Maykov V.V. Heroism as Psychotherapy: Therapeutic Games of Pop Culture Media Spaces

Abstract: The subject of the research is the all humanities and psychological reasons of the film rating. In his research Maykov raises a question about why the top rated movies are usually fantasy, science fiction or adventures. The researcher analyzes different points of views on why bluckbusters are so popular, in particular, John Campbell's concepts of the monomyth and hero's journey. Maykov makes an assumption that the aforesaid reasons are related to the psychotherapeutic influence of 'heroic movies'. The results of the research provide new opportunities for understanding the mechanism of the influence of pop culture as well as popular practices and modern psychological and psychotherapeutic trainings from the point of view of modern humanities. The research method and methodology are based on the genealogical approach to the cartography of the hero's journey relating the latter to the most ancient form thereof, shamanic map of the reality. This approach is completed with the comparative analysis of modern researches on mythology and folklore. The main contribution made by the author of the article to the topic is his hypothesis about a preliminary classification of three kinds of the hero's journey, each of them has its own textual, conceptual and historical basis. Also, the author's concept of heroism as a form of initial psychotherapy allows to see the phenomenon of the film rating and mechanisms of mass media and pop culture influence in a different light. 

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