Paper Short Abstract:

The research focuses on self-spirituality premises that shape adherents’ identity construction, reconstruction, and deconstruction. The research is based on interviews with 50 people who are actively engaged in several of these New Age practices: channeling, shamanism, meditation, rebirthing, etc.

Paper Abstract:

The research focuses on self-spirituality premises that shape adherents’ identity construction, reconstruction, and deconstruction. The research is based on interviews with 50 people who are actively engaged in several of these New Age practices: channeling, shamanism, meditation, rebirthing, etc. We asked the participants “what is spirituality for you” and “how does spirituality relate to your identity?”. Data analysis revealed several interrelated themes. First: Inquiry and spiritual identity as an ongoing process. Example: “I don't think I have one identity. I think I have many, many, many layers, that every day I discover another stage and another stage, and it never ends…”. Second: Identity construction is challenged by spirituality. Example: “A lot of the way I did [on the spiritual path] was to understand what identity is and to allow it to be shed, to change it, not to cling to it so tightly”. Third: Spirituality challenges existing roles and identities. Example: “The spirituality comes to strengthen me as a free person, not as a wife of someone.” Fourth: Spirituality accepts multiple aspects of the self to coexist peacefully. Example: “I smiled at this figure [me] who moves between the 3 characters who are very, very different.” Discussion: The self is the object of self-awareness and continuous inquiry leading adherents to challenge their inclinations to various identities. As self-spirituality emphasizes the "whole person", one is able to accept a variety of manifestations of the self (Feminine and masculine, dark and light, spirit and body) and to emphasize balance over conflict.