Empathy and Umbanda

Empathy is central to religious experience in the Brazilian Umbanda religion, a syncretic faith blending African spiritual practices, Catholicism, and Kardecist spiritism. In Umbanda rituals, mediums embody spirits of old slaves (pretos velhos), creating profound empathic exchanges that facilitate communal healing and personal transformation. The article argues, through predictive processing theory and embodied cognition, that these empathic interactions are deeply rooted in participants' physical and social embodiments, not merely psychological. This perspective shows how Umbanda serves as both a spiritual practice and a socio-cultural mechanism helping individuals navigate personal and collective life challenges, exemplifying how religion can be a powerful conduit for social cohesion and personal introspection.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This article explores the intricate interplay between empathy and religious experience within the Brazilian Umbanda religion. Umbanda is a syncretic faith that integrates elements from African spiritual practices, Catholicism, and Kardecist spiritism, reflecting the diverse cultural and social dynamics of Brazilian society. The religion emphasizes communication with spirits, particularly the pretos velhos—spirits of old slaves—who are revered for their wisdom and connection to the divine. These spirits engage with practitioners through mediums in rituals held in terreiros, offering guidance and comfort. Central to our discussion is the concept of embodied empathy, which is vital for understanding the deep emotional connections between the practitioners and the spirits. We seek to understand why Umbanda rituals are not just spiritual sessions, but profound empathic exchanges that facilitate communal healing and personal transformation. Through the lens of the predictive processing theory and the concept of embodied cognition, we argue that these empathic interactions are not just psychological but are deeply rooted in the physical and social embodiments of the participants. This perspective helps in understanding how Umbanda serves both as a spiritual practice and a socio-cultural mechanism that aids individuals in navigating their personal and collective life challenges. The empathy experienced within Umbanda rituals exemplifies how religion can serve as a powerful conduit for social cohesion and personal introspection.