Creative Living, Extra Things   34   January 9, 2017

 

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Do you believe in dragons, mermaids, unicorns and fairies?

Science has been unable to prove the existence of any of these, yet many of us hold onto the idea that they may exist.

The ability to accept the possibility of the unseen and unproved is what leads to scientific breakthroughs.

Embracing the world of fantasy, mythology and magic will open minds and doors to endless possibilities.

 

It also promotes imagination and creativity.

 

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BELIEVING IN MYTHS

 

An article at Live Science suggests it is good for children to believe in myths. The article concentrates particularly on the belief in Santa Claus and quotes a child psychiatrist as saying imagination is a normal part of development and helps develop creative minds.

 

I don’t think it’s a bad thing for kids to believe in the myth of someone trying to make people happy if they’re behaving,”

Dr. Matthew Lorber, a child psychiatrist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

 

JUST BECAUSE YOU CANNOT SEE IT DOESN’T MEAN IT ISN’T THERE

 

There are so many things we cannot see but know exist. The very air we breathe and that keeps us alive cannot be seen.

 

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We cannot see thoughts and emotions, but we know they exist as do radio waves, gravity, and atoms.

It was the Greek philosopher Democritus (460 B.C. – 370 B. C.) who came up with the abstract theory of atoms. Of course, he didn’t see them (we still can’t), but his imagination led him to the possibility.

A few thousand years later the English scholar John Dalton was able to use experiments to expand the atom theory.

These days we still cannot see atoms but, with the use of electron microscopes, we see the mathematical transformation of X-rays or transmitted electrons collected by a detector after an electron beam hits or passes through the sample.

It was only recently that scientists discovered trees can communicate.

The noises they make cannot be heard by the human ear.

Without the imagination to see that possibility there would have been no incentive to look for it.

 

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So, who says dragons, mermaids, unicorns and fairies do not exist, just because we can’t see them?

There could be so many fascinating things happening right before our eyes that we cannot see, perhaps operating in a parallel universe.

In fact, quantum physics suggests that the past, present, and future is simultaneously occurring now.

Makes it exciting to be alive, doesn’t it?

 

DELIGHTFUL DRAGONS

 

Of all the mythological creatures, dragons have been the most enduring.

 

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Dragons feature in the folklore of almost every culture around the world.

They symbolise power, strength, wisdom, and spirituality.

The European dragon is often depicted as evil and destructive.

By contrast, Chinese or Eastern dragons are considered to have great wisdom, above-average intelligence, and spirituality. They are associated with the elements of water and air and are often depicted as guardians.

All dragons are said to have magical powers, especially the ability to breathe fire.

While they are considered mythical, there are those who still search for evidence of their existence.

 

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SEARCHING FOR DRAGONS

 

Cryptozoology is the study of animals that haven’t been proven to exist. It comes from the Greek word “kryptos” for hidden, and zoology, a study of animals. Animals that are subjects of cryptozoological study are called cryptids.

There have been modern-day claims of dragon sightings.

A group of 500 people in China claim to have seen a sleek, black-scaled dragon in Lake Tianchi in 2002.

Residents in a small hamlet in Tibet live in fear of a scaly beast that eats fishermen and in 1976, residents of a town in Texas believed that a dragon lived in their nearby countryside.

 

THE TRUTH ABOUT BELIEVING IN MYTHS

 

Whether dragons, unicorns, fairies and mermaids exist or not, accepting the possibility they do will train our minds to stay open.

This is important, for us and our kids, because it means we have room to grow without constraints and we become smarter and stronger as we are open to new ideas and learning and that makes us have more confidence.

It makes it easier to embrace change, instead of fighting it and to believe in ourselves.

Believing in their existence opens up the wonderful world of fantasy and imagination for us and helps us to enter into a whole new world of creativity.

In the words of Pablo Picasso; “Anything you can imagine is real”.

 

Here’s a fun little quiz by  Buzzfeed to determine what mythical animal you are.

As a dragon lover, I was delighted to get ‘dragon’.

Check out this week’s Wacky project – how to make your dragon.

Wishing you a life full of fantasy, myths and magic, open minds and doors, and a very gleeful week, Tamuria.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

  • Mythology IS my language, Tami! The greatest truths we can find reside within them. Myths permeate my fiction, as they’re the manifestations of our collective unconscious. No wonder they ring with such truth!

