Religious Experience Research Articles

Barriers to abortion provision: A qualitative study among medical students and gynecologists in Berlin, Germany

While abortion is a common medical procedure in Germany, the number of abortion-providing facilities declined by 46% between 2003 and 2022. As existing data do not paint a complete picture of the factors influencing this decline, an understanding into the perspectives of health care professionals (HCPs) is necessary. We set out to examine attitudes of HCPs in Berlin, Germany towarddifferent aspects of abortionto identify barriers that might prevent them from providing abortions. We used a qualitative research design consisting of in-depth semistructured one-on-one interviews with 14 medical students and four gynecologists. We transcribed interviews verbatim and conducted qualitative content analysis. Many interviewees perceived abortion as a taboo and legally ambiguous intervention. They feared stigmatization when talking about or providing abortions, especially by fellow students or religious family members. Few participants objected to abortion provision on religious grounds. Some medical students underestimated the safety of abortion and overestimated the potential for side effects and complications. Medical students obtained their knowledge about abortion from various sources, such as media, religious school education, or personal experience with abortion; the topic was rarely discussed in their medical education. To decide whether to provide abortions later, many students wished for detailed abortion teaching during medical school and residency. Fear of stigmatization, misconceptions on abortion, and religious beliefs reduced HCPs' willingness to perform abortions. Abortion education was widely valued by medical students and could address some of the barriers to abortion provision we found in this study. Universities and teaching hospitals should systematically teach about abortion to counteract misinformation and help normalize abortions among HCPs. Moreover, political decision-makers should take measures in order to destigmatize abortion, like an abortion regulation outside the Criminal Code in line with international public health recommendations.

Religion and the brain: Jordan Grafman's contributions to religion and brain research and the special case of religious language

Grafman and colleagues' papers in religion and brain research have documented the extent to which religious beliefs and behaviors are mediated by standard social cognitive networks in brain. Grafman's work however also points beyond treatments of religious cognition as merely a species of more general social cognitive processes. Data emerging from experiments targeting mystical states as well as reports of encounters with supernatural agents during controlled experiments with psychedelics, suggest that brain mediation of mystical encounters with supernatural agents involves both disruption/downregulation of social cognitive networks and activation of an additional as yet only partially identified neural process suggesting that a full neuroscience account of religious beliefs, behaviors and experiences must extend beyond treatment of religion as an ordinary social process.

The ethical dimensions of Mong Kinemong in music performance in catholic worship: a phenomenological analysis of first Friday night eucharist musicians at Ganjuran Church

In the context of Catholic worship at Ganjuran Church, music and musicians play vital roles in enhancing the spiritual experience of worshippers. This research employs a qualitative and phenomenological approach to explore the ethical aspects related to musical performances during the First Friday Night Eucharist. Through careful observation, interviews, and documentation, the study analyzes the musicians' practices using Marc Benamou's theory of Rasa and Keontjoroningrat's insights on religious emotion. The findings reveal that musicians at Ganjuran Church embody the ethical principle of 'Mong Kinemong,' demonstrating a profound ethos of mutual care deeply embedded in their musical practice. This ethical commitment is bolstered by the musicians' intense experience of religious emotion, evoking feelings of majesty and serenity among choir members. Additionally, instrumentalists, referred to as 'pengrawit,' express heightened veneration, describing their peak moments as 'semu' (joyful), 'nges' (serene and good), and 'dados' (fulfilling expectations). Importantly, this 'Mong Kinemong' ethos harmoniously integrates with musical elements, enhancing the overall worship experience. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of ethics in musical performance within the Catholic liturgy context, shedding light on the significance of mutual care, emotional resonance, and harmonious musical expression in enriching the spiritual dimension of worship.

