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The Application of Ancient Greek Myth and Music in Personal, Professional and Transpersonal Development

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THE APPLICATION OF ANCIENT GREEK MYTH AND MUSIC IN PERSONAL, PROFESSIONAL AND TRANSPERSONAL DEVELOPMENT By Lindy S. McMullin Dissertation presented for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in Educational Psychology at Stellenbosch University Supervisor: Professor Les Lancaster December 2017 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za DECLARATION By submitting this dissertation electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own, original work, that I am the sole author thereof (save to the extent explicitly otherwise stated), that reproduction and publication thereof by Stellenbosch University will not infringe any third party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification. Date December 2017 Copyright © 2017 Stellenbosch University All rights reserved ii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za ABSTRACT Self-actualization and self-transcendence are both areas of Maslow’s Hierarchy that remain elusive to the majority of humankind, largely due to the lack of education about the self. To know the self is also to care about the self, and this study aims at investigating how the use of myth in sacred text with music may contribute to this process of self-knowledge. The objective of the study is to investigate the effects that myth in sacred text may have on personal, professional and transpersonal development. To ensure maximum impact in terms of imagery-enhancing properties, Greek myth was read, accompanied by lyre music, in a therapeutic setting. The study included a focus on personal epiphanies that, it is argued, have the potential to change perceptions and contribute to a healing process. Seventeen participants were read Homer’s Hymn to Demeter over five sessions. Interviews before and after each session focused on participants’ imagery in dreams and waking fantasy, together with their reflections and interpretations. An Interpretive Interactionist methodology was used with a post structuralism critical approach, capturing the ways in which participants experienced the hymn and the relations with the epiphanies that have taken place in their lives. Results show that the Hymn facilitated participants in working through relationship issues and birth and death traumas, both major aspects of the myth. The extent to which the myth may have facilitated positive outcomes is discussed. Results also highlight the role dreams played in between sessions, in enriching reflection and understanding of problems that arose across the five sessions. It is concluded that the exposure to myth in the imagery- encouraging setting used in the study has the potential to impact poignantly on personal, professional and transpersonal development. iii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za OPSOMMING Selfverwesenliking en oortreffing van die self is areas van Maslow se hiërargie wat vir die meerderheid van die mensdom moeilik is om te verwesenlik, grootliks as gevolg van ’n gebrek aan onderrig oor die self. Om die self te ken, is om vir die self om te gee en hierdie studie poog om die gebruik van mites in gewyde teks met musiek te ondersoek en hoe dit kan bydra tot hierdie proses van selfkennis. Die doelwit van die studie is om die uitwerking wat mites op persoonlike, professionele en transpersoonlike ontwikkeling kan hê te ondersoek. Om maksimum impak ten opsigte van verbeeldingverrykende eienskappe te verseker, is Griekse mites gelees terwyl liermusiek in ’n terapeutiese omgewing gespeel is. Die studie sluit ook ’n fokus op persoonlike goddelike openbarings in waarvan gesê word die potensiaal het om persepsies te verander en by te dra tot ’n helende proses. Homer se Lofsang aan Demetrius is in vyf sessies aan sewentien deelnemers voorgelees. Onderhoude voor en na elke sessie het gefokus op die deelnemers se verbeelding in drome en ontwakingsfantasieë asook op hulle refleksies en interpretasies. ‘n Verklarende Interaksionistiese metode met ’n poststrukturalistiese benadering is gebruik om die wyses waarop deelnemers die lofsang en die gemeenskap met die goddelike openbarings wat in hulle lewens plaasgevind het, ervaar, te vertolk. Resultate toon dat die Lofsang deelnemers gefasiliteer het om deur verhoudingsprobleme en geboorte- en sterftetraumas te werk, beide belangrike aspekte van die mite. Die mate waartoe die mite positiewe uitkomste kon gefasiliteer het, word bespreek. Die resultate beklemtoon ook die rol wat drome tussen sessies gespeel het om refleksie te verryk en om probleme wat ontstaan het gedurende die vyf sessies te verstaan. Die gevolgtrekking is dat die blootstelling aan mites in die verbeeldingverrykende omgewing soos in die studie gebruik, die