Individualism in Spirituality? A Close Look at Vedanta Students and Yoga Practitioners in Rio de Janeiro
Cecilia Guimarães Bastos
International Journal of Latin American Religions December 1, 2022 DOI: 10.1007/s41603-022-00176-4 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Vedanta students and yoga practitioners |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Behavior Individualism Self Spirituality |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key findings | Practitioners of yoga and meditation tend to submit to religious dogmas and authorities, challenging the concepts of autonomy and free choice. |
Abstract
The practices of yoga and meditation are discussed based on the observation of a group of Vedanta students and yoga practitioners. This article offers a critical reflection of the individualism inherent to the understanding of spirituality. In contrast to most studies that differentiate spirituality from religion, this research confirms that interlocutors tend to submit to religious dogmas and to authorities, in the form of the guru, the tradition and the cosmic order. It was noticed that they adapt to these principles, at the same time that they seem to transcend their individuality when becoming part of these holistic traditions, both as transmitters and receivers, who thus express their most significant values and meanings. These as a result challenge the concepts of autonomy and free choice.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.