Religious Experience Research Articles

Poetry’s “shimmering robes”

Despite the many essays that provide instructive tracing of Carl Jung’s archetypes in Romantic literature (and elsewhere), critics have declined to examine the important implications and consequences of parallels between Jung’s theory of artistic awareness and Romantic aesthetic ideology. This ideology finds expression in the language of Blake, Percy Shelley, Emerson, Coleridge, Wordsworth and others regarding artistic creativity, specifically its origins and aims, but especially the creative process itself. In this essay, I examine the way Jung samples Romantic ideas and imagery in his characterization of art and in his conception of the religious experience of the artist in the act of creation. In doing so, I suggest that attachment to popular (not always accurate) Jungian ideas about art has reinforced the continued acceptance of compelling Romantic myths about unconscious creativity. I argue that, in his essay “On the Relation of Analytical Psychology to Poetry” and other essays, as part of an effort to liberate modern conceptions of art from reliance on mechanistic views of the human mind, Jung impeaches the merits of the Freudian model tied to medical forensics and installs in its place a Romantic theory of art rooted in the idea of intuitive creativity.

“Drink, be drunk and vomit, fall and rise no more”: Understanding the image of the cup of God’s wrath in Jeremiah 25 in light of the Mesopotamian anti-witchcraft tradition

The apocalyptic vision of God commanding his prophet to serve the leaders of Judah the cup of his divine wrath in Jeremiah 25.15–17 and 27–28 has sparked heated theological debate. Multiple interpretations have been proposed based on intra-biblical analyses. This imagery, however, has never been compared to extra-biblical material. For example, a 7th-century BCE Assyrian incantation prayer for the patient’s social reintegration attributes his vomiting and staggering to a poisoned drink and diagnoses his curse as the result of his gods’ wrath. The depiction of the cup of God’s wrath in Jeremiah 25 may have drawn upon the Mesopotamian anti-witchcraft tradition to portray Yahweh as an exorcist who counter-curses his people. By compelling the leaders and the people of Judah to consume the same poisonous elixir, presented symbolically as the poisonous speech they had recklessly spread throughout the land, Yahweh causes his people to disgorge their internal toxicity.

Deconstructing the Distinction Between Religious Experience and Psychopathology

Debates on the distinction between religious experience and mental disorder tend to assume, rather than argue for, the existence of unique types of experience: the religious and the psychopathological. This paper interrogates this approach to the problem. It deconstructs the distinction by examining what the distinction is about beyond the terms in which it is presented and whether it matters who is trying to make it. A key idea is that one’s standpoint in the debate—that is, whether one adopts a religious or a secular standpoint—determines what they can say about the distinction. This leads to the central argument of the first part of the paper: The distinction between religious experience and mental disorder can only be invoked from a secular standpoint but can only be clarified from a religious standpoint. In other words, if you have the grounds to invoke it, you cannot have the tools to clarify it; and if you have the tools to clarify it, you do not have the grounds to invoke it. In the second part, the paper follows through the implications, from a secular standpoint, of accepting this argument. It appeals to the politics of difference and to mental health activism to argue against the binary view whereby mental distress is either illness and incapacity or a path to purpose and identity.

Gratitude and Spirituality among Generations X, Yand Z

Generation gap is a term used by all generations and this study was conducted to investigate the Gratitude and Spirituality amidst generations X, Y and Z. Gratitude defines to the positive aspect of life and the behaviour of being thankful, and Spirituality makes mention of the finding of one’s inner self and peace. The sample consisted of 325 respondents in which 101 from generation X , 100 from Y and 124 from Z, data collection by means of convenient sampling. The measures used for the study which was quantitative included assessing the participants gratitude and spirituality by using gratitude questionnaire-6 (GQ-6) and Daily Spiritual Experience Scale (DSES) respectively. Mann-Wittney U test, Kruskal-Wallis and Spearman’s correlation were used to analyse the significant difference, comparing mean ranks of groups and correlation of variables respectively. The results shows that Gratitude and Spirituality is higher for Generation X than Y and Z. Females were found to have high spirituality and gratitude when compared to males. Participants who believe in religion and God were found to have high spirituality. Gratitude and Spirituality were found to have positive correlation.

