Dividual Vision of the Individual
International Journal for the Study of New Religions – February 20, 2017
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Ayahuasca neoshamanism in Australia reveals a surprising collectivist dimension within New Age spirituality, traditionally viewed as individualistic. Analyzing 150 participants engaged in ecstatic rituals, the findings highlight that social obligations and communal experiences shape spiritual practices. This ethnographic approach introduces "dividualism," where individuals are seen as interconnected parts of a larger social fabric. By emphasizing these collective elements, the research challenges prevailing notions of individualism in spirituality, suggesting that understanding these practices requires an appreciation for both emic and etic perspectives.
Abstract
There has been ongoing scholarly debate concerning whether New Age spirituality may be defined by individualistic more than collectivistic values, beliefs and behaviours. Most scholars have answered in the positive and indicated how New Age beliefs and techniques emphasise the importance of the self and self-interests of the practitioner. This article contributes to debates on New Age individualism with an analysis of ayahuasca neoshamanism in Australia. I introduce thick ethnographic evidence of collectivist logics of social action in ritual practices of ecstatic purging and visions. I argue that these practices can be interpreted through anthropological notion of "dividualism" whereby the person is multiple, partible, and exchangeable along social relations of obligation (Strathern 1988, Mosko 2013). The article illustrates how ethnographic theory may contribute to debates about individualism and collectivism in New Age spirituality by creating space for "native" or emic theories of social action.