Abstract
This article discusses a new form of practices which are offered by private companies or entrepreneurs (layman therapists) whose practices focusing on self-development and healing rapidly expanded in the early 2000s in Sweden. I have chosen to analyze these practices from a Ritual Studies perspective as individual-centered rites designed to remedy ill health and low self-esteem and to build new, positive visions for individuals or groups of people at places of work.
The targets for these rites are not only private individuals but also public establishments, who buy these and similar practices as means of stress reduction (e.g., mindfulness) or to increase personal capacity (e.g., coaching). Questions raised include: How do these rites reflect the structure of society? How are practices designed to be experienced as natural means for the participants to achieve therapeutic healing and better confidence? What are the visions and goals that are implicitly built into the practices and communicated to society and the individual?
The targets for these rites are not only private individuals but also public establishments, who buy these and similar practices as means of stress reduction (e.g., mindfulness) or to increase personal capacity (e.g., coaching). Questions raised include: How do these rites reflect the structure of society? How are practices designed to be experienced as natural means for the participants to achieve therapeutic healing and better confidence? What are the visions and goals that are implicitly built into the practices and communicated to society and the individual?
Original language | Swedish |
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Pages (from-to) | 23-52 |
Number of pages | 18 |
Journal | Chaos. Skandinavisk tidsskrift for religionhistoriske studier |
Volume | 65 |
Issue number | 1 |
Publication status | Published - 2016 |
Subject classification (UKÄ)
- Religious Studies
Free keywords
- Ritual Studies
- mindfulness
- coaching