(Techno)Paganism: An Exploration of Animistic Relations with the Digital

The aim of this paper is to examine and illustrate how the animistic ontology present in neopaganism allows embodied and sensuous interactions with virtual worlds. By considering animism as a strategy with which to rethink human cohabitation with the techno-digital otherness, I will show how neopagans who use computer technology for spiritual purposes experience the online context as an environment where lived religious practices can occur. To do so, I will particularly focus on religious practices taking place in digital games and 3D social virtual platforms due to their ability to induce immersive and interactive experiences. Because neopaganism recognizes the material living world as a central aspect of spiritual experiences, I will explore the ways that the spatial and material dimensions are articulated in neopagan’s online performances, the actions they make possible, and how they enable a more intimate relationship with virtual platforms. I will accompany the theoretical reflection with case studies and interviews with technopagan practitioners experiencing their religion with and within computer technology. This paper also aims to show how this new conception of animism connects to what Mikhail Bakhtin calls “dialogism”, a condition that recognizes the multiplicity of perspectives and voices and denies the possibility of not getting involved with the otherness. For such reasons, approaching the digital through an animistic ontology can help us acknowledge the convergence of humans with the techno-digital otherness and explore, on deeper levels, sensuous and embodied experiences taking place in the religious context.

RELIGIOUS IDENTITY, RELIGIOUS PRACTICES AND SPIRITUALITY OF THE POPULATION OF RUSSIA’S ASIAN BORDERLANDS

The religious identity of Russian citizens in modern conditions is transformed under the influence of socio-cultural processes of a global nature, often taking individualized forms and combined with practices of reviving interest in religion and its protective, compensatory functions in conditions of uncertainty. In 2022-2023, with the support of the Russian Science Foundation, a sociological study was conducted to examine religious identity, religious practices and spiritual security in the border regions (Altai Territory, Altai Republic, Tyva Republic and Novosibirsk Region, 1868 people). The population of the border regions gravitates towards Orthodoxy (36%), however, significant differentiations in the regional refraction of the religious mosaic. Orthodoxy prevails in the Altai Territory and the Novosibirsk Region, shamanism prevails in Tyva (52%), Burkhanism is represented in the Altai Republic (16%). Moreover, an index of religiosity based on the Huber methodology was calculated in the study. The index is built on the integration of the five structural components of religiosity: intellectual, ideological, public and personal religious practices, and religious experience. The average index of religiosity was 2.41 points, the most religious is the population of the Tuva Republic (2.75), followed by the Altai Republic (2.52), index values below the test norm (2.45) were recorded in the Altai Territory (2.36) and the Novosibirsk Region (2.16). Ideas about religiosity and spirituality are changing and acquiring new meanings in the light of changing social relations between believers and non-believers, emerging new practices and religious organizations.

Sacred Cyberspaces: Catholicism, New Media, and the Religious Experience, By Oren Golan and Michele MartiniMediating Catholicism: Religion and Media in Global Catholic Imaginaries, Edited by Eric Hoenes del Pinal, Marc Roscoe Loustau, and Kristin Norget

Sacred Cyberspaces: Catholicism, New Media, and the Religious Experience, By Oren Golan and Michele MartiniMediating Catholicism: Religion and Media in Global Catholic Imaginaries, Edited by Eric Hoenes del Pinal, Marc Roscoe Loustau, and Kristin Norget

The Arrow and the Ecstasy: The Rhetoric of Rapture in French Carmelite Poetry

Abstract Recently discovered manuscript poems from the archives of French Carmelite convents show that seventeenth-, eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Carmelite women recalled, celebrated, aspired to and – by their accounts – achieved religious rapture. The attainment of spiritual ecstasy and the expression of such extraordinary religious experience was not, however, a simple matter for women of this time period. In this study it will be shown that French Carmelite women used a “rhetoric of rapture” established by their spiritual mother, Teresa of Ávila, in order to lend legitimacy to their spiritual experiences and to safeguard those experiences from scrutiny.

Effects of religious intermittent dry fasting on religious experience and mindfulness: A longitudinal study among Baha’is.

