Når spiritualitet blir kroppslig
AURA - Tidsskrift for akademiske studier av nyreligiøsitet December 22, 2023 Christian Stokke, Mira Cataya Rodriguez
Spontaneous spiritual awakenings are increasingly common in alternative spiritual communities in Norway, yet research on such experiences outside religious contexts in Nordic countries remains scarce. Based on three qualitative interviews with individuals in Norwegian spiritual communities who experienced spontaneous awakenings, the article describes altered states of consciousness, intense feelings of love, and physical bodily energies that led to permanent psychological transformation. Using humanistic and transpersonal psychology, the authors argue these embodied spiritual transformations differ from religious conversion and are better understood through trauma healing, self-actualization, and human potential.