When Myth Shows What the Mind Does Not Reach

Abstract

This essay analyses the use of ancient myths in modern-day Western therapy. Working with François Laplantine's idea that mythic materials are developed in response to particular psychic needs (“L'ethnopsychiatrie” 22), the essay identifies some of the functions that may be fulfilled in our society by the Sumerian myth The Descent of Inanna and explores the conditions under which it may serve psychological needs. ¹

Notes

1. I would like to thank Gananath Obeyesekere and Janet Dixon Keller for their comments on previous versions of this article. Their insight was invaluable in strengthening this text. Many thanks also to Annette Hayward who helped me with the translation.

2. This took place in March 2004 in a Belgian theatre called Les Brigittines (Brussels). The myth was told in the form of a musical performance created by Simonne Moesen and Kaat De Windt under the title of “Waves la dea.”

3. A snowball method consists in asking participants to a study to indicate several persons they know who meet the conditions of being participants themselves, therefore opening the sample to the participants' social network. Such a method, obviously inadequate for quantitative studies pursuing the goal of representativity, is particularly efficient when trying to reach marginalized or isolated individuals who do not take part in well-identified groups.

4. So many artists were inspired by this myth that it is not possible to mention them all. Let us cite, in dance, the creations of Dina Mouton (Belgium 2001), Susana Laborde (Mexico 2007) and Carolyn Carlson (France 2008); in sculpture, the work of Igor Grechanyk (Ukraine 2008); in opera, the creations of Louis Andriessen (Holland 2003), Marcia Burchard (United States 2007), John Craton (United States 2003), Michelle Griffin (United States 1997), Simone Moesen (Belgium 2003) and Jenni Roditi (United Kingdom 2007); in storytelling, the performances of Bertrand Foly (France 2000) and Diane Wolkstein (United States 2009).

5. For reasons of confidentiality, when first names are mentioned in the text with no reference to a surname, these are pseudonyms.

6. In psychoanalysis, such events are usually called “trauma.”

7. In this case, the word “therapist” refers to professionals dealing with psychological suffering, whatever they call themselves (e.g., therapists, psychoanalysts, shamans, healers, sorcerers).

8. The Web site of the organization Birthing from Within (www.birthingfromwithin.com) provides information on articles, trainings and other material promoting this approach to delivery.

9. A more detailed analysis would require me to mention the existence of two contrasting Mesopotamian versions of this myth. It would also be worth mentioning the changes introduced by modern readers to adapt the narrative to the taste of a Western audience. Since this is not the aim of this article, such issues will not be developed here. For more information on these questions, I refer to the following articles: “La Descente aux Enfers d'Inanna. Mythe d'hier et d'aujourd'hui” (Vandendorpe) and “Les passeurs” (Vandendorpe).