THE MYTHICAL DIMENSION

The Mythical Dimension (myth)
What is a myth? Most people would answer "a false story, a fable, something fantastic, outside the bounds of reality. 

In the field of religious studies, however, the term is used in a very different - and correct - manner. Myths are profoundly true stories within the worldview of a believer.
"Myths are the narrative stories which provide answers to the questions of identity by making it possible to identify with those events and beings that exemplify in a clear and powerful way the relationship with the sacred that undergirds human life."
They may not be provable through the scientific method, and they may defy common sense or logic, but, nevertheless, they are real in that they guide the behaviour of believers.

Great religious leaders like the Buddha, Muhammad, or Yeshua (Jesus) ignited the sparks of religious experience in their followers. Their followers, in turn, felt called upon to describe the life and works of their teachers in powerful narratives that cross the boundary between historical fact and faith. 

Myths provide models that guide human behaviour within a given faith community - and, thus, are an important link between belief, believer, and behaviour. They answer the identity/boundary questions.