Spiritual information and meaning-making: exploring personal narratives of residents at a contemplative spiritual retreat centre
Pranay Nangia, Ian Ruthven
Information Research 2022 DOI: 10.47989/irisic2236 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | People interviewed about their lives after taking residence at a contemplative spiritual retreat centre |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key findings | The analysis supports prior research that people engage with spiritual information after changes in worldview, significant events, mystical glimpses, and to gain spiritual knowledge. It provides an account of the sources and kinds of spiritual information at a contemplative retreat centre and suggests residents seek such information primarily for affective outcomes. The authors propose meaning-making as a helpful lens for interpreting information interactions in contemplation, spirituality, meaning, and purpose. |
Abstract
This study aimed to understand the role of information in the domains of contemplation, spirituality, and meaning and purpose. These domains can be a significant aspect of people’s lives and rich in information phenomena. We used narrative analysis, specifically the analysis of online videos in which people were interviewed about their lives after taking residence at a contemplative spiritual retreat centre. We interpreted the interviews through a lens of meaning-making and used a context-centric model to identify the information phenomena at a contemplative spiritual retreat. The findings: (1) Support prior research, which has identified that people engage with spiritual information as a result of a change in worldview, significant events, mystical glimpses, and to gain spiritual knowledge; (2) Deliver an account of the sources and kinds of spiritual information at a contemplative spiritual retreat centre; (3) Provide insights into how people interact with spiritual information during a contemplative spiritual retreat; (4) Suggest that residents at a contemplative spiritual retreat centre seek spiritual information primarily for affective outcomes. We demonstrated meaning-making as a helpful lens to interpret information interactions in the domains of contemplation, spirituality, meaning and purpose, and value in life.