excerpt from my book, "Body, Mind & Psyche" and explains the concept of personal mythologies and the steps to institute change in the myths that one lives by.

1. Handout for “A TRANSPERSONAL FRAMEWORK FOR UNDERSTANDING CODEPENDENCE”
Presentation by Dr. Sharon Joy Ng at the Evolution of Addiction Treatment Conference, Los Angeles, Dec. 8-11, 2011
Transcending One’s Personal Mythology
Excerpted from “Body, Mind & Psyche: Transpersonal Approaches to Self
Growth
By
Dr. Sharon Joy Ng
Identification of Our Prevailing Myth
The myth that currently guides our attitudes and behavior could be called our
prevailing myth. It is the most recent version of the developing myths that emerged from
the integration of our experiences. "Basic postulates in...(one's)...personal theory of
reality are generalizations that were...derived...from emotionally significant experiences"
in childhood and exert a significant influence in the development of later beliefs
(Feinstein, et al, 1988).
Human beings are often resistant to change. Stability and consistency help us to
feel safe and comfortable. The problem resides in the fact that change is inevitable. Life
presents us with challenges, and we must meet those hurdles with the knowledge and
skills necessary for this accomplishment. New information that runs counter to our
current myth is either subject to defense mechanisms or is assimilated or
accommodated into our current schema--our prevailing myth. If we are attempting to
assimilate, we distort events to prevent disturbance to our prevailing mythic structure.
Accommodation requires that we update our previous beliefs in order to adapt more
successfully to the present circumstance. In the process, our old myths are refined or
completely replaced by newly formed ones. This process is similar to Piaget's theory of
schema development (Papalia & Olds, 1988).
The Dialectical Process and the Emergence of a Counter Myth
A dialectic is the practice of "discussion and reasoning by dialogue as a method of
intellectual investigation; the Socratic techniques of exposing false beliefs and eliciting
truth; the Platonic investigation of the eternal ideas" (Webster's, 1973). This process is a
rudimentary element of mythology. Mythical thought flows "from an awareness of
contradictions towards their resolution, attempting to mediate opposites and resolve
them" (Feinstein, et al, 1988).
When our outer experience does not match our inner perception, conflict and its
resulting anxiety ensue. We use defense mechanisms to protect our current operating
myth, but these actions create another potential threat--we repress the emotional energy
created from this battle and it festers within the unconsciousness. The greater our
anxiety, the more rigid our posture becomes so that we can maintain the old ways of
being and believing. We hold onto our old beliefs but desperately need a new answer.
This psychic tension created by the polarization of two extremes and the unequal
distribution of our libido, or psychic energy, towards only one side of the picture creates
the "snap" in our minds. The more highly charged material from the unconscious flows

