A sense of connectedness, transcendent experiences, and insights for compassionate action emerge through an international collective labyrinth walk with a shared intention during the COVID-19 pandemic
IntroductionLabyrinth walking is an integrative contemplative practice that aims to engage the body, heart, mind, and spirit. In this article, qualitative findings from the first year of a mixed methods study on collective labyrinth walking with a shared intention are described. This form of labyrin...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1232784/full |
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| author | Jocelyn Shealy McGee Christine Katzenmeyer Stephanie Clintonia Boddie Stephanie Clintonia Boddie Stephanie Clintonia Boddie Stephanie Clintonia Boddie Rebecca Meraz Sinai Wood |
| author_facet | Jocelyn Shealy McGee Christine Katzenmeyer Stephanie Clintonia Boddie Stephanie Clintonia Boddie Stephanie Clintonia Boddie Stephanie Clintonia Boddie Rebecca Meraz Sinai Wood |
| author_sort | Jocelyn Shealy McGee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionLabyrinth walking is an integrative contemplative practice that aims to engage the body, heart, mind, and spirit. In this article, qualitative findings from the first year of a mixed methods study on collective labyrinth walking with a shared intention are described. This form of labyrinth walking is distinct in that it is a social contemplative practice. It expands upon most of the labyrinth walking research to date which has been focused upon the individual. More specifically, practitioners walk labyrinths together in solidarity with the same intention in mind during collective labyrinth walking. This practice can be used locally (i.e. practitioners walk the same labyrinth together for the same reason) or non-locally (i.e. practitioners walk different labyrinths for the same reason together in different locations). The study is unique in that it took place at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic which was a time in recent history that evoked fear, uncertainty, grief, isolation, and disconnectedness for many persons around the world.MethodsThis sample in this study was comprised of 461 participants from 19 countries who collectively walked labyrinths together with a shared intention on World Labyrinth Day 2021. Most participants were women in middle to later life from the United States. Data was collected through an anonymous online survey and analyzed using the qualitative methodology of interpretive phenomenological analysis.ResultsThree predominant themes emerged from practitioners’ narrative accounts of their lived experiences: (1) multiple forms of connectedness (i.e., intrapersonal, interpersonal, transpersonal, labyrinth connection) were cultivated through collective labyrinth walking with a shared intention; (2) practitioners reported qualities associated with “transcendent” experiences during this experience (i.e., boundlessness, ultimacy, transcendence, connectedness, positive emotions); and (3) practitioners had insights for compassionate action.DiscussionFindings suggest that collective labyrinth walking with a shared intention can contribute to individual and group flourishing during times of distress. Quasi-experimental and experimental research designs are needed to build on this exploratory developmental research and are described in this article. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T10:33:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-de47a2c1b8ae48c08c0d5c2adf6e3136 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T10:33:02Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-de47a2c1b8ae48c08c0d5c2adf6e31362023-11-14T13:42:43ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782023-11-011410.3389/fpsyg.2023.12327841232784A sense of connectedness, transcendent experiences, and insights for compassionate action emerge through an international collective labyrinth walk with a shared intention during the COVID-19 pandemicJocelyn Shealy McGee0Christine Katzenmeyer1Stephanie Clintonia Boddie2Stephanie Clintonia Boddie3Stephanie Clintonia Boddie4Stephanie Clintonia Boddie5Rebecca Meraz6Sinai Wood7Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, Baylor University, Waco, TX, United StatesThe Legacy Labyrinth Project, Denver, CO, United StatesDiana R. Garland School of Social Work, Baylor University, Waco, TX, United StatesGeorge W. Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University, Waco, TX, United StatesSchool of Education, Baylor University, Waco, TX, United StatesCollege of Human Sciences, Institute for Gender Studies, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South AfricaLouise Herrington School of Nursing, Baylor University, Dallas, TX, United StatesUniversity Libraries, Baylor University, Waco, TX, United StatesIntroductionLabyrinth walking is an integrative contemplative practice that aims to engage the body, heart, mind, and spirit. In this article, qualitative findings from the first year of a mixed methods study on collective labyrinth walking with a shared intention are described. This form of labyrinth walking is distinct in that it is a social contemplative practice. It expands upon most of the labyrinth walking research to date which has been focused upon the individual. More specifically, practitioners walk labyrinths together in solidarity with the same intention in mind during collective labyrinth walking. This practice can be used locally (i.e. practitioners walk the same labyrinth together for the same reason) or non-locally (i.e. practitioners walk different labyrinths for the same reason together in different locations). The study is unique in that it took place at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic which was a time in recent history that evoked fear, uncertainty, grief, isolation, and disconnectedness for many persons around the world.MethodsThis sample in this study was comprised of 461 participants from 19 countries who collectively walked labyrinths together with a shared intention on World Labyrinth Day 2021. Most participants were women in middle to later life from the United States. Data was collected through an anonymous online survey and analyzed using the qualitative methodology of interpretive phenomenological analysis.ResultsThree predominant themes emerged from practitioners’ narrative accounts of their lived experiences: (1) multiple forms of connectedness (i.e., intrapersonal, interpersonal, transpersonal, labyrinth connection) were cultivated through collective labyrinth walking with a shared intention; (2) practitioners reported qualities associated with “transcendent” experiences during this experience (i.e., boundlessness, ultimacy, transcendence, connectedness, positive emotions); and (3) practitioners had insights for compassionate action.DiscussionFindings suggest that collective labyrinth walking with a shared intention can contribute to individual and group flourishing during times of distress. Quasi-experimental and experimental research designs are needed to build on this exploratory developmental research and are described in this article.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1232784/fulllabyrinth walkingcontemplative practicesflourishingwellbeingconnectednesstranscendence |
| spellingShingle | Jocelyn Shealy McGee Christine Katzenmeyer Stephanie Clintonia Boddie Stephanie Clintonia Boddie Stephanie Clintonia Boddie Stephanie Clintonia Boddie Rebecca Meraz Sinai Wood A sense of connectedness, transcendent experiences, and insights for compassionate action emerge through an international collective labyrinth walk with a shared intention during the COVID-19 pandemic Frontiers in Psychology labyrinth walking contemplative practices flourishing wellbeing connectedness transcendence |
| title | A sense of connectedness, transcendent experiences, and insights for compassionate action emerge through an international collective labyrinth walk with a shared intention during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full | A sense of connectedness, transcendent experiences, and insights for compassionate action emerge through an international collective labyrinth walk with a shared intention during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | A sense of connectedness, transcendent experiences, and insights for compassionate action emerge through an international collective labyrinth walk with a shared intention during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | A sense of connectedness, transcendent experiences, and insights for compassionate action emerge through an international collective labyrinth walk with a shared intention during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_short | A sense of connectedness, transcendent experiences, and insights for compassionate action emerge through an international collective labyrinth walk with a shared intention during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | sense of connectedness transcendent experiences and insights for compassionate action emerge through an international collective labyrinth walk with a shared intention during the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | labyrinth walking contemplative practices flourishing wellbeing connectedness transcendence |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1232784/full |
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