Effects of religious intermittent dry fasting on religious experience and mindfulness: A longitudinal study among Baha’is.

Entheogens: Psychedelic religion in the United States, part two

AbstractScholars across the academic spectrum have written about the renewed interest in psychedelics that is commonly called the Psychedelic Renaissance (PR). Psychedelic religion is a major component of the PR, as psychedelic churches are growing exponentially and as people who consume and who research psychedelics routinely contend that these substances induce or occasion religious, spiritual, or mystical experiences. Scholars have noticed the growing association of psychoactive substances and religiosity, and they have addressed this association from a variety of academic fields, methods, and methodologies. Part one of this article (“Entheogens: Psychedelic religion in the United States, Part One”) explored the historiography of associations of psychoactive substances and religiosity in the United States from the 1800s to the 1980s. Part two of this article continues the historiographical analysis of this literature beginning in the 1980s and ends with recent scholarship. Collectively, this analysis highlights the evolving political, legal, and sociocultural capital associated with psychoactive substances and religion.

Connect and Celebrate the Great Mother Online

Rituals are creative embodied and emotional practices and are central in the lived spiritual and religious experience of contemporary Pagans, strengthening their community ties. In March 2020, with the outbreak of COVID-19 and the consequent restrictions raised by the Portuguese and British governments, isolation and the impossibility of onsite ritualization led to alternative forms of engagement and relationality within the community. Contemporary Pagans used online and digital tools and developed several strategies to care for and offer emotional and spiritual support during these challenging times. This article, based on online fieldwork among Portuguese and British contemporary Pagans during 2020, argues that Pagans embraced online forms of ritualization as an answer to the uncertainty of the period, feeling connected with each other even without the embodied, sensorial, and nature-based experience of onsite ritualization. It examines the challenges that these forms of engagement raise to the academic study of Contemporary Paganism.

Review: The Varieties of Spiritual Experience: 21st Century Research and Perspectives, by David B. Yaden and Andrew Newberg

Review: <i>The Varieties of Spiritual Experience: 21st Century Research and Perspectives</i>, by David B. Yaden and Andrew Newberg

Development and Validation of the Transcendent Beliefs Scale (TBS): A 12-Item Assessment of Self-Transcendent States

Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the Transcendent Beliefs Scale (TBS). We defined transcendent experiences as an experience of unity with others and the whole of existence, which is associated with behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and transcendental factors. Our aim was to develop a very brief instrument that accurately reflected the phenomenology of transcendent states. Keywords: trauma, chronic pain, dissociation, EFT, EMDR, mindful breathing, bilateral stimulation, BLS, WHEE, HeartMath, blended, combined, interventions Method: The factor structure, validity, and reliability of the TBS were assessed across a sample of university students and energy therapy practitioners (N = 305). Results: With respect to convergent validity, we found that transcendent experiences were positively correlated with daily spiritual experiences, trait hope, and meaning in life. Discriminant validity was demonstrated through a negative weak relationship to narcissistic personality traits. Exploratory factor analysis reduced the scale to 12 items and a two-factor model was found to fit the data. Conclusion: The results indicate that the TBS is a valid and reliable scale to measure transcendent beliefs in the general population. It is suitable for research projects in which a brief measure of transcendence is required. Keywords: transcendent beliefs, transcendent experiences, universal oneness, scale validation, unity consciousness, existence, transcendental phenomenology.

