imaginary or unverifiable existence. 4: the whole body of myths. In regards to the study of culture and religion, these are some of the definitions scholars have used: 1968: The classicist Robert Graves defines myths as "whatever religious or heroic legends are so foreign to a student's experience that he cannot believe them to be true." 1973: Another classicist, GS Kirk, rejects the notion that all myths are religious or sacred. In the category of "myth", he includes many legendary accounts that are "secular" for all practical purposes. 1997: Folklorists define a myth as "a sacred narrative explaining how the world and humankind came to be in their present form". 2004: In religious studies, the word "myth" is usually reserved for stories whose main characters are gods or demigods. 2004: The classicist Richard Buxton defines a myth as "a socially powerful traditional story". 2004: Robert A. Segal, professor of theories of religion at the Lancaster University, defines "myth" broadly as any story whose "main figures [are] personalities -- divine, human, or even animal. Excluded would be impersonal forces such as Plato's Good." Similarities between different religious mythologies Given any of the above definitions of "myth", the myths of many religions, both ancient and modern, share common elements. Widespread similarities between religious mythologies include the following: an initial Paradise preceding ordinary historical time the story of a god who undergoes death and resurrection (life-death-rebirth deity). The mythical geography of many religions involves an axis mundi, or Cosmic Center. Creation myths Supreme deity Hero's journey The similarities between cultures and time periods can be useful, but it is usually not easy to combine beliefs and histories from different groups. Simplification of cultures and time periods by eliminating detailed data remain vulnerable or flimsy in this area of research. Contrasts between different religious mythologies Though there are similarities among most religious mythologies, there are also contrasts. Many mythologies focus on explanations of the universe, natural phenomena, or other themes of human existence, often ascribing agency to one or more deities or other supernatural forces. However, some religions have very few of this kind of story of cosmic explanation. For instance, the Buddhist parable of the arrow warns against such speculations as "[Is] the world eternal or not eternal? [Is] the soul different from the body? [Does] the enlightened exist after death or not?", viewing them as irrelevant to the goal of escaping suffering.