COLLECTIVE TRAUMAS

"Someplace along the path we stopped being born, and now we are busy dying." Michael Albert

And what of the traumas which befall each and every one of us in the United States? In our information age we're bombarded with news of crimes, political corruption and dishonesty, starving children, the homeless, violence in our schools, racism, global warming, the whole in the ozone, the contamination of our food, water, and air, and so much more . . . Most of us are already so overwhelmed by the details of our own lives that we tune out as much as possible, shifting responsibility and often blame to government and the "experts," while we rapidly lose faith in their ability to effectively intervene. We don't escape, we simply deny, and as a result of our denial we pay a significant psychic price. The emotional costs of repression and denial are high - resulting in low levels of depression, exhaustion, feelings of emptiness and meaninglessness, compulsions, addictions, and a myriad of other symptoms which plague those of us who are haunted.

Regardless of how it begins, once the process that might eventually lead to a Birthquake commences, much energy is initially directed toward survival. When life becomes frightening and confusing, when the old rules disappear or dramatically change, there is no time at first for philosophy or introspection. Instead, one is required to simply endure - to hold on no matter how unsteady, to be there - whether screaming in rage and agony or suffering in silence. There is nowhere else to run in the beginning. To fight or to flee -- those choices aren't always available. Sometimes there's no where to run.

The discomfort may be slight at first, tapping so quietly that for the most part it's ignored. It may even fade away eventually, unable to compete with the numerous distractions that make up everyday life.

When it returns, it does so with greater force. It's not as easy to disregard this time. Soon all that you possess is not enough to send it back from whence it came. And while you may have scrupulously charted your course and carefully laid your plans, you find that somehow you've been led to a dark and empty country. You're confused; you're anxious; and finally you become disillusioned and depressed.

You may struggle to fight your way out of this unwelcome and painful place. You work frantically to find a solution. You try this and that, and you run and you plan; you shift direction; look for a guide; change guides; follow someone who looks like they know where their going; and ultimately find yourself back at the same place. You might panic then and go around and around in circles, or perhaps you surrender in despair. Either way-- for the time being -- you're not going anywhere. You might even spend the rest of your life feeling trapped. Or on the other hand, once you have regained your equilibrium, you may eventually make your way out of the darkness. In order to do so, however, you'll need to follow an unfamiliar path.

Some time ago, I watched a PBS special with Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell. Campbell, a brilliant and insightful man, spent years studying the mythologies of different cultures of the world. He shared with Moyers that he'd discovered that in each culture he examined, there existed the story of the Hero. The Hero in every tale leaves home on a quest that almost always involves some degree of suffering, and then returns home significantly altered by his journey. Moyers questioned Campbell as to why he believed the story of the Hero emerges again and again all over the globe. Cambell responded that it's because the theme is as universal as the myth.

Mark McGwire, first baseman for the Cardinals, recently beat the world record for the most home runs in the history of baseball. Rick Stengel, Senior Editor at Time Magazine, examines in an article for MSNBC why McGwire's "getting more press coverage than the fall of the Berlin Wall."

Stengel points out that McGwire represents the archetypal hero that exists within our collective unconscious, and follows Campbell's pattern of departure, initiation, and return. First, McGwire suffers through a devastating divorce and confronts a batting slump that threatens to ruin his career. Next, McGwire enters psychotherapy to face his inner demons. Finally, McGwire works through the pain of his divorce, establishes an even greater level of intimacy with his son, and becomes the greatest single season home-run hitter in history. His story of loss and redemption resonates within the wounded soul of an America whose national leader bears a public shame. We have desperately needed and found a new hero.

Every day in every place imaginable there are countless individuals striking out into unfamiliar regions. The territory may be a geographic location, a spiritual quest, a dramatic lifestyle change, or perhaps an emotional or physical illness. Whatever the terrain, the traveler must leave behind the safety of the familiar and will be confronted with difficult experiences he or she is often unprepared for, and encounters that will ultimately strengthen or diminish and perhaps destroy. All that's certain is that when the journey is completed (if it's completed), the individual will be undoubtedly transformed.

The everyday heroes are usually significantly different than those who exist in the Epics. They aren't always courageous, big and strong. Some are tiny and fragile. They may even wish or try to turn back (and some of them do). I've witnessed the heroic journey of many during my time as a therapist. I have seen the pain, the fear, the uncertainty, and I've also been touched by their triumph again and again. Now it is my turn to embark upon a journey, and I'm grateful as I set out, that I have been blessed with the finest of teachers.