Fourteenth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

The paper focuses on the emergence and growth of alternative spiritual practices and beliefs in Soviet Latvia during the late 20th century. As with any movement they were passionate, perceived new ideas, and formed their unique world vision. The esoteric ideas, close to the New Age spirituality, were among them. This spiritual search had several sources of influence, such as religious, philosophical and esoteric ideas popular in interwar Latvia and the impact of Western New Age movements. The role of Soviet Latvia’s societal and political context in shaping the development of New Age spirituality is considered. For example, it was influenced not only by the cultivated requirements of the Soviet regime for the new man (Homo Sovieticus) but also by ideas of the occult and conspiracy theories integrated into the so-called ‘Soviet spirituality’. The paper explores specific New Age practices and beliefs that gained popularity in Soviet Latvia and the impact of New Age spirituality on individuals’ personal development in Soviet Latvia. The responses of the Soviet state and the establishment to the spread of New Age spirituality in Latvia are also noted. Finally, the paper analyses whether the New Age spirituality’s legacy created in the Soviet cultural space has impacted contemporary Latvian society.