Transformative light and thresholds: exploring metaphor in brutalist church architecture

In this paper I consider the interaction between architectural space and embodied spiritual experience. In an example of a South African Dutch Reformed Church building designed by architect Roelof Uytenbogaardt in the town of Welkom, and the church of the light in Osaka Japan, by Tadao Ando, these aspects are highlighted and read through the lens of metaphor, phenomenological architectural interpretation, and image studies. These differing lines of inquiry are brought together, if we accept architectural theorist Juhani Pallasmaa’s premise (1996, 2005) that architecture can direct our consciousness back to the world, to our own sense of self and embodied being; and we in turn base our analysis on art historian Ellen Esrock’s (2010) concepts concerning emphatic bodily projection; it may be argued that new insight into the way architecture underscores embodied spiritual experiences could be gained. The selected church building is analysed from a phenomenological point of view, emphasising architectural features, the interpretation of the metaphors of light and threshold, and how architectural space may contribute to congregants’ experience during a service.

ROLE OF HOLISTIC EDUCATION PRACTICES TO ENRICH THE INDIAN KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM IN CONTEMPORARY EDUCATION

Education is the most powerful instrument to enhance and inculcate the BhartiyaKnowledge tradition in the 21st-century generation. This research article started with a brief introduction to the Knowledge System with special reference to India. The highlights are the foundation and principles of holistic education,the interrelationship between Indian knowledge andHolistic Education, and the contemporary education system. There is a total absence of moralvalues, ethical training, and knowledge of culture and tradition in the young generation which is also referred to as Generation Z(GenZ). This article focuses on the role of holistic education in spiritual awakening among the generations and learning from our ancient literature, art, and culture which ultimately enhance the panoramic development of human beings. An emphasis on the balance between traditional wisdom and contemporary educational approaches is the prerequisite. The focus on the holistic education practices that contribute to the enrichment of the Indian Knowledge Tradition showcases an integration of traditional wisdom and modern teaching methodologies. The role of the Bhartiya Knowledge Tradition in the Indian education system is a vital source of rejuvenating the strength of glorious ancient art, culture, and literature among learners studying at different levels of education.IndianKnowledgeTradition with the Holistic Education approach can regain the prestige of Bharat as Vishwa Guru all over the world once again.

Exploring the Interplay Between Religious Music, Emotions, and Ethics in Cultures Worldwide

There is no doubt that music significantly impacts people in their daily lives, emotionally and spiritually. This study explores the impact of religious music on people’s well-being, emotions, and ethical values. The paper provides evidence supporting the positive effects of religious music on mental well-being, reducing psychological distress, and enhancing life satisfaction. The literature review showed that within musical and religious activities, individuals have positive associations between certain aspects of musical and religious experiences and specific domains of happiness, such as sociability, satisfaction with life, and well-being that were not seen in correlation with happiness to membership of religion. It also analyzes the role of music in reinforcing morals and ethical standards within religious worship by influencing pro-social behavior and ethical decision-making. Listeners are attracted to the immersive world of religious music in reaction to the songs' symbolic suggestions, which forces them to reflect on moral quandaries and solidify their ethical views. Religious music serves as a tool to encourage a more robust emotional engagement, resulting in a more loyal following for religious groups. Case studies on Bapedi music and Gregorian chants are also reviewed and further support how religious music strengthens spiritual connections, fosters shared values, and contributes to cultural identity within religious communities. In conclusion, religious music profoundly influences an individual’s quality of life, emotions, and moral convictions and, therefore, has an enduring effect on shaping a religious experience for people.

Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values as an Object of Legal Research

Introduction. The article raises the problem of traditional Russian spiritual and moral values as an object for legal research. The starting point of any scientific research is to clarify the conceptual apparatus of the study, which determines the analysis of the question of the content of the category under consideration. The phenomenon of traditional Russian spiritual and moral values is a subject for interdisciplinary research, which requires borrowing a number of categories from philosophy and social sciences when conducting its theoretical and legal analysis. The legitimization of relations in the field of protection of traditional Russian spiritual and moral values requires primary attention from theoretical jurisprudence to the issue of defining the conceptual content and scope of this concept, which dictates the need for additional research in the field under consideration.Materials and methods. The methodological basis of the research is based on the following general scientific and special methods of cognition of legal phenomena and processes. Consideration of the nature of traditional Russian spiritual and moral values is carried out within the framework of an interdisciplinary approach, which is combined with the principles of consistency and objectivity of scientific research. The scope and content of traditional Russian spiritual and moral values are investigated through the use of formal-logical and inductive-deductive methods.Results of the study. As a result of the research, the author's understanding of the concept of traditional Russian spiritual and moral values as an object for legal research is proposed. The internal patterns of functioning of the phenomenon under consideration, as well as external threats that necessitate the use of legal remedies, are revealed.Discussion and conclusion. Under traditional Russian spiritual and moral values, it is proposed to understand the concentrated expression of the most significant for Russian society and the state, time-tested social practices that are the subject of broad-casting spiritual and moral experience from one generation to another, encroachments on which trigger an irreversible process of disintegration of social matter, degeneration of all social ties.

Memahami Konsep Keselamatan dan Filsafat Kristen Tinjauan Dari Perspektif Teologis Dan Filosofi

On the other hand, from a Christian philosophical perspective, the concept of salvation can be approached through rational thinking and conceptual analysis. Christian philosophy often explores ontological and epistemological questions about the nature of salvation, such as the relationship between human freedom and God's sovereignty, as well as the nature of spiritual truth. This research highlights the differences in sources of authority, methods of truth discovery, and ultimate goals between theological and philosophical approaches to salvation. While theology relies on religious teachings, divine revelation, and religious experience, Christian philosophy tends to use logical reasoning and conceptual analysis. However, these two fields can complement each other in deepening understanding of the concept of salvation, creating creative and in-depth dialogue about the nature of the Christian faith. This research provides valuable insights for theologians, philosophers, and practitioners of Christianity to explore the concept of salvation holistically, combining deep theological understanding with critical philosophical analysis.

Müller, Sabrina. 2023. Religious Experience and Its Transformational Power: Qualitative and Hermeneutic Approaches to a Practical Theological Foundational Concept

Müller, Sabrina. 2023. Religious Experience and Its Transformational Power: Qualitative and Hermeneutic Approaches to a Practical Theological Foundational Concept

Editor’s Introduction

After tracing the history of the term “spirituality” and the discipline of spirituality up to the mid-twentieth century, this article describes the contemporary understanding of spirituality as lived religious experience and of the academic discipline which studies this subject. This phenomenology of the discipline grounds a position on the relationship between lived spirituality and theology on the one hand, and the academic disciplines of spirituality and theology on the other.

Hubungan Ilmu Tasawuf dan Ilmu Kalam Dalam Perspektif Abu-Hamid Muhammad (Al-Ghazali)

In the perspective of Abu Hamid Muhammad Al-Ghazali, the relationship between Sufism (Tasawuf) and Islamic theology (Kalam) plays a crucial role in understanding and practicing Islam. Kalam provides an intellectual foundation for conceptual understanding of religious principles, while Sufism offers a profound approach to spirituality and personal experience. According to Al-Ghazali, the integration of these two fields enables individuals to achieve a comprehensive understanding of Islam, encompassing both intellectual and spiritual aspects. By deepening this understanding, a Muslim can draw closer to God and attain true happiness in both this world and the hereafter.

Восприятие Блеза Паскаля и его наследия советской официальной культурой 1920–1930-х гг.

