Flow, liminality, and eudaimonia: Pagan ritual practice as a gateway to a life with meaning

Journal article


Sonnex, C., Roe, C. and Roxburgh, E. 2020. Flow, liminality, and eudaimonia: Pagan ritual practice as a gateway to a life with meaning. Journal of Humanistic Psychology. 62 (2), pp. 233-256. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022167820927577
AuthorsSonnex, C., Roe, C. and Roxburgh, E.
AbstractPaganism is a term applied to a number of nature religions based on traditional indigenous practices. Paganism is practiced through rituals designed to facilitate a flow state that allows practitioners to use magic to achieve their aims. Since the introduction of Wicca to mainstream society in the 1950s, many other Pagan traditions have developed. Similarly, the number of people identifying as Pagan has also increased; in 2011, the number of people identifying as Pagan in the U.K. census reached 80,153. Despite this growth, Paganism is a topic that is underresearched in Psychology. This article uses Ryff’s theory of psychological well-being as a frame-work through which to explore the ways in which Paganism may be particularly conducive to eudemonic well-being as a result of the flow experiences inherent in its practice. This theory posits six key dimensions of eudaimonia: personal growth, self-acceptance, positive relation with others, autonomy, environmental mastery, and purpose in life. The ways in which each of these dimensions is elicited through Paganism is elucidated.
KeywordsSociology and political science; Philosophy; Social psychology; Paganism; Religion
Year2020
JournalJournal of Humanistic Psychology
Journal citation62 (2), pp. 233-256
PublisherSAGE Publications
ISSN0022-1678
1552-650X
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1177/0022167820927577
Official URLhttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0022167820927577
FunderFundaçào Bial
Publication dates
Online05 Jun 2020
Publication process dates
Accepted21 Mar 2020
Deposited11 May 2020
Accepted author manuscript
License
File Access Level
Open
Publisher's version
License
Output statusPublished
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