potensiaal het om ingrypend op persoonlike, professionele en transpersoonlike ontwikkeling te impakteer. iv Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to thank all those who have supported me during this process and express my gratitude for the role they played in contributing to this dissertation: The National Research Foundation (NRF) for their financial support with a bursary detailed by Professor R. Newmark Stellenbosch University: Professor Robinson for her support, encouragement and understanding Professor L. Lancaster for invaluable guidance and supervision of this thesis Professor Z. Senyucel for valuable feedback on Methodology Didem Kizen for her expert assistance with the Bibliography Michael Schneider, Monique Tiberghien & Nour Goodall for their love, support and financial assistance Ioannis Kotsomitis and Stavroula Nasopoulou for their expert IT advice and creative talent My participants for taking part in this study as co-researchers Ramona O Neill, Michael Kypriotakis, Edward & Chrysanthi Kypriotakis for their invaluable insights as to how to proceed with my work My grandmother and my mother for inspiring me to get a PhD and not to give up as they did I dedicate this work to my beautiful granddaughter Kallisto, in faith, hope and trust that it will inspire her to fully comprehend and embrace self-actualization and transcendence. To all those too numerous to mention who added something to my life and who assisted me in bringing all this together I AM BECAUSE OF YOU Ubuntu v Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page i Declaration ii Abstract iii Opsomming iv Acknowledgements v Table of Contents vi List of Figures xi List of Tables xii Preface xiii Outline of the Study xxiii Chapter One: Orientation to the Study 1 1.1.1 Know Thyself 1 1.1.2 Eastern & Western Traditions 7 1.1.3 Cosmo Theogony 9 1.2 Theoretical Synthesis 11 1.2.1 Statement of Problem 17 1.3 Research Objectives 19 1.3.1 Purpose 19 1.3.2 Objectives 19 1.4 Research Methodology 20 1.4.1 Participants 23 vi Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za 1.4.2 Data Collection 24 1.4.3 Interpretive Interactionism Data Analysis 24 1.4.4 Ethical Considerations 24 1.5 Foundational Concepts 24 1.6 Historical Background 26 1.6.1 The Homeric Hymn to Demeter 30 1.7 Discussion 36 Chapter Two: Literature Review 39 2.1 Historical Background 39 2.2 The Application of Myth and Music in Changing 50 Consciousness 2.3 Myths, Dreams and Visions 56 2.4 Myth and Spirituality 60 2.5 Myth, Self-Actualization and Self Transformation 64 2.6 Transpersonal Education and Myth 67 2.7 Myth and Symbol 69 2.8 Myth and Music 72 2.9 Myth and Transformation 74 2.10 2.10 Summary 78 Chapter Three: Research Design, Methodology & Study 80 Implementation 3.1 Design of Study 80 3.1.1 Research Question and Aim of the Study 81 3.1.2 Research Paradigm 82 3.1.3 Research Approach 84 3.1.4 Research Design 87 vii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za 3.2 Research Method 88 3.2.1 Interpretive Paradigms 88 3.2.2 Ethnography 89 3.2.3 Existentialism 90 3.2.4 Ideographic 91 3.2.5 Conceptual Foundations 91 3.2.6 Research Phases 93 3.3 Methods of Data Collection 93 3.3.1a Participant Selection 93 3.3.1b Selection Implementation for Participants 94 3.3.1c Ethical Considerations 94 3.4 Data Collection 96 3.4.1 Open Ended Interviews 96 3.5 Data Implementation 97 3.5.1 Procedure 98 3.6 Data Analysis 99 3.6.1a Steps to Interpretation 99 3.6.1b Implementation of Steps to Interpretation 101 3.7 Summary 102 Chapter Four: Study Findings 104 4.1 Analysis 104 4.1.1 Loss of Identity & Mother and Child Relationships 105 4.1.2 Detailed account of Epiphanies, Dreams & Experiences 110 4.1.3 Loss, Betrayal, Death & Rebirth 127 4.1.4 Detailed account of Epiphanies, Dreams & Experiences 133 viii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za 4.1.5 Experiences across sessions 139 4.1.5a Experiences of Deities and Other Figures 144 4.1.5b Experiences of Being in another Place/Time 145 4.1.5c Non-Ordinary Sensations 146 4.1.5d Animals and other symbols 146 4.1.5e Changes in Sleep/Dream Patterns 147 4.2 Transformative Elements 148 4.3 Structural Constraints 149 4.4 Follow up Session 151 4.5 Summary 152 Chapter Five: Discussion of Findings, Conclusions and 154 Recommendations 5.1 Summary of the Study 154 5.1.1 Research Question 154 5.1.2 The Aim of the Study 155 5.1.3 Methodology 155 5.2 Main Findings 155 5.2.1 Discussion 156 5.2.2 Loss of Identity & Mother and Child Relationships 158 5.2.3 Loss, Betrayal, Death and Rebirth 166 5.2.4 Religious & Spiritual Implications 169 5.2.5 Evolving Archetypes with Active Imagination 171 5.2.6 Symbols 173 5.3 Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious 176 5.3.1 Transformation 177 5.3.2 Functions of the Archetype 178 ix Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za
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