Atkinson (1995: 6) observes that although whole communities may no longer aford time for ritual or structure, "individual experiences of order, trauma, beauty, and exhilaration do occur". He proceed to sketch four functions/realms of stories:
- Psychological: Stories centers and integrates. Stories enable reflection about experiences and help us understand who we are. The deeply human elements of story telling enables gaining clearer understanding of life experiences and the meaning thereof. The telling of our stories produce order and harmony of experiences and feelings.
- Social: The sharing of stories enables understanding of commonalities and increase connectedness, a sense of community, as well as an understanding of rolls and standards that exist.
- Spiritual-Mystical: Stories contribute to transcending the personal to enter the sacred.
- Cosmological: Stories bring order and help us to see our role and place within the universe around us.
Atkinson (1995: 14-16) asserts the following reasons why we tell stories: Being more reflective enhances experiences. Self-reflecting and introspections contribute to order. Stories give meaning because we give words to thoughts that existed only vaguely in our minds. Often we do not realise we know, until we express in words. Telling our stories connect us to human community, because by sharing we discover we have a lot more in common than we realised. After sharing a life story a connection remains. Self-image and self-esteem are enhanced by the clarity derived from the focus of telling our experiences. The particular circumstances we experienced do not matter as much as how we perceive tham. Once we accepted that waht happened is okay, a change in perception is feasible. We can change our reflection of the past by altering our outlook. Telling stories therefore heal; but also give meaning; make peace; or release, recover and renew.
Atkinson, R. 1995. The gift of stories — practical and spiritual applications of autobiography, life stories and personal mythmaking. Westport, Conn.: Bergin & Garvey.
Comments
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.