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  • I so love how you have redirected our attention to the power of mythology and it’s wonderful inhabitant. For a long time, children were discouraged from having imaginary friends or engage in imaginary play. Is it any wonder many grew up unable to imagine possibilities or creative solutions. Our greatest ability is to imagine, and it is a very useful technique in guided imagery and hypnosis where an imaginary guide helps to resolve conflict and solve problems. I guess it’s time to add some dragons to our support team.

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  • I absolutely believe in fairies, elementals of all kinds, dragons, and mermaids. I happen to BE a fairy, as is my daughter. 🙂 And yes, the quiz did confirm that I am a fairy. I know that there are many, many things we can’t see, feel, taste, smell or touch, even though we live in a 5 sense world. I agree that staying open to possibilities is where true breakthroughs happen and it also brings some mystery to life too. It offers a ‘something grander than ourselves’ perspective and keeps us curious and interested. Thanks for the lovely article today! Thoroughly enjoyed it…

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    • Beverley, I am not at all surprised you are a fairy. 🙂 So true that belief in the things we cannot see and touch adds mystery to life and keeps us curious and interested. Glad you enjoyed this.

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  • Just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not there. This is the definition of true faith! Faith in the unseen!

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  • The idea that there are things that exist although we can’t see them is an important one indeed. You’ve proven the possibilities in your post! I had no idea about trees communicating (but now I’m wondering if that’s where M Night Shyamalan’s movie ‘The Happening’ originated from). Today’s society wants/expects/demands proof of everything. I spent hours as a child playing make believe using my own creativity, but now we have tech for that. You’ve given me a lot to think about in this post!

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    • I love that the trees are communicating, Meghan, and that some clever people discovered that, even though we can’t hear them. Glad you found this post thought provoking.

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  • I believe in magic. I also believe that the more we live in the moment the more we allow ourselves to experience magic. Last summer I was doing a trail run in the forest up north and I witness the trees waving at me as I ran along in awe of their beauty – enjoying the moment. 🙂 Love, love….

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  • That was very well written. But dragons do exist, don’t they? At least small ones. 🙂

    I had never heard of trees communicating. But I do remember it was very popular back in the 80’s (maybe 70’s) to talk to your plants – they appeared to respond to regular communication.

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    • I get the feeling you and I would have an amazing friendship if we lived closer Krista. Of course dragons exist! 🙂 I’ll let you in on a secret, I still talk to my plants, especially when they’re sick.

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  • I have always struggled with that.. “that which we can’t see… exists or doesn’t” part. I don’t want to say I don’t believe in unicorns or etc.. because someone somewhere thought them up.. and how/why. Plus, no reason to judge someone else’s creativity, right? Cute read

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    • Pablo Picasso said; “Everything you can imagine is real”. You have to wonder how the ideas for dragons and unicorns originated. That being said, I understand some people are happier with the proof. Perhaps it’s yet to come, kind of like the trees communicating.

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  • I love this article! Children still have access to the magical and with my granddaughter Grace, I never correct her to say she does not know or see what she shares. Noel, my older granddaughter I took to the Fairy Congress in Twisp, WA. She is a fairy and she loved it! When she was 17 I bought her the Fairyologist program from Doreen Virtue so she can communicate with Fairies and do Fairy readings. Love Fairies! Thanks for sharing.
    http://www.fairycongress.com/product/fairy-congress-tickets/

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  • Imagination is an awesome thing!! Believing something exists whether myth or not all starts with our own imagination 🙂 Great insights into believing in myths or to not 🙂

    Thanks for sharing your wonderful thoughts on this topic, Tamuria!

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  • I have two boys who loved mythology and dragons when they were little. Fun and creative uses of imagination to inspire.

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  • We must believe in things that we don’t fully understand and can’t see. It is the only way to live a full life.

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  • Although I do believe in an unseen world, I personally don’t believe there are or ever were dragons, mermaids and fairies. That with my highly imaginative and creative mind 🙂

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  • I find mythology to be so much fun! I’ve always had a penchant for fantasy, and whether one believes it’s real or not hasn’t really had an impact on me. However, I have to say that I WISH they are real. I hope so!

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  • Mythology is truly beautiful. Although we are not certain whether they are real or not, it helps us open our minds to possibilities

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  • True, I also think it is very important to believe in myths and a bit of magical stories, to keep your creative world going also as an adult. Not only as a child… We should dream to not be become stagnant…

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  • True, I also think it is very important to believe in myths and a bit of magical stories, to keep your creative world going also as an adult.

    Reply

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