The Many Realities of MYTHSEEKER

Abstract

THE MYTHSEEKER Project is developing software as a means for building Personal Myth via virtual reality (VR) environments. The project offers an approach to expressing systems of mythology and spiritual exploration as Depth Systems (DSs) including elements called mythic agents, primal myths, and enactments. From these a user builds a Personal Depth System (PDS) approaching Personal Myth. All involvement stems from a metaphoric intelligent environment—Primal Virtual Space (PVS)—that makes DS portals available based on interactive assessment viewing DS as expressing archetypal content. The user experiences and chooses elements to be included in a PDS that exemplifies his or her Personal Myth. A patent has been awarded for the software process. The MYTHSEEKER use of VR can enhance psychotherapy that involves building spiritual constructs (e.g., psychotherapy, medical diagnosis, rehabilitation, other areas including counseling, personal growth programs, disease prevention programs, and even in prisons). MYTHSEEKER allows exploration of the deep realities that clients experience. The problem arises of finding efficient practical software implementation. The initial demonstration prototype implements on-screen 3D-multimedia immersion of the user (i.e., Desktop VR). This configuration will be extended to initial software for psychotherapy and personal growth. This article builds on these themes by presenting an intuitive, archetypal introduction to MYTHSEEKER experience, followed by more-excursive description of central concepts. This is followed by a summary of assessment and facilitation research, DS research, and the "qualitative model of world-emergence" on which MYTHSEEKER is founded as a framework.