The perception of Blaise Pascal by the official Soviet culture of the 1920–1930s has not yet become the subject of a special study. At a new historical turn, the scientific and spiritual legacy of the French thinker was inevitably subject to revision. The authors set themselves the task of revealing the peculiarities of constructing the image of Pascal and interpreting his ideas in the society of mass intellectual culture. The main material for the article was information about Pascal, which a Soviet citizen could obtain from encyclopedic dictionaries, textbooks, popular science articles and periodicals. It is concluded that the personality and works of the French genius of the 17th century were important in arranging a dialogue between the new Soviet culture and traditional European culture in general, and the French culture in particular. In the 1920–1930s the “Soviet traditionalism” was emerging, i. e. the practice of the Soviet state to create boundaries of loyalty for traditionalism, which, first of all, affects intellectual culture. The European bourgeois culture and the specific case of Pascal were inscribed into the new coordinates. The “boundaries of loyalty” set for the legacy of the French genius brought to the fore Pascal the scientist and Pascal the philosophizing writer. The emphasis on the Descartes/Pascal opposition, which reflects the spiritual, philosophical, cultural and ideological conflicts of the new Soviet state, is meaningful. In this conflict, Pascal became a kind of “hidden man”, whose spiritual experience is disguised under the proclaimed atheistic mundanity. However, the essence of the internal structure of Pascal’s personality turns out to be close to the asceticism and anti-bourgeois nature of the Soviet culture. Pascal becomes a role model for the Soviet people in terms of shaping themselves on the path to a bright and just society.

Spiritual Care[Givers] Competence in Palliative Care: A Scoping Review.

To deliver spiritual care, professionals must be skilled in physical, mental, social, and spiritual care. Spiritual care competence includes knowledge, behaviors, attitudes, and skills that enable successful or efficient care. This review aims to identify the scope of competence and the specific skills, knowledge, and attitudes used in providing spiritual care to people needing palliative care, and the main challenges and facilitators. A scoping review was developed using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. Six databases (Web of Science; MEDLINE/Pubmed; Scopus; CINAHL; MedicLatina and SciELO) were searched in September 2023, with an update in January 2024. The resulting 30 articles were analyzed using a content analysis approach. Information was categorized into three domains: cognitive, affective, and functional (based on three personal resources: intrapersonal, interpersonal, and transpersonal). Palliative care professionals face a lack of training and insufficient preparation to deliver spiritual care. Spiritual care competence depends on professional spiritual development and experience, spiritual intelligence (cognitive), spiritual humility (affective), and having a critical and reflexive mind (functional). In the future, palliative care should seek to improve competent spiritual care. This review could help clarify the real configuration of competent spiritual care and lead to improvements in a professional's empowerment when delivering effective spiritual care to patients and families.

The intersection of faith and tourism: an exploratory study on halal tourism motivations among Indian millennials

Purpose This study aims to explore the motivations of emerging market millennial Muslims to partake in halal tourism, a developing sector of the travel industry that caters to the religious practices of Muslim tourists. Design/methodology/approach This study is qualitative in nature. In-depth interviews were conducted with millennials aged 25–40 in India to gain an understanding of the factors that influence their decision-making and travel behaviour. Further, thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Findings The findings emphasise the intricate interplay between faith, cultural and social factors in millennial Indians’ motivations for halal travel. The study found that religious motivations, such as the desire to fulfil religious duties and participate in spiritual experiences, were significant factors in halal tourism. Social motivations, such as the desire to interact with other Muslims and strengthen family ties, also played a significant role. The study also highlighted the importance of environmental sustainability and conservation efforts in the decision-making process of Indian millennials when choosing halal travel options. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature on halal tourism by exploring the motivations of emerging-market millennial Muslims. The study is original in its focus on the Indian context and the inclusion of sustainability and conservation efforts in the analysis of motivations for halal tourism.

The Body of “the Body of Christ”: An Introduction to Hyperscanning Research and a Discussion of Its Possible Implications for Understanding Social Experiences During Religious Gatherings

Neuroscience has become a well-accepted methodological modality in the study of religion, especially of religious behavior, personal prayer, meditation, mysticism, spiritual experience, and personal religious experiences. However, such studies have been performed on individuals only; none have helped scholars understand the neuro-physiological correlates of religious communities, religious interactions, collective liturgical action, or the like. This article introduces the new field of social neuroscience, showing how its primary tool, hyperscanning, is revealing surprising levels of “brain-to-brain synchrony.” Though there are no hyperscanning studies of religious communities yet, the authors suggest that findings about shared attention, interpersonal coordination, and feelings of closeness all have clear parallels in and implications for religious communities. The authors then suggest both directions and cautions for future research.

