The Cry for Myth

by Rollo May

Book Overview

It happens almost daily in a therapist's office. A patient, recalling a person, an event, an emotion, quite unexpectedly supplies a link from the present to one of the durable myths of our culture. In this moment, the myth reveals to the patient source of disturbance and pain in a pattern of behaviour that often stretches over a year. The healing process begins. The myth, eternity breaking into time in Rollo May's works, becomes the focal point of...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393027686
• ISBN13: 9780393027686
• Release Date: January 1991
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.21 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.8" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Myth is vital to the human experience.

I read this book several years ago and I found it to be a fascinating read, from back to front. May's astute analysis of the place of myth within human life, sense of self and community is very sensible and relevant. Many may find his understanding of myth to be surprising, as it deviates greatly from the conventional existential perspective. From time immemorial, cultures have woven intricate, fantastic stories, parables, myths and guiding narratives about the world, helping them to understand the universe, carve out a unique place within it and establish values. As societies grew, cultures passed these myths and stories down to their descendants. Communal traditions developed from these myths and guiding narratives, building among participants a sense of cultural kinship, identity and solace. People derived strength and direction from their guiding narratives, and these myths unified individuals in a commonality, supplying them with a vision. Carl Jung's influence here is distinct, as May attributes the sense of meaninglessness, isolation and disoriented alienation of modern culture largely to the human "cry" for new myths (similar to Jung's Weltanschauung) that incorporate all facets of our humanity (both spirit and matter) and address our current reality. May defines the myth as follows: "A myth is a way of making sense in a senseless world. Myths are narrative patterns that give significance to our existence [...] myths are our way of finding meaning and significance. Myths are like the beams in a house; not exposed to outside view, they are the structure which holds the house together so people can live in it." May is also careful to address our modern misunderstanding of what myth entails: "There can be no stronger proof of the impoverishment of our contemporary culture than the popular - though profoundly mistaken - definition of myth as falsehood." Read the book for more on this and for a clearer understanding of how the traditional "myth" is distinct from things like fundamentalism, or dogma. Nowhere is myth more evident than literature and the rich, vivid literature of past cultures demonstrates this. In fact, May goes to great lengths in his analysis to amply illustrate the crucial need for literature and the arts. As scientific rationalism has swept in and usurped the position of omnipotent "God," our sense of meaningful myth has been eroded, particularly in America, where a strong sense of rich, cultural myth has not been as rooted in our understanding of community as it has in other cultures. (May discusses an entire spate of prevalent American myths, as expressed through literature.) The technological advances of the industrial age have all but completely divorced humans from the natural world, further contributing to our schizoid sense of spirit and matter. All in all, this has resulted in a severe fragmentation of community and knowledge of self, as we believe the appreciation of myth to be beneath our superi

Why mythology is important

Rollo May was a psychologist, but don't let that bit of information scare you away from reading this book. May examines the importance of mythology thru the ages, as well as its nexus with psychology and psychological theories. In doing so, May points out the didactic properties that myths have had throughout human history. Along the way, May takes a critical look at fairy tales and discloses hidden "messages" that we normally pick up on only subliminally. His inquiry helps to elucidate many of the themes that we teach to our children, and hints at why fairy tales have such an abundant popularity in diverse cultures.May also describes to us how myths evolve and develop over time, changing with the sociological paradigms of each successive epoch. In doing so, he uses the Faust legend as an example. The text offers some nice highlights on the transcendence of the motif as it was first penned by Christopher Marlowe and subsequently revised by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Thomas Mann.This is an excellent read for anyone who is interested in mythology, and is a serious warning of the consequences that go along with marginalizing the importance of liberal arts.

The Greatest Book I've Read

Rollo May's "The Cry for Myth" is a testimony on American mythology. A fantastic novel, it encompasses a variety of issues by relating them to classic pieces of literature, such as "The Great Gatsby" and "Dante's Inferno". The book was a pleasure to read (and I don't even like to read). It opened my mind to think in different ways.

For all mythology-lovers and seekers of truth and meaning

The Cry for Myth was May's last major work prior to his death at the age of eighty-four. It contains the hard-won wisdom of a lifetime. Much of it had been published elsewhere over the years--long before Joseph Campbell's sudden popularity-- but May felt strongly about making a cohesive statement regarding the vital importance of myth and how much we need it today. Myths are how we make meaning of life--no myth, no meaning. May's therapeutic approach to myths links him closely with figures such as Sigmund Freud, Otto Rank, and Carl Jung, and comprises an essential and enriching feature of May's own existential psychotherapy. In this fine collection, May analyzes the archetypal myths we are living out--or maybe better, that are being lived out through us--and offers some new myths and interpretations that may help us make it more meaningfully into the new millennium.