Embodying Devī: Śākta Narratives of Healing and Transformation
This article explores how twelve practitioners of a contemporary Western Śākta community relate to Devī, experience Her presence in their lives, embody Her through the practice of deity yoga, and find their manner of relating to self, others, and the world transformed by it. The narratives were obta...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/12/1149 |
| _version_ | 1827637063530315776 |
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| author | Sophie-Anne Perkins |
| author_facet | Sophie-Anne Perkins |
| author_sort | Sophie-Anne Perkins |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article explores how twelve practitioners of a contemporary Western Śākta community relate to Devī, experience Her presence in their lives, embody Her through the practice of deity yoga, and find their manner of relating to self, others, and the world transformed by it. The narratives were obtained via semi-structured interviews and thus increase the ethnographic data in the field of tantric studies. Altogether, these testimonies suggest that deity yoga and its metaphysical framework, when interpreted through both a theistic and non-theistic lens, may enable a decrease in self-conscious emotions and negative affective reactivity, and an increase in positive affect and self-confidence or trust, as well as empathic or affiliative changes. The latter may result in changes in motivation or goals that are prosocial in nature and enable desirable changes in one’s interpersonal relationships and interactions. Additionally, it may potentially decrease the severity of the impact that neuroticism, mental disorders, substance use disorders, and negative affect can have on an individual’s life, or even assist in eliminating their presence, over time. Finally, it may effectively help some in navigating and overcoming grief or accepting the inevitability of death. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T15:54:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-09b9e7d5b8614bcb8e7f2265bdd7239a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T15:54:07Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-09b9e7d5b8614bcb8e7f2265bdd7239a2023-11-24T17:44:08ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442022-11-011312114910.3390/rel13121149Embodying Devī: Śākta Narratives of Healing and TransformationSophie-Anne Perkins0Institute of Anthropology, Centre for Asian and Transcultural Studies, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, 69117 Heidelberg, GermanyThis article explores how twelve practitioners of a contemporary Western Śākta community relate to Devī, experience Her presence in their lives, embody Her through the practice of deity yoga, and find their manner of relating to self, others, and the world transformed by it. The narratives were obtained via semi-structured interviews and thus increase the ethnographic data in the field of tantric studies. Altogether, these testimonies suggest that deity yoga and its metaphysical framework, when interpreted through both a theistic and non-theistic lens, may enable a decrease in self-conscious emotions and negative affective reactivity, and an increase in positive affect and self-confidence or trust, as well as empathic or affiliative changes. The latter may result in changes in motivation or goals that are prosocial in nature and enable desirable changes in one’s interpersonal relationships and interactions. Additionally, it may potentially decrease the severity of the impact that neuroticism, mental disorders, substance use disorders, and negative affect can have on an individual’s life, or even assist in eliminating their presence, over time. Finally, it may effectively help some in navigating and overcoming grief or accepting the inevitability of death.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/12/1149TantraŚāktadeity yoga<i>sādhanā</i>Devī<i>bhāva</i> |
| spellingShingle | Sophie-Anne Perkins Embodying Devī: Śākta Narratives of Healing and Transformation Religions Tantra Śākta deity yoga <i>sādhanā</i> Devī <i>bhāva</i> |
| title | Embodying Devī: Śākta Narratives of Healing and Transformation |
| title_full | Embodying Devī: Śākta Narratives of Healing and Transformation |
| title_fullStr | Embodying Devī: Śākta Narratives of Healing and Transformation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Embodying Devī: Śākta Narratives of Healing and Transformation |
| title_short | Embodying Devī: Śākta Narratives of Healing and Transformation |
| title_sort | embodying devi sakta narratives of healing and transformation |
| topic | Tantra Śākta deity yoga <i>sādhanā</i> Devī <i>bhāva</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/12/1149 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sophieanneperkins embodyingdevisaktanarrativesofhealingandtransformation |