THE SURVIVAL OF SRADHA BHAKTI AS A HINDU FORTIFICATION IN MENJING VILLAGE

Multiculturalism and pluralism stem from the development of people; nonetheless, human distinctions persist based on their patterns and ideas. Pancasila is the shield of Indonesia's culture, which is comprised of several tribes, ethnicities, and faiths bonded together by customs and culture. In the decades of the modern period, a lack of intercultural education, moral problems, and communal values have led to numerous cases. This study employs qualitative methodologies and descriptive qualitative analysis. The set of procedures includes data reduction, data presentation, data verification, and data interpretation. The contradictions in Menjing Village continue to be a political and ideological fight that undermines public trust. The strategies for sustaining sraddha bhakti in Menjing are enhancing social and religious capital via community empowerment, using the likelihood of the political society's processes, including the cultural factor as a rule for social and religious life, enhancing the structural dimension via the institution system, conducting programs for the advancement of religious education based on conservatism, the religious education system in Menjing, comprises components of religious education beliefs, religious practices in religious education, religious experience in religious education, religious knowledge as a means of bolstering the Hindu religious spirit, and religious education outcomes.

Epistemological and conceptual problems in the scientific study of anomalous experience

Anomalous experience is defined as an unusual experience and although it is experienced by a substantial number of people in a population, it differs from ordinary experience and thus from commonly accepted explanations of reality. It is essential to point out that there are reports of an enormous and complex variety of so-called anomalous experiences, encompassing a diversity of experiences, leading to a conceptual difficulty. To this end, we carried out a reflection, based on theoretical and bibliographical studies in the concept of anomalous experience, in order to explore the terminologies concerning the anomalous and to verify the reason for the difficulty of consensus about the theme. Exploring the existing terminologies in relation to the anomalous experience, a difficulty of clarity and conceptual systematization guided in its nature was identified in appropriation and conceptual use. In our discussion we explain certain historical-epistemological points of nomenclatures and areas of knowledge used in diverse experiences, specifically those linked to anomalies, such as the parapsychological experiences marked by Parapsychology and the religious experiences by the Psychology of Religion and Phenomenology of Religion; in order to problematize the difficulty that Anomalistic Psychology presents in the study and differentiation of these experiences.

Engendering prosociality through tourist-to-tourist interaction in religious tourism: an existential transformative perspective

The religious prosociality hypothesis explains why visitors with religious beliefs tend to be more prosocial. Interestingly, in the context of religious tourism, non-believers who travel to religious tourist destinations often experience a prosocial turn similar to believers, but the mechanism behind it remains unclear. Drawing on an existential transformative perspective, this study uses tourist-to-tourist interaction (TTI), prosociality, interpersonal authenticity, and emotional solidarity to investigate the transformative power of religious tourism experiences in making one more prosocial. Questionnaires were distributed in a famous religious tourist attraction in China’s Yunnan Province. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS24.0 and Amos24.0. Research findings include: TTI positively influences interpersonal authenticity and emotional solidarity; interpersonal authenticity and emotional solidarity positively affect prosociality significantly; interpersonal authenticity and emotional solidarity mediate the relationship between TTI and prosociality. This study analyses the mechanism of prosociality aroused by TTI in religious tourism and fills the research gap on how religious tourism affects the relationship between individuals and society. It also provides practical implications for relevant destinations to facilitate TTI to maximize the positive social impacts of religious tourism activities.

Buddhayana: Memahami Peran Ashin Jinarakkhita dalam Pengembangan Spiritual Umat Buddha

Spiritual development among Indonesian Buddhists has received a strong boost through the role of Ashin Jinarakkhita, in the course of his dedicated life, Ashin Jinarakkhita has become a major pillar in enriching the spiritual experience of Indonesian Buddhists. Her teachings and practices have influenced many individuals, leading them on a journey towards a deeper understanding of Buddhism. This article will review this pivotal role, exploring the various ways in which Ashin Jinarakkhita has contributed to strengthening the spiritual and religious foundation of Indonesian Buddhists. This research utilizes the library research method to collect secondary data related to Ashin Jinarakkhita's role. The results of this research show that Ashin Jinarakkhita has become an important pillar in the spiritual development of Indonesian Buddhists. Over the course of his life, Ashin Jinarakkhita has been dedicated to spreading Buddhism, providing spiritual guidance, and establishing places of worship and Buddhist education. In addition, his role in promoting peace, interfaith tolerance, and moral leadership has helped strengthen the spiritual and ethical foundation of Indonesian Buddhist society

