Spiritual Festivals as Embodied Sites of Becoming ‘Porous Selves’
Temenos - Nordic Journal for the Study of Religion June 6, 2025 Toomas Gross 2 citations
Spiritual festivals in Estonia attract a diverse mix of attendees, including followers of new religions, enthusiasts of esoteric knowledge, and individuals on personal quests. These events serve as opportunities for self-transformation, where participants collectively engage in practices designed to help them 'open up' to themselves, others, and the world. The physical body is central to these ritualized activities, which involve synchronized movement, dance, touch, and eye contact. The paper uses Charles Taylor's concept of the 'buffered' versus the 'porous' self to analyze how these shared bodily practices can foster transformative experiences.