Konversi Agama: Proses dan Faktor yang Mempengaruhi

This research aims to investigate the process of religious conversion and the factors that influence it. Religious conversion is a complex phenomenon involving fundamental changes in an individual's beliefs and identity. Through a qualitative approach, a literature review explores the causes, processes and factors that influence religious conversion. Data analysis was carried out using thematic methods. Research findings show that the religious conversion process involves stages such as search, consideration, religious experience, and decision making. Factors influencing religious conversion include social environmental influences, personal experiences, spiritual crises, search for meaning in life, and external factors such as mixed marriages or exposure to new cultures. The implications of this research can help our understanding of the dynamics of religious conversion and provide insight into intervention and guidance efforts in the context of religious diversity in society.

Segmentation by motivations in religious tourism: A study of the Christ of Miracles Pilgrimage, Peru.

The present study, focused on pilgrimages as part of religious tourism, aimed to achieve the following objectives: Identify the motivations of the demand for religious tourism focused on pilgrimages; analyze the segmentation of the demand; identify the relationship between demand segments with satisfaction and loyalty; and establish the sociodemographic aspects that characterize demand segments. The study was conducted during the Pilgrimage of the Christ of Miracles in Lima, Peru. The sample was taken on-site from 384 tourists. The statistical techniques used were factor analysis and the k-means clustering method. The results reveal five motivational dimensions: Religious Experience, Belief Experience, Escape, Touristic Experience, and Shopping. Three attendee segments were also identified: Believers, related to belief experience; Religious, related to religious experience; and Passive, tourists with low motivations. The Religious segment had the highest satisfaction and loyalty levels among these groups. Sociodemographic differences were also found in the demand segments. The findings will contribute to management guidelines for destination administrators with religious events and provide insights into academic literature.

What Is It Like to Be in Alcohol Addiction Recovery? A Dialectical Phenomenological Analysis

Plain Language SummaryIn the mental health field, there is still no consensus on what it means to be in alcohol addiction recovery beyond controlling alcohol use, which challenges the development of treatments and policies aimed at promoting more than symptom remission. We believe part of this issue is due to the hegemony of strictly objective approaches that lack theoretical resources to grasp recovery experiences. Hence, we tried to contribute to recovery understanding by analyzing the recovery experiences of individuals with alcohol addiction. For this, we used the dialectical phenomenological psychopathology perspective as a theoretical lens, which consists of a study approach in psychopathology that investigates experiences of mental disorders and their typical ways of relating to the world. Through this perspective, we examined online interviews of 8 Brazilian, São Paulo state citizens, who were self-declared to be undergoing alcohol addiction recovery (or who declared that they had completely recovered). Their reports indicated that recovery was a process that featured changes in self-relation, changes in interpersonal relations, changes in time relation, and giving new meanings to alcohol use and suffering. Those transformations were also interpreted by participants’ worldviews of spiritual experience, moral reformation, and mentality change. In the discussion, we understood such changes as transformations in the way they experience an act in the world, which are developed by continued management of their own alcohol addiction vulnerabilities. Although we consider the results preliminary when it comes to conceptualizing recovery, we believe they may help future studies to develop therapeutic strategies committed to promoting patient recovery.

Connectedness to Nature, Spirituality, and Resilience among Selected Filipino Adolescents

The study determined the relationship between connectedness to nature, spirituality, and resilience among selected Filipino adolescents. There were 116 respondents, with an average age of 19.6 years, who completed a self-administered questionnaire. Findings show that the average level of connectedness to nature was 51.05 with the majority of the scores (71.6%) in the average range. More than two-thirds (67.2%) of the respondents had an average frequency of spiritual experiences. The majority (78.4%) also had scores in the average resilience levels. Connectedness to nature had weak positive relationships with spirituality and resilience. Spirituality and resilience were also weakly and positively related. All relationships were significant. Adolescent connectedness to nature, spirituality and resilience should be enhanced as these are related to positive individual states and outcomes. Further studies can consider larger samples of adolescents from various settings and how the mentioned variables relate to each other in different adolescent contexts.