2. Handout for “A TRANSPERSONAL FRAMEWORK FOR UNDERSTANDING CODEPENDENCE”
Presentation by Dr. Sharon Joy Ng at the Evolution of Addiction Treatment Conference, Los Angeles, Dec. 8-11, 2011
into the conscious mind and attempts to burst through. We may begin to act out more
extreme expressions of the unacknowledged or repressed facets of our personality.
Think of the times when you did not allow yourself to do or think something because to
do so evoked uncomfortable feelings. These emerging thoughts were in opposition to
your current belief system. Eventually, when we cannot stand the psychic pressure
anymore, we burst and an extreme version of your former feelings pops out. This is
similar to what happens when we do not allow ourselves to say “no” to others, although
we really want to. When we tell others “yes” when we mean, “no” the psychic energy
becomes more charged, as described in Jung's principle of entropy. This imbalance
creates a tendency to go to the opposite extreme and when you cannot say yes one
more time, you yell out, “_ell No!!” Does this sound familiar? This emerging material can
be considered the "counter myth" or antithesis to our prevailing myth. Feinstein, et al
(1988) stated that counter myths often arise to support aspects of our personality that
are undeveloped because of our current mythic structure. The counter myth thus pushes
"toward further expression" but will be an extreme form and must undergo the same
scrutiny applied to the prevailing mythos.
Symbolism can become a tool for uncovering the opposing forces we are facing at
this time. Dreams have three characteristic functions: reinforcing of the old myth,
advancing the counter myth, and promoting a synthesis between the two. Dreams can
become an avenue to reconciling the conflict. Through dreamwork we can listen to the
messages emerging from the unconscious. Because of the compensatory nature of
dreams, they will be an opposing theme to that which we are currently living. Through
conscious awareness of the neglected aspects of our lives, we can integrate and
synthesize to create a mythology that is more personal and functional.
Many of the people in our dreams represent other forms of our self. An older male or
female may be the archetypes of the Wise Old Man or Wise Old Woman speaking to us.
These archetypes represent the wiser self that is within all of us. The inner guide leads
us to answers that are healing. By tapping into our own inner wisdom we can become
the mediator between the old and emerging myth. Acknowledging the emerging myth,
we can reevaluate our existing myth and synthesize the two to form a new myth that
incorporates the positive, workable aspects of each subsystem of belief. We glean the
best from both worlds and create new pathways for us to follow.
The Process of Discovery and Revision
Feinstein and Krippner (1988) described a five-stage process that delineates the
path we will traverse when our old mythologies no longer work. One constant in life is
change, and so with awareness of our need to update our mythology to accommodate
our changing needs, we can implement the following model when necessary.
Stage 1. This necessary first step is a recognition and identification of the conflict
that is arising due to our clinging to the old myth. The prevailing mythic structure must
first be identified along with the submerged counter myth. Some of the signs that
precede this stage are "difficulties making decisions, unfamiliar fears and anxieties,
puzzling dreams, self-contradictions, nagging confusion, ambivalence, and even
physical symptoms" (Feinstein, et al, 1988).
Stage 2. At this stage, the prevailing myth is examined noting its history and
consequences. We can then distinguish the illusions we are holding onto. It is a time
when we must ask ourselves how this illusion serves us. Identifying the counter myth is
also required during this stage along with the wish fulfilling capacity of this opposing

3. Handout for “A TRANSPERSONAL FRAMEWORK FOR UNDERSTANDING CODEPENDENCE”
Presentation by Dr. Sharon Joy Ng at the Evolution of Addiction Treatment Conference, Los Angeles, Dec. 8-11, 2011
structure. Through conscious exploration of the two myths, neither of which is entirely
satisfactory alone, thus a more workable resolution begs to be identified that
incorporates constructive elements of both myths.
Stage 3. In stage three, the integration of the old myth and the counter myth begins.
Resolution to the conflict identified in the first two stages is focused upon. In this
process, a transcendence of the old and the new is achieved.
Stage 4. The choice is now ripe for a renewed mythology wherein the new mythic
integration is examined. At this point we would need to articulate and refine the new
myth sufficiently, enabling us to consciously and maturely enter into a commitment to the
newly synthesized myth.
Stage 5. In this last stage, a weaving of the renewed mythology into our daily life is
begun. This requires focused attention and commitment to be our own monitor so that
we can achieve the harmony we have mythically fashioned. We must be the guards to
our old ways of "being" and the champions of our newly formed belief system.
After exploring the thesis and antithesis of our present mythology, however, our job
is not done. Carl Rogers wrote, "To be what one is, is to enter fully into being a process.”
Life is not static. We need to continually assess and re-assess the stories we are living
out. We must take what we have learned and develop a plan or guidance system so that
we can have a clear path to follow--then we must act.
Summary
Our personal mythology was formed as we developed. We probably never
questioned whether some of these values and ethics felt right for us, but simply took
them on as if they were a part of us. Their influence was felt in countless ways--what we
valued in a mate (or thought we did); what we believed was feminine or masculine; our
career goals; biases; opinions; morals; etc. Most of us traveled along our marked path
with these preset notions of how we should construe the world and never paused to
challenge our assumptions. When we have reached a point of crisis, however, we find
an opportune moment to evaluate our goals and beliefs with our external life. As
described by New York based Jungian analyst, Sylvia Perera (1990), we can descend to
the Dark Goddess and "sit, wait and rot" to discover the internal solutions to our
dilemma. Through this introspective process, we generally sense the incongruity that
exists between our gut feelings and what we have been doing. We take first one side
and then the other. We examine the paradoxes and polarities of life. By daring to involve
the dialectical process, we can assess the tasks that remain before us. Introspection
often requires that we wait for the answers to bubble up from the unconscious, however.
Thus, as we sit and wait, we allow that which is putrid to our souls to rot.
For further information of how to obtain your Kindle edition of BODY, MIND & PSYCHE go to amazon.com or contact
SHARON JOY NG at wuchicreations@sbcglobal.net