Alternative Spirituality in Times of Pandemic












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            * Viktória Kováčová
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            Alternative Spirituality in Times of Pandemic


            Abstract
            This work focuses on how members of the researched community – which practices alternative

            live and think, for example in the field of health. The research was conducted in the Tatr
            Liptov in central Slovakia. Qualitative data were obtained from the community, which is cl
            to this environment. The research sample consisted of 10 people (5 men and 5 women) who ar

            community.
            Most informants prefer alternative forms of medicine, such as Ayurveda, and rather reject 

            biomedical health system associated with the pharmaceutical industry. This inclination was
            during the COVID-19 pandemic, when most of them refused to be vaccinated and preferred ins
            their immunity through overcoming the given disease. They rarely, if ever, visit doctors. 

            sick, in most cases, they look for a deeper, spiritual cause and meaning of their health p
            prefer natural nutritional supplements, herbs, and other forms of prevention.
            The main goal of this research was to find out how members of this community were affected

            situation, how they coped with it, and how they perceived it. I was also interested in fin
            the main source of their information was and whom they considered to be the final authorit
            I researched the organization of their time and daily functioning. Through the main resear

            such as in-depth interviews and participant observations, I tried to find out what led the
            to alternative spirituality and how it is currently reflected in their lives. I assumed th
            spirituality helps the informants to find meaning in life, as well as to understand the si

            were confronted with. I expected that these situations and experiences led them to form ce
            life philosophies and that the research sample regarded persons who practice alternative s
            hold life philosophies that they evaluate as similar to their own, as reliable sources of 


            Keywords: Slovakia; spirituality; religion; COVID-19; pandemic



            Viktória Kováčová [ URL "LM-1274.html "]
            PDF ke stažení [ URL "LM-1281-version1-up_2_2023_kovacova.pdf"]