"remember that a myth is a metaphor for something unknown at the conscious level.
there is an essential unity in both inanimate and animate nature.
One of the most interesting examples of this recursive meta-pattern at the very small living scale is the evolution of bacteria into mitochondria, the engines in our cells that produce energy.
This is an example of emergence in complex systems."
Richard Ott, Dinergy: the Primordial Meta Pattern in Nature.
@holon42 metaphors are a useful tool to evoke a somewhat tangible cognition of an abstract concept.
Examples:
Life is like a heart monitor; there are ups and downs. If it goes flat, you’re dead.
When you resent someone, it’s like drinking poison and expecting them to die.
yes, it's interesting how mythology was a metaphorical way of communicating about the powers of nature before we had evolved descriptive language.
poetry preceded.