Experiences of Divine Bliss, Anger and Evil during the Pandemic: Non-ordinary Experiences during Lockdown
Sociedade e Estado November 25, 2024 Bettina E. Schmidt, Kate J. Stockly
During the COVID-19 pandemic, some people reported non-ordinary experiences involving divine bliss, anger, or evil. This article examines four such accounts submitted by email as part of a broader research project on religious, spiritual, and non-ordinary experiences during the pandemic. These experiences sometimes helped people cope with lockdown by providing positive meaning, but other times expressed stress and fear, often worsened by silence about the experience. The article situates these experiences within the academic study of religion and spiritual experiences, noting that anthropologists have long viewed non-ordinary experiences and their interpretations as reflecting cultural meaning-making processes.