The Story of Interbeing is presented as an emerging narrative or "new mythos" for humanity, contrasting sharply with a dominant "old Story of Separation". This new story proposes a fundamental shift in understanding our relationship to ourselves, others, and the universe. At its heart, the Story of Interbeing asserts that we are fundamentally unseparate from each other, from all beings, and from the universe. Our very existence is relational; my being partakes of your being and that of all beings. This principle extends to the idea that what we do to another, we do to ourselves. The Story of Interbeing offers a new framework for understanding purpose and meaning. It suggests that each person has a unique and necessary gift to give the world, and the purpose of life is to express these gifts. Every act is seen as significant and having an effect on the cosmos. Furthermore, it proposes that every person we encounter and every experience we have mirrors something in ourselves. Humanity's role, within this narrative, is to join fully the tribe of all life on Earth, contributing uniquely human gifts toward the well-being and development of the whole. This story also includes the principle that purpose, consciousness, and intelligence are innate properties of matter and the universe. This perspective stands in stark contrast to the old Story of Separation, which is linked to outcomes like cynicism, despair, hate, and an adversarial, controlling relationship with nature and others. In the old story, phenomena like children burning are dismissed as "collateral damage," and essential biological necessities are reduced to mere "resources". The Story of Separation is characterized by a reliance on control, technology, logic, rational ethics, and a denial of interconnection. Why might one consider believing in this Story of Interbeing? The sources suggest it's not primarily a matter of proof or rational calculation, as reliance on such things is part of the old story. Instead, the connection to Interbeing is something we can feel. The pain we experience when others suffer, even strangers or different species, is described as a direct, visceral feeling, not just a rational calculation, because it is literally happening to our extended selves. The desire to serve something greater than the separate self and the pain from others' suffering are seen as two sides of the same coin, both pointing towards our interconnectedness. The sources also note that emerging science, in fields like mirror neurons, horizontal gene transfer, group evolution, and morphic fields, is beginning to align with this intuitive understanding, illustrating a general principle of connection or oneness. Ultimately, choosing to stand in the Story of Interbeing is presented as a choice, often made without proof, based on who we want to be and who we are becoming. The transition from the old Story of Separation to the emerging Story of Interbeing is depicted as a profound, often challenging process, happening both individually and collectively. The old paradigms and justifications are failing. Calamities and contradictions are occurring so rapidly that the old story struggles to recover, creating a "birth process" into the new narrative. This transition involves entering a "space between stories," described as precious, sacred, and a place where we can touch the underlying reality beneath the narratives we usually inhabit. This space is often accessed through experiences of loss, breakdown, or pain, whether deliberate (like spiritual practice) or involuntary (like divorce, illness, or a near-death experience), as these experiences can help dissolve old beliefs and self-images associated with the Story of Separation. Standing alone in the new Story of Interbeing is difficult, if not impossible, because the very principle of interbeing necessitates connection and community. The journey into this new territory is unfamiliar and lacks clear maps; it involves following an invisible path guided by intuition and the heart. Learning from others who are also on this path is crucial, and shared experiences help make the path more visible. People who are strong in the new story, having gone through their own "initiations," can help others by holding open the possibility of the Story of Interbeing for them, even when they are in crisis. As individuals become carriers of this story, their words and actions become part of its unfolding narration. The emergence of the Story of Interbeing connects with the fundamental human experience of storytelling and myth. Sacred stories, myths, legends, and fairy tales are seen as having long "smuggled in" understandings of reality that align with interbeing, often under the guise of simple entertainment. These stories are described as a sophisticated psychic technology, conveying emotional, poetic, and spiritual truths that bypass linear logic and reductionism. Created by beings perceived as wiser than modern people, these stories nurture a spark of memory within us, connecting us to our origins and potential destination. They carry covert wisdom and can have psychic staying power, imprinting themselves on the psyche through rich symbolism. More broadly, the sources highlight the pervasive and vital role of narrative in human existence. Our understanding of the world and ourselves is deeply shaped by narrative; we think, remember, anticipate, hope, and feel through stories. Telling stories is indispensable to human cognition and is a crucial part of identifying ourselves and others. Narratives involve moral choices about what to include and exclude, and while we seek coherence in our life stories, we risk self-deception by omitting details that don't fit the desired version. We constantly act as narrators of our own lives and the lives of others. Stories provide a way to acquire knowledge, though this knowledge is acknowledged as potentially built on unstable ground. They illuminate the richness of our subjective experience and can expand our understanding of common humanity beyond our narrow individual lives. Myths, in particular, are stories reflecting humanity's search for truth, meaning, and significance, helping us navigate life's passages and understand death. Mythology is described as the study of "mankind's one great story," which is our emergence from a unified ground of being into the temporal world, seeking to find our place in this "drama" and align ourselves with the "grand symphony" of the world. While folk tales might entertain and integrate individuals into society, myths serve as a "path" back to the self and the imagination. Mythology is seen as the "homeland of the muses," inspiring art and poetry. Within the context of philosophical theology, stories are highlighted for their ability to provide insight into inner lives, suffering, and evolving relationships with the divine. They can depict plausible "possible worlds" and help make abstract claims relatable. Mythic stories mediate our imagination of divinity or the invisible world of spirits and their connection to reality. They bring past and future into the present, helping us understand complex systems as narratives and mediating between temporal existence and the timeless. Storytelling, particularly oral storytelling, has a deep connection to ritual and can offer a transformative experience, allowing listeners to cross a metaphysical threshold into an imagined world. This requires integration work and involves a deep, collective listening that can connect individuals to each other and even the "life pulse of the planet". Storytelling bridges inner and outer worlds and is deeply connected to bodily experience. Ultimately, the sources suggest that every worthwhile story can act as a "crucible of love," transforming passion into compassion. In sum, the Story of Interbeing, as described in the sources, is an emerging meta-narrative challenging the dominant Western worldview of separation. It is a felt reality and a set of principles emphasizing deep interconnectedness, the significance of every being and action, and a collective journey towards reunion. This new story is seen as being nurtured by ancient myths and requiring a transition from the old paradigms, supported by community and a different way of knowing that prioritizes intuition and feeling over purely rational proof. It draws upon the inherent human capacity for storytelling to articulate and embody this new understanding of existence.