INTRODUCTION - GLASSES TO BETTER SEE THE PRESENT

Image générée avec OGMAI — Style graphique : Photoréaliste

Glasses to better see the present

Since the dawn of humanity, the same stories have been told, but with new names and new faces.

These symbolic stories and narratives are carriers of timeless truths, sometimes forgotten or reduced to bedtime stories for children...

Myths write and rewrite history.

Often in polytheism, gods are the representations of the great figures of this world and the hero is the one who resists them. They are confronted with inevitable situations, live through adventures, suffer, and emerge transformed.

For Tolkien, “tales are not decorative entertainment for children but ancient tools carrying serious functions”: confronting fear, exploring loss, recognizing danger, and reflecting on moral consequences in a symbolic form. Myths are narratives that tell the truth about the human condition in a way that realistic fiction cannot achieve. The power of a story comes from its areas of shadow, complexity, and peril. The moral ambiguity of characters like Gollum, the deadly danger of the giant spider’s lair, the complexity of figures who turn from heroic to petty in the blink of an eye, or from courageous to cowardly.

To avoid being lulled to sleep, to understand them, and to benefit from their wisdom, this manual brings back to life powerful figures such as Cassandra, Lucifer, Pandora, Ulysses, Satan, Freya, Balder, Jesus, the vampire, the savior, the victim, elves, zombies, etc., and adapts them to our modern world: personal or professional life.

The web application ogmai.net draws inspiration, in particular, from these mythological teachings and their utility in our contemporary lives. In its Narrative Mode intended for writers and screenwriters, the utility is obvious and direct. Understanding archetypes (the Hero, the Mentor, the Shadow...) is the foundation of any good story. This work is an essential technical manual for them.

For Office Mode: Corporate life is a modern theater filled with archetypes: the “manager-mentor,” the “colleague-rival,” the “project-quest.” Understanding these dynamics through the prism of myths provides keys for interpretation and action in communication, leadership, and conflict resolution.

For Lawyer Mode: A trial is a narrative structure. The lawyer is a storyteller who must present their client as the “hero” (or the “victim”), the opposing party as the antagonist, and the argument as the “path to justice.” The book can help them build a more powerful and persuasive narrative for the judge or jury.

For Training Mode: The trainer is a “mentor.” The learner is a “hero” in the making. The pedagogical path is an “initiatory quest.” The book can help trainers design more engaging courses by consciously using these narrative structures.

Introspection mode allows one to model their professional or personal ecosystem in order to obtain keys to better navigate it.

Whether you are writing a story, a business proposal, or a legal argument, you are unconsciously using archetypal structures. The book teaches you to master them consciously.

For investigators: Investigations often follow archetypal patterns. The analyst seeks to unmask a “shadow” (the culprit), to follow “clues” (the quest), and to reveal a “hidden truth.” The book provides an analytical framework to better understand human motivations and recurring patterns.

Like semaphores in a world of crises, myths provide us with keys to universal wisdom. Free to make your choice, some will please you, others will not. This unique manual crosses symbolic analysis with concrete applications for organizations and individuals. With operational sheets and a re-reading of major archetypes, this work fills a gap between depth psychology and the needs of the general public.

A simple manual to see clearly, stay yourself, and chart your own path.