Kruh ako útočisko: spiritualita, bezpečie a ženská komunita v súčasnej spoločnosti

In urban Slovakia, women's circles practicing alternative spirituality use singing, dancing, movement, shared narratives, and emotionally attuned interactions to build temporary communities (communitas) and psychological safety. Although participants emphasize individual authenticity and personal spiritual experience, the group remains central for mediating meaning, personal transformation, and emotional regulation. The study demonstrates that collective emotional and ritualized mechanisms of cohesion are key even in settings that prioritize individual experience.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The article focuses on collective forms of alternative spirituality in urban environments in Slovakia, with special emphasis on emotional and ritualized mechanisms of cohesion within women’s circles. These gatherings, while emphasizing individual experience and personal spirituality, create specific forms of collective experience. Singing, dancing, movement, shared narratives, and affectively attuned interactions function as tools of emotional connection that allow participants to construct temporary communities (communitas) and create a sense of psychological safety. The study shows that even in an environment dominated by an emphasis on authenticity and individual experience, the group plays a central role in mediating meaning, transformation, and emotional regulation. The article is based on original research and contemporary theoretical approaches to affective bonds, spirituality, and the transformation of individual emotions into collective experience.