Abstract
We present initial findings of a recent study into online participation during COVID-19 in Sufi meditation. During the pandemic, the Qadiriyya Boutchichiya Tariqa ran Sufism online sessions through a number of associated charities in Europe and Mexico. This research study was initiated by Bridging Spiritual Cultures, a UK education and research and interfaith charity associated with the Qadiriya Boutchichiya Tariqa, to investigate what the impact was of these activities and who attended and why. The research methodology was based on a multilingual survey across Belgium, France, the UK and Mexico and a number of interviews with participants also. The study has implications for online spiritual/religious provision during situations of crises to support well being and also carries implications about the shift to the online cyberspace within spiritual practising groups. This study forms a pilot for a further study looking at the same area within the Abrahamic faiths.
Presenters
Siobhan BygateLecturer, Politics and International Relations, University of Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
2023 Special Focus—Religion in the Public Sphere: From the Ancient Years to the Post-Modern Era
KEYWORDS
SUFISM, CYBERSPACE, MEDITATION, COVID19, WELLBEING, CRISES, ONLINE PROVISION
