From the author: My interview for the magazine. Why is interest in “the affairs of bygone days, the legends of deep antiquity” being revived in modern society? The deep meanings and symbols hidden in myths and fairy tales help in solving the problems that every person faces at certain periods of life. A special technique - mythodrama - allows one to penetrate into these meanings, gain access to spiritual resources and acquire new qualities. Questions that often arise in connection with mythodrama are answered by Mikhail Kuchinsky, a consultant psychologist, mythologist, trainer at the Hi-human technologies company. Mikhail, what is mythodrama? Is this a special type of theatrical art - or is it still a tool from the psychological arsenal? M.K.: Mythodrama as a psychological tool arose at the intersection of two methods: psychodrama by Jacob Moreno and analytical psychology by K.G. Cabin boy. The basis of the work are mythological and fairy tales. Mythology, from the point of view of analytical psychology, combines archetypal (from the Greek “prototype”, the oldest example) figures and events that every person encounters. Therefore, each mythological story describes a certain stage in the process of a person’s personal development. Is it possible to stage a mythological drama based on “Russian material”? Despite the huge variety of myths, the mythological plots themselves are limited in number. For example, any fairy tale where the hero, leaving home, goes on a journey, undergoes a series of tests, during which he acquires new qualities and returns renewed, describes the process of psychological maturation and gaining integrity. In Greek mythology, such characters are ancient heroes (Hercules, Theseus, Jason and the Argonauts), in Scandinavian and Western European mythology - King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, Sigurd, Beowulf, and other epic characters. Vivid examples from Russian fairy tales: Ivan Tsarevich, Emelya, Ivan the Widow's Son, Vasilisa the Wise, Kroshechka-Khavroshechka, Maryushka - the bride of Finist the Clear Falcon. And from the point of view of real life, what does participation in the mythodrama give? Mythodrama is primarily aimed at work with crisis conditions and periods in life. Each of us has our own personal myth (i.e., the history of the development of a particular person’s personality). It includes all the concepts about this world: what is “good” and “bad”, what a real man and a real woman should be, how to build relationships with people and society, how to find your place in life, etc. If a person does not receive answers to these questions, or he develops a false idea of ​​himself and the world, then his personality is built accordingly. Situations built on such a perception of oneself and the world lead to a dead end. Problems begin in relationships, at work, self-esteem decreases, etc. It would seem, what does mythology have to do with it? But the fact is that myths contain in symbolic form almost all subjects of personal development. In fact, this is the very experience of our ancestors, passed on to us in such a concentrated form. But is it possible, with the help of mythodrama, to solve problems such as self-doubt, inability to build relationships, fears of the future, lack of meaning in life, etc.? It is possible, and quite successfully. Of course, you should not think that if you visit a mythological drama, all problems, as if by magic, will be resolved by themselves. Mythodrama is not magic, but serious internal work, sometimes very difficult. But it gives a clear understanding of what you should do to deal with this or that crisis situation. During the mythodrama, you can discover where the way out of the problem is, and take the most difficult thing - the first steps towards solving it. In addition, our personality is the creator of everyday life, and mythodrama is aimed specifically at working with the personality. After participating in a number of myths, fairly global changes can (and usually do) occur in a person’s life. This is due to the fact that new personal qualities are acquired that allow you to change your life in the desired direction. What ifdoes the person have no acting skills? Can he participate in a mythodrama? To participate in a mythodrama, acting talent is not required. On the contrary, if you have it, it is better to forget about it for a while. Mythodrama is not “played”, but “lived”, that is, all the emotions and experiences that arise in each participant in the process of action are real. When you enter a mythodramatic role, you begin to identify with the hero on a very deep level, regardless of your level of theatrical ability. But a good actor also “lives” in his role. You are right. But it's no coincidence that many famous actors talk about the impact that a particular role has had on their lives beyond the stage or screen. So, mythodrama allows each participant to temporarily become just such a real actor, and live the role with real emotions and sensations. Is it necessary to memorize the text of a myth or fairy tale? You don’t need to learn it, but reading it once before the action won’t hurt. If only so that later, during the mythodrama, one could experience the joy of discovering meanings that, when read, were so veiled by symbolism that they simply caused bewilderment. For example, what does the spindle Maryushka received from Baba Yaga mean? Or why did the fire always go out in the house where Vasilisa’s stepmother lived? Undoubtedly, one of the pleasant components of the mythodramatic process is the amazed exclamations of the participants: “Oh, that’s what this is about!” How long does a myth-drama usually last? The myth-drama we conduct lasts as long as it takes to complete the chosen plot. But usually the process takes six to seven hours. If you need to reveal the meaning of only a certain episode of a myth, then 3-4 hours. There are programs where immersion takes place over several days. In these programs, participants “surrender” their real names for a while, and by drawing lots they receive the name of a mythological hero. Each of them bears this name for several days until completion. Such an immersion, for example, was a summer intensive course on Homer’s myth “The Trojan War”. Unfortunately, we are often hostages of current affairs. Is it possible to play a role “quickly” and leave? Any role is considered played when the general ending occurs. If a person leaves the process earlier, then there is a possibility of getting “stuck” in his own unfinished process. The same thing will happen if a person does not live through the myth, but tries to act out some personal scenario, that is, he joins in the action with a certain idea of ​​“how it should be,” without accepting what is in the real plot of the myth. Is it possible to watch the mythological drama “from the outside” and not become an active participant? It is not advisable, since everyone in the mythological space is included in the work. In other words, if you are somehow attracted to this or that myth, then you are some kind of figure of this myth! But if you sit and just observe, then, firstly, you deprive yourself of a clear result, and secondly, you distract the group’s attention to your person, which disrupts the flow of the process. What is the difference between mythodrama and traditional trainings? I believe that the concept of “traditional training" is very relative. Strict traditions of conducting trainings exist rather in the business sphere; in programs aimed at personal growth, a more flexible format. But if we talk specifically about working with constellations, then psychodrama, family constellations according to Hellinger, playback theater, mythodrama - they all work in their own way. The format of the article does not allow us to describe all the differences. I will only say that the main difference lies, firstly, in the goals and objectives, and secondly, in the technique of conducting the process and in the techniques used by the presenters and participants. Why do some participants in the process of mythodrama experience interest and vivid emotions, while the experiences of others are not so positive? Manifestations of feelings in mythodrama have a wave-like character. The state of one and the same person during an action can change several times: from boredom, which plunges one into sleep, to acute feelings of joy or sympathy. As a rule, irritation and boredom are an indicator that what is happening at the moment is the most