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In this episode I speak with Erick Godsey. Erick describes himself as a student of the psyche, myths, and dreams. He draws on cognitive, evolutionary, and Jungian psychology as well as mythology and dreams to approach the question of how to “be” in the world. Given his eclectic approach, I was naturally curious about his perspective.

Erick believes that life is essentially a story we are telling ourselves. He believes that each of us has an overarching story, or myth, that we are acting out in our lives (either consciously or unconsciously) and that in order to manifest our potential and live in the world effectively we need to:

1. Understand the kind of myth we are telling ourselves.

2. Become consciously engaged in the telling of that myth.

3. Learn how to adjust our myth in a way that is beneficial for us and also for the world.

In our conversation, we explore the scientific, psychological, and metaphysical significance of myths and stories. We touch on some of the ideas I’ve been thinking and writing about for the past six months or so, few of which I’ve shared publicly. It was one of my favorite conversations to date and it helped me clarify some of my own thoughts and ideas surrounding this topic. I hope you enjoy it.

I also highly recommend checking out his Instagram page, which has some of the most insightful captions I’ve ever read.

Topics & questions covered

• How Erick became interested in mythology and the psyche

• Erick’s experience with psychedelics

• The importance of dreams

• The significance of cultural myths

• How our implicit metaphors shape the way we act

• How to discover your personal myth

• Depth psychology vs Cognitive Behavioral Therapy vs Logotherapy

• The significance of The Hero’s Journey

• The misconception most atheists (and modern religious people) have about religion

• Erick’s myth

Notable quotes from Erick

• Only visit the past when something there is keeping you from moving forward in the present.

• I’ve realized that my ego and intellect are not the masters of my life. They are servants to my intuition.

• Each of us has an inner myth that, if manifested, could help guide us and heal us. But we cannot arrive at this myth through the intellect.

• I personally think that the way we can best help the problems in the world is to become what it is we’re meant to be.

Selected links & resources

• Erick’s Website and Instagram

• Erick’s podcast

• Carl Jung’s main ideas

  • Man and His Symbols

  • The Portable Jung

• Pihkal and Tihkal by Alexander Shulgin and Ann Shulgin

• Internal Family Systems Model

• Jordan Peterson’s Self-Authoring program

If you liked this episode, check out…

Ep. 13: Dr. Rubin Naiman - Rethinking Sleep and Dreams with Clinical Psychologist Rubin Naiman

Ep. 39: Psychologist Rebecca Ray On Dealing With Unworthiness, Fear, and Limiting Beliefs

What did you think?

Leave me a review on iTunes with your biggest takeaway (I read them all). Or, drop me a comment below. I appreciate your feedback!

Ruben Chavez is a writer, personal development educator, and host of The Think Grow Podcast. He has created a community of over 3 million readers across his collective platforms, including his popular Instagram page ThinkGrowProsper. Along with this blog, these platforms are his way of inspiring and connecting with thoughtful, creative, and ambitious people just like you.