Transformasi Organisasi Keagamaan Melalui Nilai-Nilai Buddhayana: Studi Organisasi Majelis Buddhayana Indonesia

This study aims to investigate the transformation of religious organizations through the application of Buddhayana values in the context of the Organization Majelis Buddhayana Indonesia. Buddhayana is Buddhism itself. In the context of organizations, Buddhayana as an ideology is instilled by upholding non-sectarian values, universalism, pluralism and belief in Dharmakaya. This research uses the literature study method. Literature study can be taken by collecting references consisting of several previous studies which are then compiled to draw conclusions. The transformation of religious organizations by reinforcing religious values can help deepen the spiritual experience of adherents and increase the organization's positive contribution to society. These values are embodied in "Buddhayana" which is non-sectarian, pluralism, universalism and belief in Dharmakaya

Peningkatan Kompetensi Spiritual Care Perawat Menggunakan Metode Reflektif Praktis

The aim of this research is to find out practical reflective methods that are suitable for improving nurses' spiritual care competence. This research uses the scoping review method. Literature search on electronic databases namely SCOPUS, Science Direct, ProQuest. The time the article was published was January 2013 to December 2022. The final search results were 7 articles that met the inclusion criteria. There are three themes, namely group reflection methods that are appropriate to be applied in the clinical area of nursing, the role of the facilitator for reflection groups as the key to conveying the spiritual care experience of nurses, and a conducive teaching and learning environment in the clinical area. The conclusion from this research is that there is a need for reflection methods that are adapted to the needs of nurses in clinical areas. Nursing management can carry out guided group reflection methods for implementing nurses and training facilitators to lead group reflection. Apart from that, a safe and comfortable environment is needed in sharing experiences in groups.&#x0D; &#x0D; Keywords: Nurse Competency, Reflective Practice, Spiritual care

Mediums, Objects, and the Problem of Presence in the Western Himalayas

ABSTRACT In some religious contexts, mainly Protestant Christianity, anthropologists often contend with the problem of presence that preoccupies believers – the simultaneous presence and absence of God. However, in the Hinduism of the Western Himalayas the problem of presence is quite different. The royal deities in this region are profoundly present, embodied in mediums and palanquins. Thus, followers of these deities are not puzzled by the concept of an absent god. Instead, they need to navigate in a world where gods are very tangible, in ways that can cause discomfort and anxiety. In this article I demonstrate the different roles of mediums and palanquins in the religious experience, and how palanquins are considered more reliable manifestations of the deities. I suggest that this is due to the need of the locals to maintain some degree of distance from the spirit mediumship in order to avoid excess presence of the deities.

Identifying Coastal Cities from the Perspective of “Identity-Structure-Meaning”: A Study of Urban Tourism Imagery in Sanya, China

Urban tourism imagery is an essential factor affecting the competitiveness of cities. However, most existing studies use small data methods such as interviews and questionnaires to explore tourists’ perceptions of cities without combining big data for analysis. In addition, there is relatively little research on the tourism imagery of coastal cities. Therefore, this study analyzes the data from 523 travelogues from a three-dimensional perspective of identity, structure, and meaning, using methods such as BERTopic, aiming to explore the tourism imagery of coastal cities perceived by tourists. The results show the following: (1) In terms of identity, Sanya’s urban tourism imagery has the attribute of “external explicit-internal implicit”, which satisfies tourists’ visual and spiritual experiences. (2) Regarding structure, Sanya has a clear regional division of imagery and a core–edge diffusion distribution among regions. (3) Regarding meaning, tourists’ attitudes toward Sanya are polarized. Positive emotions predominate in the overall perception of meaning, but 25% of the negative emotions require urgent attention. This study provides a reference for the sustainable development of tourism cities and the marketing management of destinations.